Sierra naturals out for delivery, Thanks Dave!

[blindcat7]

Hi all,

Well, I was lucky number 42 in the raffle and my Sierras are listed as out for delivery. In my rural location that means they should be here sometime before 7 PM. I am frantically trying to clear a path to the side of the room where my 340SEs currently stand (massive collapse of junk during my attempts to rearrange the room over the last couple of months leaving a 1 foot high field of random stuff in the way). The 340s are going to head for the surround position and I am not sure what I am going to do with my 170SEs since I am not sure I could manage 7.1 in this small room.

I am looking forward to checking these beauties out with my Panny SA-XR57. I have already emptied my TV upgrade fund to add it to my reciever fund, though I still don't know which reciever or separates I am saving for (probably wishful thinking on the latter). I have also already started a fund to get a Sierra center to match, after counting a large container of quarters, nickels, and dimes that has been collecting over a couple of years I am just over halfway there. Geez I can't wait for that truck to get here. Just hoping the weather doesn't get in the way. We had major flooding yesterday that led to every road out of our area being closed for most of the evening and night. If that happens, this weekend will be a real bummer.

Thanks again to Dave for the great raffle and the chance to participate in something so completely positive and uplifting. I hope all is going well.

Thanks,

Chris

[Grayson73]

I look forward to hearing your report. I have the XR57, 340SEs, and 170SEs

[blindcat7]

Well, I haven't gotten to play much and I am limited to my Dish Network and the Sirius Radio channels that come with it, but wow I am already impressed.

The limitation is based on my need for assistance to finish hooking up my Oppo 980H and my PS3 which has been problematic. Hopefully that will be taken care of soon as I now have a component video switcher for video and just need to get it all hooked up. I can get audio via HDMI through a switcher to the XR57, so it is just a matter of getting them all hooked up. I am hoping that an offer of a long term loan of my 170s and 340SE center when I get the Sierra center might get the wheels greased on getting brotherly aid at this.

Anyway, even with the limitation of listening material I am still having a blast. First the Sierras look and feel amazing. Maybe the latter is a blind person peculiarity, but I love the smooth and solid feel of these speakers. Even my sensitive singers had trouble finding even the hint of a seam or join anywhere. I have a little gadget for the legally blind called a pocket viewer which is basically a very small camera with a 4" color LCD screen on the opposite side. I used this and was able to get an idea of the beautiful bamboo pattern. I also got the impressions of some sighted family members who were helping me get around things to get the speaker shuffle done in the current mess. Most interestingly my mother and my sister in law were both impressed with the look. After getting them hooked up and getting the surrounds switched from 170s to 340s I turned the system on and immediately noticed a difference. I went straight for the Sirius radio channels and noticed a lot more detail, especially in the upper range. It is obvious that the Sierras need more to drive them than the 340s, I had been putting off dealing with dialing down my mains since they were a bit overemphasized with the dual amp function, now I may need to dial them up maybe two or three notches. I expect I will have to do some real adjusting when I add a Sierra center. I also noticed that the 340s are definitely at least a bit easier to drive than the 170s as I got a lot more of a boost in the surrounds than I expected and, as the 170s are absolutely not slouches by any means, this is saying something.

I played with the Sierras alone in stereo mode and discovered what others have been saying about bass extension. I finally got down and unplugged my Hsu Vtf-3 HO to be sure it was indeed off. Sure 'nuff it was all the Sierras. I found some Eagles playing on one of the channels and found the bassline of "I'm Already Gone" to be full, rich, and detailled. On one funk song I dfound whose title and artist I don't know (can't read the song info stuff anymore) the plucking and slapping of bass strings was just so clear and well defined and I had to remind myself that this on compressed satellite radio. I have to get to some SACDs and DVD-As ASAP!

On TV and movies, I previously preferred PL II, but find myself liking Neo 6 more and more with the Sierras in the act, don't know why, just seems to sound better.

The sound of the Sierras with the XR57 is great, I think it is definitely a step up from the 340s, and considering how much I absolutely love my 340s that is a real statement. I would have no problem staying with the Panny if it weren't for the problems I am having with it and HDMI. I am currently hoping to be able to afford a new reciever that has more than one, preferably 3 or more HDMI inputs, DSD compatability for my Oppo 980, and preouts to be used as a preamp someday. I am really interested in the Class D digital amps Mark at AV123 is working on and monoblocks would mean I could work up to separates in small easy stages. I think that, if the XR57 is working for you that there is no reason not to match it up with the Sierras, while I did not crank it too much, I did turn it up a few notches and found no signs of stress. Unfortunately, I am having problems with the Panny unrelated to its sonic performance and am going to have to move on as soon as I can afford to. It still amazes me though, that the Panny at its price point sounds better with every speaker I have tried it with than the Denon AVR-3300 it replaced bought back in the day that I had a real HT budget to play with. The Denon now gives my youngest brother's XBox 360 and Wii some extra oomph and still works great, but the Panny definitely gives more detail and clean sound.

