Introducing the Sierra !!!

[davef]

Hi Guys… I am incredibly pleased to make this announcement. I feel many of you have suspected that something is coming and I am here to confirm with a resounding YES – that something very special is almost here.

There is much to discuss. To make it easier on all of us, I am going to provide you with a ton of information in a series of posts, one post per day with each in its own thread.

We will do our very best to answer all questions and inquiries but I would appreciate it if you would wait until we make the last post regarding the product (Thursday or Friday). We are a small company introducing what I consider a “big” product, which I suspect will be our most talked about and successful product to date… please be patient with us while we get up to speed.

For some background...

More than seven years ago, Ascend Acoustics introduced much more than a unique series of loudspeakers -- we introduced a fundamental design principle to value-conscious audio enthusiasts, a design philosophy previously reserved for an audience that typically spent large amounts of money to obtain products that adhered to these same principles. We took these principles, improved them, designed a series of loudspeakers and offered them at price points that allowed the average consumer to experience true high-end audio quality.

Ascend loudspeakers are designed for accuracy -- the ability for the loudspeaker to deliver a faithful reproduction of the source material.

Why is an accurate loudspeaker generally preferred over a loudspeaker that is designed to have a particular sound characteristic or one that is not capable of accuracy?

It is simple, when you hear a sound in nature -- not a reproduction from an original -- by definition it is accurate. A clap of the hands, a car driving by, your child’s voice -- these are all familiar sounds. Take these same sounds and reproduce them through a loudspeaker that has been designed to have a certain sound characteristic or one that is not capable of accuracy, and those familiar sounds will now sound different. Every second of our lives we are listening to various sounds, most of which we consciously filter out and ignore, yet subconsciously we are analyzing each and every wavelength.

We rarely pay attention to the quality of a sound when it occurs in nature; instead, we focus on the content of what we are hearing. When listening to loudspeakers, we pay as much attention to the quality of the sound being reproduced as we do to the content, perhaps even more so. Our subconscious mind knows how something should sound and, eventually, the inaccuracies of a colored or incapable loudspeaker become readily apparent and often become a source of annoyance.

Only now are Ascend’s many competitors catching on and adopting these well-proven principles. However, there are still many audible and technical differences that distinguish Ascend loudspeakers. Of course, the most visually indicative representation of an accurate loudspeaker is a “flat on-axis frequency response,” but this is really only a small fraction of what goes into designing an Ascend Acoustics loudspeaker. Linear and consistent off-axis response, smooth sound power response free of sharp peaks and dips, low distortion (both harmonic and IM), phase integrity, accurate impulse response free of ringing, a clean spectral decay and a host of others…

Our philosophy, design principles and technologies have been imitated, but still never matched. Year after year our products have been strategically targeted and challenged, yet ours seem to be the ones that everything else is compared to. Even today our products are considered benchmarks at their price points. As they say, there is no substitute for the original ;)

To our customers I say thank you for all of your support! To our competitors, I say here comes another one… :D

I am so very pleased to announce this new product, a loudspeaker that has been in intense development for well over four years. A project that took right turns, left turns, u-turns and ended up so superior to my initial goals that I can say with confidence that it will have a larger and longer lasting impact on the loudspeaker industry than any previous product I have ever been involved with.

It is my feeling that innovation has been lacking in the loudspeaker industry. As a loudspeaker engineer, this feeling/opinion has been my motivation since day one -- to make Ascend an innovator. I have never designed a product to rival or imitate an existing product; I have never designed a product to fit into a specific market segment. Every product I have introduced through Ascend Acoustics was purposely designed to achieve a level of performance and accuracy.

This new loudspeaker continues in that tradition while also breaking totally new ground. I did not target a competing product; I had an idea for ground-breaking performance that continued to evolve year after year. I did not have an intended price point or market segment I wished to place the speaker into. I honestly don’t even know at what price point it belongs... It would be at home at $1,500/pr or $4000/pr, I really don’t know… it is that unique.

