Something old is young again, introducing the Sierra-1 V2!!!

[davef]

A bit over 16 years ago, we released a speaker that truly changed the well-established landscape of high-performance audio. A speaker specifically designed for good accuracy, dynamic capabilities, sound staging and imaging, wide and linear dispersion, good bass response and power handling. It was our goal to produce an extremely well-rounded speaker that would satisfy home theater enthusiasts, audiophiles and those who just want to enjoy listening to any source material.

The Sierra-1 (https://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?2649-Introducing-the-Sierra-1-!!!&p=23288#post23288) exceeded our best expectations, often being directly compared to speakers costing more than double the price and putting them to shame. Winning multiple prestigious awards, the Sierra-1 became “The Bookshelf Speaker to Beat”, setting a new performance standard for speakers under $1000, yet far exceeding most speakers costing many times this price. Truly a legendary speaker and even to this day, stands up well to competition at this price point.

If someone were to ask me, in my now 35+ years of designing loudspeakers, which speaker is closest to my heart – that answer would be easy, the Sierra-1. The design principles and overall philosophy developed for the Sierra-1 led to an entire line of highly regarded speakers that have firmly entrenched Ascend Acoustics as a leading manufacturer of high-performance affordable loudspeakers.

We have never wavered; those same principles hold true now more than ever.

Circling back to apply everything we have learned, utilizing all the latest technologies and research to bring you what is going to be one of the objectively best measuring passive bookshelf speakers in the world.

It has been a long time coming but it is finally time to introduce the Sierra-1 V2! (https://ascendacoustics.com/collections/sierra-series-pairs/products/sierra-1-v2-pair) A fitting tribute to a speaker that changed everything and will once again.

[davef]

Approximately 30 years ago, as a somewhat cocky young engineer designing speakers for M&K, under the tutelage of Ken Kreisel and the late Dr. Lester Field, I had naively thought I knew enough about loudspeaker design such that my products would compete well with everything else out there. They did just that and then some…

M&K was growing fast, and it was time to expand the engineering department, we hired several engineers from Harman. One of them, a young guy like me, was eager to learn my techniques and in turn, he would share his with me. This was my first formal introduction to spinorama, more specifically – Sound Power response. This engineer would take my designs, generate the Sound Power response, and then point out areas for improvement.

The Sound Power response of a speaker is the total anechoic radiation of the speaker at all frequencies. It considers on-axis and all off-axis angles, horizontally and vertically. The measurements are then combined using weighted averages based on the projection of those specific angles on a sphere. To achieve true neutrality, the speaker must radiate sound uniformly across its entire rated bandwidth. The Sound Power response is the only way to properly attain this critical data. Ideally, you want a smooth response starting from the lower frequencies that slowly and steadily decline in amplitude through 20kHz, with few glaring bumps or dips.

This is a key performance metric that I have always used to gauge overall neutrality along with the on-axis frequency response. Achieving a decently flat on-axis response is not difficult but achieving that together with a good Sound Power response becomes quite challenging. Back then, it was nearly impossible as the technology to take the proper measurements needed for such complex optimizations simply wasn’t good enough, and the necessary technologies in driver design regarding dispersion were severely lacking.

This ex-Harman engineer and I would often challenge each other to determine who could come the closest to what was considered the ideal Sound Power response. That challenge has stuck with me for decades. Harman engineers stated it could be achieved by using a wave guide on the tweeter to best match the directivity of the tweeter with the woofer at the chosen crossover point, but I still hadn’t seen a text-book Sound Power response, even from Harman.

Fast forward to today, we have significant technological advancements in all aspects of loudspeaker design, but none as critically important as the advancements in measuring, for which Ascend Acoustics is at the absolute forefront.

With the goal of taking everything that the Sierra-1 was very good at and making it better, that old challenge of achieving an ideal sound power response presented itself once again. With everything we have learned, with the advanced technologies now at our disposal – could we now achieve this illusive feat?

Indeed, it has taken ~30 years but thanks to the high-resolution measurement data provided by our Klippel NFS combined with highly advanced computer modeling and optimizations, I can finally say this challenge is now over. The Sierra-1 V2 accomplishes this and more, with objective measurements that far exceed the vast majority of speakers out there at ANY price.

Sierra-1 V2 CEA 2034 Measurements (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0168/0444/6262/files/S1V2_CEA2034.png?v=1700654180)

The Sound Power response is the dashed/dotted red line extending in a downward slope from about 70Hz to 20kHz. This is as close to textbook perfect as I have seen in any loudspeaker, regardless of price!

[davef]

Perhaps even more of a challenge, and this has been previously discussed in our forum – much like the original Sierra-1, how do we still offer a speaker of this component quality and technology for under $1000?

The solution to this was two-fold. First, we had to simply ignore all the development time and costs as well as our massive investments in R&D and price the speaker solely based on component costs + at least some profit for us.

Unfortunately, that still didn’t get us to where we needed to be; close – but not quite.

The next step presented itself during Covid, with some of our vendors now requiring much larger volume purchases than previously. This slightly lowered the cost of each component but required us to order much higher quantities.

The woofers in our towers were fully based on the original Sierra-1 woofer with some additional optimizations but with no bucking magnet or shielding can (original Sierra-1 woofer is fully magnetically shielded). These days, magnets are quite expensive and while we lose about 2dB in sensitivity due to the loss of the bucking magnet, higher power receivers and amplifiers are readily available, so the loss of some sensitivity is no longer a concern. Magnetic shielding is simply no longer needed and by using the same woofer as our V2 Tower, we are able to purchase in even higher quantities, further reducing the cost.

