New to the forum, need recommendations

[diesel79]

Hello all,

After my home theater/audio addiction subsided for 10 years or so, it is back. I stumbled across Ascend through some internet reading and now Im set on ordering some Sierra 1's with the nrt upgrade, although I would really like the towers. I was dead set on some Paradigm Studio 10's as I am familiar with Paradigm, but It seems like every comparison Ascend always comes out on top.

Does anyone have any recommendations on a 2 channel integrated amp or receiver that has digital inputs? What kind of watts are needed to bring the Sierra 1's to full life? I can get good prices on Denon/Marantz and Integra due to my buddy being a dealer, not sure on all of the brands he deals with, but I know these for sure as he recommended them.

I was looking at the Integra DTM 40.4 (80x2). I also read some good things about the Harmon Kardon HK 3490, but it looks like I would need to find one used. I am also open to getting a full AVR receiver as well in case I ever were to expand beyond 2 channel. Was looking at Marantz SR 5008 or 6008.

My living room is 17x14 with 9 ft ceilings. I have an open floor plan where the kitchen, dining, and living room are all kind of one big open area. Living room is carpet, the rest is hardwood.

I am not limited to the brands my friend can get, but I would like the price to be in the 500-650 range.

Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks

[FirstReflect]

Hi there! Welcome to the forum :)

I will start off by saying that other people, including yourself, might have a different opinion to my own. But, my personal feeling and recommendation in a case like this is to opt for a full surround sound AV Receiver. My reasoning is as follows:

1) There is zero downside in choosing a surround sound AV Receiver. At worst, you might feel as though you are "wasting" the additional channels of amplification. But, in terms of sound quality, DAC quality, and amplifier quality, there is no benefit in using an integrated or stereo Receiver over a full surround sound Receiver.

2) HDMI. Very few integrated and 2-channel-only Receivers include HDMI inputs. Meanwhile, HDMI inputs are ubiquitous and plentiful on surround sound Receivers. Given how many sources now use HDMI outputs, I think it is most convenient to use a Receiver that can accept all signals via HDMI.

3) Lossless TrueHD and DTS-HD audio format support. This partially ties into having HDMI inputs. But, it sure is nice to have full access to these lossless audio formats. Some of the best recorded content is on Blu-ray. Blu-ray isn't just movies, there are some great concerts and music recordings on Blu-ray, as well. And many of the very best are in TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio format. Granted, so long as your Blu-ray player can decode these formats internally, there is no quality difference between outputting the TrueHD or DTS-HD bitstream vs. having the Blu-ray player do the decoding internally and outputting LPCM. But, not all Blu-ray players (even today) have full TrueHD and DTS-HD decoders. Some only decode the lossy "core" formats, which are equivalent to regular old Dolby Digital and DTS. And, if you use an HTPC, outputting the TrueHD or DTS-HD bitstream allows you to bypass the Windows audio mixer, and is also the only way to get the full lossless audio quality from MKV files. Bottom line: I think it's nice to have TrueHD and DTS-HD decoders in your Receiver ;)

4) Auto-setup and "Room Correction". Personally, I prefer Audyssey -- and MultEQ XT32 with SubEQ HT, in particular -- over most other brands of auto-setup and "room correction". It just so happens that Denon, Marantz, Onkyo and Integra are all licensees of Audyssey, so, in terms of the brands you were already considering, it's easy for me to agree with those as good choices :)

You won't find auto-setup and EQ on most integrated amps or 2-channel stereo Receivers.

5) The option to expand to 5.1, 7.1 or even 9.1 or 11.1 later. If it is at all in the back of your mind that you might want to expand to full surround sound in the future, I think it's only logical to give yourself that option ahead of time, rather than having to replace an integrated amp or 2-channel stereo Receiver entirely.

So, for all of those reasons, plus the often higher value in terms of what you get for the amount of dollars spent, I think that buying a full surround sound Receiver -- even if you only intend to use 2 speakers for the time being -- makes the most sense.

