Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 Bookshelf Speaker Review

S

silversurfer

Senior Audioholic
Im sorry dude, but there is no voodoo in this:

OK, I see now, you are being obtuse for some reason. I have a feeling it is because you are an AV123 fan. This is a cool site, I sincerely hope that is not the reason.

That is externally, you have no clue as to how it is wired. Have you read about the crossover? Or do you just look at pictures? :)

No one said voodoo. Just good engineering that you can not get from an automated program.

So back to the question, why do you want to clone a Sierra, or is there a point you are trying to prove or make?
 
Seth=L

Seth=L

Audioholic Overlord
OK, I see now, you are being obtuse for some reason. I have a feeling it is because you are an AV123 fan. This is a cool site, I sincerely hope that is not the reason.
I have never seen cross-over voodoo, so I am not even sure were that even came from.:confused: (I love the word "obtuse":D)
 
S

silversurfer

Senior Audioholic
Seriously, he/she comes into a perfectly good thread , talks about making a clone of the speaker rather than discussing the review, shows pictures of tweeters and crossovers, does not intelligently address anybody that replied to him, talks of voodoo, without once mentioning anything constructive, or even destructive.

Looks like some kind of agenda to me. If you don't like something, come out and say it and discuss it, not degrade the board.
 
B

billnchristy

Senior Audioholic
I said they look like a very nice speaker.

I cannot speak for how they sound because I have not heard them.

As for my comments on the crossover...it is a passive crossover, it cannot do magic.

That does not mean for a second that it is not a good crossover, it certainly looks like it has good components in it, but what I am saying is all those words on the website really don't mean jack to me because it is a standard passive crossover.

Now, what does my liking of a brand of speaker have to do with anything?

Could I say that you being an Ascend fan makes you high and mighty because you sure are acting that way?

Oh and you are right, it looks like they modded the tweeter but I would guess the original model is pretty good.

Lastly, how is building a similar speaker in any way bad? I would think it would be a hommage to a nice design.

Fact is, I like the waveguide tweet, was looking at it before I even saw the Sierra and actually had a pair in my shopping cart. Then I started reading about the sierras and actually figured they were way more expensive than they are...they seem like a pretty good value considering their components and construction.

Now, why is it you insisted to jump me again?
 
MUDSHARK

MUDSHARK

Audioholic Chief
Well written review. As the reviewer suggested I have had the Outlaw sub set to 80 although these speakers output a prodigious amount of bass. I have not heard the fluctuation in the midrange and in fact, consider the mid-range the best quality of these speakers. The tweeter is rather bright initially and room acoustics have a material effect. I hooked the Sierra to my Bryston in the den and noticed a significantly more smooth brass reproduction although not quite to the refined level of my Kappas. My only real difference of opinion concerns the value rating. In my mind, only the Mackie's at 1,200 a pair give a better value of all the speakers inside of $1,500 a pair that I have heard over the last few years.
 
B

billnchristy

Senior Audioholic
Late addition as I didnt answer all your questions, and I am sorry it took me a while, I dont check this site as often as others.

What have I built?

Mostly full range single drivers, a pair of Jordan JX92s, a pair of TB-593s and a matching 5.25" sub.

I have built a set of omnis but the driver quality was low and my X-over skills are not all that great, which is why I am trying to learn. (with great support from my fellow hobbists may I add ;) )

I have built probably 50-60 subs though, I used to install when I was a teenager.

Next project is a tiny sub with 2 mpyre 6.5" to replace my X-sub...after that...who knows?

I really need to finish my HT before any more projects, but they are so much fun.

Sorry to derail this thread too...no more from me, will take to PM.

If anyone in Atlanta has a set of these I would love to hear them and will bring over my Jordans to compare with...which will get seriously whooped in the bass department.
 
Seth=L

Seth=L

Audioholic Overlord
As for my comments on the crossover...it is a passive crossover, it cannot do magic.
Don't take this as an attack or even a retort, but most speakers don't have active cross-overs and I for one didn't expect these speakers to be any different from so many others. What would the merit be of a active/variable x-over in a properly designed and manufactured speaker system? For a DIY I could see it, but not for an engineered speaker system.

Again, not an attack, just not sure where you were going with the x-over not being "active".;):)
 
S

silversurfer

Senior Audioholic
Late addition as I didnt answer all your questions, and I am sorry it took me a while, I dont check this site as often as others.

What have I built?

Mostly full range single drivers, a pair of Jordan JX92s, a pair of TB-593s and a matching 5.25" sub.

I have built a set of omnis but the driver quality was low and my X-over skills are not all that great, which is why I am trying to learn. (with great support from my fellow hobbists may I add ;) )

I have built probably 50-60 subs though, I used to install when I was a teenager.

Next project is a tiny sub with 2 mpyre 6.5" to replace my X-sub...after that...who knows?

I really need to finish my HT before any more projects, but they are so much fun.

Sorry to derail this thread too...no more from me, will take to PM.

If anyone in Atlanta has a set of these I would love to hear them and will bring over my Jordans to compare with...which will get seriously whooped in the bass department.
So you post without reading? There is at least another question you have not answered. I'll wait for the PM.