With the massive success of our LX and to gain the much-needed directivity we were after, it was an easy decision to replace the original Sierra-1 tweeter with our Titan tweeter, a significantly better tweeter overall.

The end-result, much like the original Sierra-1, the Sierra-1 V2 fully reigns supreme as the overall best performing passive loudspeaker under $1000 per pair!

While the Sierra-1 did everything very good, S1V2 is better in every possible performance category, from excellent dynamics to soundstage and imaging, to warm and natural mids with detailed airy and non-fatiguing highs all combined with unmatched neutrality and accuracy.

Is the Sierra-1 V2 a better speaker than our LX? No, the LX has deeper, and punchier bass combined with lower distortion in the woofer region, as well as overall better dynamics and higher power handling. However, if you don’t need the incredible bass that the LX offers or the high-power handling / high output capabilities – the Sierra-1 V2 at ~$500 less becomes the obvious choice and a new and true bang for buck champion in a class of its own. In addition, the S1V2 makes for an ideal nearfield monitor.

Sierra-1V2 will retail for $998 / pair + shipping, introductory pricing from now through Jan 1st is $948/pair. And more good news, Sierra-1 V2 will begin shipping in approximately 2 weeks.

And finally, to back up our own measurements – we sent a pair to Erin at Erin’s Audio Corner (https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/) quite some time ago and our measurements closely mirror his own, a true testament and critical factor in the advantages of owning our own Klippel NFS. Hats off to Klippel!!! It was previously nearly impossible to expect measurements taken of the same speaker in different environments and different measurement systems to closely match. If you could get within +/- 3 dB throughout the measured bandwidth, that was considered impressive. The question would then be, which measurement actually best represents the speaker?

Our Klippel NFS measurements match Erin’s within about +/- 0.5dB. For someone who has been measuring loudspeakers for 35+ years, with experience using basically every hardware and software measurement system out there, this is truly remarkable. The differences are close enough to absolutely confirm the unprecedented accuracy of the Klippel NFS. The advantages this presents are huge and any loudspeaker manufacturer that doubts this or refuses to embrace this new technology is at a tremendous disadvantage.

It has been a long time coming, but please welcome the return of the Sierra-1 in what is now the Sierra-1 V2!

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

[natetg57]

Congrats on the new speaker. This looks like an excellent starting point for many people. How does the midrange compare to the LX?

[racrawford65]

Congrats Dave on releasing yet another great speaker.
Happy Thanksgiving

[themarkkram]

I just watched Erin's review V2. Looks like an awsome speaker. Great job Dave.

[redsandvb]

Very excited about these! Thanks for all the hard work!

[theophile]

Great news, Dave! Yet Another Ascend Acoustic High-End "great value speaker product" for the Discerning Audiophile! :D :cool:

Ted

[SunByrne]

First and foremost, wow!

Looks like the new S1s measure incredibly well, particularly for something under a grand. Congratulations to Dave for doing it yet again.

So, since Dave got the Klippel there'd been this incredible avalanche of new products. The LX, the V2 versions of like half the Sierra line, the 340s, the ELX Horizon and Towers... it was really unbelievable that Dave could do so much in so little time. Things have been a little quieter lately, which is probably good for Dave's sanity. But you have to figure there's still always something brewing.

And here we are. I kind of wondered if we'd get a V2 of the S1 with just new crossovers (like the V2 for the Duos and EXs) but this is a full set of new drivers. Pour one out for the venerable S1 drivers, gang, they are no more. Presumably this means the upgrades kits from S1 to S1 V2 will be more spendy than the V2 kits for the Duos and EXs. I will admit that I am curious about the price on the upgrade kits since those aren't yet listed on the web site, and I do still have a pair of original S1s in my stable of Sierra bookshelves.

Also, will these take the standard S1 Q-Plugs or the new LX Q-Plugs?

[goldark]

I have the Sierra 2 EX v2 right now and have no complaints. However, the Sierra 1 v2 has a significantly higher preference score. Does the Sierra 1 v2 sound 'better' than the Sierra 2 EX v2?

[SunByrne]

I have the Sierra 2 EX v2 right now and have no complaints. However, the Sierra 1 v2 has a significantly higher preference score. Does the Sierra 1 v2 sound 'better' than the Sierra 2 EX v2?

Preference scores are a little weird as a metric—collapsing everything into a single score seems a bit of an oversimplification to me. Not entirely useless, but not really the whole story. The LX has a higher preference score than the EXv2, and I feel like the LX is the better speaker overall so that tracks, but there are still use cases where I think the EXv2 is actually better. So I don't think preference score is a perfect indicator.

There's also an oddity with preference score for the S1v2. Erin's graph says 6.8 but spinorama.org put it at 6.4. Those are both great for a sub-$1000 speaker, but it's enough of a gap that I wonder about it. (For reference, spinorama.org has the LX at 6.8 and the EXv2 at 5.9.)

[AR2ax man]

This is awesome, seems like keeps hitting home runs!

Dave, I wonder now with the full Sierra line touched with the Klippel, which do you consider the most easy to listen to speaker, ie long listening hours with variety of all music types? Between the LX, EXV2, 1 V2, and even Duo in the mix? Of course they are all easy to listen to :) But wonder how you would rank in that case.

[Beave]

Congrats to Dave and Ascend on the release of yet another speaker with excellent measurements at a reasonable price.

