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Thread: Sierra-2

  1. #1
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    Dec 2013
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    360

    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    After several years of trying other speakers, I've finally made way back to Ascend. I was one of the very first people to purchase the Sierra 1 when they first came out. I was very happy with them, although after a couple years I felt the need for a little more detail in the highs. I ended up switching to some Salk bookshelf speakers which I've had now for a couple years (going to be selling soon). I also have some Martin Logan Frescos (planar magnetic speakers). The Frescos have very detailed highs and mids, but the bass is non-existent and the cabinet construction is pretty flimsy.

    I don't know why I waited so long to try the Sierra 2, but I'm so glad I finally did. I auditioned the Sierra 2 along with the Raal towers at Ascend's showroom. The towers were awesome, but the Sierra 2 were not far behind at all. Since the towers are backordered and don't come in piano black, I decided to go with the Sierra 2.

    Now that I have them home hooked up to my Onkyo SR805 along with my new Rythmik F8, I can't stop listening to music. As soon as I get home from work, the music is on till I go to sleep. Everything about the Sierra 2 is just amazing. The bass is solid, tight and textured, the highs have so much air and detail, yet smooth at the same time, and the mids are just right.

    I do custom installation for audio/video equipment and I have access to many brands of speakers at wholesale prices including Klipsch, Martin Logan, JBL, Revel, etc... And even at my discounted prices there is nothing I would purchase over the Sierra 2.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    33

    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    I too bought sierra 2 recently and i have taken day off from work couple of times to listen to music.. its so addictive .. best sound i have heard till date ..

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    Quote Originally Posted by vicky View Post
    I too bought sierra 2 recently and i have taken day off from work couple of times to listen to music.. its so addictive .. best sound i have heard till date ..
    I can't believe it's already been one year since I bought the Sierra-2 and I still enjoy listening to them every day.

  4. #4
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    13

    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    Quote Originally Posted by mikesiskav View Post
    After several years of trying other speakers, I've finally made way back to Ascend. I was one of the very first people to purchase the Sierra 1 when they first came out. I was very happy with them, although after a couple years I felt the need for a little more detail in the highs... I don't know why I waited so long to try the Sierra 2, but I'm so glad I finally did...
    This charts our path exactly. As passionate former users of the wonderful SIERRA-1, we sold them in the hopes of finding something similar, but with greater extension in the tops.

    We followed the development of the SIERRA-2 with great interest. But because we cannot audition this gear at all, we figured we would wait for a professional reviewer (that we trust) to do a big reveal on the SIERRA-2.

    Sadly, its been years and we are still waiting...

    Are we alone in this camp - or have others also been patiently waiting for some positive press on the SIERRA-2?
    Last edited by SONDEK; 09-03-2019 at 10:21 PM.

  5. #5
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    Nov 2014
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    82

    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    http://positive-feedback.com/reviews...2-loudspeaker/

    If you understand how Dave does business, you'll understand why you rarely if ever see "professional reviews" of Ascend's products. If you enjoyed the Sierra-1, you will love the Sierra-2 or new Sierra-2EX.

  6. #6
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    Jun 2019
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    9

    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    I just started auditioning my new pair of S2EXs (swapped after demoing S1s)....my Marantz AV7705 Audyssey declared them full range! I did a lot of listening and while adding the sub back into the mix was clearly better - the S2EXs held their own for an awful lot of music in a medium sized room. I've got a lot of listening still to do, but bass extension here is impressive so far.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    Quote Originally Posted by white_darren View Post
    http://positive-feedback.com/reviews...2-loudspeaker/

    If you understand how Dave does business, you'll understand why you rarely if ever see "professional reviews" of Ascend's products.
    I'm sorry Darren, but this is just nonsense.

    I originally found my way to the Sierra-1 via many positive Professional Reviews available on the web.

    Furthermore, Dave has a special section on the Ascend Acoustics website - just for Professional Reviews!

    In that section, prospective buyers can find a ton of very positive Professional Reviews on many successful Ascend Acoustics models - not just the Sierra-1 - all of which will have been essential in driving (direct) sales of these products.

    [Google grabs those professional reviews and presents them as Page 1 options on any applicable search...]

    All VERY good for sales of these excellent products. So, why would the Sierra-2 be the exception.

    What are you on about?
    Last edited by SONDEK; 09-05-2019 at 02:08 AM.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    I agree this is a really excellent review of the SIERRA-2, BTW...

    http://positive-feedback.com/reviews...2-loudspeaker/

    Ironically, the reviewer is comparing the SIERRA-2 to the very same loudspeaker that is currently at the very top of my own short list... the highly acclaimed British-made ATC SCM11.

    According to the reviewer - who owns both - the SIERRA-2 comes off better AND is easier to drive!


    Hmmmmmmmm!
    Last edited by SONDEK; 09-05-2019 at 02:06 AM.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    Quote Originally Posted by SONDEK View Post
    I'm sorry Darren, but this is just nonsense.