Single driver speakers and subwoofers are a "bit" different than building a two way speaker.

Yes, take it to PM, it should be interesting.

And I am an Ascend fan? No more than I am an AV123 fan. I am a fan of what sounds good to me, and good value, and for this board, good discussion. It's funny, over on the AV123 thread, you mention "Ascend killer". :)
 
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WmAx

WmAx

Audioholic Samurai
Don't take this as an attack or even a retort, but most speakers don't have active cross-overs and I for one didn't expect these speakers to be any different from so many others. What would the merit be of a active/variable x-over in a properly designed and manufactured speaker system?
A variable slope x-over has it's applications. One of the primary reasons to use one is if the designer wants the target response(on and/or off axis) of one type of crossover, but not the negative side effects(if it's a shallow slope, for example) associated with that topology. As an example: a shallow slope could be used to achieve a specific narrow phase angle change through a certain bandwidth, and then another can be cascaded further into the xover range to increase the slope(to prevent excessive cross-driver interferance off axis, or to reduce upper band resonances, etc.) after a critical pass band to get [most of] the desirable traits from both topologies. While this is never a perfect solution, it can be a good compromise in certain applications.

-Chris
 
Seth=L

Seth=L

Audioholic Overlord
A variable slope x-over has it's applications. One of the primary reasons to use one is if the designer wants the target response(on and/or off axis) of one type of crossover, but not the negative side effects(if it's a shallow slope, for example) associated with that topology. As an example: a shallow slope could be used to achieve a specific narrow phase angle change through a certain bandwidth, and then another can be cascaded further into the xover range to increase the slope(to prevent excessive cross-driver interferance off axis, or to reduce upper band resonances, etc.) after a critical pass band to get [most of] the desirable traits from both topologies. While this is never a perfect solution, it can be a good compromise in certain applications.

-Chris
You need to change your signature to say "The more you know" and there should also be a short audio clip of a short jingle.:D I have never seen/known a single person that has so much knowledge about speakers (at least from what I have seen from your posts.:)).
 
Matt34

Matt34

Moderator
You need to change your signature to say "The more you know" and there should also be a short audio clip of a short jingle.:D I have never seen/known a single person that has so much knowledge about speakers (at least from what I have seen from your posts.:)).
He could have wrote that in Spanish and got the same response out of me. ---->:confused:




:p
 
Seth=L

Seth=L

Audioholic Overlord
He could have wrote that in Spanish and got the same response out of me. ---->:confused:




:p
Are you in the States right now?

If you are, why are you still awake, being awake at this hour means you have no life, perfect example: the guy making this post.:D
 
J

Jason Coleman

Banned
Wow...3 pages and not a single mention of the Sierra.

J.
 
B

billnchristy

Senior Audioholic
SethL,

Yeah I know that just about every speaker uses a passive x-over and it really is the weakness of just about every speaker.

Granted there are some really fine ones out there, and I am sure the Sierra is a true example of that...it has very nice looking components which is a place a lot of manufacturers skimp (yes even av123). But I know a lot of people would be really upset about paying an extra $200 because the crossover has that much in components.

The point about the passives was this:

They all introduce phase issues, they all suck power and due to their basic nature all introduce another problem when you fix another (such as an impedence or spl rise).

Again I would really like to hear some, but I am afraid they would be too bright to me, but definitely would give them a chance!!

Another thing I said on AV123 was:

I like the design, I like the enclosure, the dampening is super cool (I was actually thinking of trying something similar but with steel wool just for kicks), the drivers are great even stock etc...

Oh and the thing about the ascend killer was this:

The upgraded X-LS EX is supposed to match the 340 so I was asking if the upcoming super wave guide was supposed to be a match for the Sierra...most likely I wont touch either one because I didn't like the EX tweeter when I heard it open baffle on the X-statik.

I hope all the hatchets are buried becuase I didnt mean to start a fight. :p
 
S

silversurfer

Senior Audioholic
I hope all the hatchets are buried becuase I didnt mean to start a fight. :p
Well...no hatchet to bury, and you didn't post the "nice" stuff on AV123 until after I busted your chops here. :)

Looks like someone had to correct you about the X-LS EX and 170SE/340SE.

Here was the "killer" comment I was talking about:
I was wondering if the X-SWG is supposed to be a Sierra killer?
It is funny because from what I can tell, the EX and SWG are not even available and you want to compare.

From my reading BTW, it seems the Sierra is more refined in the treble than the 340SE.
 
B

billnchristy

Senior Audioholic
I did say supposed...that means: is that the purpose of this design, to compete with the sierra?

And yeah I do make mistakes...human and all :p
 
S

silversurfer

Senior Audioholic
I did say supposed...that means: is that the purpose of this design, to compete with the sierra?

And yeah I do make mistakes...human and all :p
Well, mention of the SWG was months before the Sierra was announced, so I doubt it.

Why not speculate what the Sierra is suppose to compete with?
 
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billnchristy

Senior Audioholic
I think the Sierra competes with any bookshelf in the 800-1500 dollar range.

That was easy. ;)
 

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