My desire was to build a loudspeaker from the ground up, applying my fundamental philosophy to every component of the loudspeaker, with no design compromises. The only constraints I used were the cabinet dimensions -- build the highest-performance loudspeaker Ascend is capable of given a particular cabinet size.

Since the introduction of Ascend’s first loudspeaker model, our competitors have been trying to catch up and have done an admirable job of claiming and promoting “accuracy” by posting on-axis frequency response graphs boasting of being “flat”. While this is an important characteristic, it is only a small part of true accuracy and, in my opinion, not enough to warrant the claim of accuracy or high-performance. On-axis frequency response is perhaps the easiest measurement to visualize and understand, thus making quick comparisons from one graph to another simple -- it is convenient marketing. However, there is so much more to accuracy and audio purity…

Perhaps the most important factor in achieving accuracy is removing or reducing the effects of the loudspeaker itself. I have taken drastic steps to greatly reduce the negative influences that the loudspeaker itself adds to the source material it is reproducing.

My objective was to follow a “less is more” philosophy to achieve accurate sound reproduction. In nature, a sound is reproduced without influences from loudspeaker characteristics such as cabinet resonance, driver and crossover distortions, diffraction and baffle reflections, phase anomalies etc. These inaccuracies are audible and smear sound quality, making a loudspeaker sound like what it is, a reproduction. With this in mind, this new loudspeaker demanded less cabinet resonance, less distortion, less diffraction and reflections and fewer phase errors -- in other words, a major reduction of all the negative characteristics the loudspeaker itself imparts on the source material.

To summarize, design a loudspeaker using the same well-proven performance principles as Ascend’s previously acclaimed products yet take it many large steps forward by spending years focusing on reducing the effects of the loudspeaker itself…

Say hello to my little friend, the Sierra-1, “Sierra” for short…

MUCH more info coming each day! For now, please enjoy these pics…

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/images/ascenduploads/pair1.jpg

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/images/ascenduploads/pair2.jpg

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/images/ascenduploads/blur1.jpg

[Quinn]

Congrats on the new speaker! I can't wait to hear it.

I think you have a typo, "It would be at home at $1,500/pr or $4000/pr, I really don’t know… it is that unique." I guessing you meant, "Would it be..."

[davef]

Hey Quinn,

What are you doing up so early?

Do ya Like the name of the new speaker? :D

I don't think it is a typo, I was stating that the Sierra would realistically fit into any of those price points but because of the uniqueness of the speaker (which will be discussed) I really don't know at what price it belongs.

Reads OK to me but then again, it is LATE (just gave Nicole her nightly 3am bottle) :( You know the drill....

[Quinn]

My time zone is 2 hours ahead of you and I'll be rousting the kids in about 10 minutes to get ready for school.

And yes I do like the name.

That may be the most reflective/mirror like piano black I've ever seen.

[Kingrsl]

I love the finish! I haven't had my Ascends long but I'm sure they sound just as good as they look.

[drewface]

HOLY CRAP! that speaker is beautiful! i'm really glad you stuck with the black instead of going with a wood veneer. i think the plain black really makes it fit in with Ascend's other offerings, while the smoothness of the shine makes it look that much more prestigious.

i read through the post really quickly since i have to get to a final now, and then present a project, all on about 2 hours of sleep from last night... i look forward to hearing more about this product.

[qqkltb]

Love the name, Looks Great! I want em. Looks like Dave has done it again.

[Mag_Neato]

WOW!! I'm guessing this will take square aim at some very lofty competitors, including the new Outlaw speaker. I can see a $999 price point, which would prohibit me from being a Sierra owner. Very nice Dave.......congrats!

