Something old is young again, introducing the Sierra-1 V2!!!

[davef]

Most of the EX v2 out in the wild are via the kit upgrade path imo...

Actually, that is quite far from the truth. over 80% of Sierra-2EXv2 out there are from purchasing the complete speaker, not upgrades.

I reckon since it's release the LX has been the more popular speaker(saleswise)..put in that context but the EXv2...is obviously a nice speaker as well.

LX is the more popular speaker with regards to sales volume, but after checking it is only about 10% higher. Overall customer satisfaction rate is essentially the same between them, both have very, very low return rates.

It will be interesting to see the numbers on the Sierra-1 V2, once we have compiled enough data.

[davef]

Dave, what's the status (and price) on S1 to S1V2 upgrade kits?

Haven't worked out all the details just yet, once we get all the components in and start fulfilling orders, I will work it out and post info here.

[billy p]

Actually, that is quite far from the truth. over 80% of Sierra-2EXv2 out there are from purchasing the complete speaker, not upgrades.

I should've said many of the EXv2s in the wild. I'll admit, I thought that number would have been wee bit higher..I suppose lots of folks buying Ascends... don't post publicly hence the narrow margins between the two and certainly the intrigue behind the RAAL...make both speakers very competitive.
It will definitely be interesting seeing the sales [S1v2]...moving forward....considering the pricing in relation to performance vs. it's Siblings.

[SunByrne]

The more I think about it the more I think the S1V2 will be an absolutely killer HT speaker. Based on the spins it looks like the biggest difference between the LX and the S1V2 is bass performance, but in an HT application there's almost always a subwoofer so deep bass is less important. And the price is just so attractive.

I predict Dave is going to sell truckloads of these things.

Looks like the Titan tweeter with an NFS-optimized crossover is the magic sauce for a bookshelf.

Of course, all of this is really just speculation—can't wait to hear it for myself!

Haven't worked out all the details just yet, once we get all the components in and start fulfilling orders, I will work it out and post info here.

Awesome. Thanks, Dave!

[davef]

I should've said many of the EXv2s in the wild. I'll admit, I thought that number would have been wee bit higher..I suppose lots of folks buying Ascends... don't post publicly hence the narrow margins between the two and certainly the intrigue behind the RAAL...make both speakers very competitive.
It will definitely be interesting seeing the sales [S1v2]...moving forward....considering the pricing in relation to performance vs. it's Siblings.

Yes, only a very small percentage of our customers join or post on the forums, I don't mind that at all actually. About 8-9 years ago, I wanted to grow the company larger, we hired a lot more employees and expanded our product line. Sales were good, we were very busy - but I found myself spending nearly all of my time dealing with employee issues. That wasn't healthy for me, frankly I hated it so I shrunk things back down to the point I was comfortable with.

I honestly much prefer being a smaller company, with enough sales to support the business and my research. I have no desire to turn Ascend into a medium sized business, or even expand larger than we are now - it doesn't suit me. As such, we don't advertise or market, so only a few customers join the various forums and I prefer it that way.

I think the LX appeal to a broader set of customers, who want a very high performance "do everything" speaker, while those looking for ultimate detail and critical listening lean towards toward the Sierra-2EXv2. It is scary how much time I have spent comparing the two, and so much truly depends on musical genres.

[SunByrne]

we hired a lot more employees and expanded our product line. Sales were good, we were very busy - but I found myself spending nearly all of my time dealing with employee issues. That wasn't healthy for me, frankly I hated it

I'm a professor and I hate administrative work, so I get it. Sounds like you needed to hire someone to handle the management part of the job. I have no desire to be department chair or dean, and so I really appreciate the people who are willing to do that kind of thing.

I think the LX appeal to a broader set of customers, who want a very high performance "do everything" speaker, while those looking for ultimate detail and critical listening lean towards toward the Sierra-2EXv2. It is scary how much time I have spent comparing the two, and so much truly depends on musical genres.

Couldn't agree more with the genre thing. I prefer the EXv2 for (most) classical and things like acoustic guitar, but for anything rock or rock-adjacent (pop/funk/electronica/etc.) it's the LX. For how much I love the LX the EX still does violins better—just can't beat a RAAL for non-electric stringed instruments.

Jazz is kind of the tweener for me. I'm not a big jazz guy but I do listen occasionally. Since I'm a bassist not surprisingly the jazz I do listen to tends to be bass-featuring (e.g., Marcus Miller and lately Kinga Glyk). For those the extra bass punch in the LX is the way to roll. But for more acoustic-y jazz sometimes I like the EX better.

[jambarino]

Couldn't agree more with the genre thing. I prefer the EXv2 for (most) classical and things like acoustic guitar, but for anything rock or rock-adjacent (pop/funk/electronica/etc.) it's the LX. For how much I love the LX the EX still does violins better—just can't beat a RAAL for non-electric stringed instruments.

Jazz is kind of the tweener for me. I'm not a big jazz guy but I do listen occasionally. Since I'm a bassist not surprisingly the jazz I do listen to tends to be bass-featuring (e.g., Marcus Miller and lately Kinga Glyk). For those the extra bass punch in the LX is the way to roll. But for more acoustic-y jazz sometimes I like the EX better.

After owning the LX and now the ELX Ribbon Towers I completely agree with the genre thing as well. I still liked the sound of the Titan dome with rock and edm music. But violins,cellos,acoustic recordings,its the RAAL all the way

[zeeke42]

The more I think about it the more I think the S1V2 will be an absolutely killer HT speaker. Based on the spins it looks like the biggest difference between the LX and the S1V2 is bass performance, but in an HT application there's almost always a subwoofer so deep bass is less important. And the price is just so attractive.

Agree 100%. If I hadn't just scored a deal on used LX's , I'd've been first in line for S1V2. On paper, the S1V2 looks like the best value HT speaker going.

[SlyFox]

Is there any plan release a Sierra-1 V2 Center? If not, what's the recommended center channel for pairing?

[racrawford65]

You can use the S1 V2 as a center, either standing vertically or horizontally.

Otherwise, the Ascend speakers are all very similar in tonality/voicing, so any would work. That said, if you watch a lot of movies, I'd buy the best one you can afford (to minimize the possibility of upgrading down the line/FOMO).