Sierra 2 tweeter damage...

[Qman]

You guys are starting to scare me. I've got a pair of 2EX coming (should arrive tomorrow) and now I'm wondering just how fragile these Raal ribbons really are!

[MDinno]

You guys are starting to scare me. I've got a pair of 2EX coming (should arrive tomorrow) and now I'm wondering just how fragile these Raal ribbons really are!

Yeah, the Ascend towers are high on my buckets list but I would definitely get them with the dome tweeter. I've had my current towers for about twenty years and have cranked them and everything and never had a problem with blowing tweeters.

[Qman]

Yeah, the Ascend towers are high on my buckets list but I would definitely get them with the dome tweeter. I've had my current towers for about twenty years and have cranked them and everything and never had a problem with blowing tweeters.

On the other hand, I dont see a lot of dialogue about other customers blowing ribbons. Certainly can't be a common problem or you'd think you'd hear more about it.

[Mag_Neato]

Keep in mind also, those are regular S2's. The EX uses a steeper rolloff to the RAAL which increases its power handling and dynamic ability, so it can take greater power loads.

Still, make sure you have enough clean power to drive them as loudly as you intend to listen.

[Qman]

Keep in mind also, those are regular S2's. The EX uses a steeper rolloff to the RAAL which increases its power handling and dynamic ability, so it can take greater power loads.

Still, make sure you have enough clean power to drive them as loudly as you intend to listen.

Thanks..that makes me feel a little better!

[audiohead]

Thanks..that makes me feel a little better!

ill try and copy a quote from Dave:
davef davef is offline
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Default Re: Sierra Ribbon Towers and Safe SPL
Quote Originally Posted by Beave View Post
That's probably a similar frequency for the Sierra Tower woofer-to-mid crossover, but I bet the crossover slopes on the SVS speaker are steeper than the slopes on the Sierra Tower.
Yep - we use a shallow slope on the mid crossed to the woofers, and a steep slope on the woofers crossed to this mid. Plus that SVS Ultra tower has (2) mids, that automatically cuts the excursion requirements in half, plus they are larger woofers which increases efficiency - further reducing excursion requirements at the same volume levels.

Pogre, you really can't compare one speaker to another with regard to excursion, unless it is a subwoofer with the same size woofer and similar tuning, similar filtering and EQ. It gets complicated. Our Towers were not designed as SPL beasts but I have run ours in our demo room at 110dB for hours at a time, at a listening distance of about - 9 feet in a very well damped room. We have had customers turn up the volume to insane levels at times, often prompting me in the factory area to knock on the door and ask them to turn it down a bit. We have had these same towers in our demo room, which have been seriously abused and with many thousands of hours of listening time on them for close to ten years now. We have yet to have to swap out a woofer or the RAAL 70-20xr. In fact, I believe in an early demo of the towers - I believe Curtis and some other people accidentally bottomed the hell out of the woofers when Mike (I believe it might have been Mike but I could be wrong) played an insane Linkin Park track, full range at about 110dB.

Even more reassuring to you - in many thousands of ribbon towers sold, we have only had (2) customers damage the RAAL 70-20xram. One because the tower got knocked over and landed square on the face, basically shattering the tweeter - and another who used the towers outdoors at his own party, threw an insane amount of power into them and burned up every component, including melting the inductors and resistors in the crossover. That was an interesting situation, as the customer attempted to blame the speaker and fought with us over the warranty -- that was until his some dropped the speaker off at our facility, met Dina and Joe - felt bad and told us the truth as to what really happened

post #40 under sierra ribbon towers and safe SPL

[Pogre]

DANG Pogre, AGAIN! you're really giving us a lesson on what not to do.

sorry to see that really! I just had to throw out a comment to ya.

I an still eyeing the DUO center but i cant get the smile i need from the wife , YET.

Tell me about it! I feel like a speaker abuser!

What's telling tho, is when I mention something like this others suddenly come out of the woodwork and and have experienced the same issues! Tho I will point out that both of my issues were more user error than the fault of the speakers.

Yeah, the Ascend towers are high on my buckets list but I would definitely get them with the dome tweeter. I've had my current towers for about twenty years and have cranked them and everything and never had a problem with blowing tweeters.

I've never blown a tweeter either, whether dome or ribbon but fried tweeters are a lot more common than you seem to realize. They're usually the first thing to go. Those ribbons can handle high spl, but it has to be clean unclipped power. I really do believe this was a volume control issue with your friend's speakers, not frailty. That is unless someone actually physically poked holes in it, which looks like might have happened.

The tweeter used in the towers is A LOT more robust and can handle 3x the power of the one used in the Sierra 2s. I measured just a hair under 100 dB with my ribbon towers at my seat (15 ft away) and they were barely breaking a sweat. That's incredibly loud, louder than what's safe to listen at for any extended period of time. I repeat tho, it has to be clean unclipped power. I do have a very powerful amplifier.

[Pogre]

ill try and copy a quote from Dave:
davef davef is offline
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Default Re: Sierra Ribbon Towers and Safe SPL
Quote Originally Posted by Beave View Post
That's probably a similar frequency for the Sierra Tower woofer-to-mid crossover, but I bet the crossover slopes on the SVS speaker are steeper than the slopes on the Sierra Tower.
Yep - we use a shallow slope on the mid crossed to the woofers, and a steep slope on the woofers crossed to this mid. Plus that SVS Ultra tower has (2) mids, that automatically cuts the excursion requirements in half, plus they are larger woofers which increases efficiency - further reducing excursion requirements at the same volume levels.

Pogre, you really can't compare one speaker to another with regard to excursion, unless it is a subwoofer with the same size woofer and similar tuning, similar filtering and EQ. It gets complicated. Our Towers were not designed as SPL beasts but I have run ours in our demo room at 110dB for hours at a time, at a listening distance of about - 9 feet in a very well damped room. We have had customers turn up the volume to insane levels at times, often prompting me in the factory area to knock on the door and ask them to turn it down a bit. We have had these same towers in our demo room, which have been seriously abused and with many thousands of hours of listening time on them for close to ten years now. We have yet to have to swap out a woofer or the RAAL 70-20xr. In fact, I believe in an early demo of the towers - I believe Curtis and some other people accidentally bottomed the hell out of the woofers when Mike (I believe it might have been Mike but I could be wrong) played an insane Linkin Park track, full range at about 110dB.

Even more reassuring to you - in many thousands of ribbon towers sold, we have only had (2) customers damage the RAAL 70-20xram. One because the tower got knocked over and landed square on the face, basically shattering the tweeter - and another who used the towers outdoors at his own party, threw an insane amount of power into them and burned up every component, including melting the inductors and resistors in the crossover. That was an interesting situation, as the customer attempted to blame the speaker and fought with us over the warranty -- that was until his some dropped the speaker off at our facility, met Dina and Joe - felt bad and told us the truth as to what really happened

post #40 under sierra ribbon towers and safe SPL

That quote seems familiar...

[audiohead]

I don't think these tweeters need a bad reputation!

I love mine, i have the stereo on all the time now and absolutely love the sound from the towers!

i still am using my Boston Acoustics center and can tell a HUGE difference when the Movies come on! , they sucks compared to the towers.

[SunByrne]

Yeah, the Ascend towers are high on my buckets list but I would definitely get them with the dome tweeter. I've had my current towers for about twenty years and have cranked them and everything and never had a problem with blowing tweeters.

There is nothing wrong with the RAAL tweeters. The problem here has nothing to do with what kind of tweeter it is.

If your amp clips, you'll blow the tweeter regardless of whether it's a dome or a ribbon.