Needs lots of advice on Sierra tower speaker purchase - please help

[consequential]

Hi all,


I'm researching what speakers to get for my new soon to be theater room. The following assumptions are being made:

1. My receiver will be either the Onkyo 3030 or Denon 6200

2. My room is L-28ft x W-15ft x H-8ft and the listening position will be approx. at 12-13ft

3. I would be listening to 80% movies/tv, 10% video games, 10% music

4. I will have 24" on either side of my projector screen to place and toe-in the front L/R speakers

5. My speaker budget is 3k-4k for 5 f/c/l/rl/rr, I will be getting a PSA v1800 sub (outside of the speaker budget)

I've been reading up a lot on the Ascend Sierra Towers with and without the ribbon as well as the PSA 210t's.

I have the following questions and please do not take offense to any of these as I'm just trying to do my due diligence as a consumer before spending a lot of money (to me):


1. Because this forum is managed by Ascend, does anyone know if negative reviews of Ascend products are censored so that only positive reviews/information is allowed on here? I'm asking because I haven't seen anything negative or remotely critical about the Sierra towers in 3hrs of reading on this forum last night. That could be for several reasons such as the speakers being that amazing but again, I'm doing my due diligence.

2. What are your thoughts on placing towers (in general) in the corners? There will be 24" of space between the side walls and either side of the projector screen which means towers would be toe-in starting a few inches from the side wall and angled towards the listening position and end up at where the front of the speaker is about 15" away from the side wall. The speakers will be 1-2 ft (or more if needed) away from the front wall (where the projector screen will be).

3. Has anyone here tried the Power Sound Audio (PSA) speakers such as the 210's/110's? If so how do they (in your opinion) sound compared to the Sierra towers with or without the ribbon?

4. Since I will be listening to only 10% music, would getting the ribbon on the center and sierra towers be worth while considering that's 1000 almost that I could put into the surround speakers etc..?

5. Would getting the sierra towers without the ribbon and the center with the ribbon be a good match or would the sound stage be a bid off due to the center having a different tweeter than the FL/FR?

6. Should I get Sierra towers or bookshelves considering I will have the PSA v1800 sub?

7. I realize the Sierra towers have dedicated mid driver but if I set the crossover to 80hz for the fronts doesn't that mean the sub will handle everything lower and therefore I wouldn't be utilizing anything on the Sierra towers below 80hz?

8. If I got bookshelves I could in theory place them under the projector screen where there would be a total of 30" of clearance between the bottom of the screen and the floor, should I consider this due to the more ideal placement or is this no more ideal than putting the towers in the corners?


Thanks very much all!

[curtis]

My first question would be how did you land on these two different sets of speakers? They are extremely different in design and goals.

[consequential]

My first question would be how did you land on these two different sets of speakers? They are extremely different in design and goals.

Hi Curtis,

Word of mouth really... AVS Forums with many threads discussing PSA and Ascend and many other speaker manufacturers. I've seen many positives on both for my application of home theater.

Thanks

[curtis]

What are your goals? What kind of systems have you heard before?

[sludgeogre]

I'm just going to respond to your second numbered list:

1. I don't think negative Ascend reviews exist because they are so customer focused. They don't hide behind a big corporation. They want to make every customer happy and with how their products sound I just can't see anyone having a problem. Their QC is second to none so there is an almost zero chance of you getting a defective product. It's not like ordering from companies that outsource all of their manufacturing to China.

2. I think you'll be fine with that corner placement. The towers don't need a ton of breathing room, and I think that will be enough. As long as you're at least 8 inches from all boundaries you should be fine. I have about 16 inches of clearance from the wall and a few feet on either side and they sound amazing.

3. Nope, never heard them, but it's hard to imagine that they would sound an better than the Sierras.

4. My system is 95% movies or more and I have the Ribbon tweeters and I would not have it any other way. The smooth yet incredibly detailed sound is exactly how a speaker should sound.

5. You always want all of your drivers to match. Don't go with mismatching tweeters. It'll sound weird.

6. I love the dedicated midrange on the towers as I think it sounds perfect and absolutely nails instrument tone. I haven't heard the Sierra 2 though so I can't say how it compares.