    I originally found my way to the Sierra-1 via many positive Professional Reviews available on the web.

    Furthermore, Dave has a special section on the Ascend Acoustics website - just for Professional Reviews!

    In that section, prospective buyers can find a ton of very positive Professional Reviews on many successful Ascend Acoustics models - not just the Sierra-1 - all of which will have been essential in driving (direct) sales of these products.

    [Google grabs those professional reviews and presents them as Page 1 options on any applicable search...]

    All VERY good for sales of these excellent products. So, why would the Sierra-2 be the exception.

    What are you on about?
    Hi Sondek,

    Happy to hear that you enjoyed your Sierra-1!

    With regards to your question about reviews, do you realize that the majority of those publications that reviewed our Sierra-1 are no longer in existence? The entire audio review landscape has dramatically changed in the last decade. In the good old days, magazine reviewers were paid by the magazine to review product. Magazines had income from their subscription base and the companies that paid to advertise within the magazine. Reviewers looked for products that they found interesting and that would compel people to purchase the magazine, generating revenue for the magazine. Sometimes the company whose product was being reviewed would also purchase advertising space. These were true professional reviewers; they placed no demands on the company providing the product other than the company paying for shipping. Often times reviewers would purchase a product they liked, but mostly the products were returned in perfect condition.

    Magazines then gave way to audio review websites, which became the new medium. More convenient for consumers, especially since they were free – who would buy a magazine when one can just browse to a website for free? Qualified reviewers still need to get paid so revenue for the site was generated by companies purchasing advertising space. For many of these sites, their advertising rates were absurdly high.

    Ascend does not pay for advertising and we have developed a reputation as such – so few sites have been interested in reviewing our products.

    This new review medium is also failing, many of these sites failed to generate enough revenue to support their staff. Keep in mind, websites that rely on advertising for revenue must have tens of thousands of visitors every month, as advertising rates are directly related to monthly viewers. Some of these sites have managed to stay in business by expanding to other forms of revenue, by selling products or maintaining an active forum which keeps viewers coming. However, it then becomes challenging to remain truly impartial.

    Fast forward to today and it is a real mess. We now have dozens and dozens of YouTube reviewers out there, some are somewhat knowledgeable, others have no idea what they are doing. These reviewers’ goals are to generate enough traffic on to become incentivized, whereby YouTube then sticks ads in the video and the reviewer might earn a few bucks. Problem is, many truly think that recording the speakers so that the viewers can actually hear them somehow represents the speaker’s performance. It’s ridiculous, but unfortunately – there is no way to control it. We don’t know who these reviewers are, they often don’t publish their real names and they then go and buy product, review it without permission hoping to generate visitors and then simply return it. We try to stop it, but there is really no way.

    Then we get YouTube reviewers who ask to review product and then expect to get paid from us, or keep the product for which they then sell to generate revenue for their time spent. When a reviewer is compensated by the manufacturer of the product, the review itself becomes inherently biased – or worse… There was a prime example of this documented on AVS forum recently.

    Ascend will take no part in this. If you see a review on YouTube of our products, it was done without our permission and without our awareness. I had a rather large email fight with a popular YouTube reviewer who approached us to review one of our speakers. I hesitantly agreed and asked for the reviewer to provide a CC to secure the safe return of our speakers. He was offended by this. It is almost impossible to verify a name and address of a YouTube reviewer so anyone could pretend to have been this reviewer (fraud is rampant these days) Eventually he convinced me to take the chance but when I asked him when could we expect the speakers to be returned, he then stated that he intended to keep them. No way was that going to happen.

    So here is where we are today, the state of audio reviews has pretty much dissolved into complete unprofessionalism and it is getting worse and worse.

    Instead of looking for “professional reviews” – ask yourself the question, how could a speaker like the Sierra-2 become so popular without even a dime spent on advertising and without many professional reviews? Personally, I think that says so much more than any review these days possibly could…. Think about that…..
    .
    .
    .
    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    13

    Default Re: Sierra-1 NrT: Next phase?

    Quote Originally Posted by davef View Post
    Hi Sondek,

    Happy to hear that you enjoyed your Sierra-1!

    With regards to your question about reviews, do you realize that the majority of those publications that reviewed our Sierra-1 are no longer in existence? The entire audio review landscape has dramatically changed in the last decade. In the good old days, magazine reviewers were paid by the magazine to review product. Magazines had income from their subscription base and the companies that paid to advertise within the magazine. Reviewers looked for products that they found interesting and that would compel people to purchase the magazine, generating revenue for the magazine. Sometimes the company whose product was being reviewed would also purchase advertising space. These were true professional reviewers; they placed no demands on the company providing the product other than the company paying for shipping. Often times reviewers would purchase a product they liked, but mostly the products were returned in perfect condition.