[GirgleMirt]

Gorgeous speakers... I can't wait to get more info! With my highly positive experience with the 340SE & Ascend, I'm already thinking about placing an order, really can't wait to hear how it sounds and it's price, but I'm sure it'll really be something special... Maybe it's a little early, but congrats Dave for what seems to be a very fine speaker! :D


I can see a $999 price point
Shhhhhhh yuo! Maybe Dave has in mind something even lower... :p Don't influence him in the wrong way! :D Nah just kidding, I'm totally confident in Dave/Ascend of pricing the speakers in a VERY competitive and consumer friendly pricing. It's always been the company's goal, so whatever the price, I'm sure it'll really be worth it. I've always thought that I wouldn't upgrade speakers unless it was a new Ascend speaker... *sigh*

I really have to head out to work... Is there any date for when the speaker should become available? Where do we place our orders? :p

[chas]

Wow...this is a big surprise. They look fantastic - looking forward to all the details on the Sierra!

[debo]

FOR SALE
THREE 340SE
TWO 170SE
Only one year old, babied, never cranked.

[Galwin]

Dave,

I am excited to hear about Sierra, I think it's a great name. The 340 SE's have broadened my expectations of what's possible to hear in recorded music. I can't wait to learn more about the new Sierra!

[Mag_Neato]

FOR SALE
THREE 340SE
TWO 170SE
Only one year old, babied, never cranked.

Jeff, How much for the 340 center? :D

[curtis]

It's a great morning!

And very happy I am local! :D

[Mag_Neato]

It's a great morning!

And very happy I am local! :D


Dont'cha mean "loco"!! :D

Curtis, you will have to sample these as soon as possible and give us your impressions.

[curtis]

Dont'cha mean "loco"!! :D

Curtis, you will have to sample these as soon as possible and give us your impressions.
hehehe

I got to do a blind test....they look too good!!

[BradJudy]

I just got back into the country and I'm catching up on forum stuff. This is a very cool announcement. I'm looking forward to more info and checking out a pair. :)

[JohnnyCasaba]

Wow DF, the Sierra looks great! Can't wait to read more about it and eventually get to hear a pair.

[metalaaron]

where do i sign? :D

[bikeman]

What? No beta testers? :rolleyes: I'll definitely be checking in for the next several days. Congrats on the new introduction. :cool:

David

[Quinn]

Hey Quinn,

What are you doing up so early?

Do ya Like the name of the new speaker? :D

I don't think it is a typo, I was stating that the Sierra would realistically fit into any of those price points but because of the uniqueness of the speaker (which will be discussed) I really don't know at what price it belongs.

Reads OK to me but then again, it is LATE (just gave Nicole her nightly 3am bottle) :( You know the drill....

Maybe setting the beginning of the price part of with a comma instead of the thought periods/dots .... would make it easier for my feeble brain.

[Quinn]

Wow DF, the Sierra looks great! Can't wait to read more about it and eventually get to buy a pair.

Fixed it for ya!

[Mag_Neato]

Okay....

Any guesstimates on driver size/origin? Most likely custom made for Ascend. What size is that woofer? Why is there no phase plug? Judging by the beefy looking surround, I'd say it has a pretty powerful bass response for it's size. I love the eyeball looking tweeter! What do the grills look like?

Are there 1 or 2 sets of binding posts for bi-wire/amping?

[Quinn]

Okay....

Any guesstimates on driver size/origin? Most likely custom made for Ascend. What size is that woofer? Why is there no phase plug? Judging by the beefy looking surround, I'd say it has a pretty powerful bass response for it's size. I love the eyeball looking tweeter! What do the grills look like?

Are there 1 or 2 sets of binding posts for bi-wire/amping?


Considering that the drivers for the 170 and 340 are designed by Dave and custom made for Ascend I'm with you on guessing these are the same.

I think the grill is on in the top pix on the right speaker.

[JohnnyCasaba]

Fixed it for ya!


LOL!!!! Still sleepy, had to read it a few times.

[JackT]

Is there any b-stock available?

[dpristin]

This is just wrong... I'm trying to buy a house here!

[curtis]

Hmmm....Sierra-1?
2, 3, 4???

[JohnMichael]

Beautiful speaker! As a new CBM 170SE owner I am still impressed by the quality of sound and if these better the 170's I better start saving.