[davef]

Congrats on the new speaker. This looks like an excellent starting point for many people. How does the midrange compare to the LX?

they are very close, I would say the LX is, perhaps, just a small bit cleaner overall. As soon as things here slow down a bit, I will do some more critical A/B listening between the two. With and without high passing both speakers.

[davef]

I have the Sierra 2 EX v2 right now and have no complaints. However, the Sierra 1 v2 has a significantly higher preference score. Does the Sierra 1 v2 sound 'better' than the Sierra 2 EX v2?

I think preference scores are a fundamentally good starting point, but I don't personally put that much weight into them. I mean, if you have a speaker with rating of 6 and another rating of 5, I think it would then come down to personal taste. If you are comparing that same speaker rated as a 6 to something that rates a 3 or 4, I would say chances are that you would prefer the higher rated speaker.

I also don't think preference scores hold too well with something like RAAL Ribbons. There is a character to these ribbons with regards to attack and delay that would not be captured in the PS.

[davef]

I hope everyone had a nice holiday and thanks for all the nice comments. They are always greatly appreciated :)

[davef]

There's also an oddity with preference score for the S1v2. Erin's graph says 6.8 but spinorama.org put it at 6.4. Those are both great for a sub-$1000 speaker, but it's enough of a gap that I wonder about it. (For reference, spinorama.org has the LX at 6.8 and the EXv2 at 5.9.)

My calculations also put PS at 6.8 for Sierra-1 V2. I believe there are a few different formulas being used to calculate PS though, I will check with Pierre at spinorama.org

[rifmon]

I'm happy to see the Sierra 1s have received their upgrade!

I own and love the 2EXV2. My listening is TV programing (no 5.1 for me, just 2.0!) My music preferences are jazz, big band, Sinatra, many other vocalist, and Classical...all via turntable and CD player. Someday I'll graduate to streaming I do listen to classic rock but the EXV2 is not disappointing at all for my taste.

I suspect my listening preferences place me in a minority and the ratings between these models probably are reflecting most listeners' preferences.

I look at it this way: the EXV2 is fine wine and the LX is high-end craft beer. I love both so I hope no one takes offense! Haha. If I had the cash, I'd own both speakers but my music preferences are best served by the EXV2 .

I'm happy to own these great speakers and am very appreciative of all your innovations over the years Dave. I've owned various Ascends since 2002.

[SunByrne]

I look at it this way: the EXV2 is fine wine and the LX is high-end craft beer. I love both so I hope no one takes offense! Haha. If I had the cash, I'd own both speakers but my music preferences are best served by the EXV2 .

I (happily) own both, and I wouldn't describe them that way. They're both excellent, but the LX is something that would be preferred by most (maybe fine wine) and the EXV2 will have its advocates, but fewer of them (maybe high-end rum). You really can't go wrong with either, but the LXs appeal will better suit most people's tastes.

And the new S1 looks like a really amazing wine that's not quite as good as the LX vintage, but less expensive. Really, looks like it's more or less the LX but without the full low end.

Can't wait to hear them to compare for myself!

Dave, what's the status (and price) on S1 to S1V2 upgrade kits?

[billy p]

Most of the EX v2 out in the wild are via the kit upgrade path imo...most S2 to v1 and later v1 to v2. I reckon since it's release the LX has been the more popular speaker(saleswise)..put in that context but the EXv2...is obviously a nice speaker as well.

And, yes the S1V2 is something I'm seriously considering for surround duties....and moving my inwall to height duty....:o

[davef]

Most of the EX v2 out in the wild are via the kit upgrade path imo...

Actually, that is quite far from the truth. over 80% of Sierra-2EXv2 out there are from purchasing the complete speaker, not upgrades.


I reckon since it's release the LX has been the more popular speaker(saleswise)..put in that context but the EXv2...is obviously a nice speaker as well.

LX is the more popular speaker with regards to sales volume, but after checking it is only about 10% higher. Overall customer satisfaction rate is essentially the same between them, both have very, very low return rates.

It will be interesting to see the numbers on the Sierra-1 V2, once we have compiled enough data.

[davef]

Dave, what's the status (and price) on S1 to S1V2 upgrade kits?

Haven't worked out all the details just yet, once we get all the components in and start fulfilling orders, I will work it out and post info here.

[billy p]

Actually, that is quite far from the truth. over 80% of Sierra-2EXv2 out there are from purchasing the complete speaker, not upgrades.

I should've said many of the EXv2s in the wild. I'll admit, I thought that number would have been wee bit higher..I suppose lots of folks buying Ascends... don't post publicly hence the narrow margins between the two and certainly the intrigue behind the RAAL...make both speakers very competitive.
It will definitely be interesting seeing the sales [S1v2]...moving forward....considering the pricing in relation to performance vs. it's Siblings.

[SunByrne]

The more I think about it the more I think the S1V2 will be an absolutely killer HT speaker. Based on the spins it looks like the biggest difference between the LX and the S1V2 is bass performance, but in an HT application there's almost always a subwoofer so deep bass is less important. And the price is just so attractive.

I predict Dave is going to sell truckloads of these things.

Looks like the Titan tweeter with an NFS-optimized crossover is the magic sauce for a bookshelf.

Of course, all of this is really just speculation—can't wait to hear it for myself!


Haven't worked out all the details just yet, once we get all the components in and start fulfilling orders, I will work it out and post info here.

Awesome. Thanks, Dave!