If you agree with my reasoning, we can discuss some exact models...

But first, I'd like to talk a little bit about your choice of speakers:

If the Ascend Sierra Towers are a no-go, either due to physical size, or due to price, then the Sierra bookshelf speakers are certainly the top choice. The question is whether you should opt for the Sierra-1, the Sierra-1 NrT, or the Sierra-2.

If you can afford them, I'd say the Sierra-2 are easily the top most pick. A RAAL ribbon tweeter and an astonishing new SEAS woofer all for less than $1500/pair (depending on the finish option) is just an out of this world deal! The Sierra-2 really ought to cost at least $2700/pair internet direct. And I'd fully expect them to be priced at $5500/pair if they were being sold in a retail store. They are a steal at their $1448/pair asking price.

But, $1500-ish is still a lot of money for a pair of speakers, no matter how stellar of a value they are! If you simply cannot afford that price tag, then the question becomes whether or not you think you might ever want to upgrade to the Sierra-2 ;)

You see, you can upgrade either the Sierra-1 or the Sierra-1 NrT. The cabinets are all identical, and DaveF has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure that the Sierra-2 tweeter, woofer and crossover are drop-in replacements for the Sierra-1 or Sierra-1 NrT components. For $388 each, you can order a Sierra-2 upgrade kit, and literally transform either a Sierra-1 or a Sierra-1 NrT into a Sierra-2!

So, if you can't afford the Sierra-2 right now, but you know that you would like to use a pair of Sierra-2 in the future, then buying the regular Sierra-1 now, rather than the Sierra-1 NrT, actually ends up being the better deal.

Just sticking with the base "natural" finish:

- The Sierra-1 cost $848/pair
- The Sierra-1 NrT cost $1148/pair, and
- The Sierra-2 cost $1448/pair

To upgrade either the Sierra-1 or Sierra-1 NrT pair to a pair of Sierra-2 will cost $776 for two upgrade kits. BUT, you get some money back when you send your original speaker parts back to Ascend! You get back $31 per speaker for the Sierra-1 parts, and you get back $63 per speaker for the Sierra-1 NrT parts.

So, this is where going from the Sierra-1 to the Sierra-2 can end up being a better deal in the long run than going from the Sierra-1 NrT to the Sierra-2.

If you start by buying the Sierra-1, that's $848. Then you'll add $776 to turn them into a pair of Sierra-2. But, then you'll get $61 back for returning the Sierra-1 parts. Total price in the end? $1562. So, just a little over $100 more than just buying the Sierra-2 right away. But, it certainly spreads out the payments a lot more, and you can enjoy your Sierra-1 speakers the entire time while you're saving up for the upgrade kits!

Meanwhile, if you start with the Sierra-1 NrT. That's $1148 to start. Then add $776. Then get back $126 for returning the Sierra-1 NrT parts. Total price in the end is: $1798. So, with this path, you end up paying several hundred more to reach the Sierra-2.

So, bottom line: if the Sierra-1 NrT are the speakers that you want, and you've no intention to upgrade them, don't worry about all of this! The Sierra-1 NrT are fantastic speakers! I own 6 of them myself :D And if you are thinking you might ever want to add the Sierra Towers and/or the Sierra Horizon, those speakers use the same NrT tweeter, so you'll have a flawless sonic match all around by moving the Sierra-1 NrT to Surround duty.

On the other hand, if what you'd really like are the Sierra-2, but you simply can't afford their $1448 and up asking price right away, then getting the Sierra-1 now, and upgrading them to Sierra-2 later -- that's the better deal, just dollar-wise. Also, if you're thinking that you might ever like to upgrade to the Sierra Towers RAAL and/or the Sierra Horizon RAAL, the Sierra-2 becomes the ideal sonic match for those, since you would then have RAAL ribbon tweeters all around.

