Four years ago i decided to get some speakers for my apartment. Nothing crazy, i was thinking 2 channel setup maybe 5.1 at the most. For someone like me with no knowledge on where to start I felt defeated before i even began. I decided to do what any young man should do i asked my father for advice.
Even before i was born my father was heavily into hifi systems & music. When i was a baby, he would sit me on his lap and play anything from Miles Davis, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. As a kid I always wondered why were his speakers so large and what were those heavy electronic things on stands? I guess it took 30 years for me to become just like him.
He told me to look into Tannoy speakers (mercury line) their priced right and sound good (I was looking to spend $400 max on a pair) so i did. I purchased Tannoy Mercury V4's and a
yamaha rx v673 receiver. I was in musical bliss!!!! For the $200 i spent on V4's they were a steal but i wanted more.
Fast forward to last year i started looking to upgrade my system. This time i really started reading up on my options, and it came down to four companies: SVS, Aperion, Phiharmonic and Ascend Acoustics. Memorial day came and SVS made me a offer on b-stock set i couldn't refuse. Did i make the right choice? Ascend was an hour from my house would i regret not doing a audition? The Ultra Towers arrived and at first they met every need i wanted. I couldn't believe the lows these speakers could produce. Mids were great too but the highs were missing that extra level of detail. The more i listened the more i felt like it was all about the low end. Movies were phenomenal especially action movies, but the music is what i listen to the most. I do credit my ultra's on converting some of my friends into buying a system. I've had a chance to listen to all kinds of systems the past four years and the more i listened the more i knew what i wanted. No knock on the ultras, but for the type of music i like they weren't doing it for me.
Last week i finally get the nerve to call on Ascend and see if i could get a audition of the Sierra 2's and Towers with RAAL. The lady who answered was very nice and answered all my questions. With the audition date set i started to wonder would they live up to the hype? I decided to take my dad with me since he has good ear and he loves this stuff.
First album we played
Sarah Vaughan-Crazy and mixed up
My dad and I didn't say a word until maybe track 3, i think we both were in a musical trance lol. The Sierra 2's sounded so precise, detailed and clear without being bright it was shocking. We stayed for 2 hours or so listening to:
Miles Davis (can't remember the album)
Terry Callier-Timepeace
Diana Krall-Live in Paris
James Blake-Overgrown
Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms
Gordon Lightfoot-Best of
I had zero intentions of buying anything that day and i ended up buying Sierra 2's on the spot LOL. My only regret was not listening to the towers and center channel while i was there. Instead of putting these in the bedroom, the Sierra's will be my main speakers in the living room. I packed up the ultra towers and will be selling them
I apologize for the long thread and misspellings.
Thank you Dave & Dina for being so kind and informative. Your speakers have made me rethink my audio plans. Next up Sierra Horizon (with RAAL), CBM 170 for destktop and Rythmik F12 or F15.