Ascend Acoustics new speaker - Sierra 2EX

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Grateful Ed, Nov 30, 2019.

  1. Isaac K.

    Isaac K. Forum Resident

    Thanks. I just realized that the price for the upgrade parts is per speaker. I just bought my Sierra-1s in February so I wasn’t ready to upgrade yet anyways. It’s going to be a few years.
     
    mike catucci likes this.
  2. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Hey Ed,

    Thanks for your thoughts! Very helpful and making my decision a bit more challenging :).
     
    Grateful Ed likes this.
  3. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    Interesting to hear, but a little difficult to digest given the towers' dedicated mid-range and better efficiency.
     
    Grateful Ed likes this.
  4. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    This review looks to have been before the 2-EX was released. Says the towers mid-range was clearer and soundstage better, but overall the reviewer preferred the sound of the 2EX.

    If I could properly clean up the mid-range by off-loading the low-end via bass management/high-pass filter, so that the 2EXs are dealing with less bass and focusing on the highs and mids, I'd probably go for the 2EX+dual subs.

    Ascend Sierra 2Ex Mini-Review
     
    Grateful Ed likes this.
  5. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vermont
    The high efficiency of the tower is really attractive. One could get away with spending a lot less on an amp and still get very high SPL. That said, I have no problem getting the volume I want (and I do like to listen at high volume) from my 40wpc NAD / Sierra 2-EX combo and sitting over 10ft away - unless it’s a very quietly mastered CD, and then I’ll just digitally amplify it before listening.
     
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  6. mike catucci

    mike catucci Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Yep I don't disagree. Just passing on what more then one or two members commented. That said, the EXCEL Curv that SEA's created must be really something special.
     
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  7. SteelyNJ

    SteelyNJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
  8. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Well I ended up buying a used pair of Sierra-2s in satin espresso off of Audiogon. It worked out real well as the seller lives 45 minutes north of me and will be in my area tomorrow. I look forward to setting them up to go along with a Yamaha A-S1000 integrated amp that arrived today :).
     
  9. bdfin

    bdfin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington State
    While the Sierra 2EX are supposed to be awesome, I have three standard Sierra 2 that I did kit upgrades on from the S1 which I still have for surrounds. They certainly are no slouch, and if you just have to meet up to get em, and save shipping I would say it's worth it as I assume they are less $ money than new also, so sounds like a good score. Let us know what you think.
     
    Bill Mac likes this.
  10. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    I've really been going back-and-forth about whether to go with the EXs or towers (or, God help me, Horizons as monitors). The main problem is my amp is vintage and it's a pain in the butt to try integrate/connect a sub, let alone bass manage so that the low end goes to the subwoofer leaving the EXs to handle to mids and highs.

    The easy way (and what I had been doing previously) was using speaker level ins and out on a Polk subwoofer. Amp to sub to monitors. Was fine enough but I never knew if it was my amp driving the sub and monitors or the amp in the sub doing it. (Amp was active).

    Given my insistence on both having a sub and making sure my mids, highs and lows are properly separated I guess I should go with the towers (deals with the separation) and just use the RCAs on a preamp to simultaneously integrate a sub-which would be using its own amp rather than my external one.

    Ideally I'd like my external amp to be driving everything and I've heard there can me timing issues by feeding the sub separately via RCAs, but it seems that's the compromise I'll have to make, unless I could verify that my external amp would drive my sub and monitors using by connecting it to the subs speaker level ins and outs (and that by doing this I could send low-end to the sub only so the monitor would handle the mids and highs).

    I wish all these new subwoofers would have an easy way to connect vintage amps and monitors simultaneously.
     
  11. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vermont
    Just another thought - the 2EX is over $1000 less than the RAAL towers. You could use that extra $1000 to buy a modern amp with proper subwoofer connections and solve all of your problems...
     
    Tim S likes this.
  12. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    Yes I thought of that. But I love my amp. I'd rather spend the money on (very efficient) 3-way speakers and use my amp. Afterall, the consensus is that the EXs are "close" to the towers-not better. I'd rather have a dedicated mid-range driver and go from there.

    I'm just a little miffed that subwoofer manufacturers wouldn't really think that audiophiles may be using vintage amps. That seems like it'd be a given. To me, it stands to reasons that anyone spending big money on a subwoofer might be into vintage gear too.
     
    Grateful Ed likes this.
  13. bajaed

    bajaed Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I wonder if they will be doing an EX tower?
     
