Shade difference between Horizon and Towers (satin espresso)?

[nycnite]

Today I just set up a new pair of ribbon towers and horizon center in satin espresso (which replace Sierra 1s, which before that replaced cbm-170s).

First I have to say that I have never seen anything packed so well. I felt as if I was unpacking the lost ark or some other priceless treasure. The excitement really builds while you are unpacking and unwrapping these things. After finally getting my new presents out in the open I was very happy with the quality that these things exuded. After the assembly and finally audition, I was in a state of audio bliss. These are without any doubt a much bigger upgrade over the Sierra 1s than I ever expected. The vocals have what I guess you would call an "airy" or ethereal quality. Drums and cymbals (especially cymbals) sound more real than anything I've heard in my home. Some notes just seem to float out there and hang in the air until finally disappearing. All I can say is wow, and this is after just listening to a few random songs.

I am very excited about immersing myself in these new speakers, but there is one little thing that might perhaps be bugging me. I don't know if this is normal or something to be expected, but there is a noticeable shade difference between the towers and the horizon. The towers match each other perfectly in what is without a doubt is a darkish espresso stain, but the horizon is a few shades lighter. It does not look bad in any way, just lighter than the towers. Because it is lighter, the bamboo grain is more apparent on the horizon, again not bad, just a bit different than the towers. The horizon is on a low stand beneath the t.v., so light easily hits it dead on (I've moved them around and looked at different angles to see if it was just the angles of light hitting them, but the horizon always appears lighter.)

At this point I am not sure how much I care since I have only been living with them for a day, but I would like to know if anyone else here has experienced this.

[Peabody]

I don't know if this is normal or something to be expected, but there is a noticeable shade difference between the towers and the horizon. The towers match each other perfectly in what is without a doubt is a darkish espresso stain, but the horizon is a few shades lighter. It does not look bad in any way, just lighter than the towers. Because it is lighter, the bamboo grain is more apparent on the horizon, again not bad, just a bit different than the towers. The horizon is on a low stand beneath the t.v., so light easily hits it dead on (I've moved them around and looked at different angles to see if it was just the angles of light hitting them, but the horizon always appears lighter.)

At this point I am not sure how much I care since I have only been living with them for a day, but I would like to know if anyone else here has experienced this.

I received my satin espresso Towers and Horizon last week. I hadn't noticed a difference in the finish, but I checked today with all the lights on and the blinds open. It does appear that the Horizon is a lighter shade with more grain visible. However, in normal lighting conditions for my living room (dim light for the plasma tv), I don't really notice it. Thanks for making me look! :p

I wouldn't hesitate to contact Ascend directly to discuss your concern. From what I've read on the forum, they are all about satisfying their customers.

[GirgleMirt]

It could also be the actual wood! As it's stained bamboo, if the actual bamboo is darker, it will result in darker finish... I'm not sure of the practicality/possibility of matching different 'pieces', a pair, ok, but with centers/rears/sides? I think it may very well be one of the downsides of using 'real' wood..

[davef]

Hi nycnite,

I am so pleased to hear that you are enjoying the speakers!!

Regarding the difference in hue and grain, it is important to keep in mind that these are natural wood cabinets and the bamboo itself varies considerably from one panel to another, and from batch to batch. Our current batch of towers was built from a different batch of bamboo than the previous production run of Horizon cabinets so it is likely the difference between the two is simply the wood itself. Our cabinet maker uses 6 coats of dye on the bamboo, and each coat darkens the finish. If the bamboo is lighter to start with, it will be lighter when it is finished.

We will soon be starting another production run of horizon cabinets and if the difference in hue is problematic for you, we can swap with a darker center from the next run. However, because this is natural wood, a perfect match is just impossible -- but it also makes each cabinet unique :)

[nycnite]

Hi nycnite,

I am so pleased to hear that you are enjoying the speakers!!

Regarding the difference in hue and grain, it is important to keep in mind that these are natural wood cabinets and the bamboo itself varies considerably from one panel to another, and from batch to batch. Our current batch of towers was built from a different batch of bamboo than the previous production run of Horizon cabinets so it is likely the difference between the two is simply the wood itself. Our cabinet maker uses 6 coats of dye on the bamboo, and each coat darkens the finish. If the bamboo is lighter to start with, it will be lighter when it is finished.

We will soon be starting another production run of horizon cabinets and if the difference in hue is problematic for you, we can swap with a darker center from the next run. However, because this is natural wood, a perfect match is just impossible -- but it also makes each cabinet unique :)

Dave,

I appreciate your response. We have not directly communicated before but I have quietly been a dedicated fan for over a decade. There is much hype, deception and b.s. in the marketing and editorial end of the audio world that irritates and offends me, which was a big reason that I was drawn to your company. The fact that this forum exists where one can visit and feel a part of your business by reading and interacting with your thoughts, design & project ideas and follow along the development of those is a real bonus.

I have decided to take you up on your offer to swap the center for a darker one from your next run. I spent a few days trying to convince myself to live with it as is, and I certainly could - had the difference in shade/hue/grain been subtle. However I find the difference to be quite obvious and noticeable even in a dim light. Further weighing on my decision is the fact that I think that a center speaker which is positioned so closely to a screen should ideally be quite dark (in fact I almost decided on flat black for the center). Please know that I understand that when dealing with natural wood that a perfect match is not possible (although the left/right look indistinguishable) and that is not what I expect. I suppose the key if a close match is desired is obtaining all speakers from the same batch and that just did not work out in my case. Please let me know if I should get in touch with Dina (who is fantastic) to touch base with on this and get it notated.

I continue to enjoy and be wowed by these special speakers and know that they will bring me much pleasure for years to come... until you create your next great thing.

Sincerely,
Robert