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Thread: Signing in from Houston

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Houston TX
    Posts
    12

    Default Signing in from Houston

    I just ended up Speaker Upgrade Adventure at Ascend's door.

    Background is mostly HT and some CD. A couple years ago I rediscovered my vinyl after a friend had a vinyl party. I also made the mistake of spending time on the Steve Hoffman Forums (and a touch of AVS). I have been upgrading my system(s). In order to support 4K I upgraded the Yamaha RX-V995 with a TSR-7850 (Costco model - DO NOT GET IT). I also got some small Polk speakers to run Atmos. A friend gifted me his old system a few years ago, a Pioneer SX-1050 and a couple speakers.

    I cleaned up the SX-1050 and set it up for my analog system, and moved the Cambridge Soundworks over there.


    Otherwise:
    Turntable:Rega RP-6 w/ GT subplatter and w. belt, Yamaha P-550
    Cartridge:Rega Exact
    Tuner:n/a
    Digital Front End:Yamaha DV-S5860, Panasonic DP-UB9000
    CD Recorder:PC
    Analog Front End:Yamaha KX-380 Cassette deck
    Pre Amplifier:Tavish Adagio, Musical Fidelity X-LPS
    Amplification:Pioneer SX-1050, Yamaha TSR-7850
    Speaker System:Cambridge Soundworks MC-500, Klipsch KSW-200


    So I decided to get some towers for a better soundstage. I was budgeting 2K.

    I started my journey look asking and looking on Crutchfield and was thinking of Polks again. I then started researching more and looking at KEF (R500) and then was looking at Martin-Logan Motion 60XTs. I had decided I wanted a ribbon tweeter. I was figuring best buy for the dollar were the last series of high end speakers on discount. Some really good prices on at a bunch of places. I had pretty much settled on those beautiful Motion 60XT, but was still researching. I had planned to head over to a Magnolia to do some listening. Current world events put the brakes on that.

    Another issue is I am a little tight on space, I can't keep them positioned where them need to be, but figure I can move them in and out of the way. To that end I bought some Herbies sliders for spikes. Also, those Motion 60XTs are 48 x 14 x 11.5 @66bls.

    I then stumbled over threads about Ascend Acoustic Sierras, and kept looking. There are some rave reviews for them over on the Steve Hoffman forums and also on AVS.

    So I decided to get a pair of the Towers in Cherry with the RAAL Tweeter. I really liked what I was hearing about the construction, focus of the company and other things. So I said eff it and busted my budget!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    1,390

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    Congrats on the Towers.
    What part of Houston are you in?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,538

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnCarter17 View Post
    I just ended up Speaker Upgrade Adventure at Ascend's door.

    Background is mostly HT and some CD. A couple years ago I rediscovered my vinyl after a friend had a vinyl party. I also made the mistake of spending time on the Steve Hoffman Forums (and a touch of AVS). I have been upgrading my system(s). In order to support 4K I upgraded the Yamaha RX-V995 with a TSR-7850 (Costco model - DO NOT GET IT). I also got some small Polk speakers to run Atmos. A friend gifted me his old system a few years ago, a Pioneer SX-1050 and a couple speakers.

    I cleaned up the SX-1050 and set it up for my analog system, and moved the Cambridge Soundworks over there.


    Otherwise:
    Turntable:Rega RP-6 w/ GT subplatter and w. belt, Yamaha P-550
    Cartridge:Rega Exact
    Tuner:n/a
    Digital Front End:Yamaha DV-S5860, Panasonic DP-UB9000
    CD Recorder:PC
    Analog Front End:Yamaha KX-380 Cassette deck
    Pre Amplifier:Tavish Adagio, Musical Fidelity X-LPS
    Amplification:Pioneer SX-1050, Yamaha TSR-7850
    Speaker System:Cambridge Soundworks MC-500, Klipsch KSW-200


    So I decided to get some towers for a better soundstage. I was budgeting 2K.