    Magazines then gave way to audio review websites, which became the new medium. More convenient for consumers, especially since they were free – who would buy a magazine when one can just browse to a website for free? Qualified reviewers still need to get paid so revenue for the site was generated by companies purchasing advertising space. For many of these sites, their advertising rates were absurdly high.

    Ascend does not pay for advertising and we have developed a reputation as such – so few sites have been interested in reviewing our products.

    This new review medium is also failing, many of these sites failed to generate enough revenue to support their staff. Keep in mind, websites that rely on advertising for revenue must have tens of thousands of visitors every month, as advertising rates are directly related to monthly viewers. Some of these sites have managed to stay in business by expanding to other forms of revenue, by selling products or maintaining an active forum which keeps viewers coming. However, it then becomes challenging to remain truly impartial.

    Fast forward to today and it is a real mess. We now have dozens and dozens of YouTube reviewers out there, some are somewhat knowledgeable, others have no idea what they are doing. These reviewers’ goals are to generate enough traffic on to become incentivized, whereby YouTube then sticks ads in the video and the reviewer might earn a few bucks. Problem is, many truly think that recording the speakers so that the viewers can actually hear them somehow represents the speaker’s performance. It’s ridiculous, but unfortunately – there is no way to control it. We don’t know who these reviewers are, they often don’t publish their real names and they then go and buy product, review it without permission hoping to generate visitors and then simply return it. We try to stop it, but there is really no way.

    Then we get YouTube reviewers who ask to review product and then expect to get paid from us, or keep the product for which they then sell to generate revenue for their time spent. When a reviewer is compensated by the manufacturer of the product, the review itself becomes inherently biased – or worse… There was a prime example of this documented on AVS forum recently.

    Ascend will take no part in this. If you see a review on YouTube of our products, it was done without our permission and without our awareness. I had a rather large email fight with a popular YouTube reviewer who approached us to review one of our speakers. I hesitantly agreed and asked for the reviewer to provide a CC to secure the safe return of our speakers. He was offended by this. It is almost impossible to verify a name and address of a YouTube reviewer so anyone could pretend to have been this reviewer (fraud is rampant these days) Eventually he convinced me to take the chance but when I asked him when could we expect the speakers to be returned, he then stated that he intended to keep them. No way was that going to happen.

    So here is where we are today, the state of audio reviews has pretty much dissolved into complete unprofessionalism and it is getting worse and worse.

    Instead of looking for “professional reviews” – ask yourself the question, how could a speaker like the Sierra-2 become so popular without even a dime spent on advertising and without many professional reviews? Personally, I think that says so much more than any review these days possibly could…. Think about that…..
    @davef
    @white_darren

    Hi Dave [& Darren]

    Many thanks for clarifying your position on all this, Dave.

    Good on you for taking the high ground; I'm sure it does ultimately cost you in sales volumes, so you're paying the price for playing it straight with a very high quality product. Unfair.

    I sympathise with both you - as a manufacturer of quality goods - but also with the unsuspecting audiophile seeking unbiased and expert opinion on those same quality goods. As you have quite rightly pointed out - it's all a bit of a mess.

    It seems that there is a lot more going on behind the Audio Review scenes than most of us would be aware. On that note, it was wrong of me to dismiss Darren's viewpoint outright, as nonsense.

    [I apologise for simply dismissing your viewpoint as nonsense, Darren. There is indeed more to this than meets the eye and I stand corrected... -SONDEK]

    I will address one final point with you however, Dave.

    Above, you suggested to me "ask yourself the question, how could a speaker like the Sierra-2 become so popular without even a dime spent on advertising and without many professional reviews?

    My response? I don't know that it is that popular! How could I know?

    I get that with SIERRA-2 Total Sales Numbers at your fingertips, you might see the SIERRA-2 as being "so popular" . But by contrast, I have absolutely no idea how popular this model is, compared to (say) its predecessor - so your question is largely lost on me.

    Here in New Zealand, lurking through forums and reading reviews is still the only method by which one can form some kind of meaningful (perhaps incorrect) opinion on a new speaker design. And as stated above - rightly or wrongly - after reading so much positive press on the SIERRA-1, I gathered by the total absence of reviews - and the general absence of SIERRA-2 web banter - that this ambitious design had somehow missed the mark.

    Being brutally honest, discovering now that the SIERRA-2EX has ushered-in a whole new woofer design - rightly or wrongly - only reinforces my previous assumptions about the SIERRA-2. I.E. That the all-new woofer was designed to restore to the SIERRA-2 the kick-ass bass that the SIERRA-1 was rightly famous for!

    Based purely upon my web-based research, I'm left with the impresson that the SIERRA-2EX has solved this bass problem with the SIERRA-2 and predict that the latter will be ultimately phased-out as a result - long before the SIERRA-1 disappears from the scene.

    As I say, I might be totally wrong about this - but no matter how you slice it, it does leave the SIERRA-2EX looking like a real winner!

    Let's see...
    Last edited by SONDEK; 09-05-2019 at 02:11 AM.

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