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Thread: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review

  1. #31
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    Default Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Never heard Morrow cables so will be interested in your impressions.
    I generally use blue jeans cables (as interconnects in "less critical" - to me - applications, eg, AVR to ATMOS amp), blue jeans speaker cables, and for more critical connections, AudioSensibility.

  2. #32
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    Red face Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Quote Originally Posted by theophile View Post
    *the KnuKoncepte bass tightness-depth-tonality took 24 hours to blossom...
    *midrange took 48 hrs to become sweet and lucid...
    *Top end smoothness/trainsients to the RAALs didn't return until 100 hours of music break-in...!!
    *At 200 hours, top to bottom bandwidth has matured Very Nicely, but the overall very precise and detailed soundstage is still somewhat collapsed, as compared to the well broken in 10ft Monster Pros...
    Quote Originally Posted by racrawford65 View Post
    Never heard Morrow cables so will be interested in your impressions.
    I generally use blue jeans cables (as interconnects in "less critical" - to me - applications, eg, AVR to ATMOS amp), blue jeans speaker cables, and for more critical connections, AudioSensibility.
    Robert,

    At 250+ hours, the KK cables are starting to really become “Musical”! They have increased their Soundstage Depth presentation to almost Exactly match the Monster Pro’s! Additionally, I’m now hearing more nuisances, detail, resolution and greater air/openness/less veiling in the midrange and treble bandwidths throughout all of my well known music genre (without any hint of edginess, harshness or additional brightness)! Bass tonality, speed and punch has also improved!! Overall, my “emotional involvement” with my music has grown exponentially and now seems to have surpassed my old tried & true Monster reference cables!

    I still have the Morrow Audio cables (SP4) coming in to try for a 60 day trial period! I've looked at the Blue Jeans Canare 4S11 "star quad" 14-gauge cable, with four conductors together in one outer jacket and set up as a single-wired connector, each then becoming an 11 gauge + or - cable run! Will consider these if the Morrow SP4's high-end (and $$$$) cables don't knock my socks off!!

    Ted
    Sierra RAAL V2 Towers, Axiom EP 500 Sub, Morrow SP7 Grand Reference Speaker Cables, Phillips CD880 XLR Balanced Variable Line Output to Orchard Audio Strakrimson 375w/per ch Stereo Ultra GaNFET Amp..... (Dedicated 2.1 Acoustical Music Listening Room)!

  3. #33
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    Default Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    thanks for the updates, Ted.
    Maybe I'll try a set of the KK's one of these days.
    Next on my list to purchase is a degritter ultrasonic record cleaner to replace my vinyl stack/cheap Ultrasonic set up.

  4. #34
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    Exclamation Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Quote Originally Posted by racrawford65 View Post
    thanks for the updates, Ted.
    Maybe I'll try a set of the KK's one of these days.
    Next on my list to purchase is a degritter ultrasonic record cleaner to replace my vinyl stack/cheap Ultrasonic set up.
    Quote Originally Posted by theophile View Post
    ...I still have the Morrow Audio cables (SP4) coming in to try for a 60 day trial period! I've looked at the Blue Jeans Canare 4S11 "star quad" 14-gauge cable, with four conductors together in one outer jacket and set up as a single-wired connector, each then becoming an 11 gauge + or - cable run! Will consider these if the Morrow SP4's high-end (and $$$$) cables don't knock my socks off!!

    Ted
    Robert,

    Well, after about 300 hrs of break-in, I've changed my impressions of the KnuKoncepts 12Ga OFC speaker Cables. Overall, they have presented limitations that aren't musical. Dynamics are somewhat compressed, as they aren't "live sounding" at low volumes, but when pushed with realistic listening concert volumes, become somewhat edgy and dry, not as open and smooth as my original Monster Pro High Res cables!

    Still awaiting the Morrow SP4 cables (due the week of the 26th). So, I ordered the in stock BJC Canare 4S11 Star Quad cables from Amazon. I was somewhat dejected upon their arrival, as they are a stiffer and larger diameter speaker cable than what I'm use to, but wait, where in the heck did my S-2EX Go????????????

