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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimb
I've now done my V2 conversions on a pair of S2EX and a pair of Lunas. Due to the circumstances, I can't add anything significant to what has been said about the audio results, other than that the S2EXV2 do seem a tad warmer.
My question is what to do with the replaced XOs!
Bump on wondering what is possible to do with the original S2EX crossovers? It seems a waste to bin them. :eek:
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
I'm wondering if there'd be a practical use for them. Unless there's a v1 owner who wants to stay with v1 and would also want a replacement unit.
I might make interesting audio style book-ends out of mine.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Thanks Rob. Your review helps to solidify my decision to upgrade my V1's.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rifmon
I'm wondering if there'd be a practical use for them. Unless there's a v1 owner who wants to stay with v1 and would also want a replacement unit.
I might make interesting audio style book-ends out of mine.
Even just for the parts.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
I think I have posted this before, but we are happy to take back the V1 crossovers if customers want to ship them back to us. We don't recycle these parts, but I often find uses for them for engineering samples / prototypes etc.
Thanks!
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3 Attachment(s)
Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Ok, I had not planned on posting anything about how I handled a similar dilemma but here goes. I had a pair of Sierra 1 speakers for about 10 years. When the LX upgrade kit was introduced I felt compelled to order one. This was based on three things: How great the Ascend Sierra 1 speaker sounded to begin with. How even better the Sierra Towers w/RAAL sounded when I upgraded my main listening system two years ago. And lastly, the information shared on this forum with respect to the new LX development and implementation. When the LX driver kit arrived, I upgraded the Sierra 1 cabinets without a hitch. Wow, just wow. The sound coming out of those bookshelf speakers was immense. They have been serving L/R main duty for H/T and music in my tv room. Just of out anxious curiosity, I did drag them into my dedicated music room to compare them to the towers. This was by no means a controlled comparison, but those LX bookshelves did not shrink from the challenge. They are some meaty bookshelf speakers. Did they exceed the towers? Not quite....but they sure did punch way above their weight class. When I get more time (snow starts falling), I want to do some additional comparisons.
What this left me with, of course, was (4) Sierra 1 drivers and (2) Sierra 1 crossovers. There sat some quality components that had provided me with many years of great music reproduction. It just seemed like such a waste. The upgrade of the Sierra 1 cabinets gave me the opportunity to see the construction and measure the dimensions of the cabinets that formerly housed these components. I assembled a list of materials and started building cabinets that approximated the original Sierra 1 cabinets. I did not initially want to share this on the forum because I did not want to horrify Dave with some Frankenstein version of his beautiful work, but I learned a few things that I feel compelled to share: The craftsmanship of his products is incredible. The attention to detail and the quality of construction is top notch. The amount of time to reproduce just the physical components not to mention the cost gave me a whole new perspective on the incredible value he provides with his Sierra line of speakers. I can't even imagine the time spent in design and R/D. I have a whole new appreciation for Dave and the Ascend line of products after having undertaken this little project. I am not sure where I will employ them (rear surrounds, workshop/garage system) but they at least live on somewhat and they sound a lot better than they did in their cardboard storage boxes.
couple of pics:
Attachment 2425
Attachment 2426
Attachment 2427
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Nice post, Jim. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Beautiful Jim, Well Done! :)
Ted
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Thanks Ted!
It was A LOT of time and work. I only did it to re-home the original Sierra 1 drivers/crossovers as they were still in great shape (plus I was looking for a small woodworking project to work on). They still sound very good.
The LX upgrade to the original Sierra 1 cabinets was very easy and I cannot believe the sound - they are like mini-towers now. I still love the sound of my Sierra Towers w/RAAL but the LX upgraded bookshelves are a really beautiful sounding speaker.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimlucci
It was A LOT of time and work. I only did it to re-home the original Sierra 1 drivers/crossovers as they were still in great shape (plus I was looking for a small woodworking project to work on). They still sound very good.
Wow...great work!
It looks like the spacing between the woofer and tweeter is a little bigger than a "real" Sierra, or does it just look that way from the camera angle/lens?
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Good question. Got out the tape measure and it is about 1/2 inch further apart than the original spacing. I tried to keep the internal volume and construction of the cabinet the same as the original, but I was working with 1" thick laminated mahogany so there were some small size differences to the original cabinet.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimlucci
Good question. Got out the tape measure and it is about 1/2 inch further apart than the original spacing. I tried to keep the internal volume and construction of the cabinet the same as the original, but I was working with 1" thick laminated mahogany so there were some small size differences to the original cabinet.
