Sierra-1 Stock Status

[davef]

Regrettably, I must now announce that we are completely out-of-stock on our Sierra-1 loudspeakers. We did not anticipate the sales volume that we have experienced and due to the complex manufacturing processes involved in this truly unique product, production and lead times have also proven to be slightly longer than originally anticipated. These processes involve coordinating production from multiple suppliers and manufacturers so that we can keep retail prices affordable.

We are currently arranging limited runs of these unique cabinets that will be air-shipped in so that we can resume limited production until the bulk of our production is completed and container shipped. We anticipate these to arrive within 3-4 weeks, at which time we should be able to fulfill many outstanding orders. Additionally, by placing your order now, your price on the Sierra-1 is guaranteed. A minor price increase is expected once we resume full scale production. You will not be charged until your order is shipped.

To hold you over during the waiting period, we invite you to pick any of our other loudspeakers to use during this time period. Should you choose this option, you will be charged in full for the speakers you select as substitution. When your Sierra-1 become available, you will be charged for the Sierra-1 (per your original order) and the speakers will be promptly shipped. Pre-paid shipping labels for the return of the loaner speakers will be included with this shipment. All you will need to do is to box the loaner speakers in their original packaging, adhere the pre-paid return shipping labels and drop off at your nearest UPS customer counter. Once we receive the speakers back and provided that you have taken good care of them, you will be credited in full for the loaner speakers, including associated shipping costs of the loaners.

In simple terms, we are allowing you to use any of our in-stock speakers as loaners until your Sierra-1 become available. Provided you take good care of the loaner speakers and return them to us when we ship your Sierra-1, there are absolutely no additional fees.

It is our way of saying “Thank you in advance for your patience and we sincerely apologize for the delay.”

We strongly recommend getting your Sierra-1 orders in now, the limited production runs mentioned above are indeed, limited. We anticipate full-scale production to resume in 7-8 weeks at which time all remaining backorders and new orders will be promptly shipped.

Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding!

[dallas]

higher volume, lower prices. :)

[Nitzer]

Any chance of a price break in lieu of the loaners? :)

[davef]

Any chance of a price break in lieu of the loaners? :)

Hmmm... If it takes us 30-days or longer to ship from the date you place your order and you waive the option of loaners, we will ship free of charge. (not valid for international or overseas orders).

[clarke68]

higher volume, lower prices. :)High volume, low prices, high quality. Pick two.

[JasonColeman]

High volume, low prices, high quality. Pick two.

I'll take low prices and high quality...

J.

[mattopia]

Dave - offering loaner speakers to Sierra purchasers shows what an amazing company Ascend Acoustics is!

And... I'm glad I've been enjoying my Sierra-1's for months now! :D

[davef]

Dave - offering loaner speakers to Sierra purchasers shows what an amazing company Ascend Acoustics is! And... I'm glad I've been enjoying my Sierra-1's for months now! :D

Thanks Matt! I feel if is the least we can do :)

[logicology]

Thanks Matt! I feel if is the least we can do :)

No... technically the least you could do is simply backorder the speakers and ship them when you ship them. Offering loaners is the best you could do. And you're doing it. This is why I have fallen in love with Ascend Acoustics, Dave, and my Sierra's. I'm a small business owner, and I love the small business mentality that Dave has where satisfaction and word-of-mouth is most important. Kudos! You should truly be proud of yourself!

[davef]

No... technically the least you could do is simply backorder the speakers and ship them when you ship them. Offering loaners is the best you could do. And you're doing it. This is why I have fallen in love with Ascend Acoustics, Dave, and my Sierra's. I'm a small business owner, and I love the small business mentality that Dave has where satisfaction and word-of-mouth is most important. Kudos! You should truly be proud of yourself!

Thanks for the kind words logic and I am thrilled that you are enjoying the Sierra-1.

I feel the best we can do in this situation would be to air-ship in the entire container shipment. The costs for this are astronomical and since we are a small business, we simply can't afford this option. Still, we are doing what we can.

For everyone patiently waiting... thank YOU! I can assure you that these speakers are worth the wait :D

[fraseronly]

Folks,

Confirmation, does this include Sierra centers too ?

[muzz]

WTG Dave!!

What else can I really say, but.....

Bravo!!

BTW............... Enjoying your Sierras IMMENSELY!!

Gary

[davef]

Folks, Confirmation, does this include Sierra centers too ?

