HT Upgrade Path recommendations

[chych]

Hi all,

Long time Ascend owner here. Started with a pair of CBM-170 (non SE), got a CMT-340 center later, and then a pair of CBM-170 SEs for a 5 ch setup (50/50 music/movies). Looking for recommendations for the best bang/buck upgrade path; intending to go to a 7.2.4 system. I do have a pair of HSU ULS-15mk2 subwoofers up in the front corners of the room. I'm also working on room treatments to improve acoustics.

I'm thinking Sierra 1 NRT or Sierra 2 mains would be the next step, and a matched center later; the 170s can be moved to surround. Not sure if the low freq extension of the Sierra 2 EX or the towers would be appreciated (thus reducing bang/buck), since I have two subs and they x-over at 80 Hz. Also not sure about the RAAL tweeter's narrower vertical dispersion; I do intend to have two rows of seating with the rear seating elevated, which may put it out of the sweet spot.

Honestly my current setup already blows me away, I can't imagine what could be better... ignorance is bliss :)

[natetg57]

My suggestion would be two Sierra-2s or 2EX's. I think the 2EX is worth the extra money but they are both excellent and more similar than different. Raal Towers is about double the cost of the 2EX's so maybe a little less bang for the buck with those. The vertical dispersion is a little limited with the ribbon tweeter, but a couple feet higher at normal room distances shouldn't be a problem at all. When you get out of the sweet spot of the tweeter, it's more of a subtle difference than a dramatic one.

[jimb]

... I'm thinking Sierra 1 NRT or Sierra 2 mains would be the next step, and a matched center later; the 170s can be moved to surround. Not sure if the low freq extension of the Sierra 2 EX or the towers would be appreciated (thus reducing bang/buck), since I have two subs and they x-over at 80 Hz. Also not sure about the RAAL tweeter's narrower vertical dispersion; I do intend to have two rows of seating with the rear seating elevated, which may put it out of the sweet spot. ...
You can angle (tilt-back) the Tower to split the mid-line between the front and rear row ear heights.

[davef]

Hi all,

Long time Ascend owner here. Started with a pair of CBM-170 (non SE), got a CMT-340 center later, and then a pair of CBM-170 SEs for a 5 ch setup (50/50 music/movies). Looking for recommendations for the best bang/buck upgrade path; intending to go to a 7.2.4 system. I do have a pair of HSU ULS-15mk2 subwoofers up in the front corners of the room. I'm also working on room treatments to improve acoustics.

I'm thinking Sierra 1 NRT or Sierra 2 mains would be the next step, and a matched center later; the 170s can be moved to surround. Not sure if the low freq extension of the Sierra 2 EX or the towers would be appreciated (thus reducing bang/buck), since I have two subs and they x-over at 80 Hz. Also not sure about the RAAL tweeter's narrower vertical dispersion; I do intend to have two rows of seating with the rear seating elevated, which may put it out of the sweet spot.

Honestly my current setup already blows me away, I can't imagine what could be better... ignorance is bliss :)

Hi Chych,

I honestly wouldn't be too concerned about our towers having narrower vertical dispersion, it rarely - if ever, becomes an issue at typical listening distances while providing the benefits of reduced ceiling and floor reflections.

Quick question, how far back from the speakers is your first row and second row?

Thanks in advance!

[chych]

Thanks all for the inputs!

David - my first row seats are about 9 ft from the current speakers (speaker to ear position). No second row yet, but probably will be around 13-14 ft.

I think I am leaning towards the Sierra-2s. My subs are very flat to 100 Hz and are in stereo configuration, so I don't think I'll get as much return on the low end improvements in the EX or towers. The RAAL tweeters do sound like a good idea to me.

[curtis]

Thanks all for the inputs!

David - my first row seats are about 9 ft from the current speakers (speaker to ear position). No second row yet, but probably will be around 13-14 ft.

I think I am leaning towards the Sierra-2s. My subs are very flat to 100 Hz and are in stereo configuration, so I don't think I'll get as much return on the low end improvements in the EX or towers. The RAAL tweeters do sound like a good idea to me.
The EX and Tower also have better midrange performance than the Sierra-2.

[jimb]

The EX and Tower also have better midrange performance than the Sierra-2.

I second that - for the S2, the EX will provide benefits in the >80Hz range.

[davef]

Thanks all for the inputs!

David - my first row seats are about 9 ft from the current speakers (speaker to ear position). No second row yet, but probably will be around 13-14 ft.

I think I am leaning towards the Sierra-2s. My subs are very flat to 100 Hz and are in stereo configuration, so I don't think I'll get as much return on the low end improvements in the EX or towers. The RAAL tweeters do sound like a good idea to me.

Ideal vertical listening window for any of our ribbon speakers is +/- 10 degrees, that can be expanded slightly for Sierra-2/Sierra-2EX/Luna's.. At your first row listening distance of 9 feet, this translates to an ideal vertical listening window of +/- 19 inches. That is, up to 19 inches above the center of the ribbon and 19 inches below the center of the ribbon. That is a large vertical listening window and even if someone was sitting on the floor or standing at that listening distance, they would still be within the ideal listening window.

With a second row at ~14 feet, the vertical listening window opens up to +/- 29.8 inches.

As detailed above, the vertical directivity is not an issue for any of our ribbon speakers at your listening distances.

My recommendation for the front left/right speakers would be our ribbon towers. If those are not within the budget, I would recommend our Sierra-2EX. Sierra-2EX, besides being the overall better speaker compared to the Sierra-2 (not just in bass), is more equipped to handle louder volume levels and that is important when considering the possible second row at 14 feet.

Feel free to contact us directly and take care!

[j0nnyfive]

I want to throw in another vote for the Sierra 2-EX!!!

A. They NEVER fatigue me. This is very unusual for a speaker to never fatigue me. This is such a beautiful quality of these speakers, and I am so thankful for this. Thanks, Dave. lol

B. That tweeter is other-worldly in terms of detail. RAAL is a whole 'nother level of transparency. Once you go this way... it's really hard to go back to something less detailed.

C. The upper bass impact on these things is startling. I don't think crossing over to subs will affect this. This speaker should blend absolutely beautifully with subs.


Now, I'm sure the towers are even better! But, for what it's worth, I'm extremely happy with my 2-EX speakers and I don't feel like upgrading. No fatigue, super clarity, upper bass just POPS. They sound very natural. Smooth. All that stuff. IMO of course.
(and yes, they have very deep bass, but it's the other qualities that I like the most!)

I've owned:
CBM-170 SE (still do)
CMT-340 SE (sold only because I needed money at the time... kinda regret it)
Sierra-1 Nrt (traded up for Sierra Tower Nrt due to FOMO lol)
Sierra Tower Nrt (still have this at Mom's house in her living room, fantastic speakers)
High output horn speakers with 15 inch midbass woofers (still do)

The Sierra-2EX took the place of the horn speakers. I'm not going back to horn speakers unless they make a quantum leap in technological advancement. Maybe in the 24th century when we're all in Star Trek or something.

[chych]

Thanks for the feedback everyone; I think I'll go with the 2EXs, which seem to also be the most cost effective for performance/$$.

[racrawford65]

Good choice.