PSA, Aperion, Salk or Ascend upgrade questions

[JC1]

I think this may be the thread Mike was referencing: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-spe...zon-tower.html.

FWIW, I was considering PSA towers & center before I purchased Sierra Towers & Horizon w/RAAL. I never listened to the PSAs, but I couldn't be happier than I am with the Ascends.

Good like with your decision.

Thanks man, interesting thread and find. Not really clear to one or the other but I am still in the Ascend camp. That being said I know someone in my area with PSA speakers that I probably will go check out at some point. I'd love to hear Ascends but haven't found anyone cool in my area with them yet. Kinda scary anyway going to meet someone you don't know from the internet to check out speakers.

[mikesiskav]

Yes, that's it Jack. Thanks for the link. Here's some highlights from the thread:

To sum up the comparison, I can say I enjoy listening to the ascends more than the PSAs. Vocals are clearer, better separation where I'm looking for it, awesome soundstage. They are more "lively" and "articulate" to me. They make me want to close my eyes and get lost in the songs more than the PSA's do.

I realize PSA's may get louder but I am totally satisfied with the sound levels I can reach with the Ascends. And maybe I was expecting too much from the PSA's for music, but I know there are tons of people satisfied with the PSA's for music so while they are excellent for the price, I have to give the edge to Ascend so far, in my in home auditioning thus far.

[JC1]

OK, never mind I went and read the entire thread you linked and I am not 100% convinced its Ascend. The way the OP described the Sierra RAAL tweeter just about made me order them tonight! The way the speaker was described, with the crystal clear vocals is something I am really looking for. So the research is just about complete, just need some financial things to fall into place. Wow I CANNOT WAIT to hear these speakers. I am actually thinking that Sierra 2 LCR now, down the line maybe the Sierra towers with RAAL tweeters for L/R. Boy am I convinced this is the direction now. This is my path to my "dream" HT. Dave you must have really done some work getting these speakers to sound so good. Good job brother, I hope to be your customer very, very soon.

[Jack1949]

OK, never mind I went and read the entire thread you linked and I am not 100% convinced its Ascend. The way the OP described the Sierra RAAL tweeter just about made me order them tonight! The way the speaker was described, with the crystal clear vocals is something I am really looking for. So the research is just about complete, just need some financial things to fall into place. Wow I CANNOT WAIT to hear these speakers. I am actually thinking that Sierra 2 LCR now, down the line maybe the Sierra towers with RAAL tweeters for L/R. Boy am I convinced this is the direction now. This is my path to my "dream" HT. Dave you must have really done some work getting these speakers to sound so good. Good job brother, I hope to be your customer very, very soon.

Here's another thread that may be of some interest to you. This thread got me interested in Ascend when I was looking to replace my main towers and center. I don't want to stoke the fire, but I think the more you read about others doing comparisons, the more "at ease" you can be about purchasing without actually hearing the product (at least that was a concern I had when I was looking).

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-spe...s-grand-5.html

Jack

[JC1]

Wow I'm glad I finally found Ascend acoustics and will eventually make them my HT speakers. Gonna take some time but it's gonna happen. This is the big one for me, not building another one after this.
I'm surprised there aren't really any good reviews of Ascend speakers on YouTube. There is this one guy that didn't favor them over some KEF but all the comments below his video basically all said he was nuts. Not swaying me at all. I gotta hear these babies.

[Roen]

Wow I'm glad I finally found Ascend acoustics and will eventually make them my HT speakers. Gonna take some time but it's gonna happen. This is the big one for me, not building another one after this.
I'm surprised there aren't really any good reviews of Ascend speakers on YouTube. There is this one guy that didn't favor them over some KEF but all the comments below his video basically all said he was nuts. Not swaying me at all. I gotta hear these babies.

You talking about speaker vs speaker video guy?

[JC1]

You talking about speaker vs speaker video guy?

I think the guys name is thambar or something, I didn't know he had a specific make to his videos. Yeah but now that I think of it they are all speaker Vs speaker videos. I'm not a fan of his videos and this one seemed especially bad.

[JC1]

So coming from Def Tech which isn't bad, not high end or great sound like Ascend, how much time will I need to acclimate to the sound of the Sierra 2's? Will I notice right away what I am hearing and listening too? Is there sort of a learning curve, or listening curve that I will go through? I'm still looking at early next year to make a purchase.

[curtis]

So coming from Def Tech which isn't bad, not high end or great sound like Ascend, how much time will I need to acclimate to the sound of the Sierra 2's? Will I notice right away what I am hearing and listening too? Is there sort of a learning curve, or listening curve that I will go through? I'm still looking at early next year to make a purchase.

Everyone is different.

You may not even like what you hear. Doubtful, but very possible.

[davef]

I think the guys name is thambar or something, I didn't know he had a specific make to his videos. Yeah but now that I think of it they are all speaker Vs speaker videos. I'm not a fan of his videos and this one seemed especially bad.

We continually get requests from self-proclaimed YouTube audio reviewers who wish to produce video/audio reviews of our speakers. I do everything I can to avoid this as it is nonsense for anyone to think they can get a fairly reasonable idea of how a speaker sounds from watching / listening to a youtube video... Sadly, it seems like the days of truly professional audio reviewers (people like Howard Ferstler for example) are long gone....

I've been working in this industry for my entire adult life, and most of my teen years as well. It is really the only job I have ever known, from sales to tech to engineer to business owner... I find it interesting as to how the industry has changed and how the internet has allowed consumers to become more educated, much less snake oil products these days (a good thing). The converse is that now nearly anyone can become a reviewer, whereas in the old days, most reviewers were highly educated - many were practicing engineers as well and reviews were both objective and subjective.

In general, we average at least one request per month from someone who wants a pair of speakers "in exchange" for them posting a youtube review. As if we couldn't simply post some videos of the way our speakers "sound" on youtube - and we actually have the professional gear to do this in a controlled and proper environment. Problem is, of course - that youtube compresses the audio and who knows what the video is being played back through -- earbuds? PC speakers? Seriously? Even if the listener had the most accurate speakers ever made and the reviewer had the best B&K mic - they are still listening to a recording of 2 speakers being made from a single microphone. The only thing the microphone is recording is the summed response of the entire room. All off-axis information is lost, all imaging is lost, all separation is lost, all transient information is lost - all the characteristics that make a quality speaker a quality speaker…

It is really no different than thinking you are getting a taste of driving a McLaren P1 by driving it in a PS4 game…