    I'm immediately hearing background nuisances, inner details and venue sounds that weren't in my recordings before. Soundstage depth and height has grown even larger with 3D air around vocalist and instrumentalist. A veil, one I never felt existed, has been lifted and Clarity, Redolution and Realism has taken a quantum leap into the High-End Realm! In my music library, cymbals, clapping, string bowing and many other micro details have appeared more real than I've previously experienced. Vocals, as an emotional and diverse instrument, have taken on a new reality (can hear everything). Bass attacks, punch, timbre, tonality and speed has become Superb and grown exponentially (just thought I had great bass before). Overall, Micro and Macro Dynamics have increased and presentation has become very much more musical. Come now, where did my 2EX go??????!

    No kidding, the new BJC Canare 4S11 speaker cables have made my Sierra 2EX Monitors sound like they were given a hefty dose of Steriods, like a purchase of new higher end Monitors!! If I added all of the positives of my old Monster Cables and the new KnuKoncepts speaker cable, I'd Still not come close to what these Canare cables have shown me and if I could cancel my Morrow Audio SP4 speaker cable order, I would...Period! But they are already built and paid for and should be arriving in the next 2 weeks. I just can't wrap my head around the Morrows (@ 10X the price) out performing these Made-In-Japan speaker cables, but will have 60 days to try! It ought to be Very Interesting!

    FWIW, after conversing with my friend and audiophile buddy of 47 years, he ordered the BJC Canare 4S11 cables and after 5 minutes of listening, called me proclaiming, "WOW-Ho..Sh..-WOW"...BEST $100 I've EVER Spent on Stereo Gear...These ARE NOT Going Back...Can't believe what I've been missing"!

    Ted

    Last edited by theophile; 07-21-2021 at 08:51 AM.
    Sierra RAAL V2 Towers, Axiom EP 500 Sub, Morrow SP7 Grand Reference Speaker Cables, Phillips CD880 XLR Balanced Variable Line Output to Orchard Audio Strakrimson 375w/per ch Stereo Ultra GaNFET Amp..... (Dedicated 2.1 Acoustical Music Listening Room)!

  5. #35
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    Default Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Years ago, I made my own cables with Canare 4S11. I used them with my CMT-340SEs. I terminated them for bi-wiring. I re-terminated for non bi-wire after getting my Sierra-1's. I think I still have them in the garage somewhere.

    When I got my Sierra-2's, I wanted to have the same cable for L/C/R, so I went with BJC's Beldon cable with ultrasonically welded locking bananas for all three.

    Honestly, I hear no difference.
    -curtis

  6. #36
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    Default Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Thanks, Ted, for the update.
    Curtis answered my question regarding difference between the Belden and Canare cables.

  7. #37
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    Red face Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Quote Originally Posted by curtis View Post
    Years ago, I made my own cables with Canare 4S11. I used them with my CMT-340SEs. I terminated them for bi-wiring. I re-terminated for non bi-wire after getting my Sierra-1's. I think I still have them in the garage somewhere.

    When I got my Sierra-2's, I wanted to have the same cable for L/C/R, so I went with BJC's Beldon cable with ultrasonically welded locking bananas for all three.

    Honestly, I hear no difference.
    Good to hear "no differences", Curtis...Thanks!

    Maybe, the "non-welded" conductors of the 4S11 sound equal to the "sonic-welded" conductors of the Beldon cables?!? Jeff at BJC has stated receiving many comments (similar to mine) from users who have stepped up from the Beldon welded to the 4S11 welded cables?!?

    My BJC very upbeat findings and comments (post#34) come after using other 12 Ga OFC cables that are terminated with regular Sewel compression Deadbolt bananas. Believe I currently have a better Synergistic Match using the Canare 4S11 Star Quad cables (also ultrasonically welded conductors to locking banana connectors) between my power amp and the 2EX!?!