7. Yes if you cross over at 80 hz then you're passing 80 Hz and up to the towers, but it's not the midrange that you're taking that info from, it's the woofers, which play up to 120 or 200 Hz, I can't remember which, but you'll want to cross the towers over at 60 Hz most likely (I think it sounds the best). Still, with the woofers playing 60 Hz and up to their crossover, it still adds a ton of impact and slam to the sound, trust me, they are still doing a lot of work. The midrange isn't touched.

8. This isn't more ideal, in fact I think it would be worse as you'll get a lot more floor reflections that way, and the tweeter won't be at ear level, which is more important. I think having the towers in the corners is the better way to go, and then angle your center up so that the tweeter is pointing at ear level at the MLP.

I don't think it makes sense to skimp on the front stage for surrounds. Sure, I'm getting Sierra Sats as soon as they come out, but the front stage is really doing 90% of the work. If you get a set of HTM 200 SE's to use as surrounds, you'll be extremely happy with them and your front stage of Sierra Towers and Horizon Center. You can always get better surrounds later and use the HTM 200 SE for something else like desktop computer speakers, which is what I'm doing.

[consequential]

What are your goals? What kind of systems have you heard before?

Hey, thanks for the reply,

My goal is to have a very good home theater sound system for the budget I laid out but of course cheaper is always better (but not if quality is compromised).

My current system in my living room has the following configuration but in the new home theater room I would get all new equipment. I want the new system to be a night and day difference (better) than this one:

Receiver = Denon x4000, AMP = Crown 1500 XLS, Fronts = Polk Audio RTi12, Center = Polk Audio CSi5, Front Wides = Polk Audio RTi6, Surround = Polk Audio RTi4, Surround Back = Polk Audio FXi30, Sub = Polk Audio PSW404

Too date, besides my current system I listened to the following speakers at stores during this past weekend:

-At one store I heard the B&W CM5 s2 (and listened to samples of my own music picks) and did an A/B comparison to the B&W 683 towers. I concluded that I could hear more separation of the instruments including actual sounds I couldn't hear with the towers.

-At the other store I did an A/B comparison between the B&W CM6 s2 and the B&W 685 towers and concluded the same.

Thanks!

[consequential]

I'm just going to respond to your second numbered list:

1. I don't think negative Ascend reviews exist because they are so customer focused. They don't hide behind a big corporation. They want to make every customer happy and with how their products sound I just can't see anyone having a problem. Their QC is second to none so there is an almost zero chance of you getting a defective product. It's not like ordering from companies that outsource all of their manufacturing to China.

2. I think you'll be fine with that corner placement. The towers don't need a ton of breathing room, and I think that will be enough. As long as you're at least 8 inches from all boundaries you should be fine. I have about 16 inches of clearance from the wall and a few feet on either side and they sound amazing.

3. Nope, never heard them, but it's hard to imagine that they would sound an better than the Sierras.

4. My system is 95% movies or more and I have the Ribbon tweeters and I would not have it any other way. The smooth yet incredibly detailed sound is exactly how a speaker should sound.

5. You always want all of your drivers to match. Don't go with mismatching tweeters. It'll sound weird.

6. I love the dedicated midrange on the towers as I think it sounds perfect and absolutely nails instrument tone. I haven't heard the Sierra 2 though so I can't say how it compares.

7. Yes if you cross over at 80 hz then you're passing 80 Hz and up to the towers, but it's not the midrange that you're taking that info from, it's the woofers, which play up to 120 or 200 Hz, I can't remember which, but you'll want to cross the towers over at 60 Hz most likely (I think it sounds the best). Still, with the woofers playing 60 Hz and up to their crossover, it still adds a ton of impact and slam to the sound, trust me, they are still doing a lot of work. The midrange isn't touched.

8. This isn't more ideal, in fact I think it would be worse as you'll get a lot more floor reflections that way, and the tweeter won't be at ear level, which is more important. I think having the towers in the corners is the better way to go, and then angle your center up so that the tweeter is pointing at ear level at the MLP.

I don't think it makes sense to skimp on the front stage for surrounds. Sure, I'm getting Sierra Sats as soon as they come out, but the front stage is really doing 90% of the work. If you get a set of HTM 200 SE's to use as surrounds, you'll be extremely happy with them and your front stage of Sierra Towers and Horizon Center. You can always get better surrounds later and use the HTM 200 SE for something else like desktop computer speakers, which is what I'm doing.

Wow, thank you so much for the detailed question by question response. It's greatly appreciated.

I have a follow up to item 7:

So are you saying the dedicated midrange will be working on the tower even if I crossover at 80 or 60?

