View Poll Results: What Would You Do?

Voters
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  • Towers

    3 50.00%
  • 2EXs w/ RAAL Horizon

    3 50.00%
  • 2EXs w/ dome Horizon

    0 0%
  • Something else entirely - Please explain

    0 0%
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Posts
    26

    Default 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    Hi, all.

    I've attached a very crude drawing of my setup below, with focus on the HT area. As you can see, the listening room itself is not large (the ceiling is acoustical tile, standard height) but it opens up into a very large area on one side.

    The MLP is slightly under 8 ft from the front tower speakers.

    Basement Floorplan RS.jpg

    Here is my current equipment:

    Emotiva T2+ towers
    Emotiva C2+ center
    Polk FXi A4 surrounds
    2x Hsu VTF-3 MK5 subs
    Denon x4500h AVR
    Monolith 3X200 power amp

    At present I am thrilled with this setup for HT. For music listening, I engage the T2+ towers and subs. The Emotivas are surprisingly impressive for music at their price point, but the fact that they are so good at this pricing is creating a desire to jump up a couple of tiers and land on something even better.

    My budget is roughly $3K but I'm willing to stretch slightly.

    I'm absolutely satisfied with the C2+ center and I'm not left wanting anything from it for HT use, however, I am concerned about getting a "good enough" timbre match with either new towers or bookshelves. If I were to go the bookshelf route and got a Horizon center, is the RAAL upgrade all that important? For music I'm absolutely on board, but for HT use would I be missing anything by maintaining the dome tweeter?

    Ideally I would love Sierra towers paired with a Horizon center along with a RAAL upgrade, but that would blow my budget to bits. The 2EXs of course get rave reviews and are very budget friendly, but at times I crank up the volume both for music and HT, and I fear that when I approach reference volume levels, the single woofer of the bookshelves just wouldn't cut it. The laws of physics seem to suggest that the much larger driver surface area of the towers would make a significant difference here. Perhaps I'm incorrect in that assumption.

    Note that everything would be crossed at 80Hz as I never don't use the subs.

    All of that said, below are the options that I am considering. I think I'd prefer option 1 if the C2+ center would be a close enough timbre match. All opinions and recommendations are appreciated!

    OPTION 1:

    2x Sierra Towers w/ RAAL upgrade
    Maintain C2+ center
    Total cost: $3334

    OPTION 2:

    2x Sierra 2EXs
    Horizon center w/ RAAL upgrade
    Total cost: $3196

    OPTION 3:

    2x Sierra 2EXs
    Horizon center w/ dome tweeter
    Total cost: $2846
    Last edited by Mj30250; 11-08-2021 at 05:46 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    SouthWest of Cleveland
    Posts
    1,924

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    With an 80hz crossover to the subs, and with the power output you have with the X4500, the Sierra-EX's should have plenty of output capability. The towers will have greater output/dynamic capability due to the laws of physics, but your listening area is not large and you sit fairly close so I'd say the EX's will provide more than enough output. That said, if you have the budget for the RAAL towers the Emo center you have may be a close enough match that you can get away with it.
    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
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    394

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    The front three should be closely matched, of your available options the EXs and RAAL Horizon would be very good, RAAL Towers matched with the ribbon Horizon even better. I'd bet that if you did the Towers in conjunction with the Emotiva center, the center wouldn't stay there long.

    Jay

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    1,390

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    I'd start with the Towers w/ RAAL and keep the Emo center for awhile, especially if you listen to alot of music -- the dedicated midrange is awesome. Then you could always add the Horizon with RAAL later if you felt the need.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Posts
    26

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    Quote Originally Posted by racrawford65 View Post
    I'd start with the Towers w/ RAAL and keep the Emo center for awhile, especially if you listen to alot of music -- the dedicated midrange is awesome. Then you could always add the Horizon with RAAL later if you felt the need.
    Honestly, this is the way I'm leaning. As fantastic as I'm sure the 2EXs are, I can't help but feel I'd be wondering what I'd be missing versus the towers.

    Since I don't really listen to multichannel music, my hope would be that the C2+ center would be a reasonable match for HT use. It's pretty much perfect for that now...dialog is crystal clear, sound effects are detailed and dimensional, and it ratchets up to uncomfortable volume levels without any audible hint of distortion or strain. I just don't want to plunk down some new Ascends and find that they clash with it to a noticeable degree.

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

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    I've not heard the S2EX's so can't comment but, as you noted, the reviews are great.

    I started with the S2s (and am considering upgrading them to EXs) but knowing that I could move them to surround if (more like when) I got the towers. As good as the S2s were, I did wonder about the Towers. Might as well get the top of the line and forego the wondering.

    Could always add the Horizon down the line if you find the C2 lacking. I started with an S2 center, currently the Duo (which was a step up), and now waiting on my Horizon with RAAL.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    56

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    Go for the RAAL towers.....it'll save you money in the long run by not upgrading in stages. The 2EX bookshelves are great, but the towers take it to another level with the dedicated midrange as mentioned earlier. Save up for a Horizon center later and go that route if you have the space. The Duo is great, but coming from the Duo to the Horizon was a big leap in performance for me. That center speaker is quite a beast in size.

    If you go with the 2EX speakers as mains, you could always repurpose them into surrounds if you ever want to upgrade to the towers at a later date.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    388

    Default Re: 2EXs or Sierra Towers for My Situation?

    I agree with option 1. I do think you'd be fine with the EX for the space, but I'd be like you, wondering what I was missing with the towers. You have a competent center for now and can add a Horizon somewhere down the line.

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