In my own case, I have three custom Sierra Horizon RAAL speakers across the Front of my system. At the time I purchased my speakers, the Sierra-2 did not exist yet! So, I opted for Sierra-1 NrT speakers for my Surrounds, Backs, and Heights. I do not regret that decision what-so-ever. As I say, the Sierra-1 NrT are excellent speakers. But, I do plan to upgrade all of them to Sierra-2 ;) I've already taken my speaker system this far -- I simply cannot imagine NOT taking it as far as it can possibly go by having RAAL ribbon tweeters literally ALL around me!

Alrighty, so, now that I've thoroughly confused your speaker choice, let's talk specific AV Receivers :)

To put it plainly, I always prefer to get a Receiver that offers pre-outs, if at all possible. Having pre-outs allows you to add separate amplification if you ever want/need to. To be perfectly honest, it's unlikely that you will hear much, if any, difference between a good AV Receiver's internal amps vs. a separate amp. The vast majority of the time, we are using less than 10 Watts per channel, and, in fact, we're often using less than 1 Watt per channel! We must remember that a single Watt will produce about 86dB of output from the Sierra bookshelf speakers from 1 meter away. That loudness will drop by between 3 and 6dB every time we double our distance. But, that means that even from 12 feet away, a single Watt will produce upwards of 80dB of output. 80dB is loud! Most people do not listen to normal audio content at a constant 80dB or louder in their homes. So, that just goes to show, much of the time, we aren't even using 1 Watt per channel!

The thing is, big volume swings can call for sudden bursts of huge Wattage. Every time the SPL goes up by 10dB, that requires 10x as many Watts. Every time the SPL goes up by just 3dB, that requires 2x as many Watts. So, if there's a big 100dB peak, all of a sudden, you need a solid 100 Watts if we're sticking with this same example of the Sierra bookshelf speakers being heard from about 12 feet away. If you want to hit full THX Reference 105dB peaks, you're suddenly calling for nearly 400 Watts. The numbers go up exponentially!

So, will you NEED that kind of Wattage in your amplifier? Probably not. And even if you do, it will only be for very short peak bursts. No one is playing sustained 105dB SPL noises!

But, there's more to amplifiers than just Watts. There's linearity into various impedance loads. All of Ascend's speakers are easy loads. They don't have any wild impedance swings, or wild phase swings, or huge dips down to very low impedances at any frequency. But, some speakers out there do, and that can require a very robust amplifier. There's also the transient response of the amp -- that's related to the slew rate, although anything over 20V/microsecond goes well beyond the highest frequencies of human hearing. And there's the damping factor, which relates to how well the amp ignores the "back wave" signal that is created when the speaker's drivers are in motion, and are thus acting as microphones as well as speakers.

Perhaps the most noticeable difference between a separate amp and the internal amps of a Receiver will be the noise floor, though. You'll find that if you put your ear very close to the tweeter of any speaker while it is connected and powered up, but not actually playing any content, you'll hear a soft hiss or a hum. That is just thermal noise coming from the electronics, and most AV Receivers have a fairly obvious noise floor. Most people sit far enough away from their speakers that they never ever notice this very soft background hiss. But, it is always there. And if you happen to have any speakers very close to you, you might hear it when the signal is silent.

So, a really great separate amp can lower that noise floor, and some level of distortion along with it. Be warned though, plenty of separate external amps actually have a higher noise floor than a lot of AV Receivers! For all their virtues, pure Class A amps produce so much heat that they often have rather high thermal noise floors with easily audible hiss coming through the tweeters! Back when everyone was listening to vinyl, no one ever noticed or cared, because there's so much background noise in vinyl that it masked the Class A hiss. On the opposite end of the spectrum, truly digital amps are literally turned off when no signal is playing, so they have no noise floor what-so-ever. But, they're also never truly linear, so there's always a trade-off. Amps with very high gain on their inputs will tend to have a higher noise floor. But, too little gain limits their maximum Wattage.