    I started my journey look asking and looking on Crutchfield and was thinking of Polks again. I then started researching more and looking at KEF (R500) and then was looking at Martin-Logan Motion 60XTs. I had decided I wanted a ribbon tweeter. I was figuring best buy for the dollar were the last series of high end speakers on discount. Some really good prices on at a bunch of places. I had pretty much settled on those beautiful Motion 60XT, but was still researching. I had planned to head over to a Magnolia to do some listening. Current world events put the brakes on that.

    Another issue is I am a little tight on space, I can't keep them positioned where them need to be, but figure I can move them in and out of the way. To that end I bought some Herbies sliders for spikes. Also, those Motion 60XTs are 48 x 14 x 11.5 @66bls.

    I then stumbled over threads about Ascend Acoustic Sierras, and kept looking. There are some rave reviews for them over on the Steve Hoffman forums and also on AVS.

    So I decided to get a pair of the Towers in Cherry with the RAAL Tweeter. I really liked what I was hearing about the construction, focus of the company and other things. So I said eff it and busted my budget!
    Thanks for putting your confidence in us and I hope you absolutely love the towers. Stay healthy and listen to lots of music!
    .
    .
    .
    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Just outside Pearland, TX
    Posts
    301

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    Same as what racrawford65 said: welcome to Ascend, and where in the greater Houston metroplex are ya?
    Luna Duo V2 LR, Titan Horizon V2, and Rythmik L22 & L12 in HT, Sierra-LXs in study, S-2EXs and Duo V2 C in bedroom, S-1 NrTs in dining room, S-1s at work, HTM-200s in kitchen. Brother owns CMT-340s and dad has a pair of CBM-170s.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Houston TX
    Posts
    12

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    SW Houston, near BW 8 and Westheimer

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    1,390

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    Close to my office (BW8 and Westpark). I'm in N Houston (Spring). Stay safe!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Houston TX
    Posts
    12

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    My system with the Towers hooked up, which was a minor adventure.

    my system.jpg

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Houston TX
    Posts
    12

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    I ordered some herbies spike/cone gliders to ease moving the speakers.

    Questions:

    So how long to break in the towers?

    Also, what are the 8 foam pads for? Under the speakers if not using the spikes? I didn't see them mentioned in the tower assembly instruction sheets.

    Oh, and the heartbeat in DSOTM rattles the magnetic grilles
    Last edited by JohnCarter17; 03-21-2020 at 09:02 AM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    1,390

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    Mine sounded great right out of the box and a bit better now (not sure how many hours I have on them -- maybe somewhere between 100-200). Got mine right before the move to magnetic grilles, so I don't have that problem with DSOTM :-)

    I think that's what the foam pads are for - under the bases if not using spikes.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,538

    Default Re: Signing in from Houston

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnCarter17 View Post
    I ordered some herbies spike/cone gliders to ease moving the speakers.

    Questions:

    So how long to break in the towers?
    We don't state a formal break-in time. While drivers do break-in ever so slightly, there is no science to support that it is actually audible. I believe our own hearing takes time to get used to something new, especially when upgrading from one speaker to another as the previous speakers become the De facto standard of what we are used to listening to.

    That stated, customers report on average of ~50 hours or so...

    Also, what are the 8 foam pads for? Under the speakers if not using the spikes? I didn't see them mentioned in the tower assembly instruction sheets.

    These can be used under the tower bases, 1 in each corner - if you don't plan on using the spiked feet.

    Oh, and the heartbeat in DSOTM rattles the magnetic grilles
    That's odd - unless you are listening at very loud volume levels. We have been shipping the towers with the new magnetic grilles for a while and this is the first report of this. Have you tried slightly shifting the grilles?

    That said, the heartbeat on DSOTM has been known to destroy a few speakers here and there I'll have a listen on Monday, one of my favorite albums so a very good excuse to get in some quality music time.
    .
    .
    .
    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

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