[davef]

I should've said many of the EXv2s in the wild. I'll admit, I thought that number would have been wee bit higher..I suppose lots of folks buying Ascends... don't post publicly hence the narrow margins between the two and certainly the intrigue behind the RAAL...make both speakers very competitive.
It will definitely be interesting seeing the sales [S1v2]...moving forward....considering the pricing in relation to performance vs. it's Siblings.

Yes, only a very small percentage of our customers join or post on the forums, I don't mind that at all actually. About 8-9 years ago, I wanted to grow the company larger, we hired a lot more employees and expanded our product line. Sales were good, we were very busy - but I found myself spending nearly all of my time dealing with employee issues. That wasn't healthy for me, frankly I hated it so I shrunk things back down to the point I was comfortable with.

I honestly much prefer being a smaller company, with enough sales to support the business and my research. I have no desire to turn Ascend into a medium sized business, or even expand larger than we are now - it doesn't suit me. As such, we don't advertise or market, so only a few customers join the various forums and I prefer it that way.

I think the LX appeal to a broader set of customers, who want a very high performance "do everything" speaker, while those looking for ultimate detail and critical listening lean towards toward the Sierra-2EXv2. It is scary how much time I have spent comparing the two, and so much truly depends on musical genres.

[SunByrne]

we hired a lot more employees and expanded our product line. Sales were good, we were very busy - but I found myself spending nearly all of my time dealing with employee issues. That wasn't healthy for me, frankly I hated it

I'm a professor and I hate administrative work, so I get it. Sounds like you needed to hire someone to handle the management part of the job. I have no desire to be department chair or dean, and so I really appreciate the people who are willing to do that kind of thing.



I think the LX appeal to a broader set of customers, who want a very high performance "do everything" speaker, while those looking for ultimate detail and critical listening lean towards toward the Sierra-2EXv2. It is scary how much time I have spent comparing the two, and so much truly depends on musical genres.

Couldn't agree more with the genre thing. I prefer the EXv2 for (most) classical and things like acoustic guitar, but for anything rock or rock-adjacent (pop/funk/electronica/etc.) it's the LX. For how much I love the LX the EX still does violins better—just can't beat a RAAL for non-electric stringed instruments.

Jazz is kind of the tweener for me. I'm not a big jazz guy but I do listen occasionally. Since I'm a bassist not surprisingly the jazz I do listen to tends to be bass-featuring (e.g., Marcus Miller and lately Kinga Glyk). For those the extra bass punch in the LX is the way to roll. But for more acoustic-y jazz sometimes I like the EX better.

[jambarino]

Couldn't agree more with the genre thing. I prefer the EXv2 for (most) classical and things like acoustic guitar, but for anything rock or rock-adjacent (pop/funk/electronica/etc.) it's the LX. For how much I love the LX the EX still does violins better—just can't beat a RAAL for non-electric stringed instruments.

Jazz is kind of the tweener for me. I'm not a big jazz guy but I do listen occasionally. Since I'm a bassist not surprisingly the jazz I do listen to tends to be bass-featuring (e.g., Marcus Miller and lately Kinga Glyk). For those the extra bass punch in the LX is the way to roll. But for more acoustic-y jazz sometimes I like the EX better.

After owning the LX and now the ELX Ribbon Towers I completely agree with the genre thing as well. I still liked the sound of the Titan dome with rock and edm music. But violins,cellos,acoustic recordings,its the RAAL all the way

[zeeke42]

The more I think about it the more I think the S1V2 will be an absolutely killer HT speaker. Based on the spins it looks like the biggest difference between the LX and the S1V2 is bass performance, but in an HT application there's almost always a subwoofer so deep bass is less important. And the price is just so attractive.
Agree 100%. If I hadn't just scored a deal on used LX's , I'd've been first in line for S1V2. On paper, the S1V2 looks like the best value HT speaker going.

[SlyFox]

Is there any plan release a Sierra-1 V2 Center? If not, what's the recommended center channel for pairing?

[racrawford65]

You can use the S1 V2 as a center, either standing vertically or horizontally.

Otherwise, the Ascend speakers are all very similar in tonality/voicing, so any would work. That said, if you watch a lot of movies, I'd buy the best one you can afford (to minimize the possibility of upgrading down the line/FOMO).

[zeeke42]

As far as I can tell, the only difference on my LX center is that the grille extends the full width of the cabinet. I would expect the S1V2 would be the same. I'm sure the page will be updated soon. I'm guessing they're focusing on pairs first as they have in the past.

[racrawford65]

Likely, although I don't recall if my S2 (V1) center had a full length grill. Looking at the pictures, the EXV2 center does have a full length grill but looks like the cabinet is the same as the left/right.

[curtis]

Centers with a RAAL, the tweeter is rotated 90 degrees compared to the L/R.

[davef]

This is awesome, seems like keeps hitting home runs!

Dave, I wonder now with the full Sierra line touched with the Klippel, which do you consider the most easy to listen to speaker, ie long listening hours with variety of all music types? Between the LX, EXV2, 1 V2, and even Duo in the mix? Of course they are all easy to listen to :) But wonder how you would rank in that case.

This is difficult to answer because it really depends on the music genre and the quality of the recording. Sierra-1 V2 and LX are equivalent to each other with regard to which is easier to listen to. It really comes down to the ribbon vs the titan dome.

[davef]

Also, will these take the standard S1 Q-Plugs or the new LX Q-Plugs?

Yes, both Q-Plug sets will work great, the originals or the newer ones.

[davef]

Is there any plan release a Sierra-1 V2 Center? If not, what's the recommended center channel for pairing?