That spacing is important as well when it comes to the drivers interaction with each other and the baffle. That said, if sounds good...that's great. It would be fun to compare with a real Sierra-1.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimlucci
Ok, I had not planned on posting anything about how I handled a similar dilemma but here goes. I had a pair of Sierra 1 speakers for about 10 years. When the LX upgrade kit was introduced I felt compelled to order one. This was based on three things: How great the Ascend Sierra 1 speaker sounded to begin with. How even better the Sierra Towers w/RAAL sounded when I upgraded my main listening system two years ago. And lastly, the information shared on this forum with respect to the new LX development and implementation. When the LX driver kit arrived, I upgraded the Sierra 1 cabinets without a hitch. Wow, just wow. The sound coming out of those bookshelf speakers was immense. They have been serving L/R main duty for H/T and music in my tv room. Just of out anxious curiosity, I did drag them into my dedicated music room to compare them to the towers. This was by no means a controlled comparison, but those LX bookshelves did not shrink from the challenge. They are some meaty bookshelf speakers. Did they exceed the towers? Not quite....but they sure did punch way above their weight class. When I get more time (snow starts falling), I want to do some additional comparisons.
What this left me with, of course, was (4) Sierra 1 drivers and (2) Sierra 1 crossovers. There sat some quality components that had provided me with many years of great music reproduction. It just seemed like such a waste. The upgrade of the Sierra 1 cabinets gave me the opportunity to see the construction and measure the dimensions of the cabinets that formerly housed these components. I assembled a list of materials and started building cabinets that approximated the original Sierra 1 cabinets. I did not initially want to share this on the forum because I did not want to horrify Dave with some Frankenstein version of his beautiful work, but I learned a few things that I feel compelled to share: The craftsmanship of his products is incredible. The attention to detail and the quality of construction is top notch. The amount of time to reproduce just the physical components not to mention the cost gave me a whole new perspective on the incredible value he provides with his Sierra line of speakers. I can't even imagine the time spent in design and R/D. I have a whole new appreciation for Dave and the Ascend line of products after having undertaken this little project. I am not sure where I will employ them (rear surrounds, workshop/garage system) but they at least live on somewhat and they sound a lot better than they did in their cardboard storage boxes.
couple of pics:
Attachment 2425
Attachment 2426
Attachment 2427
Wow!!! Fantastic job!!! And thank you so much for the wonderful comments :) Are you prepared to build about 600 cabinets for us? ;)
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
davef
Wow!!! Fantastic job!!! And thank you so much for the wonderful comments :) Are you prepared to build about 600 cabinets for us? ;)
Lol.....No! Upgrading the Sierra1's to the LX was a great move for me - very happy I decided to do it. I now have a tower-like bookshelf speaker and it enabled me to see all of the quality work that goes into the construction of these speakers. It was fun and interesting to try and build a cabinet myself to utilize the original Sierra 1 components. They still sound great, but the upgraded LX's are a whole new animal. Really happy I decided to upgrade to the LX drivers - they sound incredible.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimlucci
Ok, I had not planned on posting anything about how I handled a similar dilemma but here goes. I had a pair of Sierra 1 speakers for about 10 years. When the LX upgrade kit was introduced I felt compelled to order one. This was based on three things: How great the Ascend Sierra 1 speaker sounded to begin with. How even better the Sierra Towers w/RAAL sounded when I upgraded my main listening system two years ago. And lastly, the information shared on this forum with respect to the new LX development and implementation. When the LX driver kit arrived, I upgraded the Sierra 1 cabinets without a hitch. Wow, just wow. The sound coming out of those bookshelf speakers was immense. They have been serving L/R main duty for H/T and music in my tv room. Just of out anxious curiosity, I did drag them into my dedicated music room to compare them to the towers. This was by no means a controlled comparison, but those LX bookshelves did not shrink from the challenge. They are some meaty bookshelf speakers. Did they exceed the towers? Not quite....but they sure did punch way above their weight class. When I get more time (snow starts falling), I want to do some additional comparisons.