[sludgeogre]

I honestly think that anything you buy from Ascend will beat the pants off of everything that B&W and Polk sell. Ascend speakers are true to the source material whereas the big box brands are all going for euphonic, colored sound, and they do it with cheap, chinese made junk, while they spend all of their earnings on marketing and bonuses. Ascend, meanwhile, sells you incredible speakers at nearly insane value.

Try to find a speaker with a RAAL tweeter under $3k. The only one is the new Salk Song3, and it's more expensive and has a smaller tweeter. Next, try to find a speaker with a bamboo cabinet, SEAS drivers, and honest measurements with very little smoothing. I'm still looking and Ascend is literally the only company to offer these things at this price point. If you go with the CBM or CMT series I really think you'll still be impressed and happy.

[consequential]

I honestly think that anything you buy from Ascend will beat the pants off of everything that B&W and Polk sell. Ascend speakers are true to the source material whereas the big box brands are all going for euphonic, colored sound, and they do it with cheap, chinese made junk, while they spend all of their earnings on marketing and bonuses. Ascend, meanwhile, sells you incredible speakers at nearly insane value.

Try to find a speaker with a RAAL tweeter under $3k. The only one is the new Salk Song3, and it's more expensive and has a smaller tweeter. Next, try to find a speaker with a bamboo cabinet, SEAS drivers, and honest measurements with very little smoothing. I'm still looking and Ascend is literally the only company to offer these things at this price point. If you go with the CBM or CMT series I really think you'll still be impressed and happy.

Thank you sir, any chance you could clarify this for me too?

So are you saying the dedicated midrange will be working on the tower even if I crossover at 80 or 60?

[sludgeogre]

Thank you sir, any chance you could clarify this for me too?

So are you saying the dedicated midrange will be working on the tower even if I crossover at 80 or 60?

Yes, the midrange driver is crossed over well above 80 Hz so you won't touch it's frequency band at all. It'll sound pristine.

[consequential]

I'd love to get additional opinions here (and much appreciate those who offered thus far).

Any additional answers to my questions, advice etc.. would be greatly appreciated.

On the AVS forum I'm getting feedback that I wouldn't see much difference going from bookshelves to towers given that I'll have a good sub and crossed over at 80.

Although there is that mid driver that will be there the advice I'm getting over there is saying the difference would very small.

I'd love to get some information on this as I'm struggling with the decision to go with bookshelves or towers.

thanks

[davef]

Thank you sir, any chance you could clarify this for me too?

So are you saying the dedicated midrange will be working on the tower even if I crossover at 80 or 60?

Setting your speakers to small reduces the amount of bass below the crossover frequency that the speakers are being sent. Receivers typically set a 12dB octave high pass filter - meaning that with an 80Hz filter, the bass at 80Hz is reduced by 3dB, 40Hz will be -15dB. Midrange frequencies (typically considered 250Hz and up) are not affected by this filtering.

[consequential]

Setting your speakers to small reduces the amount of bass below the crossover frequency that the speakers are being sent. Receivers typically set a 12dB octave high pass filter - meaning that with an 80Hz filter, the bass at 80Hz is reduced by 3dB, 40Hz will be -15dB. Midrange frequencies (typically considered 250Hz and up) are not affected by this filtering.

Thanks a lot Dave.

Any chance you could provide answers to my original post if yours differ from the answers already provided?

Thanks so much!

[davef]

1. Because this forum is managed by Ascend, does anyone know if negative reviews of Ascend products are censored so that only positive reviews/information is allowed on here? I'm asking because I haven't seen anything negative or remotely critical about the Sierra towers in 3hrs of reading on this forum last night. That could be for several reasons such as the speakers being that amazing but again, I'm doing my due diligence.

Hi consequential, Just a quick comment - the only things we have ever censored from this forum is spam... We are not a retail manufacturer, our towers are built here in the states and cost a fortune. - our profit margins are very small. As such, customer returns on towers really hurt us - therefore we really try our best to make honest recommendations. for your system, Curtis is right - you are considering two very very different types of speakers, with completely different goals.

Are you looking for massive dynamics and extreme volume levels, or are you looking for precise imaging combined with accurate timbre and about as much resolution (detail) as is technically possible with a speaker?