Yes, we will soon release the center version, which is identical to the left/right Sierra-1 V2 but will include a full length grille instead of the 3/4 length.

Best center would be our Horizon, next best center would be either LX center or S1V2 center..

[mendicitis]

Yes, we will soon release the center version, which is identical to the left/right Sierra-1 V2 but will include a full length grille instead of the 3/4 length.

Best center would be our Horizon, next best center would be either LX center or S1V2 center..

And will the center come with the rubber sticky feet, for horizontal placement? Another question, since this is the speaker I've been waiting for. I have a Rythmik F12 sub that I use for Music and HT. I am assuming that since V2 has the same tweeter as the Sierra-LX, I won't really notice any difference between Sierra-1V2 v.s Sierra-1 LX because all of the my lower end is being set to the Rythmik anyway? Is there any advantage for me to buy the LX when I'm using the Rythmik sub?

[davef]

And will the center come with the rubber sticky feet, for horizontal placement?

Rubber feet, no, - but we will include our isolation pads which serve the same purpose.



Another question, since this is the speaker I've been waiting for. I have a Rythmik F12 sub that I use for Music and HT. I am assuming that since V2 has the same tweeter as the Sierra-LX, I won't really notice any difference between Sierra-1V2 v.s Sierra-1 LX because all of the my lower end is being set to the Rythmik anyway? Is there any advantage for me to buy the LX when I'm using the Rythmik sub?

They are extremely close in performance aside from bass and midbass, but the LX is still slightly cleaner in the mids due to having lower distortion. In addition, the LX does have more midbass punch. I really can't comment whether or not you would hear these differences though, it takes a critical ear...

Hope this helps!

[redsandvb]

Dave, what's the status (and price) on S1 to S1V2 upgrade kits?


Haven't worked out all the details just yet, once we get all the components in and start fulfilling orders, I will work it out and post info here.

I'm guessing there will eventually be a Sierra-1 V2 to LX upgrade kit too?

[mendicitis]

I'm guessing there will eventually be a Sierra-1 V2 to LX upgrade kit too?

The already existing LX upgrade kit should work for any sierra speaker including V2, or any other sierra except some super early versions of the sierra-1.

[redsandvb]

Oh right, yeah. I guess I meant one without paying for the tweeter again. Or are there differences between the Titan in the S1 V2 and LX? Thanks!

[natetg57]

Oh right, yeah. I guess I meant one without paying for the tweeter again. Or are there differences between the Titan in the S1 V2 and LX? Thanks!

Same tweeter afaik

[mendicitis]

Oh right, yeah. I guess I meant one without paying for the tweeter again. Or are there differences between the Titan in the S1 V2 and LX? Thanks!

You make a good point, I imagine it would require a different crossover though as well.

[racrawford65]

I would imagine there will be a S1v2 to LX kit - crossover & woofer. You can also call Ascend and ask - they’d probably sell the parts assuming in stock

[davef]

I'm guessing there will eventually be a Sierra-1 V2 to LX upgrade kit too?

Yes, kit would be identical to current LX upgrade kit, but without the tweeter - since both the LX and Sierra-1 V2 now use the exact same tweeter.

[redsandvb]

Thanks for the info!

[bkdc]

I am so impressed, Dave. What amazing value you are offering the customers. When paired with a high quality sealed subwoofer (or two) to delve down to the 20-30Hz even the LX can’t cover, you’re giving up almost nothing against a Sierra LX except flexibility to use without woofers and power handling.

And with the frequency response, it makes an even better near field monitor than the LX to avoid in-your-face low frequencies when the monitor is that close. I’ve always been a huge fan of the original Sierra tower woofers as the mid-frequency reproduction is the biggest strength, and I was actually hesitant to consider the LX or ELX when I could cover the lows with a sub.

[davef]

I am so impressed, Dave. What amazing value you are offering the customers. When paired with a high quality sealed subwoofer (or two) to delve down to the 20-30Hz even the LX can’t cover, you’re giving up almost nothing against a Sierra LX except flexibility to use without woofers and power handling.

And with the frequency response, it makes an even better near field monitor than the LX to avoid in-your-face low frequencies when the monitor is that close. I’ve always been a huge fan of the original Sierra tower woofers as the mid-frequency reproduction is the biggest strength, and I was actually hesitant to consider the LX or ELX when I could cover the lows with a sub.

Thanks for your nice comments!! yes, Sierra-1V2 offers incredible value. Taking the deeper bass and higher power handling of the LX out of the question, I do feel the LX midrange sounds just a tad bit cleaner and overall, LX is just a bit more spacious. At sub $1000 (maybe even sub $1400), nothing can touch the S1V2 and they make for incredible nearfield monitors (listening to them nearfield right now as I attempt to get caught up with emails)

[billy p]

Thanks for your nice comments!! yes, Sierra-1V2 offers incredible value. Taking the deeper bass and higher power handling of the LX out of the question, I do feel the LX midrange sounds just a tad bit cleaner and overall, LX is just a bit more spacious. At sub $1000 (maybe even sub $1400), nothing can touch the S1V2 and they make for incredible nearfield monitors (listening to them nearfield right now as I attempt to get caught up with emails)

Any opinions on duov2 vs. S1v2...since the Titan & RAAL 64-10 are very close...in comparison. Just curious though...idea or suggestion in comparing came up over at AVS...for potentially going from S1 to S1v2 when kits come available. Most likely...it will depend on listening habits and/or musical preferences...of course cost as well...once established.