What this left me with, of course, was (4) Sierra 1 drivers and (2) Sierra 1 crossovers. There sat some quality components that had provided me with many years of great music reproduction. It just seemed like such a waste. The upgrade of the Sierra 1 cabinets gave me the opportunity to see the construction and measure the dimensions of the cabinets that formerly housed these components. I assembled a list of materials and started building cabinets that approximated the original Sierra 1 cabinets. I did not initially want to share this on the forum because I did not want to horrify Dave with some Frankenstein version of his beautiful work, but I learned a few things that I feel compelled to share: The craftsmanship of his products is incredible. The attention to detail and the quality of construction is top notch. The amount of time to reproduce just the physical components not to mention the cost gave me a whole new perspective on the incredible value he provides with his Sierra line of speakers. I can't even imagine the time spent in design and R/D. I have a whole new appreciation for Dave and the Ascend line of products after having undertaken this little project. I am not sure where I will employ them (rear surrounds, workshop/garage system) but they at least live on somewhat and they sound a lot better than they did in their cardboard storage boxes.
couple of pics:
Attachment 2425
Attachment 2426
Attachment 2427
Those look fantastic! Did you notice any difference in sound between your original Sierra 1's and the new version with your cabinets?
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
[QUOTE=goldark;69991]Those look fantastic! Did you notice any difference in sound between your original Sierra 1's and the new version with your cabinets?[/QUOT
I think they still sound very good, though I can't really say they have not changed in some way without either a controlled side by side test or running some measurements. They definitely sound better than they did in the cardboard box they were sitting in. :-)
I can say the LX upgraded Sierra 1 original cabinets sound remarkably better - in all respects. The tweeter is very much more detailed and without a hint of fatigue and the mids and low end, well it's just crazy good.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
davef
Wow!!! Fantastic job!!! And thank you so much for the wonderful comments :) Are you prepared to build about 600 cabinets for us? ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimlucci
Lol.....No!
come on, Jim! Dave needs a US cabinet builder!! :D
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
curtis
come on, Jim! Dave needs a US cabinet builder!! :D
lol - one and done!!!:D
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Finally hit the bullet and ordered the upgrade crossovers yesterday. Excited to see what they bring.
Are most re-running room correction, or not really needed? I’m really only eq’ing below 500hz for the LCR and very minimal at that.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Just did a Sierra-2 to EX V2 upgrade. Funny findings.
My current Sierra-2’s were sent to me about five years ago as warrantied replacements after one of the original Chinese-manufactured gloss finished cabinets developed a split. The Chinese gloss ones were no longer made so I was offered American-made bamboo cabinets. There was always a slight rattling noise in one speaker but sound quality was never an issue. I figured one of the wires was just tapping on the bracing.
Anyway, I remove the tweeter and woofer and what do I see? An acorn and a few nuts…. I know I didn’t have a squirrel infestation inside my house. I had to guess some critter was thinking about storing away some food and getting in/out through the porthole.
Dave, did you have any squirrel issues some years ago? LOL.
Love the Sierra-2EX V2 upgrade! :)
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bkdc
Just did a Sierra-2 to EX V2 upgrade. Funny findings.
My current Sierra-2’s were sent to me about five years ago as warrantied replacements after one of the original Chinese-manufactured gloss finished cabinets developed a split. The Chinese gloss ones were no longer made so I was offered American-made bamboo cabinets. There was always a slight rattling noise in one speaker but sound quality was never an issue. I figured one of the wires was just tapping on the bracing.
Anyway, I remove the tweeter and woofer and what do I see? An acorn and a few nuts…. I know I didn’t have a squirrel infestation inside my house. I had to guess some critter was thinking about storing away some food and getting in/out through the porthole.
Dave, did you have any squirrel issues some years ago? LOL.
Love the Sierra-2EX V2 upgrade! :)
That's funny! No, not even remotely possible for this to happen at our facility. But we have found all sorts of crazy things in speaker cabinets that come back to us for service or upgrades. I remember finding a few pacifiers inside a Sierra-1 cabinet, the customer was complaining that the woofer sounded funny. He had a good laugh when we showed him the pics.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Damn squirrels. Ever work at a dry cleaners? You'd not imagine some of the stuff folks leave in their clothes ...we were supposed to put found items in an envelope and staple it to the ticket. I recall finding marijuana (not stapled ;-), panties (and not the wife's - you should have seen the look on her face when she picked up the cleaning), etc. Someone even brought in their KKK robe...that shocked the cleaning staff. Told them it was someone that worked there - it went dead silent when he walked into work that day.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
I guess I can’t rule out my toddlers carrying them in from outside as we have three huge oak trees that rain acorns. I didn’t notice any rodent droppings in there which is the typical critter sign.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Sounds like something that happened to me 12 years ago!
https://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sh...oving-surprise!
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bkdc
I guess I can’t rule out my toddlers carrying them in from outside as we have three huge oak trees that rain acorns. I didn’t notice any rodent droppings in there which is the typical critter sign.
