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Thread: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

  1. #11
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    Default Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Quote Originally Posted by N Boros View Post
    Sorry. I haven't heard a planar magnetic speaker, but have heard and read many people describing them in this way or saying that they have a huge soundstage and kind of holographic imaging. They could have a "more realistic" sound to them, if a person has seen a certain live performance and can compare that with a good recording of that performance on the Magnepan speakers. I'm not sure if most reviewers have done this though.

    I am interested in listening to planar magnetic speakers at some point though, since most reviewers do seem to agree on they have quite a different sound that just about any other traditional speaker. They seem to describe them in different ways though and have a hard time coming up with the words to completely convey how they are different though.
    Not just with a planer magnetic speaker...any speaker. How do you know the soundstage is accurate?

    Imaging is a whole 'nother story. I haven't heard any other brand of speaker as a whole, image as well as Ascends.

    Soundstage is the size the picture...imaging is how well that picture is in focus.
    -curtis

  2. #12
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    Default Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Quote Originally Posted by curtis View Post
    Not just with a planer magnetic speaker...any speaker. How do you know the soundstage is accurate?

    Imaging is a whole 'nother story. I haven't heard any other brand of speaker as a whole, image as well as Ascends.

    Soundstage is the size the picture...imaging is how well that picture is in focus.

    That is a good point. I have no idea what measurements we could look at for a particular speaker to determine if one has a more accurate sized soundstage than the other.

    Rob H., co-Host of AVRant, often talks about planar speakers and how they do seem to in fact do a better job at imaging than the Sierra's with the Raal ribbon tweeter. They also produce this big soundstage as well. Whether or not this is accurate, I have no idea. Not everyone is after accurate. This does not mean that I plan to sell my Sierra 2s to just get some planar speakers, at all. The reason I wanted the Sierra2s, is that I can use them in a surround sound speaker layout and share the experience with other people: watching a movie together or listening to some music together. Rob H. and Tom have mentioned several times on AVRant that while planar speakers are exceptional in the two areas I mentioned, they are also very difficult to setup to get that sound. Also, they have very very narrow dispersion, so that if you move your head a slight bit some of those attributes go away. So it is not possible to that same experience on an album or a movie with someone else with many of these planar speakers. Does that mean that they are worse or better than the Sierra 2s? No, they are different. And every speaker (unless one has an unlimited budget) is going to have some pros and cons. But, Rob H. has mentioned that the Sierra 2s come quite close in performance to planar speakers in imaging, while not having the downside of such narrow dispersion.

    Years down the road I will probably try out a pair of planar speakers, so that I can see what all these folks are raving about. If they do what some say they can, I could see myself enjoying them for solo 2 channel listening sessions, but still keep the Ascends for everything else.

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Quote Originally Posted by N Boros View Post
    That is a good point. I have no idea what measurements we could look at for a particular speaker to determine if one has a more accurate sized soundstage than the other.

    Rob H., co-Host of AVRant, often talks about planar speakers and how they do seem to in fact do a better job at imaging than the Sierra's with the Raal ribbon tweeter. They also produce this big soundstage as well. Whether or not this is accurate, I have no idea. Not everyone is after accurate. This does not mean that I plan to sell my Sierra 2s to just get some planar speakers, at all. The reason I wanted the Sierra2s, is that I can use them in a surround sound speaker layout and share the experience with other people: watching a movie together or listening to some music together. Rob H. and Tom have mentioned several times on AVRant that while planar speakers are exceptional in the two areas I mentioned, they are also very difficult to setup to get that sound. Also, they have very very narrow dispersion, so that if you move your head a slight bit some of those attributes go away. So it is not possible to that same experience on an album or a movie with someone else with many of these planar speakers. Does that mean that they are worse or better than the Sierra 2s? No, they are different. And every speaker (unless one has an unlimited budget) is going to have some pros and cons. But, Rob H. has mentioned that the Sierra 2s come quite close in performance to planar speakers in imaging, while not having the downside of such narrow dispersion.

    Years down the road I will probably try out a pair of planar speakers, so that I can see what all these folks are raving about. If they do what some say they can, I could see myself enjoying them for solo 2 channel listening sessions, but still keep the Ascends for everything else.
    I have only critically listened to planer speakers twice...both times were Magnepans.

    Big wall of sound each time, but neither demo had good imaging. Just my experience, and yes, it could have been the setup.
    -curtis

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Quote Originally Posted by curtis View Post
    I have only critically listened to planer speakers twice...both times were Magnepans.

    Big wall of sound each time, but neither demo had good imaging. Just my experience, and yes, it could have been the setup.
    Agree Curtis. I critically listened to the big Maggie's a while back and recently, some big Martin Logans. They do throw up a big wall of sound, but certainly had a very diffused and bloated image with an ill-defined soundstage. In other words, they didn't accurately present a realistic "live image" venue space, no matter the music genre! The Sierras are just the reverse in all areas of realistic presentation...much more musical, natural, accurate and Live Sounding, with everything in it's place as it is hearing it Live (to my ears, YMMV)!!!

    Ted
    Last edited by theophile; 09-17-2016 at 12:30 PM.
    Sierra RAAL V2 Towers, Axiom EP 500 Sub, Morrow SP7 Grand Reference Speaker Cables, Phillips CD880 XLR Balanced Variable Line Output to Orchard Audio Strakrimson 375w/per ch Stereo Ultra GaNFET Amp..... (Dedicated 2.1 Acoustical Music Listening Room)!

  5. #15
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    Default Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Quote Originally Posted by theophile View Post
    Agree Curtis. I critically listened to the big Maggie's a while back and recently, some big Martin Logans. They do throw up a big wall of sound, but certainly had a very diffused and bloated image with an ill-defined soundstage. In other words, they didn't accurately present a realistic "live image" venue space, no matter the music genre! The Sierras are just the reverse in all areas of realistic presentation...much more musical, natural, accurate and Live Sounding, with everything in it's place as it is hearing it Live (to my ears, YMMY)!!!

    Ted
    I heard a pair of 1.7i at a dealer and though I loved the sound, it is indeed very diffuse and room filling. I think some people prefer that to precise imaging for one reason or another, it's that wall of sound kind of quality, with really tight bass. I much prefer my towers, as it sounds realistic instead of euphonic, if that makes sense.
    -Alex
    PS4/Nvidia Shield --> Emotiva XMC-1 --> Emotiva XPA-5 --> Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers and Horizon Center w/ RAAL tweeters (L/C/R), HTM-200 SE (Surrounds), 2x Rythmik F12 subwoofers

  6. #16
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    Thumbs up Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Quote Originally Posted by sludgeogre View Post
    I much prefer my towers, as it sounds realistic instead of euphonic, if that makes sense.
    Perfect sense!
    Sierra RAAL V2 Towers, Axiom EP 500 Sub, Morrow SP7 Grand Reference Speaker Cables, Phillips CD880 XLR Balanced Variable Line Output to Orchard Audio Strakrimson 375w/per ch Stereo Ultra GaNFET Amp..... (Dedicated 2.1 Acoustical Music Listening Room)!

  7. #17
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    Default Re: Can anything compete with the RAAL tower or Sierra 2?

    Well. I wasn't really talking about 1500 price point. Or even 2900 for the towers.. I had a chance to listen to others mentioned and I just can't find a better sounding speaker. My only wish... I had gotten the black bamboo tower...

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