[davef]

Any opinions on duov2 vs. S1v2...since the Titan & RAAL 64-10 are very close...in comparison. Just curious though...idea or suggestion in comparing came up over at AVS...for potentially going from S1 to S1v2 when kits come available. Most likely...it will depend on listening habits and/or musical preferences...of course cost as well...once established.

Yes, highly depends on listening preferences as well as music vs movies. DuoV2 is the more detailed speaker, but the S1v2 is the more neutral and much more dynamic speaker.

[jambarino]

Yes, kit would be identical to current LX upgrade kit, but without the tweeter - since both the LX and Sierra-1 V2 now use the exact same tweeter.
After watching Erin's review of the Sierra 1 V2,I'm curious if the LX would measure the same in regards to compression in the tweeter's range? Or would it change since the crossovers and mid bass woofer are completely different?

[davef]

After watching Erin's review of the Sierra 1 V2,I'm curious if the LX would measure the same in regards to compression in the tweeter's range? Or would it change since the crossovers and mid bass woofer are completely different?

I haven't yet been able to reproduce Erin's compression measurements. This is his own measurement, not one designed by Klippel and his results don't match those from SEAS. So until I am able to reproduce his results, I can't really say one way or another.

Until his compression measurement is verified and peer reviewed, I wouldn't pay much attention to it. The Titan tweeter is designed for massive power handling. Technically, Erin's "compression" test is displaying variations in frequency response, so I really can't say if that is compression or something entirely different. Proper compression testing relies on the voice coil and former becoming quite hot, and this is not what Erin is doing with these sweeps.

The frequency response changes that Erin's test shows can be caused by a variety of reasons, including the microphone itself (especially when measuring such high volume levels) and even the amplifier being used. Typically, a tweeter will show signs of compression in the lower frequencies well prior to the upper frequencies. Erin's measurement is showing a steady increase in compression at 102dB as frequencies rise, the opposite of what I would expect to see with compression. His results actually look more like an increase in inductance.

Per the standard IEC 268-5 power test, this tweeter is rated for long term power handling of 180 watts, with short term power handling (peaks) of 240 watts. That is massive power handling for any tweeter and the power testing is grueling:

100 hour RMS – 100 hours with continuous signal. (IEC 268-5, cl 18.4 Rated noise test)

Long Term Power Handling – 10 times alternating between signal for one minute and pause
for 2 min. Total test time is 28 min. (IEC 268-5, cl 18.2)

Short Term Power Handling – 60 times alternating between signal for one second and
pause for 1 min. Total test time one hour. (IEC 268-5, cl 18.1)

[jambarino]

I haven't yet been able to reproduce Erin's compression measurements. This is his own measurement, not one designed by Klippel and his results don't match those from SEAS. So until I am able to reproduce his results, I can't really say one way or another.

Until his compression measurement is verified and peer reviewed, I wouldn't pay much attention to it. The Titan tweeter is designed for massive power handling. Technically, Erin's "compression" test is displaying variations in frequency response, so I really can't say if that is compression or something entirely different. Proper compression testing relies on the voice coil and former becoming quite hot, and this is not what Erin is doing with these sweeps.

The frequency response changes that Erin's test shows can be caused by a variety of reasons, including the microphone itself (especially when measuring such high volume levels) and even the amplifier being used. Typically, a tweeter will show signs of compression in the lower frequencies well prior to the upper frequencies. Erin's measurement is showing a steady increase in compression at 102dB as frequencies rise, the opposite of what I would expect to see with compression. His results actually look more like an increase in inductance.

Per the standard IEC 268-5 power test, this tweeter is rated for long term power handling of 180 watts, with short term power handling (peaks) of 240 watts. That is massive power handling for any tweeter and the power testing is grueling:

100 hour RMS – 100 hours with continuous signal. (IEC 268-5, cl 18.4 Rated noise test)

Long Term Power Handling – 10 times alternating between signal for one minute and pause
for 2 min. Total test time is 28 min. (IEC 268-5, cl 18.2)

Short Term Power Handling – 60 times alternating between signal for one second and
pause for 1 min. Total test time one hour. (IEC 268-5, cl 18.1)

Thanks for all the data. Yeah compression data has always confused me somewhat,it seems like everyone does it differently,I know when I owned the LX dynamics were one of the reasons I loved them so much. I never felt like they missed anything at louder levels or suffered when pushed hard.

[newbie7800]

Hi David. Just want to say congratulations on the ASR and Erin reviews. I came very close to purchasing the original Sierra-1 speaker around 2006 with shipping to Europe but eventually went for a Tetra 120U speaker which served me well for many years. Still I kept an eye on the AA site and how things were going and have been really impressed with the development of the Sierra LX etc. Perhaps one day I might treat myself to a pair :-). I know from reading your posts in the past just how many hours has gone into the development of the last few speakers you have designed and it is so great to see you getting the recognition for your engineering and design efforts. Regards

[davef]

Hi David. Just want to say congratulations on the ASR and Erin reviews. I came very close to purchasing the original Sierra-1 speaker around 2006 with shipping to Europe but eventually went for a Tetra 120U speaker which served me well for many years. Still I kept an eye on the AA site and how things were going and have been really impressed with the development of the Sierra LX etc. Perhaps one day I might treat myself to a pair :-). I know from reading your posts in the past just how many hours has gone into the development of the last few speakers you have designed and it is so great to see you getting the recognition for your engineering and design efforts. Regards

Thank you so much for the nice comments, they are truly appreciated!! Feel free to reach out to me directly if you would like a shipping quote, we are getting better international shipping rates these days than we used to.