This is likely the cause. Every cabinet we have here at the office is stored in full packaging and I honestly haven't seen a squirrel or acorns anywhere near our business park (too many coyotes). We do have a lot of raccoons though, and palm trees.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Just got the new crossovers installed. It was a little involved, but nothing difficult with the right tools. One hiccup was one of the binding posts was cranked in so tight it semi stripped the threads on the post, but, and the lock washer was all deformed. Had to run to the hardware store for a new lock washer.
On to the good stuff. I’m noticing a lot more details in the mids/vocals. Seemed to bring a big step up in clarity. It’s not quite Horizon territory in the clarity department, but it’s definitely creeping up in it. Kind of a cliche thing to say, but feels like a sheet was lifted off of them and they sound clearer and bigger. Not strained at high volumes.
Overall, it is worth the price tag but if I were to do it again, I might just send the speakers in to ascend. The Horizon would likely be much more difficult due to the amount of drivers in it. If an upgrade is offered I might be packing that beast up for a vacation to sunny CA.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
diesel79
Just got the new crossovers installed. It was a little involved, but nothing difficult with the right tools. One hiccup was one of the binding posts was cranked in so tight it semi stripped the threads on the post and the lock washer was all deformed. Had to run to the hardware store for a new lock washer.
On to the good stuff. I’m noticing a lot more details in the mids/vocals. Seemed to bring a big step up in clarity. I would say they almost now rival my Horizon in the clarity department. Kind of a cliche thing to say, but feels like a sheet was lifted off of them and they sound clearer and bigger. Not strained at high volumes.
Overall, it is worth the price tag but if I were to do it again, I might just send the speakers in to ascend. The Horizon would likely be much more difficult due to the amount of drivers in it. If an upgrade is offered I might be packing that beast up for a vacation to sunny CA.
Your post is a little more detailed than the other V2 comments I have read. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
One thing that surprised me was the heft of the crossovers. I wasn’t expecting them to be so heavy. Definitely know you have a piece of quality components in your hands.
I have had 2 sets of S2’s, a set of 2EX’s, RAAL Horizon center, and now the 2EX V2 upgrades. Each iteration in the bookshelf’s has been noticeably better than the last in my opinion. Can’t wait to see what the future brings for the towers and horizon.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
diesel79
One thing that surprised me was the heft of the crossovers. I wasn’t expecting them to be so heavy. Definitely know you have a piece of quality components in your hands.
I have had 2 sets of S2’s, a set of 2EX’s, RAAL Horizon center, and now the 2EX V2 upgrades. Each iteration in the bookshelf’s has been noticeably better than the last in my opinion. Can’t wait to see what the future brings for the towers and horizon.
I’m going to buy my 2-EX upgrade kits right after Christmas. I think Dave has said the price will probably increase after the end of this year.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
As am I! .... but I might be sending my speakers in.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
diesel79
Just got the new crossovers installed. It was a little involved, but nothing difficult with the right tools. One hiccup was one of the binding posts was cranked in so tight it semi stripped the threads on the post, but, and the lock washer was all deformed. Had to run to the hardware store for a new lock washer.
On to the good stuff. I’m noticing a lot more details in the mids/vocals. Seemed to bring a big step up in clarity. It’s not quite Horizon territory in the clarity department, but it’s definitely creeping up in it. Kind of a cliche thing to say, but feels like a sheet was lifted off of them and they sound clearer and bigger. Not strained at high volumes.
Overall, it is worth the price tag but if I were to do it again, I might just send the speakers in to ascend. The Horizon would likely be much more difficult due to the amount of drivers in it. If an upgrade is offered I might be packing that beast up for a vacation to sunny CA.
Thanks for the feedback. It does seem as if I underestimated how audible the upgrade was going to be, so far - the feedback we have received has been outstanding and I am most pleased about this :)
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Just embarking on installing this upgrade. Is anyone else struggling with all the "gently" steps? I have piano black cabinets and so am trying to be extremely careful. However, removing the wire connectors from the tweeter required a pliers and an extreme amount of force. I'm now trying to remove the woofer and cannot get it to budge. Trying the trick listed in the instructions is so far just scraping up the perimeter of the woofer around the screw holes.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fantom
Just embarking on installing this upgrade. Is anyone else struggling with all the "gently" steps? I have piano black cabinets and so am trying to be extremely careful. However, removing the wire connectors from the tweeter required a pliers and an extreme amount of force. I'm now trying to remove the woofer and cannot get it to budge. Trying the trick listed in the instructions is so far just scraping up the perimeter of the woofer around the screw holes.
Yea, I had troubles with those connections too. I ended up cutting the lead wires off the crossover and then carefully got them off by squeezing the part of the connector that wraps around the spade on the speaker. They then dropped right off.