That's my initial impression woefully inadequate as it may be with the current chaos of my setup. I hope to post more when the "next weekend" my help keeps promising comes (hard to complain when the help comes at no cost) and my system is set up and better calibrated. But I think, in a way, the statement of how good the Sierras sound even in the current situation speaks volumes as to their quality and all around great performance.

Once again, thanks Dave and all at Ascend.

Chris

[Mike^S]

Wow, fantastic! Thanks for sharing. Question for you, how are you able to type and read the screen?

[blindcat7]

Easy

http://www.gwmicro.com

Check out the Window Eyes product. There is also Jaws for Windows a competing screen reader and a bunch of Screen Magnifiers. I have one called Zoom Text. I don't use the magnification much because it is too much strain to read text even well blown up right now. I have retinitus pigmentosa combined with ocular albinism. I had cataracts removed a couple of years ago (I'm 35 right now, so it was the lack of UV protection because of the albinism rather than age) and got some improvement. I am supposed to get in to see a specialist to get fit with new glasses or at least to see if I can get more improvement from that but there is a long waiting list and a lot of insurance red tape so I'll be lucky if I find out about that possibility anytime in the next year. Oh, since many I talk to wonder, ocular albinos do not have pink to red eyes like true albinos, usually very pale blue that do not block light very well even when the pupil is constricted.

Before I was hurt in a car accident which has messed with my ability to get about sans sighted guide, I worked as an adaptive technologist setting up and maintaining computers and other gadgets for the blind, so I am really good at getting the most out of my computer. My last 5 computers were ones I put together myself. It is a dream of mine that more HT and audio components will add networking and PC interactivity functions. If I can control a device via a web interface, I can use my text to speech and a lot of the headaches of being a blind HT/audio nut would be solved. The goal is to be able to do as much as possible without running to borrow someone's eyes. System setup is just not really doable even when I was seeing quite a bit better. Too many inputs and outputs on the back of a reciever or preamp to have any chance of labelling in braille. Speakers are easy as long as you mark either the positive or negative banana plug and plug. 170s and 340s are really easy because they have a very tactile plus and minus beneath the input. With a good universal player, DVD-A and SACD are easy as long as you have the settings done right. Older DTS DVDs can be a pain because the hard lock out switching soundtracks via the audio button on a remote so one has to memorize the menus and hope the player does not miss a button push thus throwing you off. The big bane of my existence is the trend towards LCD remotes. Cool gadgets to most, incomprehensible pieces of glass or plastic to me.

All difficulties aside, when you hit the rescue of Morpheus on the Matrix, follow Corbin Dalls as he demolishes Mengalors in the 5th Element, or just mellow out with the Dark Side of the Moon SACD, it is just so completely worth it.

The only big argument I have with myself is over my display. To me HD basically means I see a little bit more than I see in SD. On a good day at a proper distance, I can see enough detail in faces to get an idea of expression and that is about it. I have been arguing with myself over whether to get a large set for my next TV. I could use the extra space that a 37-42" set that could be hung on the wall would give, but there is still that little voice that says a 52" plus that does 1080p/24 would be so much better. But the logical voice inside me asks why do that when the money I save for upgrades could go to separates and getting the best audio. I think the non logical side hangs on because even the most cynical of specialists I go to now sees FDA approved treatments for my condition coming in the next 3 to 5 years. The most promising at the moment apparently involving injecting fish retinal cells. Kind of an odd thought, but if it works, I'll take it.

Ok, bet you didn't expect such a long and detailled answer to such a simple question, including a massive amount of info you didn't ask for, but I fall into that class of people that is always looking to raise awareness on my condition and not afraid to share. I'm worst than most because I am a wannabe novellist with no understanding of the word concise and, on top of that, I used to teach.

Regards, and thanks for asking. Hope my overlong response didn't make you regret it!

Chris

PS: If you are curious about the actual experience of using a screenreader, I think that the site I gave offers a 30 day trial version of Window Eyes. You could always try downloading it, reading the basic instructions, installing it, then turning off your monitor and diving in. The demo is fully functional, it just only works for 30 minutes at a time without a PC restart.

[muzz]

WTG BC, love your resolve to find a way.
I admire that ALOT, I do wish you didn't have that, but alas you are making due, which at least makes me happy:D
The Sierras sound fantastic to me, as did the 340/170 COMBO I HAD B4.

Only BETTER!!

[Mike^S]

Not at all, blindcat7. I enjoyed reading it. That's some pretty cool software. I'm glad you're enjoying your Sierras. I know I'm loving mine.