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Thread: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    7

    Default New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    I am upgrading my current SVS prime LCR to Ascend Sierra 2 and a Horizon center with RAAL tweeter.

    I am hoping this new setup blows me away!

    I will probably stick with my SVS prime satellites as the side and back surrounds. I also have a SVS PB-2000. This is all in a dedicated HT with acoustic treatment.

    Can't wait to listen to some music and watch some movies with this new setup.

    This is the first time I have spent this much money on speakers, I sure hope it is worth it.

    Thanks to all on this forum for the great info. I did a lot of reading before my decision.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    68

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    Congrats. I have three Sierra 2's across the front and they are amazingly good. Your money was well spent!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    Received the Sierra 2 and horizon center. Wow!

    Amazing sound. I went through some movies and music, what a difference in sound quality.

    When your wife comments that the speakers sound great, you know you made the right choice.

    The Horizon center is a beast.

    Customer service during the whole purchasing process was fantastic!

    Some questions -

    1. I have searched a little, but what is the overall consensus on the receiver setting these to large vs small?

    2. What is the typical crossover setting? I have a pb2000 svs sub. May get a second sub.

    3. What stands do you recommend? I have some common Sanus stands, but am way over the weight limit for the center and want a quality 24" stand for the Sierra 2's?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    457

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    Glad the Sierra-2 and Horizon won out over SVS. Good choice!

    1. This is all going to depend on your room and your preferences. I run my Towers as large, but since you're running bookshelves I would probably run them as small. Just try both and see which one you like better in your room.

    2. Again, depends on your room, heavily, as well as your seating distance. 80 Hz is very typical and should work for most circumstances. If you play at really loud levels in a big room you may need to cross higher than that.

    3. I absolutely love these stands, they are beasts, just get the right height to have your tweeters at ear level: http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PGLS300
    -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

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Somewhere in the Boston area
    Posts
    225

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    Setting your speakers as small and the crossover at 80Hz also assures that you are in complete control of the transition from sub to speakers. With the exception of very small bookshelf, all speakers are fairly flat down to 80Hz. Using the bass management setting of your pre-pro/AVR you can make sure the slopes of sub and speaker response overlap properly, avoiding "holes" or "peaks" due to either too wide or too narrow overlap.

    Another advantage is that you are relieving both amp and speakers from having to play down to frequencies where a lot of energy can be "expended". The amp will strain less (no need to source the high currents often associated with low impedance at low frequencies) and the woofers in the speakers will distort less (reduced excursion is needed).

    As a bonus, crossing at 80Hz you also make ported speakers a bit more immune to being positioned against a wall (not optimal for any speaker, but even more so for ported speakers). 80Hz is in most cases (if not all) way above the port tuning frequency, so a ported speaker crossed at that frequency behaves a lot like a sealed one.

    At the end of the day, though, as sludgeogre wisely mentioned, A LOT depends on your room. Experimenting and making adjustments accordingly is the way to do it. Starting from what is commonly recommended is only a starting point to avoid playing with too many variables at the same time.

    Have fun!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    Great info, thank you for the replies.

    Those stands look great, need to find my height and then order some.

    Thanks!!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    I ordered the LS300 stands. Measured and I need to go with 28" stands. Installed them last night. They look so much better than the Sanus stands I had. Plus I went from 24" to 28" and the height is much better! Thank you for the recommendation!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    457

    Default Re: New to Ascend - just ordered the Sierra 2 and Horizon center with RAAL

    Quote Originally Posted by Bmmonahan View Post
    I ordered the LS300 stands. Measured and I need to go with 28" stands. Installed them last night. They look so much better than the Sanus stands I had. Plus I went from 24" to 28" and the height is much better! Thank you for the recommendation!
    That's great news! Glad to be of help. They are beautiful, aren't they =D
    -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

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