[consequential]

Hi consequential, Just a quick comment - the only things we have ever censored from this forum is spam... We are not a retail manufacturer, our towers are built here in the states and cost a fortune. - our profit margins are very small. As such, customer returns on towers really hurt us - therefore we really try our best to make honest recommendations. for your system, Curtis is right - you are considering two very very different types of speakers, with completely different goals.

Are you looking for massive dynamics and extreme volume levels, or are you looking for precise imaging combined with accurate timbre and about as much resolution (detail) as is technically possible with a speaker?

Thanks David and I appreciate you being straight with me :)

I'm looking for precise imaging with accurate timbre and loads of resolution. Being able to play a little loud would be good too.

I don't know what dynamics mean in home theater sound though.

[davef]

Thanks David and I appreciate you being straight with me :)

I'm looking for precise imaging with accurate timbre and loads of resolution. Being able to play a little loud would be good too.

this is an easy choice for you -- you will want our Ribbon Towers. With regards to precise imaging and resolution, the technology used in our towers is nearly impossible to beat. Additionally, our towers will play plenty loud - we often demo them at 110dB at 10-11 feet back being run full range. I don't recommend listening at those volume levels as all it takes is about 15 minutes for hearing damage.



I don't know what dynamics mean in home theater sound though.

Dynamics is the ability to accurately reproduce the volume changes from very soft passages to very loud passages. Our ribbon towers have excellent dynamics, but with the PSA line of speakers, they can potentially play at louder volume levels so they would technically have greater dynamic capability. Although I strongly doubt they would be able to reproduce soft passages as well as our ribbon towers can so it is a bit of a toss up there...

[consequential]

this is an easy choice for you -- you will want our Ribbon Towers. With regards to precise imaging and resolution, the technology used in our towers is nearly impossible to beat. Additionally, our towers will play plenty loud - we often demo them at 110dB at 10-11 feet back being run full range. I don't recommend listening at those volume levels as all it takes is about 15 minutes for hearing damage.


Dynamics is the ability to accurately reproduce the volume changes from very soft passages to very loud passages. Our ribbon towers have excellent dynamics, but with the PSA line of speakers, they can potentially play at louder volume levels so they would technically have greater dynamic capability. Although I strongly doubt they would be able to reproduce soft passages as well as our ribbon towers can so it is a bit of a toss up there...

Thanks again sir!

One last question would be if you still recommend the towers over your bookshelves given I'll have the v1800 sub?

You're awesome!

[sludgeogre]

Are you looking for massive dynamics and extreme volume levels, or are you looking for precise imaging combined with accurate timbre and about as much resolution (detail) as is technically possible with a speaker?

This is really what it's all about. I've heard a bunch of high sensitivity speakers that make all sorts of wild claims, but all of them sound like they're yelling at you to some degree, and none of them reproduce all of the detail that is there. I don't know why the trend in speakers seems to be toward these awful designs. Probably because of the loudness wars in music people just equate high SPL and tons of muddy bass with quality for no good reason.

[curtis]

I'll throw another wrench in this, why are you set on the PSA sub?

[consequential]

This is really what it's all about. I've heard a bunch of high sensitivity speakers that make all sorts of wild claims, but all of them sound like they're yelling at you to some degree, and none of them reproduce all of the detail that is there. I don't know why the trend in speakers seems to be toward these awful designs. Probably because of the loudness wars in music people just equate high SPL and tons of muddy bass with quality for no good reason.

Well I don't think it's fair to make this generalization. I've read extensively on various forums and people love the PSA speakers. Further Tom has been very honest with me and even pointed me to his 210's or 110 speakers instead of his more expensive 210 towers as he felt They might be a better value based on my room and needs.

So high sensitivity speakers should not be generalized and being bad or poor speakers. I also wouldn't expect anyone to speak badly of PSA speakers just because they are highly efficient and unless you heard them it would be unfair to say what they do or don't do.

I just want to be perfectly fair to both PSA and Ascend.

:)

[consequential]

I'll throw another wrench in this, why are you set on the PSA sub?

Because I believe tom is being very honest with me and has said I can't go wrong with any of the main ID companies like HSU or SVS.

I also reviewed hundreds of threads and came to the conclusion that the v1800 is the best value for the money.

[davef]

This is really what it's all about. I've heard a bunch of high sensitivity speakers that make all sorts of wild claims, but all of them sound like they're yelling at you to some degree, and none of them reproduce all of the detail that is there. I don't know why the trend in speakers seems to be toward these awful designs. Probably because of the loudness wars in music people just equate high SPL and tons of muddy bass with quality for no good reason.