[JackT]

Dave have you thought about going with a different badge for this pretty speaker? I just don't think that rubbery plastic badge does justice to this new offering. (It's not even so hot on the older stuff. Just my opinion...)

[Mag_Neato]

You could always request they ship them to you badgeless! Maybe a new, upscale logo signifying the Ascend "Reference" series?

I smell a new contest: winner gets a pair of Sierra-1's!!

[Mag_Neato]

Here's another thought that hit me.....

What if there's a new sub to match the new speaker? :)

[zkaudio]

local guinee pig with great ears for hire..

[Sam1000]

Congratulations Dave. I had been checking the announcement section daily since you mentioned something last week. The speaker looks very good. Can't wait to see the details (Specs).
Just hope that the existing customers get some kind of discount or to borrow a term from your competitors 'Family Pricing" :D

Now, I need to convince my wife about getting another pair of speakers :eek:

[Quinn]

Dave have you thought about going with a different badge for this pretty speaker? I just don't think that rubbery plastic badge does justice to this new offering. (It's not even so hot on the older stuff. Just my opinion...)

I was wondering if the logo could go on the grill. Those look so good they'd be really sharp just clean piano black.

[Dread Pirate Robert]

Wow, congratulations, Dave! :D I'm glad that over four years of work paid off better than you thought it would--obviously this doesn't often happen in engineering with something this ambitious, so I know how exciting this must be for you (it certainly is for your loyal fans).

I love the name, by the way--the mountain theme in general is perfect for something that reaches the peak of audio purity, and the word "Sierra" for some reason sounds particularly airy and expansive.

As for the asking price, that's always a tough one. Common sense with an eye on traditional marketing would suggest pricing the speakers according to their level of performance, and that a higher price would generally enhance the perception of higher performance (some companies which shall remain unnamed obviously take this to the extreme with high prices and relatively poor performance, but I digress). However, not that you asked, and at the risk of appearing to be self-serving ;), I'd say that if you want to truly impact or even revolutionize the industry, you'd have to price the Sierra-1 as low as you dare (whatever that would be after recouping costs, of course), because in this day and age, I believe that the truth will get out there (at least in the ID market), and the greater the number of people who can aspire to owning your latest achievement, the greater the impact it will have. Then again, what do I know about marketing? I never even say a word about this stuff in the company I work for--I just design and engineer things. :)

And not that looks matter to me, but the Sierra-1 looks very pretty indeed while retaining the understated but dignified aesthetic of the other Ascend speakers. Nice job!

[puz]

Congratulations Dave! This is great news… I know many of us have been anxious for some announcements since last week’s posts. ‘Ascend’ already has a mountainous feel to it; Sierra seems to fit the theme. It also implies an entire mountain, so I’m assuming these are full-range speakers or at least part of a full range offering. Still awaiting information on new subwoofers (‘bass camp’ so-to-speak)… nudge-nudge.

I’m most intrigued by the dimensions of the Sierra cabinet. They appear deeper than traditional loudspeaker cabinets, though it’s tough to tell from these brief glimpses. Based on the statement that cabinet dimensions were the only design constraints, I’d guess there’s something special about the cabinets themselves, not just newer/better drivers. Aesthetics aside, I can’t wait to hear more about what’s inside these speakers and the science behind their design.

[LawrenceJ]

Wow, those really are hot David! :D

I feel special now seeing as I knew about their existence last week and still know a little more about them ;)

BTW, I am the new guy here, I have a custom painted set of 340 SE's and a custom set of htm 200's on the way.


whoops sorry to ramble on , again congrats on a fine looking(and from Davids giddiness, a sounding speaker).

[Dread Pirate Robert]

That may be the most reflective/mirror like piano black I've ever seen.

If the new speaker didn't already have a great name, I might suggest "Tycho-1" (as in the Tycho Monolith from "2001"). I can envision an ad with the speaker playing Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra" and catalyzing the evolution of tone-deaf, dumb apes into musically literate, verbally eloquent apes. :)

[jamesg]

Is there any b-stock available?

