Sierra Towers over Sierra-2's?

[Blue Dude]

I have Sierra-2 L/C/R with the RAAL tweeter upgrade. (They were upgraded from Sierra-1's by Dave at the factory. Some of the best money I've ever spent on audio, and the Sierra-1's were already very good.) They are crossed at 80 Hz to 2 subs with Audyssey SubEQ HT processing and driven by a separate amp. It's a dedicated, treated room and I don't need more output. Playback at reference volume is already clean and punchy but way too loud for normal listening. I usually play music no louder than -15dB and movies at -12.5dB, and allow Dynamic EQ to adjust bass for apparent linear playback.

Is there any point in upgrading further to Sierra Towers/Horizon center? What would the advantages be, if any? The Sierra-2's are already beautifully transparent. Is there any performance margin left on the table for this particular application?

[Blutarsky]

Happy Turkey Day-

Personally, I found that a time comes where you have to make a decision...Is it about the gear and the tweaking, or the music? Once you get to a certain point, the improvements are small and expensive.

[Blue Dude]

I wasn't looking for cost-is-no-object last-ounce-of-performance. Just seeing if there would be any advantage to upgrading, and then decide if that's worth the cost. I will almost certainly replace my Axiom QS8 surrounds with the upcoming Sierra ribbon sats, and wondered if there was anything left to be gained with further upgrades.

[natetg57]

I haven't heard the towers but based on the comments of others, I would say that they sound similar but the towers will give a little more detail and clarity. They are also capable of going louder.

[ematthews]

I did the upgrade to the RAAL towers from the Sierra 2. I think after a while it was worth it. I did a bunch of side by side and after I had the towers I could confirm that they were better for me. I also ran both sets from the same system crossed at 80hz with a sub... No regrets spending the extra money a year later.

[bkdc]

Yes, I can hear the difference. You get the benefit of dedicated mid and low drivers. The timbre is very similar but there is improved detail when played at lower volumes.

The Sierra RAAL Towers are the last full size speakers I'll ever buy. I have Sierra-2's doing center and rear channel duty for my multi-channel audio SACD's and HT. I used to own a Horizon center, but I just can't squeeze it in my current space. :( If I could, I would rather have 3 horizon centers across the front instead of two towers and a Horizon. That's what I think of the Horizon.

[BilboBaggins]

Wow, that's quite an endorsement. How would you say the sound differs between the towers and the Horizon?

[bkdc]

Wow, that's quite an endorsement. How would you say the sound differs between the towers and the Horizon?

It's the same sound since it's the same drivers with cabinets at the same volume. But I prefer the front port on the Horizons. I wish the Towers had front ports. When I'm calibrating my speakers, it's clear that the sound from the Horizon also is significantly louder (speaker has greater sensitivity) than the sound from the Tower. I'm not sure why this is happening, but the perceived loudness is real to me. They're both amazing. I'm running all my speakers at 600 watt class-D monoblocks (way overkill, as I probably don't use more than 20 watts RMS per speaker)

I could NOT ask for a better speaker in sound quality. The only way it could be improved is if bass extension went lower (to 25 Hz or lower) to obviate the need for a subwoofer. But this has its own drawbacks as it would make the speaker placement more difficult. I'd rather run a separate subwoofer.

[Blue Dude]

Oh, no! Now I have a 3 way comparison!

[N Boros]

Oh, no! Now I have a 3 way comparison!

I'm not sure if you need to. bkdc mentions the sound is identical (to his ears), except for some reason the Horizon is more sensitive for some reason. He seems to like them more for their form factor, having the front port, which makes placement close to a wall or on a TV stand easier. It is really just deciding between the 3way speaker (Horizon or tower) or the Sierra 2. At least, that is how I am reading his comments.

[davef]

When I'm calibrating my speakers, it's clear that the sound from the Horizon also is significantly louder (speaker has greater sensitivity) than the sound from the Tower. I'm not sure why this is happening, but the perceived loudness is real to me. They're both amazing.

Sensitivity between the Sierra Tower and Horizon is identical. If you are hearing a difference in loudness, it is simply because of your room and/or placement.