Jugdish
03-01-2008, 03:22 PM
Want to share my story so that others can avoid the issues I had when I first got my Sierra's..........My original setup was a Rotel RX-1052 integrated amp/receiver, and a Rotel RDV-1060. I couldn't WAIT to get the sierra's hooked up. Well, Sierra's came, and disappointment set in. I couldn't understand the rave reviews these speakers were getting, because they just sounded ok to my ears, nothing special. I thought I was nuts so neighbors came to listen and they agreed, good speakers, not great. The mids and highs were crisp and detailed, but the bass was very punchy and seemed to easily bottom out, and when tweaked through the Rotel, they just ended up sounding sterile. I thought I was going to be the first one to return a pair of Sierra's.
I wrote to Dave, and he gave some good feedback which lead me to add a sub. I added an Earthquake Sound Minime 8" sub which really added to the low end. However, the fact that all the reviews talked about how great these speakers were, even with suprising bass, just ate away at me.
Well, I started the search for an integrated amp with bass management to see if I could take the work off of the speakers for the low end and let them focus on mids and highs. I came across Outlaw Audio's RR2150.
The Outlaw offered everything I needed including a sub out with selectable crossover points. They have a 30 day no risk trial so I figured what the hell. The Outlaw arrived and I went to hook it up only to find it was 1/2" too deep for my built in cabinets.......damn. So I get longer cables and just hook the amp up outside the cabinet. I pop in Sarah Mclachlan's surfacing CD, set the crossover to 80, and................HOLY SH!T! THIS IS WHAT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. The Sierra's sounded simply stunning. I picked up the phone and told my neighbor to come over, that he wouldn't believe that the Rotel amp was the weak link in the chain. Well, he was stunned as well.
With the Sierra's hooked up to the Outlaw, the entire lower end was detailed, and pure, not the least bit punchy and no bottoming. We proceeded to throw everything we had at the Sierra's from Pussycat Dolls "Hot Like Me" to Warren G's "Regulate" (two tracks with serious bass). The kicker was we bypassed the bass management and let the speakers handle the full range of the amp. We both sat there totally stunned. For whatever reason, the $900 Rotel integrated made these speakers sound like they came from Radio Shack. Hooking them up to the Outlaw, the difference was night and day. So now I am modifying my cabinet to fit the deeper Outlaw.
I wanted to share this with everyone, because I would have never thought that my Rotel receiver could have failed me like this. Afterall, Rotel is a highly respected, and storied hi-fi electronics manufacturer. Well, I am here to tell you that price does not necessarily mean you are getting better equipment. I'm not knocking Rotel, but as far as the Sierra's are concerned, it's not a good match.
I was very close to returning the Sierra's and am so glad that I sought out David's advice. I can honestly tell you that with the right equipment (not necessarily expensive, as the Outlaw RR2150 ran $650), the Sierra-1's are hands down the best speakers you will currently hear for under $1000.....period.
My Rotel is headed to E-bay!
I wrote to Dave, and he gave some good feedback which lead me to add a sub. I added an Earthquake Sound Minime 8" sub which really added to the low end. However, the fact that all the reviews talked about how great these speakers were, even with suprising bass, just ate away at me.
Well, I started the search for an integrated amp with bass management to see if I could take the work off of the speakers for the low end and let them focus on mids and highs. I came across Outlaw Audio's RR2150.
The Outlaw offered everything I needed including a sub out with selectable crossover points. They have a 30 day no risk trial so I figured what the hell. The Outlaw arrived and I went to hook it up only to find it was 1/2" too deep for my built in cabinets.......damn. So I get longer cables and just hook the amp up outside the cabinet. I pop in Sarah Mclachlan's surfacing CD, set the crossover to 80, and................HOLY SH!T! THIS IS WHAT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. The Sierra's sounded simply stunning. I picked up the phone and told my neighbor to come over, that he wouldn't believe that the Rotel amp was the weak link in the chain. Well, he was stunned as well.
With the Sierra's hooked up to the Outlaw, the entire lower end was detailed, and pure, not the least bit punchy and no bottoming. We proceeded to throw everything we had at the Sierra's from Pussycat Dolls "Hot Like Me" to Warren G's "Regulate" (two tracks with serious bass). The kicker was we bypassed the bass management and let the speakers handle the full range of the amp. We both sat there totally stunned. For whatever reason, the $900 Rotel integrated made these speakers sound like they came from Radio Shack. Hooking them up to the Outlaw, the difference was night and day. So now I am modifying my cabinet to fit the deeper Outlaw.
I wanted to share this with everyone, because I would have never thought that my Rotel receiver could have failed me like this. Afterall, Rotel is a highly respected, and storied hi-fi electronics manufacturer. Well, I am here to tell you that price does not necessarily mean you are getting better equipment. I'm not knocking Rotel, but as far as the Sierra's are concerned, it's not a good match.
I was very close to returning the Sierra's and am so glad that I sought out David's advice. I can honestly tell you that with the right equipment (not necessarily expensive, as the Outlaw RR2150 ran $650), the Sierra-1's are hands down the best speakers you will currently hear for under $1000.....period.
My Rotel is headed to E-bay!