We expect that there will be 'b'-stock available due to the nature of the finish. High gloss black is high maintenance. As such, we will be revamping our production procedures -- assembly-line pallets will be covered with very scratch-resistant fabric, assemblers will wear cotton gloves, etc.

[jamesg]

"Sierra," in addition to evoking mountain imagery, also means "saw" in Spanish. The Sierra Nevadas, the world's longest single continuous mountain chain, were named for the "saw-like" or serrated appearance of their jagged peaks.

We at Ascend are lucky to live within a 3-hour drive of this beautiful wilderness.

So, if you will ...

Sierra = cutting edge!

[Johnal]

hehehe

I got to do a blind test....they look too good!!

need help?! long time no see ya' know?

[zkaudio]

was a release date posted? Or are these still in the concept stage?

[jvillas]

Congratulations davef, and to all team members at Ascend Acoustics. Aready a summer to remember. I really want to kmow more about Sierra, especially the drivers. That tweeter looks like something very special. I find the distance between the tweeter and mid bass(woofer) further apart than usually seen, interesting. I assume it is rear ported.(to be seen). Also am wondering if the Sierra will be made availble with a classic Ascend finish. Is it possible to elaborate a bit on the size limitation.

Given Ascend Acoustics outstanding reputation,no doubt another benchmark is about to be set. Once again Congratulations.

[bikeman]

was a release date posted? Or are these still in the concept stage?
Dave has never been known to announce product in the "concept stage." That's not his business model. Stay tuned.

David

[ebh]

Just wanted to say congratulations to davef and the Ascend team. This company does not seem to mess around. Can't wait to get the updates over the next few days (but don't spread it all out too much!)

[curtis]

need help?! long time no see ya' know?
Hey Johnal!

As everyone here knows, if/when I get a pair, my home will be open for listening.

[GirgleMirt]

As everyone here knows, if/when I get a pair, my home will be open for listening.

If? Ah come one Curtis you know you're not fooling anyone, YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM! :p

[curtis]

If? Ah come one Curtis you know you're not fooling anyone, YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM! :p
Yeah I do...but I got to know the costs first and make sure the piggy bank can handle it. If my guess is correct, I think it can....just not five of them. :)

[Quinn]

need help?! long time no see ya' know?


Whoa dude! talk about a blast from the past. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork for this one. Still running the 7200(?)?

[Quinn]

was a release date posted? Or are these still in the concept stage?

One month prior to shipping is the earliest anything has been announced by Ascend. Prior to that one I don't think anything was announced until ready to ship. So, expect it to ship within a month and possibly w/i this month.

[curtis]

Actually, didn't Dave announce the SE's around the Thankgiving timeframe with a product ship date of late January/early February?

[Quinn]

Actually, didn't Dave announce the SE's around the Thankgiving timeframe with a product ship date of late January/early February?

I thought it was just a month. But, the announcement happened while I was on vacation. So, chances I'm wrong are good.

[davef]

Thanks Guys!!!

Wow -- this is generating more of a response than I initially anticipated, especially the insanity on AVS forum (as usual, unfortunately) I think some of what I wrote was taken out of context a bit but I am very proud and excited about the Sierra and I will stand by my statement that I believe what we have done is quite innovative. We have done a few things with this loudspeaker that are unique in the industry and never before accomplished at the price point we intend to sell them for.

Every critical component of the loudspeaker, from the port tube to the crossover, from the cabinet to the drivers, from the design goals to the various implementations has been optimized to the very best of our capabilities. There is a reason it took so darn long.

I also thought it is important to note that I am holding off on posting every bit of information, not to generate "hype" but because I feel it will be easier for all of you to digest and much easier for me. We have written over 15 pages of text (over 7000 words) with many measurements and I feel it is just too much at one time.

I promise, you will learn more later this evening with my next post.

Is it simpler to post in this thread or start a new one?