[SunByrne]

I'm trying to be patient because I know how busy things always are at Ascend, but I figure it's been more than 4 months since I asked the last time, so here goes: any pricing/ETA on upgrade kits for this?

[davef]

I'm trying to be patient because I know how busy things always are at Ascend, but I figure it's been more than 4 months since I asked the last time, so here goes: any pricing/ETA on upgrade kits for this?

My sincere apologies. We have very low stock on the Titan tweeters right now and we must prioritize completed speakers over kits. As such, we won't be able to put Sierra-1V2 upgrade kits on the website for at least another few months.

That stated, pricing for each S1V2 upgrade kit = $320 each + shipping. ($640 for a pair).

Each kit includes:

1 Titan tweeter
1 S1V2 woofer
1 S1V2 crossover
and 1 V2 product label

I am willing to accommodate you for (2) S1V2 kits now if you like. Just give us a call and speak with Dina.

[SunByrne]

My sincere apologies. We have very low stock on the Titan tweeters right now and we must prioritize completed speakers over kits. As such, we won't be able to put Sierra-1V2 upgrade kits on the website for at least another few months.

I completely respect that—I didn't realize Titan stock was an issue. It's not like I don't already have four pairs of Sierras in various configurations (listening to my LXs right now, in fact). Mostly this is about me being curious as to how they compare to older V1 (and NrT) and current LXs, not that I actually need new speakers or anything, so not what you'd call a high-priority situation.

I'd much rather you be shipping those out to people who don't already have them—their need far outstrips mine! I'd hate to be the cause of any delay for a new customer.

A few months puts us at, say, late July? That would actually be ideal. And now I know the price, so I can plan ahead. All good!

[davef]

I completely respect that—I didn't realize Titan stock was an issue. It's not like I don't already have four pairs of Sierras in various configurations (listening to my LXs right now, in fact). Mostly this is about me being curious as to how they compare to older V1 (and NrT) and current LXs, not that I actually need new speakers or anything, so not what you'd call a high-priority situation.

I'd much rather you be shipping those out to people who don't already have them—their need far outstrips mine! I'd hate to be the cause of any delay for a new customer.

A few months puts us at, say, late July? That would actually be ideal. And now I know the price, so I can plan ahead. All good!

Thanks so much for understanding!

[Deadbob27]

I just purchased these speakers and plan on using them with a WiiM amp. I’ll be sitting about 6 feet away and crossing over to subwoofer at 80 HZ. Will the WiiM amp be good enough or do I need a better amp?

[davef]

I just purchased these speakers and plan on using them with a WiiM amp. I’ll be sitting about 6 feet away and crossing over to subwoofer at 80 HZ. Will the WiiM amp be good enough or do I need a better amp?

The WiiM amp should be terrific at your listening distance.

Enjoy!!!

[Deadbob27]

The WiiM amp should be terrific at your listening distance.

Enjoy!!!

Awesome! Thanks Dave!

[curtis]

I just purchased these speakers and plan on using them with a WiiM amp. I’ll be sitting about 6 feet away and crossing over to subwoofer at 80 HZ. Will the WiiM amp be good enough or do I need a better amp?


The WiiM amp should be terrific at your listening distance.

Enjoy!!!


Awesome! Thanks Dave!
I currently use the WiiM Amp with a pair of Luna V2's in my bedroom crossed to a sub at 80hz, and it is working fine...I mainly listen about 10' from the speakers. It doesn't get super loud, but it is plenty.

That WiiM Amp is extremely versatile. I mainly use it as a Roon endpoint. I have always wanted a good sounding and simple setup in the bedroom, and this setup fits the bill perfectly. That said, I do plan on getting at WiiM Ultra when it is available and using it with nice amp, and finding another place for the WiiM Amp.

[Deadbob27]

I currently use the WiiM Amp with a pair of Luna V2's in my bedroom crossed to a sub at 80hz, and it is working fine...I mainly listen about 10' from the speakers. It doesn't get super loud, but it is plenty.

That WiiM Amp is extremely versatile. I mainly use it as a Roon endpoint. I have always wanted a good sounding and simple setup in the bedroom, and this setup fits the bill perfectly. That said, I do plan on getting at WiiM Ultra when it is available and using it with nice amp, and finding another place for the WiiM Amp.

I was thinking about picking up the WiiM ultra along with a buckeye or audiophonics amp if I need more power. Can’t wait to see what the WiiM ultra ends up being.

[jshow]

I'm a fairly new audio enthusiast who recently decided to upgrade my computer setup from a 5.1 system comprised of very small Klipsch bookshelves driven by an old Yamaha receiver to a decent stereo setup (since I was listening to music all day while I worked in my home office.) So without much cash to spend, I bought a pair of ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2s, purchased an Emotiva BasX A2m to drive them, upgraded by Klipsch sub to an SVS SB-1000 Pro, and got a Tidal subscription to play high-res audio. (Thought about an external DAC but figured my Creative ZxR soundcard with a Burr-Brown was good enough for now.)

It changed my world.

Then I went down a rabbit hole and only a few months later I decided to go out on a limb, spend more money right away, and get a pair of the Sierra-1 v2s. They arrived the other day.

My world has just changed again.

I can't even believe what I'm hearing.

It's incredible to rediscover all my music. After the previous upgrades I had just done (which were so monumental compared to where I was at prior) I really didn't expect to notice as big of a difference with this speaker upgrade. But it's there. I just can't believe there are even MORE hidden elements of familiar tracks I've just never heard. A veil has been lifted. I'm so freakin' happy.