I agree that they are often over hyped, but there are definitely some good HE designs out there and they definitely have their place in the market. It really comes down to what the consumer is looking for.

That said, there is a general misunderstanding that HE speakers = greater dynamics. The two characteristics are not related to one another. HE speakers typically use less power to achieve the same volume levels, such that with today's mass produced 100 watt receivers with typically poor amplifier stages, HE speakers will offer greater dynamics because of limitations in the amplification, not the speakers.

The most dynamic speakers I have ever heard had a typical 89dB sensitivity rating but they were setup with excellent amplification. My issue with some HE designs is using very large woofers to reproduce mids, this is problematic on many levels. The wavelength of the frequency being reproduced should never be shorter than the diameter of the transducer -- doing so causes many issues which can not be compensated for in a crossover or with any room EQ.

[davef]

Because I believe tom is being very honest with me and has said I can't go wrong with any of the main ID companies like HSU or SVS.

I also reviewed hundreds of threads and came to the conclusion that the v1800 is the best value for the money.

I know Tom and I have much respect for him. Interesting that he would still recommend SVS ;) That said, while not as mainstream, do not overlook Rythmik. I have auditioned the majority of HSU and SVS subs over the years and for resolution and transient accuracy - Rythmik can not be beat. In fact, we were all set on bringing our own line of subs to the market many years ago. After very significant expenditures and labor - I threw the entire project out the door after I evaluated my first Rythmik sub -- this was back in the day when they only offered kits...

[davef]

Thanks again sir!

One last question would be if you still recommend the towers over your bookshelves given I'll have the v1800 sub?

Yes, the mids are better and the tower does use a higher end ribbon tweeter which can handle more power and will have an easier time reproducing extremely dynamic passages (better for home theater, not as important for music).

[consequential]

I know Tom and I have much respect for him. Interesting that he would still recommend SVS ;) That said, while not as mainstream, do not overlook Rythmik. I have auditioned the majority of HSU and SVS subs over the years and for resolution and transient accuracy - Rythmik can not be beat. In fact, we were all set on bringing our own line of subs to the market many years ago. After very significant expenditures and labor - I threw the entire project out the door after I evaluated my first Rythmik sub -- this was back in the day when they only offered kits...

I think I got the SVS part wrong. He mentioned 4 ID companies but that probably wasn't one of them because I came to him after speaking to SVS. So don't quote me on that part as I probably got that wrong. :)

[consequential]

I think I got the SVS part wrong. He mentioned 4 ID companies but that probably wasn't one of them because I came to him after speaking to SVS. So don't quote me on that part as I probably got that wrong. :)


Ahh I found my post on an AVS thread right after I spoke to Tom that day:

"PSA blew me away. I spoke to Tom who was so open to discussing some other brands and said I'd be happy with products from any of the main 4 (them, svs, rythmik and hsu research). He told me about his history with SVS as well. I'm totally blown away by the information he provided and how open he was to discuss the other products. He won me over and I think I'm going to go with the V1500 in about 8 weeks. He said that'd be very much on par with the SVS PB13 Ultra."


To be honest I didn't research the rythmic nearly as much as the others.

So maybe I will look more into their top vented sub.

[consequential]

I think the Rythmic FV15HP would be the most comparable to the PSA v1800. I wonder how much of a difference the 15" to 18" makes

[curtis]

I think the Rythmic FV15HP would be the most comparable to the PSA v1800. I wonder how much of a difference the 15" to 18" makes
I have heard A LOT of subwoofers. Like you said, tough to go wrong with any of the major ID brands.

That said, as far as sound quality goes, I landed on Rythmik after owning a few Hsus, and hearing a couple of SVSs in my room. I have never heard a PSA.

[consequential]

I have heard A LOT of subwoofers. Like you said, tough to go wrong with any of the major ID brands.

That said, as far as sound quality goes, I landed on Rythmik after owning a few Hsus, and hearing a couple of SVSs in my room. I have never heard a PSA.

Thanks man,

I find the sub aspect very interesting because I'm not as familiar with them as I am with speakers (which isn't much) so there's lots to learn :)

[Jack1949]

Reading your post I thought you were me, since I also was considering the PSA MTM210 towers and center earlier this year before I purchased Ascend RAAL Sierra Towers and Horizon.

