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Thread: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

  1. #131
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    Central NC
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    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Quote Originally Posted by JC1 View Post
    I've read a bunch of posts on here and other sites that describe the Sierra 2's as a "laid back" sound. What exactly does that mean?
    Subjective. What do you want it to mean?

    What I'm hearing from my Sierra 2s is a sound that's the opposite of "in my face". It's smooth and relaxed as opposed to gritty and brittle.

    Some tweeters have made me push back in my seat. Some have made me lean forward. Some have made me instinctively reach for the volume control to turn it down. Some make me want to turn it up. Some fatigue my ears so that I don't want to listen to music any more. Some let me listen for hours and hours.

    What I'm thinking what laid back means to me is that it doesn't make me want to do anything but listen, for hours and hours, which is what my S 2s do for me.
    "If it sounds good, it is good." -- Duke Ellington

  2. #132
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    85

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Watson View Post
    Subjective. What do you want it to mean?

    What I'm hearing from my Sierra 2s is a sound that's the opposite of "in my face". It's smooth and relaxed as opposed to gritty and brittle.

    Some tweeters have made me push back in my seat. Some have made me lean forward. Some have made me instinctively reach for the volume control to turn it down. Some make me want to turn it up. Some fatigue my ears so that I don't want to listen to music any more. Some let me listen for hours and hours.

    What I'm thinking what laid back means to me is that it doesn't make me want to do anything but listen, for hours and hours, which is what my S 2s do for me.
    Oh ok, I was hoping it didn't mean if have to perk my ears up just to hear things, movies and music. It sounds negative, but I guess it really isn't.

  3. #133
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
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    Manhattan Beach, California
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    7,034

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    I would not call them laid back.

    The RAAL tweeter is a unique animal. Very detailed without being harsh or forward. If you read Dave’s RAAL analysis, this is due to the lack of stored energy that other tweeters have.
    Last edited by curtis; 10-13-2017 at 03:19 PM.

  4. #134
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    Aug 2003
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    USA
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    5,538

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Quote Originally Posted by JC1 View Post
    I've read a bunch of posts on here and other sites that describe the Sierra 2's as a "laid back" sound. What exactly does that mean? I also has someone PM me on another site that said he had Sierra 2's and that he has had no desire whatsoever to upgrade to anything except the Sierra towers. He said the RAAL Ribbon tweeter is beyond great.
    I wouldn’t describe the Sierra-2 as being laid back, it presents a very neutral response with proper imaging within the soundstage while at the same time, producing the highest levels of detail and clarity.

    Laid back typically means that vocals and midrange instruments are a bit recessed, vocals might sound like they are coming from behind other instruments. These speakers are generally easy to listen to but are not quite as accurate and generally lack some detail and clarity.

    Forward sounding speakers generally throw everything right at you “in your face” – such that vocals, guitars, drums, horns all sound like they are on the same plane and inches away from you. These speakers tend to be more aggressive sounding, “louder” – but are often fatiguing and hard to listen to for extended periods of times. They can be really exciting to listen to at first, but tend to become bothersome overtime.

    The Sierra-2 is right in the middle, where it should be – but RAAL ribbons, inherently, offer a smoother and more refined presentation compared to domes, which are more forward and aggressive with more “bite”… Many describe the sound of a RAAL ribbon as if there is no tweeter at all – it doesn’t call attention to itself, yet there is nothing lacking – in fact, they present more detail and more clarity than any dome tweeter I have ever evaluated (aside from one).

    The Sierra-2 (as well as our Towers, Horizon and even our Lunas) are speakers that make you want to seek out well recorded source material just to kick back and get lost in the music, generating an emotional response much like intimate live music is capable of. These are not in your face party speakers – nor are they background music speakers – these are speakers that make you want to turn of the lights, relax, and just listen….

    We have had customers here for 4+ hours just listening and listening – one married couple actually got so relaxed they fell asleep. They apologized to me after and I said don’t be silly, getting that relaxed is the greatest compliment. For me, this type of critical listening is pure therapy and my form of meditation.
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    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  5. #135
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    85

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Quote Originally Posted by curtis View Post
    I would not call them laid back.

    The RAAL tweeter is a unique animal. Very detailed without being harsh or forward. If you read Dave’s RAAL analysis, this is due to the lack of stored energy that other tweeters have.
    Oh wow ok thanks for reply. I would think Def Tech wild be forward sounding but I'm not really sure. My Def Techs don't seem harsh though at all. They don't fatigue my ears either. I can't wait to eventually hear the RAAL ribbon tweeter.

  6. #136
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    USA
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    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Quote Originally Posted by JC1 View Post
    Oh wow ok thanks for reply. I would think Def Tech wild be forward sounding but I'm not really sure. My Def Techs don't seem harsh though at all. They don't fatigue my ears either. I can't wait to eventually hear the RAAL ribbon tweeter.
    It is really impossible to categorize a pair of speakers that you are very used to listening to as they become your frame of reference as to what sounds right. You need to listen to and compare many different sets of speakers to determine which are more forward, more laid back, and more neutral. BTW, none of these are negative characteristics, just different characteristics - like calling food spicy, or salty, or sweet...
    Last edited by davef; 10-16-2017 at 03:50 PM.
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    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  7. #137
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    85

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Well I want to thank everyone that helped in this thread, but I won't be getting any of the speaker talked about in this thread. I decided to focus on video and go 4K. I thought that would be money better spent at this time. I bought a Sony UBP-800 4K BD player a few weeks ago at an insane price. Now I have a Sony 55X900E coming at just a ridiculous price as well.
    I really love my Def Techs too. I know its a big speaker company that spits out speakers and sales at a dizzying pace but these SM 65's and SM 55's really impress me. They just sound really, really great to me. They surprise me nearly every day at how much I love them.
    A special thanks to Dave for countless posts and emails.I apologize and am sad I won't hear those RAAL Ribbon tweeters. Hey maybe someday but now for a LONG time though. So again thank you and everyone you had input to my thread here.

  8. #138
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Houston, Texas
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    1,390

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    No worries, JC1. All that matters is that you are happy with your system.

    Happy Thanksgiving all!

  9. #139
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    USA
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    114

    Default Re: PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

    Curtis,
    Don't rush in to 4K. Sony's newest camera is 6K....

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