Thanks so much Dave! This is going to bring years of enjoyment to my life.

I can't wait to EQ my output soon to temper some of my room modes and issues in my small-ish office. But so far this is incredible.

If anyone has any suggestions on the following (including Dave), I would love your thoughts:

1) For bass management, my Creative Sound Blaster ZxR allows me to specify a crossover setting on my PC. Thinking with the Sierra-1 v2s this is a great idea not just to dig deeper for those lower registers, but also to alleviate some of the low end on the Sierra's drivers and crisp up the midbass a tad. I think I probably know the answer to this but I'll ask it anyway: any suggestions for a crossover point? (I'm at 80hz currently and assume the answer is "depends". But a rule of thumb for these particular speakers in a nearfield setup of a small office might be a great starting point for me.)

2) Since I'm in a nearfield setup, I'm guessing this Emotiva BasX A2m amp is perfectly fine. But I'm curious if anyone thinks other options will make these Sierra-1s shine substantially more.

[curtis]

1) For bass management, my Creative Sound Blaster ZxR allows me specify a crossover setting on my PC. Thinking with the Sierra-1 v2s this is a great idea not just to dig deeper for those lower registers, but also to alleviate some of the low end on the Sierra's drivers and crisp up the midbass a tad. I think I probably know the answer to this but I'll ask it anyway: any suggestions for a crossover point? (I'm at 80hz currently and assume the answer is "depends". But a rule of thumb for these particular speakers in a nearfield setup of a small office might be a great starting point for me.)

Does the Soundblaster have a seperate subwoofer output? I just looked it up and it doesn't look like it.

[jshow]

Does the Soundblaster have a seperate subwoofer output? I just looked it up and it doesn't look like it.

It does (hence the bass management feature.) It's just that it's via a 3.5mm stereo out that has both center channel and sub, so I use an adapter to RCA and just plug in the SVS sub via the LFE connection. It's working fine with the 80hz crossover point I have now, and it's easy to turn off/on the bass redirection to hear the difference between letting the Sierra-1s try to do it all, and having the sub kick in. I definitely like these paired with a sub considering some of the music I listen to - it's just wonderful :) (And this is why I decided on the Sierra-1 v2s vs the LXs) I'm just looking for some thoughts or direction on that crossover point for these specific speakers.

(Once I decide to move to an external DAC I don't know how the heck I'll do bass management, as SVS Subs don't have high pass filters. But I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.)

[curtis]

It does (hence the bass management feature.) It's just that it's via a 3.5mm stereo out that has both center channel and sub, so I use an adapter to RCA and just plug in the SVS sub via the LFE connection. It's working fine with the 80hz crossover point I have now, and it's easy to turn off/on the bass redirection to hear the difference between letting the Sierra-1s try to do it all, and having the sub kick in. I definitely like these paired with a sub considering some of the music I listen to - it's just wonderful :)

Once I decide to go external DAC I don't know how the heck I'll do bass management. (SVS Subs don't have high pass filters.)
We should probably start another thread.
So if you have a center channel, you can't have a sub?

Are you familiar with MiniDSP's products?
https://www.minidsp.com/products/minidsp-in-a-box/flex

[jshow]

We should probably start another thread.
So if you have a center channel, you can't have a sub?

Are you familiar with MiniDSP's products?
https://www.minidsp.com/products/minidsp-in-a-box/flex

PMing you on this.

[racrawford65]

PMing you on this.

If Curtis isn't able to help you with miniDSP products, I can.

I use a Flex in my HT system, mainly for loading ezBEQ filters and integrating my Crowson tactile devices. I let my AVM90 handle the subs (eq, integration, x-over, etc.)

When I had a separate 2 channel system, I also used a Flex in this system. I ran LR outputs from my processor (Rogue RP5) to the Flex, and then outputs 1 & 2 to amp L&R, output 3 to sub 1, output 4 to sub 2. In the Flex, I did all the bass management & sub integration (along with REW+UMIK1). I also had 4 presets in the Flex, 2.1 with a house curve, 2.1 with bass eq'ed flat, 2.0 with bass EQ'ed, 2.0 w/o EQ. Worked great.

Curtis - I just looked at the manual for his sound card. It looks like the center/sub jack on the card carries both signals and one would use a y-splitter to connect to center & sub jack on receiver. So, can have both AFAIK.

[curtis]

If Curtis isn't able to help you with miniDSP products, I can.

I use a Flex in my HT system, mainly for loading ezBEQ filters and integrating my Crowson tactile devices. I let my AVM90 handle the subs (eq, integration, x-over, etc.)

When I had a separate 2 channel system, I also used a Flex in this system. I ran LR outputs from my processor (Rogue RP5) to the Flex, and then outputs 1 & 2 to amp L&R, output 3 to sub 1, output 4 to sub 2. In the Flex, I did all the bass management & sub integration (along with REW+UMIK1). I also had 4 presets in the Flex, 2.1 with a house curve, 2.1 with bass eq'ed flat, 2.0 with bass EQ'ed, 2.0 w/o EQ. Worked great.

Curtis - I just looked at the manual for his sound card. It looks like the center/sub jack on the card carries both signals and one would use a y-splitter to connect to center & sub jack on receiver. So, can have both AFAIK.
racrawford is MUCH more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to miniDSP.

Yeah...when I went to bed last night I had a "duh" moment on the center/sub out thing.