As one who had never heard of Ascend Acoustics prior to reading various audio forums late last year, I wanted to post my comments for anyone that might be on the fence because (like me) they've never listened to an Ascend product.

A little bit about me...
Let me start out by saying that I don't consider myself an audiophile, I just enjoy listening to music. For me, the better the sound, the better the experience. I retired 2 years ago, so I have lots of time to enjoy music. I tend to keep my purchases a long time, e.g. my front speakers were Polk Audio RT3000p that I purchased in 1999, consisting of left and right full-range speakers sitting atop dual 8" powered sub woofers. I really enjoyed these speakers, but every few years one of the subs would have an electrical problem (usually bad capacitors) and would need to be serviced (something I couldn't do myself). This time, rather than invest more money in these speakers, I decided to search for new speakers. Since these speakers are part of my HT, I decided to replace the Polk CSi-A6 center speaker as well. My budget was $2700.

After much reading, I stumbled across an AVSForum thread started by GunmetalR56, which got me interested in the Sierra Towers and Horizon center, so I added them to my list of possibilities.
I started reading everything I could about Ascend and had a few email questions for Dave. He must be a very busy man, because some of his responses were sent at 1:00am.

I eventually widdled my list down to the PSA MTM210 and the Ascend Sierras. In a perfect situation I would have liked to demo both in my home to compare them, but I had back surgery 2 years ago and didn't want to be lugging speakers up from my basement for returns. Since I mostly listen to music I wanted detailed accuracy, so I decided to try the Ascends and if I wasn't happy with them, I'd return them and try the PSAs.

I had to up my budget, but by how much? Do I go with the NrT dome to keep the cost down (WAF), or do I go with the RAAL to get the best sound (to keep me from saying "what if")? Maybe just RAAL in the Horizon and NrT in the fronts? After much back and forth in my head and changing my mind many many times, my wife said "just get what you want and be done with it". OK, say no more, on March 1 I ordered the Black Matte Sierra Towers and a Horizon center all with RAAL tweeters!

I've had the Sierras since March 15 I must say I'm very pleased. As others have said, the soundstage is wide, deep and crystal clear. My towers are on either side of my entertainment center, so they are in the corners of the room, about 20" between the wall and the entertainment center. I have them crossed over at 60hz and they blend beautifully with my SVS SB13 Ultra. I've tried crossing over at 80, 100 and 120, but 60 with the corner loading is best in my room for both music and movies.

Like you, my other speakers are also Polks. RT2000p for surrounds and RT35 front height speakers. I found the Polks blend well with the Ascends, however I plan to replace the RT2000p next year with another set of Sierra Towers.

Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to let you know I went through some of the same decisions you are making and I'm very happy with my purchase. From everything I read on PSA, I don't think you could go wrong with them either if you decide to go that route.

Good luck with your decision.

Jack

[consequential]

Reading your post I thought you were me, since I also was considering the PSA MTM210 towers and center earlier this year before I purchased Ascend RAAL Sierra Towers and Horizon.

As one who had never heard of Ascend Acoustics prior to reading various audio forums late last year, I wanted to post my comments for anyone that might be on the fence because (like me) they've never listened to an Ascend product.

A little bit about me...
Let me start out by saying that I don't consider myself an audiophile, I just enjoy listening to music. For me, the better the sound, the better the experience. I retired 2 years ago, so I have lots of time to enjoy music. I tend to keep my purchases a long time, e.g. my front speakers were Polk Audio RT3000p that I purchased in 1999, consisting of left and right full-range speakers sitting atop dual 8" powered sub woofers. I really enjoyed these speakers, but every few years one of the subs would have an electrical problem (usually bad capacitors) and would need to be serviced (something I couldn't do myself). This time, rather than invest more money in these speakers, I decided to search for new speakers. Since these speakers are part of my HT, I decided to replace the Polk CSi-A6 center speaker as well. My budget was $2700.

After much reading, I stumbled across an AVSForum thread started by GunmetalR56, which got me interested in the Sierra Towers and Horizon center, so I added them to my list of possibilities.
I started reading everything I could about Ascend and had a few email questions for Dave. He must be a very busy man, because some of his responses were sent at 1:00am.

I eventually widdled my list down to the PSA MTM210 and the Ascend Sierras. In a perfect situation I would have liked to demo both in my home to compare them, but I had back surgery 2 years ago and didn't want to be lugging speakers up from my basement for returns. Since I mostly listen to music I wanted detailed accuracy, so I decided to try the Ascends and if I wasn't happy with them, I'd return them and try the PSAs.