Anywho, to bring this back down to earth, having pre-outs on your AV Receiver is a nice feature :) It gives you the freedom to experiment with separate amps if you ever want to. The Sierra speakers can all handle substantial levels of Wattage -- upwards of 400 Watts for short term peaks in the Sierra bookshelf speakers. And, in a large, open space, such as yours, you might find that you'd enjoy the benefits of that extra headroom and output capability. It will all depend on how far away you sit from your speakers, and how loud you like to listen.

So, all of this leads me to say: if you're buying brand new, Marantz is going to be your best bet in terms of a brand. All of their Receivers, from the SR5008 on up, offer a full compliment of pre-outs, and they also offer Audyssey MultEQ XT (with the SR7008 offering MultEQ XT32 + SubEQ HT, but that model is way above your intended budget). They have a really nice feature set, and rock solid reliability and performance. So, I would point you towards the SR5008 in all likelihood :)

Denon doesn't offer pre-outs until you get all the way up to their AVR-X4000 for some reason. And Onkyo decided to drop WAY back on their included levels of Audyssey, as well as the inclusion of pre-outs in order to shove Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into their Receivers this year. The sister Integra models faired better by at least getting pre-outs, but they still have the bare minimum in terms of Audyssey until you get pretty high up in the prices!

So, Marantz wins this year, IMO. BUT, there's one big possible "wrench", which is accessories4less.com . A4L is the fully authorized "clearance" online retailer for Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, and several other brands. They sell all of their products as "refurbished", but the stock comes directly from the manufacturers, and it's often brand new, and simply being cleared out of inventory. Unlike almost all other "refurbished" sales, you get a full manufacturer's warranty when you buy from A4L. So, you can often find outstanding deals, and still have the full backing of the manufacturers. The Onkyo TX-NR818, for example, sells for $600 over there. At the moment I'm writing this, they don't have any stock of the 818. But, if you keep an eye out, new stock is always cycling through. So, it can be well worth your while to consider accessories4less, and to consider models that are maybe 1 or 2 years old. That throws a huge curve into the whole decision.

But, if you just want to buy brand new, from your dealer friend, I'd most highly recommend going with a new Marantz AV Receiver. They've got all the features I'd advise anyone to look for, and they're rock solid performers. Being able to connect all of your sources via HDMI and easily use the AV Receiver as your "hub" for switching both audio and video is the way to go, IMO. And if you ever want to expand your system, the Marantz AV Receiver will be ready and waiting, no matter what you want to do :)

Hope that helps!

- Rob H.

[edgeh2o]

I was going to reply it looks like Jonathan has some competition when it comes to best replies, but it looks like he is you, er you are him? I feel like I just got sent to the twilight zone o_O

[FirstReflect]

I was going to reply it looks like Jonathan has some competition when it comes to best replies, but it looks like he is you, er you are him? I feel like I just got sent to the twilight zone o_O


Hahaha -- yes, I managed to get my screen name changed!

It is I, formerly jonathan_teller, now FirstReflect -- as that is my screen name on basically every other form of social media and online :)

I had that "Jonathan Teller" screen name on here from years and years ago. 'Twas the name of a character in a high school play -- haha. And I just used it on a lark, never thinking it would matter in the least. But now, I'm doing the AVRant podcast, and some folks like to be able to find me on forums and on Twitter and Facebook and whatnot, so, I'm making an effort to just use ONE screen name everywhere -- and that is FirstReflect ;)

I'm still FirstReflection over at Audioholics, though. That was the screen name I actually wanted to use everywhere, but it was too long for Twitter! So, FirstReflect is what I've settled on.

So...yeah...sorry for the confusion! My name is Rob H. I go by FirstReflect almost everywhere online. "Jonathan Teller" was just a decades old screen name from high school!