  14. ds58

    ds58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston MetroWest
    If you’re open to DSP, I use a miniDSP SHD as a pre-amp into a Luxman R-117 receiver. I love the R-117, but it doesn’t do any bass management. In the SHD, you can set the crossover manually, or use DIRAC room correction. It’s hooked up to the CD in of the Luxman using direct mode (bypasses the tone controls, etc.), and sum the left and right bass into the subwoofer.

    I use it for USB, optical and LAN, but it also has analog in.

    I checked the info on your profile, but I’m not sure if you are using a pre-amp, or how many sources you need. Just an idea, good luck!

    (I’m very close to buying the Ascend towers, BTW...)
     
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  15. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    No pre-amp at the moment but I'll be using a Schitt Saga shortly after the New Year. So I think I'll just go with the towers and try to integrate a sub via the pre-amp RCAs.
     
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  16. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    At the moment, "officially", No. Dave at Ascend has said "If it ain't broke..." But he has mentioned making custom towers which cost so much that he hasn't considered them for mass production (or his scale of mass production anyway). But I've got to imagine he's still cooking something in the kitchen. None of those start-ups rest on their laurels.

    EDIT: I also remember when the original Sierra-2s came out and people asked if he'd be implementing those new woofers in a new version of his towers and Dave said there'd be no improvement in the towers using those woofers. However, I have not heard denials that the EX2 woofers wouldn't improve the towers.

    It's my own gut feeling that there may be improvements to the towers coming, which is another reason why I'd rather go with the EX2 + sub at the moment. It'd make it'd easier to upgrade to new towers if they come. Going from tower to tower in short succession would be a harder pill to swallow. But such is life in the auidophile world! :agree:
     
    Grateful Ed likes this.
  17. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    If I go with the EX2s I may do this. But that extra cost pretty much equals the towers. :laugh:
     
    ds58 likes this.
  18. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I have the Sierra-2s all setup and they sound excellent! They are a great match with the Yamaha A-S1000 integrated amp. Quite a nice improvement over the Salk Surround Is that they replaced. I have no doubt the Sierra-2EXs sound even better but for now the Sierra-2s will be just fine :).
     
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  19. mike catucci

    mike catucci Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA

    Congrats Bill! Glad you are enjoying them.
     
    Bill Mac likes this.
  20. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Thanks Mike! Listening to the CSN (couch album) Audio Fidelity CD and it sounds incredible. Have it cranked with plenty of low end impact, clarity and great imaging. Wooden Ships is playing and the backing/harmony vocals seem to be out beyond the speakers. So glad I didn't pass on these speakers!
     
  21. mike catucci

    mike catucci Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Yea those ribbon tweeters are something else when it comes to clarity. The highs just seem to float outside the speaker. I remember really researching that woofer that Dave had SEAS make before I purchased mine and it is a very capable speaker that caters to the midrange. I think Dave cuts the crossover lower (or is it higher?) to reflect that and the sound is stunning. I miss mine for sure.
     
  22. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vermont
    Just a heads up for anyone still looking - Ascend’s Thanksgiving sale has begun and the 2-EX is $200 off!
     
  23. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vermont
    I can’t recall for the Sierra-2, but for the 2-EX, Dave cut the crossover higher since the new Excel woofer can extend higher than the old woofer. I was surprised at how much this opened up the performance of the RAAL tweeter - which was amazing given how open, airy and clean the performance of the Sierra-2 already was.
     
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  24. Grateful Ed

    Grateful Ed Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vermont
    When in the sweet spot the imaging of these speakers is fantastic! One of my favorite things about them.
     
  25. dislocatedday

    dislocatedday Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC
    This new sale is tempting me. I have had the original Sierra-2s for over 6 years now. I still love them. Every once in a awhile I will pull out a couple of my older speaker pairs just to compare them to the Sierra-2s and it is not even close to my ears. The Sierra-2s are hands down much better to my ears.

    I had thought of doing the 2-EX upgrade on them, but it just seems like such a waste to pull out the already excellent Seas Curv woofers from them and just have them sit there with no use. I also have 2 very capable subs I integrate with them, so I do not need the extended bass of the 2-EXs, but so many people keep talking about the improvements in midrange and upper frequency clarity that it tempts me. I can't even really imagine how it can be improved from what I am hearing now with the standard 2s, but I believe it is noticeable based on what you and others have said (including Dave, the owner of Ascend).

    If I do decide to buy the 2-EXs, I could move the Sierra-2s to surround duty which is kind of overkill for speakers this good. I currently use the Ascend CBM-170se speaker for my surrounds (...and these are superb for $350 BTW...).
     

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