    Ted
    Sierra RAAL V2 Towers, Axiom EP 500 Sub, Morrow SP7 Grand Reference Speaker Cables, Phillips CD880 XLR Balanced Variable Line Output to Orchard Audio Strakrimson 375w/per ch Stereo Ultra GaNFET Amp..... (Dedicated 2.1 Acoustical Music Listening Room)!

  8. #38
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    Default Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    My only reason for going for the welded is durability, and I didn't want to mess with the compression connections any longer, and the locking bananas. I think the gauge was thicker overall, too

    And...too lazy to make cables.
    Last edited by curtis; 07-19-2021 at 06:46 PM.

  9. #39
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    Exclamation Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Quote Originally Posted by theophile View Post
    No kidding, the new BJC Canare 4S11 speaker cables have made my Sierra 2EX Monitors sound like they were given a hefty dose of Steriods, like a purchase of new higher end Monitors!! If I added all of the positives of my old Monster Cables and the new KnuKoncepts speaker cable, I'd Still not come close to what these Canare cables have shown me and if I could cancel my Morrow Audio SP4 speaker cable order, I would...Period! But they are already built and paid for and should be arriving in the next 2 weeks. I just can't wrap my head around the Morrows (@ 10X the price) out performing these Made-In-Japan speaker cables, but will have 60 days to try! It ought to be Very Interesting!
    FWIW (imagine I'm sounding like a broken record...heck, I am a Stereo Audiophile ), but Hearing is Believing! I received the Morrow Audio SP4 speaker cables on 7/26 and have had them cooking with music 24/7 since (now over 400 hours of break-in). They Are the Keepers...sent back the Canares! The Morrows (to Me) are worth 5X the price (50%-sale) of the Canare S411 cables!!!

    They take all of the positive sonic qualities of my previous cable usages (30 Yr 10Ga Monster Pros, 12 Ga OFC KnuKoncepts, Blue Jeans 11Ga Canare 4S11) and Step-Up the LIVE music reproduction presentation with Improvements in:

    1. Soundstage depth (recording dependent) 10 to 20 feet deeper than any of the above speaker cables.
    2. Soundstage Pinpoint focus, with much greater air and separation of vocals, instrumentals, strings, keyboard and small ensembles.
    3. Venue accuracy, ambiance and spaciousness with tremendous width, depth and height.
    4. Balance of an extremely natural, open and live 3D Holographic presentation.
    5. Excellence in micro/macro dynamics.
    6. Extremely accurate timbres/tonalities/resolutions.
    7. Superb attack/sustained/decay articulations.
    8. Full Bandwidth precision and balance-Nothing is missing.
    9. Make my Highly-Resolving 2EX Sing with Very Musical, Realistic and Live-You-Are-There Presentations.
    10. Relaxed and Smooth Aura of Sound that allows for Hours of continuous non-fatiguing listening sessions.
    11. More Naturally Allows the music to become an effortless, immersive and engaging experience.
    12. Ease of system/speakers disappearing with only the Music to Enjoy!

    Overall, I find myself toe-tapping and listening to every bar of music on each CD as I hear and feel what the musicians intended to impart in their creative art of music! Often, my mind is Blown, because What I See (my room and my components) versus What I Hear (Live Venue Performances) are in such stark contrast, the goose bumps, breath catching and sometimes tears just flow!!

    Seems now, I can just enjoy and relish the emotional art my full musical library genre presents without any thought or interference from my “Stereo Setup” (With Thanks to Ascend Acoustics)!!!

    Ted

    Sierra RAAL V2 Towers, Axiom EP 500 Sub, Morrow SP7 Grand Reference Speaker Cables, Phillips CD880 XLR Balanced Variable Line Output to Orchard Audio Strakrimson 375w/per ch Stereo Ultra GaNFET Amp..... (Dedicated 2.1 Acoustical Music Listening Room)!

  10. #40
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    Default Re: AA Sierra-2EX Monitor Review-Times a Changing!!

    Nice review, Ted.
    So tempted to order a pair but currently need to resist spending more money on A/V equipment as I recently picked up a Degritter (very impressed by this machine and how well it cleans vinyl) and ordered a SPEC AP-UD1 turntable "mat" from Japan which should be here next week.

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