I've finally joined the forum to put in my two cents about my new RAAL towers. As a longtime headphone listener, I finally decided to take the plunge and start shopping for some real speakers. I started my search by looking through audiophile magazines, but quickly became disillusioned when I'd read rave reviews of a company's products only to find a full page ad for that same company on the next page. Visiting local audio shops typically only resulted in high pressure sales pitches for those same companies. So I began the much more arduous task of looking for trustworthy internet direct companies. Thankfully, during the course of my research I came across Ascend Acoustics, and, being unable to find one single negative review of their products or service, I put my full faith in the satin cherry RAAL towers.

Without a doubt, these speakers are one of the best purchases I have ever made, period. After about a week's wait they made their way across the country and onto my doorstep. They were packaged extremely well and were completely unharmed during the trip. The included gloves are a nice touch, and they assembled quickly and easily. Also, there's something that I love about having consecutive serial numbers (95300464 & 95300465). The satin cherry finish is absolutely gorgeous - prettier than I thought it would be. It's a deep, dark finish with hints of red and almost purple tones in it.

I'm using the towers exclusively for 2 channel music listening. I've got an Emotiva ERC-2 CD player and a Jolida 1501BRC integrated hybrid amp (both of these components are also in keeping with my goal of avoiding mass-marketed audiophile gear).

All I can really say is WOW. Everything I've listened to so far has been like the first listen again. The towers reveal so much detail, clarity, and musicality that I've found myself glued to them almost constantly since they arrived. The soundstage is impossibly wide - on certain recordings it somehow even extends far beyond the walls of my room. (The depth and height of the soundstage are also very good, but not as impressive as the width - this may have more to do with the acoustics of my room than with the speakers) On the best recordings, the imaging is so good you might even begin to hallucinate and think the musicians are in your room. On average recordings, the imaging is still pretty damn good.

I can't stress enough how detailed these speakers are, and yet they manage to be completely nonfatiguing. I've been listening for hours on end and rediscovering album after album without any desire or need to stop. Bass response is excellent - I wouldn't dare add a subwoofer for stereo music listening because the towers sound so good as they are. If there is one downside to owning the towers, it's that there is not enough time in the day to listen to them. They're THAT good. I have yet to play them for someone and not have to pick their jaw up off the floor.

A few highlights from the past two weeks of listening:
The Bad Plus - These are the Vistas (clarity, imaging is exactly the way they play live)
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (detail, imaging, unbelievably large soundstage)
Miles Davis - pretty much any album (imaging, soundstage)
Beethoven Symphonies, John Eliot Gardner (never truly heard the period instrument difference until now)
Brahms 4, Karajan/Berlin Phil (the recording that convinced me a subwoofer was unnecessary)
Shostakovich String Quartets, Emerson (imaging, clarity)
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (imaging, clarity, details)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (did you know he's singing along with the intro to Wanna be Startin' Somethin?)
Herbert - Scale (detail, clarity, imaging, soundstage)

And that's only a fraction of all the albums that have been a totally new experience. I've thrown every genre I have at these speakers, I've had friends throw every genre they have at them, and I have yet to be disappointed in any way.

Thanks to everyone at Ascend for excellent customer service and a great product. I'll be back when I have enough space and money for a proper home theater!