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Thread: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    33

    Default sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    I have sierra raal towers from past 2 years(bought after A/B testing with sierra 2) and recently got sierra 2 EX also.
    I am running both of them using yamaha DSP A1.

    I hate to admit that sierra 2EX is sounding amazing and better to my ears than towers except the vocals which is one step clear and forward in towers.

    It seems to better integrate with my subwoofer (SVS sb16 ultra). everything seems more musical and fun.
    My subwoofer for some reason just opened up when i use sierra 2 EX and the bass is more tight and musical.
    Maybe i need to upgrade my amp for towers but dsp a1 has 110watt rms which should be enough ?

    Although i am not describing comparison in very technical terms but i am preferring sierra 2 EX for almost all genre of music and movies to the point that i want to sell my towers and get another pair of sierra 2 EX. (given the fact that i am using same amp and sub for both)

    have other people felt/observed this.

    Also feels like sierra tower needs to up its game in future to keep up with its price tag compared to steal deal tag on sierra 2EX.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    33

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    or maybe i should add some room correction pre processor and then evaluate both ?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Central NC
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    133

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    Quote Originally Posted by vicky View Post
    I hate to admit that sierra 2EX is sounding amazing and better to my ears than towers except the vocals which is one step clear and forward in towers.

    It seems to better integrate with my subwoofer (SVS sb16 ultra). everything seems more musical and fun. My subwoofer for some reason just opened up when i use sierra 2 EX and the bass is more tight and musical. Maybe i need to upgrade my amp for towers but...
    And you might want to look at replacing your sub for a pair of 12" or 15" servo subs. A number of makers sell them. I did this and I've been very happy I did, and I'm only using Sierra 2s as my mains (not EXes).

    I'm saying this because servo subs typically deliver considerably less distortion than non-servo subs, and this makes them easier to integrate into a system. Two subs makes it easier to integrate with the room (makes it easier to control room modes).

    What a pair of servo subs does for the sound is interesting. It can immediately make the whole setup cleaner, and a couple of octaves deeper, but it still sounds like your mains (servo subs typically aren't very colored, so don't contribute a sound of their own). And because you've got a pair of subs, you can more easily flatten out the bottom end of your room.

    That said, much depends on the size / shape of the room, whether the room is part of an open plan or is closed off from the rest of the house when listening, how the room has been treated (bare walls vs. bookshelves and upholstered furniture, and/or acoustical treatments like absorbers, diffusers, and bass traps), xover frequency, room EQ software (like Audyssey, others), etc. But while you're considering upgrades you could make, you might want to consider upgrading subs. Just a thought.
    "If it sounds good, it is good." -- Duke Ellington

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

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    I don't agree that the 2EXs are better—I found the Towers to have better mids, both clearer and more detailed—but I will agree that the 2EXs are a better deal. Mind you, this is not because the Towers are overly expensive but because the 2EXs are just crazy cheap for what they are. I think the two price/performance standouts in the Ascend lineup are the HTM-200s and the S-2EXs.
    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
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Manhattan Beach, California
    Posts
    7,034

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    Quote Originally Posted by SunByrne View Post
    I think the two price/performance standouts in the Ascend lineup are the HTM-200s and the S-2EXs.
    IMO, I think the CMT-340SE is the performance per buck standout.
    -curtis

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Posts
    93

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    Sounds like an issue with phase integration over the subwoofer to speaker crossover region. REW and a Umik-1 is invaluable for integrating your subs with your speakers. If you want extra punch, get a sub with high sensitivity in the midbass (power sound audio for example). Higher sensitivity means less power and less thermal compression.

    But honestly I think if you spent the time to dial in your speakers and sub (even with the SB16 which prioritizes higher excursion vs sensitivity) I think that would fix whatever issues you’re having. There’s no magic sauce with certain subs being easier to integrate. You just need a mic, some measurement software, and time to dial it in properly.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    291

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    I dont have the towers to compare with, but i think the sierra 2ex woofer is really good at producing frequencies 70-100hz and when pair with a sub, the overall bass has tactile to it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,538

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    Quote Originally Posted by vicky View Post
    I have sierra raal towers from past 2 years(bought after A/B testing with sierra 2) and recently got sierra 2 EX also.
    I am running both of them using yamaha DSP A1.

    I hate to admit that sierra 2EX is sounding amazing and better to my ears than towers except the vocals which is one step clear and forward in towers.

    It seems to better integrate with my subwoofer (SVS sb16 ultra). everything seems more musical and fun.
    My subwoofer for some reason just opened up when i use sierra 2 EX and the bass is more tight and musical.
    Maybe i need to upgrade my amp for towers but dsp a1 has 110watt rms which should be enough ?

    Although i am not describing comparison in very technical terms but i am preferring sierra 2 EX for almost all genre of music and movies to the point that i want to sell my towers and get another pair of sierra 2 EX. (given the fact that i am using same amp and sub for both)

    have other people felt/observed this.

    Also feels like sierra tower needs to up its game in future to keep up with its price tag compared to steal deal tag on sierra 2EX.
    Hi Vicky,

    I agree with others here, as good as the Sierra-2EX are (and they are fantastic) - from a technical standpoint, the ribbon towers are the better speaker.

    That stated, proper subwoofer integration is critical and it does sound like you are having some issues achieving this. This is likely due to room acoustics as the woofers and port of the towers are located much closer to the floor than compared to the Sierra-2EX.

    A receiver or processor with room correction, even if you only use the correction from 200Hz and lower, is extremely beneficial in achieving subwoofer integration.
    .
    .
    .
    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    291

    Default Re: sierra 2 EX > sierra raal towers

    To the OP, can you decribe the difference you hear between the tower and the sierra 2 ex without the sub.

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