Unfortunately, yes - center versions are out-of-stock too. The "parts" that are awaiting production and shipping are the cabinets themselves.


BTW............... Enjoying your Sierras IMMENSELY!!


Hey Gary! Very pleased you are still enjoying the Sierras!!! (Giants had a tough loss this weekend...)

[davef]

Hi Guys,

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for being so incredibly patient in regards to waiting for Sierra-1. I have some good news and some bad…

The Sierra-1 are special loudspeakers in all regards. From their remarkable performance to the warmth and positive energy the bamboo cabinetry adds to a room. From knowing your purchase is environmentally friendly (light years ahead of any claims of environmentally friendly veneers or MDF,) to the fact that these loudspeakers are designed to last a lifetime, a true heirloom.

These speakers are my personal pride and joy. I enjoy them nearly every day of the week and as so many others have shared with me, they have a unique tendency such that one’s appreciation of their many attributes tends to grow greater over time. Quite the opposite of most loudspeakers…

Production difficulties aside, I was disappointed with the overall finish quality from our original cabinet vendor. To correct the problems, we hired a true cabinet finishing expert to refinish, by hand, nearly every single Sierra-1 cabinet. This unique individual, a true legend within the appropriate circles in Southern California, slaved over these cabinets until they met HIS exacting standards, which were even greater than my own. Unfortunately, the results of this were large unforeseen expenses on our end, prompting me to take drastic measures.

With the holiday season fast approaching and Sierra-1 sales volume greatly exceeding my forecasts, I was placed into a position whereby I had to either place new cabinet orders with our current vendor, or find another company who would be willing to work with us. It is important to note that simply obtaining this volume of laminated bamboo paneling that we require for production is exceedingly difficult and expensive. Notwithstanding the fact that working with the material is far more complicated and time consuming than MDF, which is what factory workers are trained for, as well as requiring A-grade router bits for the CNC routers…

For once I got a break :) I found a new vendor who was not only willing, but offered a level of quality and consistency that actually exceeded my expectations. This new vendor learned the subtleties of bamboo quickly and proved to me that they can provide us, -you-, with the quality that I demand. Decision time was here and this caused me great turmoil. Placing an order with our original cabinet vendor meant having product for the holidays, but carried the risk of receiving product that just might need to be refinished, again. Placing an order with the new vendor meant considerably higher costs and the possibility of not having product for the holidays. Looking towards the future and considering my demand for perfection, a decision was made, and I am confident that I have made the right choice.

This change in vendors has resulted in us missing getting product out in time for Christmas and I sincerely apologize for this. We did our VERY best, even going as far as arranging an air-shipment of 2-3 pallets worth of cabinets that we hoped would have been ready to ship this past Friday. This would have been a huge expense, costing more than 4 times what it would cost to ship a full 40ft container, but I was willing to do it.

Unfortunately, our vendor simply refused to rush production at the sacrifice of quality and missed the cut-off. Because we missed the Christmas cut-off, I made an “executive decision” and cancelled the air-shipment. The air-shipment would have allowed us to ship product about ten days sooner compared to when the ocean-freight container shipment arrives. Considering the cost of the air-shipment vs the additional time it buys us (only ten days) I felt this added expense was no longer justified.

So, that is the bad news ---

Now for some good news, at least I hope it comes across as good news…

I have been told that our container will be ready for shipment next week. We are in the process of arranging for faster than normal ocean freight and it looks like we will finally be able to resume production the week of Jan 14th.

I want you to know that I have done my very best to try and get Sierra-1 in production sooner. I am trying to avoid thinking about how costly this has been to us but I made a decision a long time ago (which now seems like a lifetime) that I would never let the lure of higher profitability and a quick buck compromise my standards for performance and quality. I admit, the temptation was there, but in the end I went with the same principles that I used to build Ascend Acoustics and I feel good about it.

For those of you willing to wait, rest assured that you will be receiving an absolutely wonderful and truly unique product, built of only the highest standards. For those of you no longer willing to wait, you have my deepest apologies and I can’t thank you enough for considering our products and sticking around this long.

For those of you waiting to get Sierra-1 orders in, pending this announcement, now is the time. Our backorder list is quite large and growing daily. In addition, once our shipment arrives there will be a $40-$50/pr price increase. Loaner speakers will no longer be offered starting Jan 2.