For future upgrades to my Horizon I will be sending it in for Ascend to perform the install.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fantom
Just embarking on installing this upgrade. Is anyone else struggling with all the "gently" steps? I have piano black cabinets and so am trying to be extremely careful.
I strongly suspect the only people who have swapped the internals of a Sierra bookshelf more than me work at Ascend. And I just got my V2 kit so I'll be doing it yet again soon.
So, first piece of advice: thin cotton gloves are super helpful for handling the glossy cabinets. (Back in the early days, these were included.)
Quote:
However, removing the wire connectors from the tweeter required a pliers and an extreme amount of force.
Not super common, but yes, I've certainly had to use pliers to disconnect from the speaker terminals.
Quote:
I'm now trying to remove the woofer and cannot get it to budge. Trying the trick listed in the instructions is so far just scraping up the perimeter of the woofer around the screw holes.
I've definitely had the woofer stick in this process—sometimes the gasket has made such a good seal that the woofer won't move easily even with the screws out.
Here's what I do when that happens:
[1] Make sure the screws are out of the woofer.
[2] Get something soft like a blanket or a couple towels or something like that, and lean the cabinet forward until the woofer is facing straight down.
[3] Lift the cabinet up just a tiny bit, and try jiggling/tapping the cabinet and see if you can get the woofer to move.
[4] If not, set the cabinet back down, then lift the top end of it (so the speaker is leaning forward) just enough so you can access the hole where the tweeter was, and get something like a ruler in there and use that to lever the woofer out. You might even be able to use your hand if you have longer fingers than I do. You might be tempted to use a long metal screwdriver for this, but don't do that. A wooden or plastic ruler has always done the job for me.
Dave may have other suggestions but this has always worked for me.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fantom
Just embarking on installing this upgrade. Is anyone else struggling with all the "gently" steps? I have piano black cabinets and so am trying to be extremely careful. However, removing the wire connectors from the tweeter required a pliers and an extreme amount of force. I'm now trying to remove the woofer and cannot get it to budge. Trying the trick listed in the instructions is so far just scraping up the perimeter of the woofer around the screw holes.
Fantom,
If you are speaking about removing the drivers from the cabinet, I simply removed all screws from the woofer, then gently brought the cabinet up from its laying position (while supporting the speaker rim) and tilting the front baffle forward...woofer came right out into my support hand. Repeated this process for the RAAL tweeters!
If you are referencing the slip on/off X-over terminal connections, 6 of the 8 connectors in my pair of 2EX were excessively tight! I inserted the tips of small Snap-Ring Pliers (outside snap ring set) and gently pried-open the connector curled sides, allowing easy removal of the stubborn terminals!
Hope this helps,
Ted
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Thanks for the tips! I was able to tilt the speaker forward and hit the side of the speaker a dozen times with the base of my palm and the woofer slid out. Rest of the first speaker went smoothly. 2nd speaker was a breeze though it still took me an hour being careful. 3rd speaker was also stubborn like the first but the prying trick mentioned above worked to easily disconnect the driver leads from the old crossover and the screw trick mentioned in the instructions actually worked to get the woofer out. Ultimately the 3rd went quickly because I had learned the tricks.
Got everything back together, cabinets cleaned up, confirmed all in working order and then headed out to dinner. So far have only listened to background music while playing a board game so cannot comment on any sonic difference.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
I finished the V2 upgrade about 2 weeks ago. If you take your time, its not hard at all. Only problem I had was detaching one of the connectors to the woofer. I should have reached out to Dave and he would have told me what to do to loosen. Instead, I was impatient and kept working at it with increasing force till I broke off the tab on the woofer. Fortunately, there was plenty of room to solder the wire from the new crossover even with my beginner skills. The lesson for those of you doing this, if you get stuck, reach out to Dave or here and most likely, its easily solved.
I will 2nd whats been said. More energy coming from the tweeter, more kick in the drums, more details in vocals. I think soundstage has more front/back separation but thats a hard quality to say for sure.
For my 2.1 music system, I don't think I could have found a better upgrade for under $500.
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
The 2-EX V2 is rated at 34 Hz. It it tuned to play 34Hz music?
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Re: New: Sierra-2EX V2!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ahender
The 2-EX V2 is rated at 34 Hz. It it tuned to play 34Hz music?
That is the typical in-room response.
Anechoic it is -3db at 51Hz, -6db at 42Hz
You can expect good response to 34Hz in-room, but remember, all rooms are different.
Does that help?