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Thread: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    6

    Default Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    I have Sierra 2's as LCR with 2 subs. Popped in here and saw that there was an upgrade option to Sierra 2 EX. Would cost about $1,000 to upgrade all and decided to do it.

    Then I got to thinking, why not take that $1,000 and use it to upgrade the LR with Sierra Towers with RAAL. I realize it's $3,000 vs $1,000, but have always wondered how much better the towers would be. I could use the Sierra 2's as surround.

    I'm probably 90/10 movies/music.

    With two subs do you think it is worth the extra money to get the towers or will I be "almost" as happy with the 2EX's and save $2,000? Would still be using the one Sierra 2 as a center channel.

    Please let me know your thoughts.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    If you intend to keep the Sierra-2 as a center then it's a no-brainer. Upgrade your LCR to the EX.

    If you replace the L/R with RAAL towers then the standard Sierra-2 will not match nearly as well as all EX's up front.
    Ed

    * Sierra-2EX's W/V2 crossover upgrade
    * (2) Rythmik F12's
    * Parasound Halo P6
    * Audio by Van Alstine DVA-M225 Monoblock Amps
    * MiniDSP 2x4HD For Sub calibration
    *World's Best Cables Canare 4S11 speaker cables

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    191

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Mag_Neato View Post
    If you intend to keep the Sierra-2 as a center then it's a no-brainer. Upgrade your LCR to the EX.

    If you replace the L/R with RAAL towers then the standard Sierra-2 will not match nearly as well as all EX's up front.
    UNLESS, you would still feel like you were not done and really wanted to try Towers. Then Towers now, with an upgrade of just the center to S-2EX might be an end point. I think Dave has said, regarding centers, that the S-2EX is about 50% of the way between the S-2 and RAAL Towers. There's nothing wrong with S-2EX as LCR. I think they are pretty darn good. I'd just consider whether I was intending it as an interim system, or putting pieces of my final system (is there such a thing?) in place.

    By the way, if you can afford the risk of paying return shipping, they DO permit 30 day home trial to help answer this to YOUR satisfaction.
    Last edited by jimb; 11-07-2019 at 10:08 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    1,390

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    I went with the Towers w/ RAAL from the S2's for LR and think the upgrade was well worth it. For center, went from S2 to Luna Duo (which Dave posted somewhere gave the Horizon a run for the money). S2 went to surround. S2 Center not in use currently.

    I'm 90/10 music/movies.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    191

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by racrawford65 View Post
    I went with the Towers w/ RAAL from the S2's for LR and think the upgrade was well worth it. For center, went from S2 to Luna Duo (which Dave posted somewhere gave the Horizon a run for the money). S2 went to surround. S2 Center not in use currently.

    I'm 90/10 music/movies.
    Following that approach, for brianniebr, the question could then be, whether to upgrade the center S-2 to S-2EX, OR go to LunaDuo. The EX upgrade costs quite a bit less, and already fits in current use (I assume). In that case, I'd go with an EX upgraded S-2 center (eventually).

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    6

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

    With the added costs of upgrading the center, I'm really only putting $700 (the cost of the LR upgrade) towards the towers. I think at this point I will just upgrade the LCR to 2EX. It sounds like that makes a big improvement (not that the S2's need much of an improvement) and probably gets me most of where I want to be for 1/3 the costs.

    Again, I appreciate the advise.

    Now to order the upgrades.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    1,924

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    That is a "sound" decision!

    Really, you can't go wrong with a matched/balanced front end.
    Ed

    * Sierra-2EX's W/V2 crossover upgrade
    * (2) Rythmik F12's
    * Parasound Halo P6
    * Audio by Van Alstine DVA-M225 Monoblock Amps
    * MiniDSP 2x4HD For Sub calibration
    *World's Best Cables Canare 4S11 speaker cables

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    Central NC
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    133

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by jimb View Post
    Following that approach, for brianniebr, the question could then be, whether to upgrade the center S-2 to S-2EX, OR go to LunaDuo. The EX upgrade costs quite a bit less, and already fits in current use (I assume). In that case, I'd go with an EX upgraded S-2 center (eventually).
    Under these same conditions (more or less) I upgraded my center from an S-2 to a Luna Duo. I could not, and still can not, believe what an improvement that is. Not only did it cure my wife's problems with dialog, but she actually still talks about it, and it's been months. I was running the S-2 center channel about 1.5 dB hot after Audyssey, now with the Luna Duo I'm running at 0 dB. Dialog is considerably easier to understand, and overall balance and matching with the S-2s at L/R and the S-1 surrounds is better, with the subs doing the heavy lifting as always.

    When I asked Dave/Dina (before buying the Luna Duo) about it, they told me (IIRC) that the Luna Duo would be about midway between the 2EX center and the Horizon. And I'm not hearing anything at all that says that's not true. I never thought such a small speaker could make me so happy. Just sayin'.
    "If it sounds good, it is good." -- Duke Ellington

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    191

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Watson View Post
    ...
    When I asked Dave/Dina (before buying the Luna Duo) about it, they told me (IIRC) that the Luna Duo would be about midway between the 2EX center and the Horizon. ...
    It would be nice to get confirmation on that comparison from Dave.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
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    165

    Default Re: Sierra Towers W/ RAAL vs Sierra 2 EX Upgrade

    I have had my EX’s for a couple weeks and they are a big step up from the 2’s in midrange clarity imo. That being said I have no experience with using a 2 or EX as a center. I have mine paired with a Horizon and it sounds phenomenal.

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