For some initial answers to various questions:


Any guesstimates on driver size/origin? What size is that woofer? Why is there no phase plug? Are there 1 or 2 sets of binding posts for bi-wire/amping?

1" soft dome tweeter -- 5 1/4" woofer (much more coming regarding these). Woofer is custom built, tweeter is a new design that we have customized and improved specifically for the Sierra.

Phase plug was problematic for this design for a few reasons:

1. Woofer cone area is smaller which means that the cone itself is less directional than a larger cone and I was not able to measure or confirm the dispersion advantage using a phase plug (initial woofer design had one).

2. Woofer motor system has an optimized "cooling" system so this benefit of the phase plug was also not a factor.

3. We want to move a lot of air with this woofer, a phase plug will actually decrease the piston area of the driver so for this application, the phase plug was a disadvantage.

4. The weight of the cone is very specific to the design so the dust cap we used is an integral part of the design (needed to get the exact weight)

Overall, with this particular design our best results were achieved without the use of phase plug.

One of the pictures I posted has the grille on the speaker...

1 set of very high quality binding posts.


Is there any b-stock available?

I am quite sure there will be ;) The piano black finish is breathtaking... It became problematic to take pictures because the finish reflects everything. If you look carefully in pic # 2, the speaker to the right -- you can clearly see the camera tripod and an orange extension cord in the reflections (even the orange color of the cord!). I have had to dispose of half the pictures already because of reflections. Because this finish is so reflective, it is very revealing of flaws so B-stock is, unfortunately, inevidable. We are doing our best to accommodate assembling these, including wearing cotton gloves and lining our assembly line pallets but b-stock happens :o


Dave have you thought about going with a different badge for this pretty speaker? I just don't think that rubbery plastic badge does justice to this new offering. (It's not even so hot on the older stuff. Just my opinion...)

We can leave the logos off if you wish. One of the nice things about assembling these here is that you can truly "have it your way".. ( sorry for the old BK reference, I am hungry). What do you think? Should we include the logos in a poly bag so that you can install them, if you so choose?


I love the name, by the way--the mountain theme in general is perfect for something that reaches the peak of audio purity, and the word "Sierra" for some reason sounds particularly airy and expansive.

Thank Chris Quinn for the name! As you will learn later this evening, it is VERY appropriate.


I’m most intrigued by the dimensions of the Sierra cabinet.

Exact same footprint as the 340 SE, but at 14.25" tall. 14.25" h x 7.5" w x 10.5" deep. Fits perfectly on the TP-24 stand. I feel the footprint of the speaker is perfect -- it actually appears to be smaller than a CBM-170 (but sounds even larger than a 340 SE)


BTW, I am the new guy here, I have a custom painted set of 340 SE's and a custom set of htm 200's on the way.

Hi Lawrence... Your pearlized "brown" 340 SE's went out yesterday. At first we thought the color was strange (it perfectly matches the swatch) but after spending a bit more time with them I realized that they were very cool. James simply loved 'em. Enjoy! Custom finishing will also be available for the Sierra.

More later --- take care!

[curtis]

Is it simpler to post in this thread or start a new one?

I say make this thread a "sticky" for now, and start a new sticky for the next post of information...and so on.

[boludaso]

Doesnt anyone in socal have an indoor basketball court we could use to "persuade" DF to bring down a pair or 10 to have a powwow?

Please? Someone? Come on!!

[Mike^S]

Hey everybody, this is xcjago from avsforum for those who know me over there. I can't wait to read more about this speaker. Dave, you are posting more tonight right? :D :D

[Mike^S]

Doesnt anyone in socal have an indoor basketball court we could use to "persuade" DF to bring down a pair or 10 to have a powwow?

Please? Someone? Come on!!

A basketball court?? Horrible acoustics. I think we should all go to Curtis's house. :D

[Johnal]

Whoa dude! talk about a blast from the past. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork for this one. Still running the 7200(?)?

haha...indeed i am! It's funny you should ask though, as I've been eyeballing the specs on Onkyo's upcoming TX-NR905... I'm a big HK fan, but the specs and price are hard to ignore.