Thanks again for your patience and understanding…

Attached are some pictures of Sierra-1 cabinets in production… (Just so you know that they are coming ;) )

[clarke68]

I made a decision a long time ago (which now seems like a lifetime) that I would never let the lure of higher profitability and a quick buck compromise my standards for performance and quality. I admit, the temptation was there, but in the end I went with the same principles that I used to build Ascend Acoustics and I feel good about it.Way to go Dave. It can be darn inconvenient when those pesky convictions raise their heads...but I believe it will pay off in the long run, both for you and your customers.



once our shipment arrives there will be a $40-$50/pr price increase.That's actually $50-$60 less than the increase you've been mentioning all along.


Attached are some pictures of Sierra-1 cabinets in production…Nice photos! Do you have any that show the internal cabinet bracing?

[davef]

Way to go Dave. It can be darn inconvenient when those pesky convictions raise their heads...but I believe it will pay off in the long run, both for you and your customers.

Thanks Clarke!



That's actually $50-$60 less than the increase you've been mentioning all along.

Correct -- I am really trying to keep the retail costs on these as low as possible. Not an easy task with the almighty dollar in a freefall.


Nice photos! Do you have any that show the internal cabinet bracing?

Not at this moment -- I suppose I can snap a few.

[o0Lo0P0o]

I have a few questions:

1. If I placed an order online now, what is the eta on the product.
2. Will ordering piano black increase the wait time?
3. Is the price increase already reflected on the site?
4. Will I be getting these "new" cabinets?

[davef]

I have a few questions:

Happy to answer your questions!


1. If I placed an order online now, what is the eta on the product.

If you place an order now, we should be able to ship by Jan 18th, possibly sooner.


2. Will ordering piano black increase the wait time?

No...


3. Is the price increase already reflected on the site?

No, prices will increase on Jan 14th. Prices on the site reflect current pricing.


4. Will I be getting these "new" cabinets?

All customers that are waiting for Sierra-1 will be receiving cabinets from our new vendor.

Hope this helps!

[o0Lo0P0o]

Thanx for the help dave, If I ordered tonight would I receive loaners? Is the shipping back included with loaners?

[davef]

Thanx for the help dave, If I ordered tonight would I receive loaners? Is the shipping back included with loaners?

Only if you wanted to receive loaners :p The loaner program will officially end on Jan 2.

Yes -- we will cover the costs of return shipping for the loaners. We are about to close shop in the next 5 minutes, if you want to call it in now. Otherwise, feel free to order online or give us a call tomorrow.

[Mike^S]

Hi Dave, can you go into any more details about the difference in the cabinets from the old to the new? The only thing I can image would be reducing the "imperfect seems" at the edges of the bamboo. My piano black Sierras are nearly flawless except for a few, very faint scratches.

[davef]

Hi Dave, can you go into any more details about the difference in the cabinets from the old to the new? The only thing I can image would be reducing the "imperfect seems" at the edges of the bamboo. My piano black Sierras are nearly flawless except for a few, very faint scratches.

Hi Mike,

With regard to what you referred to as "imperfect seems" -- I am assuming you are referring to the comment in the Audioholics Review? I can't recall a single comment in regards to the joints / seams, other than what was mentioned in that review.

Imperfect seams at the edges of the naturals are a consequence of using natural wood. It is an impossibility to precisely match the grain of one sheet of bamboo with another at the joints. This is natural wood in its purest form :) Personally, I love the minor differences in grain and hue -- every cabinet is different, every cabinet is unique. The joinery quality of these cabinets is second to none but matching the grain and hue of one sheet of natural wood to another would be a practical impossibility. We *might* be able to come up with one absolutely perfect cabinet, while tossing out several tons of bamboo paneling. Ready to pay $40K for a single pair of Sierra-1 naturals? (kidding of course)

Seriously though, we do have our cabinet manufacturer pick out the best of the best and these become the naturals. The other cabinets that aren't matched as well or have hues that are too light or too dark become piano black.

What this new vendor offers is more consistent finish quality. As I mentioned, we had to refinish nearly all of the Sierra-1 cabinets in order to remove scratches and finish imperfections (smudge, glue, too much or too little lacquer etc.). We could not possibly absorb the tremendous expense of refinishing the cabinets once again so I was not willing to take the chance, thus we went with another more capable cabinet manufacturer.

There are no physical / mechanical differences between the cabinets from one vendor to another, just better overall finish quality and more consistency.

Take care!

[o0Lo0P0o]

Only if you wanted to receive loaners :p The loaner program will officially end on Jan 2.