I had to up my budget, but by how much? Do I go with the NrT dome to keep the cost down (WAF), or do I go with the RAAL to get the best sound (to keep me from saying "what if")? Maybe just RAAL in the Horizon and NrT in the fronts? After much back and forth in my head and changing my mind many many times, my wife said "just get what you want and be done with it". OK, say no more, on March 1 I ordered the Black Matte Sierra Towers and a Horizon center all with RAAL tweeters!

I've had the Sierras since March 15 I must say I'm very pleased. As others have said, the soundstage is wide, deep and crystal clear. My towers are on either side of my entertainment center, so they are in the corners of the room, about 20" between the wall and the entertainment center. I have them crossed over at 60hz and they blend beautifully with my SVS SB13 Ultra. I've tried crossing over at 80, 100 and 120, but 60 with the corner loading is best in my room for both music and movies.

Like you, my other speakers are also Polks. RT2000p for surrounds and RT35 front height speakers. I found the Polks blend well with the Ascends, however I plan to replace the RT2000p next year with another set of Sierra Towers.

Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to let you know I went through some of the same decisions you are making and I'm very happy with my purchase. From everything I read on PSA, I don't think you could go wrong with them either if you decide to go that route.

Good luck with your decision.

Jack

Jack! Thank you for that!

I didn't want your post to end actually as it was very enlightening and obviously I can identify so
Much with what you wrote.

Thanks so much for that.

Since it sounds like you listen to music a great deal do you still use the ascends for movies and if so are they just as good for movies/ht use as music?

Thanks again!

[Jack1949]

You're welcome. I usually just read these forums (and AVS Forum) but do very little posting, since I don't consider myself an audio expert. But you had a lot of the same questions that I did, so I could relate to your situation.

I don't have a separate music room, rather I use my HT mostly for music (probably 99% music, 1% movies), so I may not be the best person to ask about movies. However, I have watched a few movies with the Sierras and I think they sound great, much better than my Polks. Depending on the movie, it sounds like a live performance in my room, same goes for music. The Horizon center produces extremely clear dialogue, so there's no need to bump the center channel while watching a movie. And the center blends perfectly with the towers, so that side to side action flows across the front stage without a noticeable sound difference.

Keep in mind that I never listened to the MTM210s, so I don't know how they compare, but I'm very happy with the Sierras for both music and movies.

I should mention that when I first unboxed the Sierras and visually compared them to the RT3000p, I thought maybe I might be disappointed due to the driver size differences, especially the woofers. I like bass and I thought the Sierras' bass might not match up with what I was replacing. Wrong, the Sierra bass is tighter and sounds more controlled.

As for music, the better the recording/mastering, the better the Sierras sound. At first I listened to a lot of my rock favorites from the 1970s, which sounded really good, but I didn't get wowed. Then I played a high definition song, Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, "La primavera" (Spring): I. Allegro, which I downloaded as a sampler track 2 years ago from HDTracks.com. It's not my normal cup of tea, but HOLY MOLLY!!! Now I now what everyone was raving about with the RAAL tweeters! I listened to that song once on my RT3000p when I first downloaded it and then ignored it. I've probably listened to it 15 times since getting the Sierras, they just sound that good. Since then I've downloaded several other high def albums from HDTracks (eg Santana IV, Alabama Shakes Sound & Color) and have been WOWED again and again.

So the moral of the story is make sure I listen to a variety of music/movies before making my judgement.

[sludgeogre]

Jack is spot in, I totally agree. I'm actually about 95% movies and 5% music and I still have the same impression. Movies that were done well sound absolutely thrilling on the Sierra Towers and Horizon Center. The Horizon is a feat of engineering. Dave really just did what you need to do to make a great matching center speaker. The volume is very close to the towers and the drivers are the same. So many center channels are an after thought that are just made tiny to fit in people's furniture. I bought furniture to fit my Horizon.

Deadpool, The Blues Brothers, The Revenant, and so many more movies are spellbinding on the Sierras. I think people say that the NrT is better for HT just to make themselves feel better about the purchase, because I don't regret anything about my RAAL tweeters. Ultra clear detail, so much so that you can hear poorly mastered movies with soft clipping that drove me mad and made me think something was wrong, but the more movies you re-watch on them, the more you realize that some movies sound incredible and others are just alright and sometimes bad.