Then again, now that the Sierra has been announced i might have to reconsider what I decide to upgrade next... :P

[Quinn]

Is it simpler to post in this thread or start a new one?



How about posting it all twice? Put one in announcements and turn off responses there so there is one central easy to read compilation in one thread or one post. Then post each release again here, with a separate thread for each facet of the design, for all our questions and comments. Then sticky the ones here until 2-3 months after shipping starts.

[Quinn]

The bamboo is beautiful too!

[Eddie Horton]

Congrats, Dave. That is a good looking speaker. Can't wait to hear them, myself if possible. Oh, and I totally understand being up at 3am with a bottle and a matching set of luggage under the eyes.

[chas]

it actually appears to be smaller than a CBM-170 (but sounds even larger than a 340 SE)

Wow...

[zkaudio]

Dave put me at the top of your list for some b-stocks I'll post massive pics and do a good review thx.

[muzz]

Thats what I'm talking about!!

WTG Dave!!

I guess folks won't be able to use the "UGLY" term anymore (and I for one, don't feel that way), these things are gonna look awesome!!

I may just have to look into these!

[Jonnyozero3]

Damn! I go ten time zones away and this happens??!?! WOW. I'm lucky I got to a computer today.

Congrats on the announcement Dave, I hope the buzz is nothing but positive. Now, I can't wait to read more and see what the real deal is. :)

Also - I'll have some scratch saved up after this trip (tax-free income rocks), so your annoucement is....well timed ;)

[craigsub]

Thanks Guys!!!

Wow -- this is generating more of a response than I initially anticipated, especially the insanity on AVS forum (as usual, unfortunately) I think some of what I wrote was taken out of context a bit but I am very proud and excited about the Sierra and I will stand by my statement that I believe what we have done is quite innovative. We have done a few things with this loudspeaker that are unique in the industry and never before accomplished at the price point we intend to sell them for.

Every critical component of the loudspeaker, from the port tube to the crossover, from the cabinet to the drivers, from the design goals to the various implementations has been optimized to the very best of our capabilities. There is a reason it took so darn long.

I also thought it is important to note that I am holding off on posting every bit of information, not to generate "hype" but because I feel it will be easier for all of you to digest and much easier for me. We have written over 15 pages of text (over 7000 words) with many measurements and I feel it is just too much at one time.

I promise, you will learn more later this evening with my next post.

Is it simpler to post in this thread or start a new one?

For some initial answers to various questions:



1" soft dome tweeter -- 5 1/4" woofer (much more coming regarding these). Woofer is custom built, tweeter is a new design that we have customized and improved specifically for the Sierra.

Phase plug was problematic for this design for a few reasons:

1. Woofer cone area is smaller which means that the cone itself is less directional than a larger cone and I was not able to measure or confirm the dispersion advantage using a phase plug (initial woofer design had one).

2. Woofer motor system has an optimized "cooling" system so this benefit of the phase plug was also not a factor.

3. We want to move a lot of air with this woofer, a phase plug will actually decrease the piston area of the driver so for this application, the phase plug was a disadvantage.

4. The weight of the cone is very specific to the design so the dust cap we used is an integral part of the design (needed to get the exact weight)

Overall, with this particular design our best results were achieved without the use of phase plug.

One of the pictures I posted has the grille on the speaker...

1 set of very high quality binding posts.



I am quite sure there will be ;) The piano black finish is breathtaking... It became problematic to take pictures because the finish reflects everything. If you look carefully in pic # 2, the speaker to the right -- you can clearly see the camera tripod and an orange extension cord in the reflections (even the orange color of the cord!). I have had to dispose of half the pictures already because of reflections. Because this finish is so reflective, it is very revealing of flaws so B-stock is, unfortunately, inevidable. We are doing our best to accommodate assembling these, including wearing cotton gloves and lining our assembly line pallets but b-stock happens :o



We can leave the logos off if you wish. One of the nice things about assembling these here is that you can truly "have it your way".. ( sorry for the old BK reference, I am hungry). What do you think? Should we include the logos in a poly bag so that you can install them, if you so choose?