Ahh, confusion :D

Oh, and for the love of Pete, PLEASE do not go looking for an easy way to change your screen name! I made a nuisance of myself to Dave and the kind folks here on the forum with this silly screen name thing, and because Dave and everyone else at Ascend are ridiculously nice to a fault, they obliged my nagging request. If this ends up causing Dave or any of the moderators here any grief, I will never forgive myself! Ya hear?

;)

[diesel79]

Thank you for the very detiled answer! You pretty much answered any question I had. Lol

I'm waiting to hear back from my friend on what kind of pricing he can get on the marantz. I also looked on a4l, what a great store!

As far as speakers, I didn't even think of the Sierra 2. The towers will definitely stretch my budget, but if I was going to spend close to 1500 on the sierra 2's I would probably just go all the way to the towers, with the nrt tweeter though. Are the towers considered an upgrade over the sierra 2's even though they have the RAAL?

It's hard to know what to pick since I can't go listen to them anywhere without buying them first. The only thing I know is I really like the natural finish and will probably go with that.

[edgeh2o]

Hahaha -- yes, I managed to get my screen name changed!

It is I, formerly jonathan_teller, now FirstReflect -- as that is my screen name on basically every other form of social media and online :)

I had that "Jonathan Teller" screen name on here from years and years ago. 'Twas the name of a character in a high school play -- haha. And I just used it on a lark, never thinking it would matter in the least. But now, I'm doing the AVRant podcast, and some folks like to be able to find me on forums and on Twitter and Facebook and whatnot, so, I'm making an effort to just use ONE screen name everywhere -- and that is FirstReflect ;)

I'm still FirstReflection over at Audioholics, though. That was the screen name I actually wanted to use everywhere, but it was too long for Twitter! So, FirstReflect is what I've settled on.

So...yeah...sorry for the confusion! My name is Rob H. I go by FirstReflect almost everywhere online. "Jonathan Teller" was just a decades old screen name from high school!

Ahh, confusion :D

Oh, and for the love of Pete, PLEASE do not go looking for an easy way to change your screen name! I made a nuisance of myself to Dave and the kind folks here on the forum with this silly screen name thing, and because Dave and everyone else at Ascend are ridiculously nice to a fault, they obliged my nagging request. If this ends up causing Dave or any of the moderators here any grief, I will never forgive myself! Ya hear?

;)

AH-ha! Well that settles it then, confused I am no more. FirstReflect indeed sounds better than your previous bank title!

I too am guilty of not universifying my online handle, but for the most part edgeh2o is what I use. In a perfect world, I would have nabbed "edgewater" before someone else, but at some point I noticed it was repeatedly taken everywhere, so edgeh2o had to suffice. My other handles are less creative, stealing names of IPA beers from some of my favorite breweries- Hoptologist, Hopstoopid, etc.

Anyways, like many other members have expressed, THANK YOU for your rock solid contributions to this forum, it is always a pleasure to read them.

Back on topic for diesel79- yes to go Ascend-2 with RAAL or Ascend Tower with NRT is sure to stump you for a while, I sure don't envy your position ;) I have the Sierra-1 standard and LOVE it, but I see myself going to the Sierra-2 sometime in the future, maybe next November. Maybe you can see if there are any Ascend owners in your area that would give you a demo?

[diesel79]

I just went through most all of the Sierra 2 thread. I think that is what I want. I can also hide the cost a little more from my wife due to them being "small". ;)

[FirstReflect]

Someone made a really great post on Twitter saying how our grandkids are all going to have the WORST email addresses and screen names! haha! Everything is already taken! We're going to have to figure out a better method than everyone needing a unique name :p

The Sierra-2 vs. the standard Sierra Tower is a very interesting and puzzling choice, indeed! The Towers can play louder, and lower in the bass. That is just plain fact. So, if those two factors are paramount, it makes it easier to decide.