Yes -- we will cover the costs of return shipping for the loaners. We are about to close shop in the next 5 minutes, if you want to call it in now. Otherwise, feel free to order online or give us a call tomorrow.

Hi Dave, I just sent in the order over the web site :D Cant wait to get these baby's in my hand. Wish I would have done it sooner as I go back to work on Jan 2. I just had to do alot of research.

[muzz]

I've personally worked with Bamboo(did a dining room floor, and steps up and down), and while it's a gorgeous product, it IS a STRANDED product, and is a bit more difficult to work with than wood....

There is no doubt about that.

I didn't have to Radius any of my cuts, Radius a cut, and join 3 other non-radiused cuts perfectly must be a nightmare with the grain involved.

I have Natural Sierras, and they look absolutely GORGEOUS, and EVERYONE that sees them has asked me about them, including my INCREDIBLY neat and perfect buddy that is the nuttiest Corvette owner I know(great guy- just a nut)..

He studied mine, and told me that they were outstanding looking....

When I told him the cost, he almost fell over, and stated that when he was going to upgrade, he was gonna look into the Sierras(or whatever Dave has next in line- HIS words), because he was so impressed with the fit, finish, and sound of my Sierras.

[SpeedFreak919]

Does anyone know the current stock status of the Sierra 1 (as well as the Sierra 1 Center)?

[o0Lo0P0o]

Does anyone know the current stock status of the Sierra 1 (as well as the Sierra 1 Center)?

I'm Currently still waiting on mine, but I think Dave said they would start shipping again on the 18th possibly sooner if we are lucky :)

[davef]

Does anyone know the current stock status of the Sierra 1 (as well as the Sierra 1 Center)?

I am very pleased to mention that our out-of-stock parts arrived this afternoon. The cabinets look great! Production resumes early tomorrow morning and for the next 2 weeks, all we will be doing is building, testing and shipping Sierra-1.

I know it has been a long wait and I can't thank you enough :) It will take us 1-2 weeks to get fully caught up but orders will start shipping as soon as tomorrow.

Thank you!

[Pilk]

:D Oh yea!

[Mia & Lana's dad]

Answer: A Million-billion thanks to Ascend Acoustics!

Just took delivery of these fine examples of art. Will post pics when we get to move back home once flood reconstruction has been completed! Can't wait to hear them!

-Ron

[Pilk]

Answer: A Million-billion thanks to Ascend Acoustics!

Just took delivery of these fine examples of art. Will post pics when we get to move back home once flood reconstruction has been completed! Can't wait to hear them!

-Ron

I cry foul!!! You get 7, I get none! Dave, fix this for me. :eek:

[heystew]

Just curious, does anyone know current lead times for new orders of the Sierra-1?

[Mag_Neato]

Give the guys a call at Ascend.

[davef]

Just curious, does anyone know current lead times for new orders of the Sierra-1?

Hi heystew,

I would say that we are about 65% through our backorder list. If you were to place an order tomorrow, I would estimate that it would ship in 4-5 business days.

Please let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.

[Pilk]

Hi heystew,

I would say that we are about 65% through our backorder list. If you were to place an order tomorrow, I would estimate that it would ship in 4-5 business days.

Please let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.

That may mean that mine are in the air or at least on the runway. Very nice.:D

[curtis]

That may mean that mine are in the air or at least on the runway. Very nice.:D
You should call to make sure. When they ship, you should get a notice.

[Pilk]

You should call to make sure. When they ship, you should get a notice.

I put my order in late, last day before the new prices, so I expect I'm way down on the list. I've got a little work to do before on my setup before they arrive so I'm not concerned. I'm looking forward to getting them in place and sitting down and just enjoying some music.

[Asliang]

I put in an order on Wednesday night. Does the 4-5 business day estimate still apply? (i.e, likely to ship middle of next week)

[Pilk]

I put in an order on Wednesday night. Does the 4-5 business day estimate still apply? (i.e, likely to ship middle of next week)


I suspect it does. They must be pretty much caught up because I ordered mine on the 13-14th. At that point the boxes and parts were not in. Mine shipped yesterday so I would figure they are putting together current orders now.:D

[Asliang]

Thanks for letting me know about the time frames. I hope it doesn't take 9 business days for me though, it's too agonizing :p

[MichaelG]

I ordered 2 Sierra's on 1/7 and received shipping notice Thursday night. I live in PA so they won't get here until this coming Thursday. I'm sure they will be worth the wait!:D

Michael