This is all very good stuff. There has been some chatter about the Ref 1 and the new Sierra ... but it looks to me like the ACI Sapphire XL is more a direct competitor. As promised with the Sierra, the ACI manages bass into the upper 30's, and a subwoofer has to be REALLY good. It (The Sapphire XL) is also a $1600 speaker. I doubt David was "looking" at the Sapphire, as there are a lot of really fine $1500-$4000 monitors out there.

Cannot wait to see pricing. I have my guess .... it is the same as a Porsche model number from the early 90's.






Thank Chris Quinn for the name! As you will learn later this evening, it is VERY appropriate.

Congratulations, Chris ... your 15 minutes of fame ? :)




Exact same footprint as the 340 SE, but at 14.25" tall. 14.25" h x 7.5" w x 10.5" deep. Fits perfectly on the TP-24 stand. I feel the footprint of the speaker is perfect -- it actually appears to be smaller than a CBM-170 (but sounds even larger than a 340 SE)


And the Piano Gloss matches my JL Audio Fathoms ... :D

[Quinn]

Congratulations, Chris ... your 15 minutes of fame ? :)







I guess it is better than the hours of infamy I have with the av123 fanboys. ;)

[craigsub]

I guess it is better than the hours of infamy I have with the av123 fanboys. ;)

Chris .... This is about the Sierra, not AV123. There was enough of the negative stuff on AVS. There is a bright side - Alimentall may be David's new best salesman ... :D

Getting to name a speaker is pretty cool ... are you getting a pair ?

I am already picturing my McIntosh MA-6900 (it has 2 sets of pre outs), a pair of Sierras, and a Fathom 113 ... running the Sierras full range, with the Fathom set for a 40 Hz Crossover ... When I showed my sife the size, she was ALL over it.

[davef]

Cannot wait to see pricing. I have my guess .... it is the same as a Porsche model number from the early 90's.

Hi Craig, would that be the 930? -- wasn't there a rare model called the 958?

[craigsub]

Hi Craig, would that be the 930? -- wasn't there a rare model called the 958?

I was thinking the 968 ... It somewhat "meshed" with the $348 and $568 pricing of the 170/340 SE's.

There was a model 959, which was never DOT certified for sale here.

The 930 Turbo pre-dates all those, it was the "slant nose" model.

[davef]

959 - that was the one... Of all the models, I think I liked the 930 turbo best (neighbor owned one and his son and I used to take it out for a "spin" when his dad did not hide the keys too well)

Hey, did you ever reveal the surprise entrant in your listening session?

[craigsub]

David, not yet, the manufacturer has not gotten back to me yet about whether they are going to produce and distribute it.

Based on what I was told, it will be (if produced) in the "ultra budget" category ... think under $150 per pair.

They wanted an opinion on it, and I can never resist that. If they do decide to go into production, I will "go public" when they say it is ok. I can say it is not a product from the usual ID companies.

[Quinn]

CThere is a bright side - Alimentall may be David's new best salesman ... :D

Yes, but I think it will take a good while for Joel to beat out Tawuan for the best salesman title though.


Getting to name a speaker is pretty cool ... are you getting a pair ?

Yes, I'm buying some for the HT in addition to the pair I'm getting that will go in the stereo rig. I sure wish I could have bought that Arcam 300 you were selling a few weeks ago.

[muzz]

959 - that was the one... Of all the models, I think I liked the 930 turbo best (neighbor owned one and his son and I used to take it out for a "spin" when his dad did not hide the keys too well)

Hey, did you ever reveal the surprise entrant in your listening session?

930 Turbo was an awesome ride, an old boss of mine sent a guy over to Germany to get his.
Back then, I think it was 60K
That thing was pretty awesome, yet I didn't like it that much when HE drove!! :D :eek: