Sierra LX on built-in cabinets

[jnc]

Hi!

I just joined after coming across a mention of Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX on Reddit. The description on the homepage really piqued my interest. What I'm wondering is if these speakers will perform well in my situation; I don't have a lot of flexibility in placement. Right now I have some pretty low-end Polk TSI200 bookshelves, almost exactly the same size as the Sierra.

These are sitting on the cabinets of some built-in bookshelves on either side of our fireplace. I have them pulled all the way forward to the edge of the cabinet, but there is only about 10 inches space behind the speakers to the wall. Also the back 3 inches of the speakers are "tucked into" the alcove of the bookshelves. I attached a photo. Behind the camera is about the same amount of space: a breakfast area connected to the kitchen. Kind of a semi-open floor plan.



The audio source is Apple Music via Apple TV > OREI HDMI audio extractor > SMSL SU-1 DAC > Outlaw RR2150 receiver (100 wpc). Also have an SVS SB-1000 Pro subwoofer connected to the Outlaw.

I've enjoyed the Polks for the last several years, but lately have been thinking about getting something nicer. I borrowed a friend's Elac UniFi 2.0 and swapped them in for a couple weeks. I felt they definitely provided a good bit more clarity to the sound over the Polks. Based on various good reviews, I had kind of settled on moving up to some Elac Debut Reference bookshelves. They are front ported, which I hope helps with the not so great placement I have.

But after reading about the Sierra LX, I'm wondering if I should set my sights a little higher (more than double the MSRP). The description about how they "sound like large towers" and have "a big room filling sound: this requires wide dispersion, both horizontally and vertically" sounds terrific.

With the arrangement of our living room, I am frequently sitting off to one side or the other, or going to and from the kitchen. When I want to sit and listen to a full album I'll drag a chair into the sweet spot, but speakers that sound good in a broader space would be ideal. In a perfect world I would have some huge floor standing speakers directed at a listening spot, but that's just not going to happen in this living room.

So really I'm just looking for reassurance that I wouldn't be compromising the Sierra LX's too much by putting them on these crowded cabinets. Would they still be worth the extra investment? Does the rear port require additional space? Sorry for the essay—thanks for reading!

[jerome]

jnc,

We had some similar practical space concerns, and also came from Polk's, to Ascends.
(previously RTi A3's + CSi A6 for LCR, and FXi A6's for surround L/R, in a "home theatre" living room).

We replaced all three fronts with ELX Horizons, with the two L/R living in barrister bookcases.
The ELX Horizons were twice the cost of LX's, and significantly wider, but the cabinets are front-ported, so very suitable for placement within bookcases.

We do also have LX's for surround L/R, which are also light years better than the Polks, but I'm not going to lie... if you're looking for an end game speaker, AND floorstanders are not in your equation, the ELX Horizons would unquestonably be the best choice.
If you're doing only two channel, the LXs and their Titan tweeters will also be absolutely awesome, and should fill the listening space in that photo nicely.

The LX's do also come with rear foam plugs, which can help reduce reflections from the rear port if they're next to the wall. You really can't go wrong with the LX's also, although you'd probably want to install the plugs if they live in the shelves.

Our 110w Yamaha RX-A1070 has no problem driving all 5 Ascends in a 24'x14'x10' space, and we even cap the max volume at -20db, to try and limit future tinnitus. It's plenty loud, so your 100w Outlaw receiver should also have no issue driving 2x LX's.

If we had the right living space, we'd have gotten the ELX towers for front L/R instead, but in the end, you have to do what's right for your space and budget. I do see the placement challenges in your photo, and feel the pain. I don't feel you can go wrong with the LX's though, even in the shelves. We are now over a year in to owning the Ascends, and just like our vehicles, use them nearly every day. Still zero regrets. Zero.

I believe they also still offer a try before you commit policy, so if you dont like what they're dishing, just send them back within 30 days, and you only cover the shipping.

Best,

Jerome

[jnc]

Thank you Jerome! I think ELX Horizons will be beyond my budget; looks like about $5000 for a pair. I've mainly been considering sub-$1000 bookshelf pairs, but something about the Sierra LX info page really sounded appealing to me. So that's got me now considering investing a bit more. The Outlaw has built-in bass management, so I have had the Polks crossed over at 80 Hz. With Sierra LX maybe it would make sense to lower that to 60 Hz.

[jerome]

Based on measurements Dave and others have done, the LX's do easily play into the low 50Hz before they start dropping off. Here is their frequency/response measurement graph:



The LX's themselves should be able to crossover at 60. You may still prefer 80, or 70, and will still want to test which configurations sounds best in your room. You could even buy a mic, measure the in room response, and use the REW software to equalize specific frequencies, as many others do.

I do also have a dedicated sub (HSU VTF-15H), and experimented with crossing at 60, 70, and 80, and found that for my use with home theatre, it simply sounded better when the sub handled more of the LFE at 80.

If intersted, there's a whole thread full of additional experiences and opinions for the LX's over at ASR. Most agree the LX's have tremendous bass depth, and solid "punch" for a bookshelf. Feel free to peruse:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/f...-review.47294/

Best of luck!