According to DaveF, the dedicated mid-range driver in the Towers remains the high water mark for mid-range performance, too. As stellar as the new Sierra-2 woofer is, a great deal of its design was due to the need to still have a woofer that could play low enough that the Sierra-2 could be satisfying on its own, and easily cross over to a subwoofer. So, just in sheer mid-range quality and SPL output, the dedicated mid-range driver in the Towers is still the victor, according to Dave.

Part of my custom speaker setup is a pair of Sierra bookshelf cabinets that have the same RAAL 70-20XR tweeter and the same mid-range driver as the Sierra Towers RAAL in them. I requested those speakers as I was adamant about wanting a PERFECT sonic match for my Front Wide speakers to my 3 custom Sierra Horizon RAAL Front speakers.

I can thusly tell you first hand that I feel I absolutely made the right choice in that decision! The pans across all 5 speakers at the front of my room are completely seamless. BUT, I found a 120Hz crossover to my subwoofers to be necessary for these highly customized Sierra bookshelf Front Wides. That dedicated mid-range driver simply cannot play much lower, and really drops off almost completely below 90Hz.

The price on those 70-20XR + Tower mid-range driver Sierra bookshelf speakers is also upwards of $2000 for the pair. So, the Sierra-2 represent a far better solution for an extremely high end bookshelf speaker that isn't so specialized as what I was demanding. The Sierra-2 don't use the exact same 70-20XR RAAL ribbon tweeter, but it's still a RAAL ribbon, and one that is much better suited to a bookshelf form factor. The new SEAS woofer plays considerably lower in the bass than the dedicated mid-range driver, and is the superior partner for the new RAAL ribbon tweeter in the Sierra-2. It's more than just the sum of the parts: there's a synergy and complimentary relationship at work.

In all measureable metrics, the Sierra-2's ribbon tweeter is superior to the NrT tweeter. So, that is where the most contentious comparison between the Sierra-2 and the standard Sierra Tower will come into play. If you value louder output, lower bass extension, and potentially slightly clearer mid-range, then the standard Sierra Tower should still have the advantage. But, the Sierra-2, by all accounts and measurements, should actually have the slight edge in treble performance thanks to its RAAL ribbon tweeter.

Since I have my custom 70-20XR + Tower mid-range Sierra bookshelf speakers, and also my Sierra-1 NrT speakers, I can tell you from my own, first hand comparisons, that the difference in sound quality between them is by no means "night and day", but it is there. It's a refinement in the sound, not a transformation. The RAAL 70-20XR tweeter simply adds a layer of realism that cannot be matched, even by the excellent NrT tweeter. And the dedicated mid-range driver, while I detest the review cliché of saying "veils were lifted", really does just refine the mid-range sound to that uncanny point where you stop being aware that you are listening to speakers, and are just fooled into thinking it's real life.

Where, precisely, will the Sierra-2 fall between these two? I cannot say for certain, since I have not heard them for myself yet! But, by all accounts so far, including Dave's own, the Sierra-2 really is the "miniature Tower". It doesn't play as loud. It doesn't play as low. But, it refines the sound quality of the Sierra-1 NrT so that it approaches that "uncanny" sense of realism that the Towers RAAL offer.

So, very very tough decision. We can still look to the Sierra Towers RAAL as the upper most choice. That's easy, at least :p But, the Sierra-2 vs. the standard Sierra Towers, I have to say that I would probably base my decision on how loud I need my speakers to play. Otherwise, it's really going to be splitting hairs. Tiny bit better treble, but tiny bit worse mid-range (Sierra-2), or uncanny real mid-range, but tiny bit worse treble (standard Towers)?

Personally, I tend to pay so much attention to tweeters and upper frequency detail and separation that I would likely opt for the Sierra-2, myself, if it came down to it. I am a staunch believe in ALWAYS using subwoofers to handle the lower bass. It is not a matter of what the speakers themselves are capable of producing; it is a matter of what your room acoustics will allow you to hear! The speakers themselves could play perfectly accurate, wonderful bass right down to below 20Hz, but that is not what you would end up hearing at the seat! Bass sound waves are so long - physically - that in any indoor setting, we are never hearing just the direct bass sound waves. We are always hearing waves that have bounced around the room first - often several times - before actually reaching our ears. It is very rarely the case that the best location for your Front speakers is also the best location for producing deep bass! But, if you separate the deep bass, and use subwoofers to produce those frequencies instead, you can place the subwoofers for optimal performance so that what you actually hear at your seat really IS accurate, linear, uniform, wonderful bass.

So, I place very little value, personally, on bass extension in speakers. Even if they could play super low, I wouldn't need or want them to! They might be producing the deep bass just fine -- totally doing their job -- but that is not what I'd actually hear at my seat, due to my room. That said, the speakers still need to be able to play low enough that they can cross over to the subwoofers at a frequency below where the sound will still be highly localizable and directional. That tends to be between 60 and 80Hz. So, once again, the Sierra-2 really do work brilliantly for this type of application. :)

[diesel79]

Now you have me thinking about the towers again. I won't have a sub anytime soon so the extra bass response would probably be nice. The sierra 2 is still very intriguing to me though as the high end will be amazing and from what im reading a bit more realism. It will be nice to get some comparisons to the towers when more people get their Sierra 2's. The way people are talking about the RAAL tweeter I will probably have to try it.

I'm coming from an old Paradigm monitor system with Monitor 7 version 1's for front mains, so these Ascends are really going to something different for me.

I have a while to ponder it though as my builder has not broke ground on my new home and it's -16 here in Minnesota so needless to say it's getting pushed back. :)

[FirstReflect]

Haha! Sorry about making your speaker decision that much harder!

I have to say, though, the Sierra-2 are still almost $500 less expensive per pair than even the standard Sierra Towers. That's nearly enough money to cover the cost of your AV receiver! Or, it could nearly cover the cost of a good subwoofer that would play lower, and allow for better placement for deep bass within your room than the Sierra Towers. So, if sheer loudness of output is not the highest priority, I've gotta say that I'd probably lean towards the Sierra-2, myself ;)

More impressions from Sierra-2 owners will help. It's good that you've got some time. While you're waiting, perhaps you can find some Ascend owners within driving distance.

Of course, the very best option would be an in-home audition and comparison! Your only "risk" will be the shipping charges. To me, that's well worth it in order to make certain that you get exactly what you really want. Ascend is very accommodating for this sort of thing. You could try both the Sierra-2 and the standard Towers in your own room, and then just return one of them :) I'd be willing to bet that you'd find a good deal of back-and-forth, though, as in, a slight preference for the Sierra-2 in some aspects and for certain recordings, and then a slight preference for the Towers in other instances ;)

You sure you don't just want to spring for the Sierra Towers RAAL? haha. You won't regret it. I can promise you that! They ought to be priced upwards of $10,000 for the pair. If you were shopping at retail stores instead of internet direct, you'd have to go to those sorts of price ranges and higher to even come close :D Maybe downgrade some option on your house? haha. The Sierra Towers RAAL are only, like, a thousand dollars more than the price range of the Sierra-2 and standard Towers ;)

[diesel79]

Just placed my order for some Sierra 2's in the Natural finish!:D I was at a toss up between the satin espresso or the natural. The satin espresso would blend well with the trim and cabinetry in my house, but I like the natural look with all of the graining. Im sure I will go back and forth between the two before they actually ship.

I wont need them until my new house is done so Im waiting 6 months, hopefully a litle sooner, for them to ship. This will also allow me to spread out the cost a little. My plan is to eventually get the RAAL Horizon, Rythmik F15SE and not sure on the surrounds yet.

I have some older speaker stands I bought with my Paradigm stuff that should work pretty well. They are J29's and are pretty heavy full steel construction. Im hoping the 29" height is optimal.

Its gonna be a long 6 months! :D Hopefully nothing new is in the works because I will probably want that too. lol