Aperion Verus Grand and Ascend Sierra Tower

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Piano black gloss...is optional because I believe its hand rubbed...Ascend also offers to do custom finishes for guys with deep pockets(like yourself...lol). The black gloss towers and STC cost $300.00>matte finish and when fitted with the RAAL your looking at ~$4250.00 for the gloss black.

I'd only be speculating but the piano gloss should be pushing 5g's...

Of all the reviews I've read in that GTG thread over at AVS...Archaea's was the only 3rd party review which preferred the Sierra's over the Phils and the ST....how about that folks....

Kudos for Dave & Ascend because he gets so little fanfare compared to some of the other brands.....over at AVS.

I really do think it's a toss up with Philharmonic, Salk, & Ascend as far as midrange & tweeter sound quality - any given day, regardless of price. The difference will be the bass.

To me, it comes down to pricing and aesthetics, which is completely understandable.

 

[cschang]

I really do think it's a toss up with Philharmonic, Salk, & Ascend as far as midrange & tweeter sound quality - any given day, regardless of price. The difference will be the bass.

To me, it comes down to pricing and aesthetics, which is completely understandable.

I don't think it is a toss-up in sound quality...it is more of an understanding of what you are hearing vs what you like.

I have heard the Songtower and the Sierra Tower, and the difference in the midrange is apparent in side by side comparisons with level matched instant switching...they do not sound the same. Both sound great, but unless you are familiar with what you are hearing and/or how it was recorded, you won't know which has a more accurate reproduction.

An example I just thought of is the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium CDs. Those discs, which I love, are well known to be recorded hot, and on an "accurate" system, you can hear the distortion and edginess in the mids, it other systems, that stuff gets more glossed over.

 

[cschang]

Of all the reviews I've read in that GTG thread over at AVS...Archaea's was the only 3rd party review which preferred the Sierra's over the Phils and the ST....how about that folks....

And to clarify...Archaea doesn't own speakers from any of those companies and not familiar with their "sound", although he does own a sub from JTR.

 

[Fowl]

So how much is your Ascend speakers order in matte black finish? $4K?

Or is the $4K for the piano gloss black finish?

The Matte Black is $3918 with the Raal upgrade, no shipping included.

This is for LCR speakers all with the Raals.

 

[cschang]

The Matte Black is $3918 with the Raal upgrade, no shipping included.

This is for LCR speakers all with the Raals.

NICE!

I was in Grand Cayman for a day last summer....that was pretty nice too!

 

[billy p]

The Matte Black is $3918 with the Raal upgrade, no shipping included.

This is for LCR speakers all with the Raals.

Hey Fowl having shipped the Towers to Canada...I had to pay a little extra above the original shipping from Ascend which also included our dreaded 13% HST tax....without going into detail what if any surprises will you encounter shipping to Grand Caymen Islands....

Or you could tell me to buzz...off....

 

[GranteedEV]

Canada...I had to pay a little extra above the original shipping from Ascend which also included our dreaded 13% HST tax....without going into detail what if any surprises will you encounter shipping to Grand Caymen Islands....

Billy please don't say "our"...We ain't got no HST here only 5% GST

 

[billy p]

Billy please don't say "our"...We ain't got no HST here only 5% GST

Alberta....you lucky dawgs....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I don't think it is a toss-up in sound quality...it is more of an understanding of what you are hearing vs what you like.

I have heard the Songtower and the Sierra Tower, and the difference in the midrange is apparent in side by side comparisons with level matched instant switching...they do not sound the same. Both sound great, but unless you are familiar with what you are hearing and/or how it was recorded, you won't know which has a more accurate reproduction.

An example I just thought of is the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium CDs. Those discs, which I love, are well known to be recorded hot, and on an "accurate" system, you can hear the distortion and edginess in the mids, it other systems, that stuff gets more glossed over.

I see.

How come you guys can disagree with me and correct me all day long, yet I never feel offended like I do with some people.

 

[cschang]

I see.

How come you guys can disagree with me and correct me all day long, yet I never feel offended like I do with some people.

Actually...I didn't want it to come across like a correction, but more like viewpoint with some back up.

I just thought of another experience I can share....

5 or 6 years ago, I was given the chance to listen to M&K SS150 speakers (the real ones, not the stuff that is being made now). Those speakers REALLY gave me the insight on how revealing a midrange can be. Obviously, you need to have the recording, but you could hear everything in relationship to the mic/mics. Incredibly revealing when compared to lesser speakers.

But it also puts the thoughts in your head about hearing too much or a speaker being too revealing. If you listen to bad recordings, you wouldn't want something that revealing. Aside from the loudness war, I think technology makes recordings better and better...so give me all that detail in the midrange/treble...I'll take it.

 

[Fowl]

Hey Fowl having shipped the Towers to Canada...I had to pay a little extra above the original shipping from Ascend which also included our dreaded 13% HST tax....without going into detail what if any surprises will you encounter shipping to Grand Caymen Islands....

Or you could tell me to buzz...off....

No problem, I am not shy to explain. I will be sending them to my Freight forwarder in Miami. Who will put them in a container with other stuff that I am buying for my house-doing some renovations- and send them to me.

So I will pay a S&H cost for the freight forwarder, the shipping for the container and the duty will be 20% on the speakers. Not cheap, so I will do it right this time. I am going for for broke and the dog house at the same time

Now you can understand why I worry so much about getting the right speakers. My pocket cant take the stress.

 

[Fowl]

Approval

You guys would never believe this, My wife is in agreement with me getting the Ascends, no dog house

 

[yveletnik]

I don't think it is a toss-up in sound quality...it is more of an understanding of what you are hearing vs what you like.

I have heard the Songtower and the Sierra Tower, and the difference in the midrange is apparent in side by side comparisons with level matched instant switching...they do not sound the same. Both sound great, but unless you are familiar with what you are hearing and/or how it was recorded, you won't know which has a more accurate reproduction.

An example I just thought of is the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium CDs. Those discs, which I love, are well known to be recorded hot, and on an "accurate" system, you can hear the distortion and edginess in the mids, it other systems, that stuff gets more glossed over.

I tried listening to Staduim Arcadium on my SongTowers and it sounded like something was wrong with a mid driver or tweeter. So that explains why.

 

[GoFastr]

Fowl, have you received your Ascends yet?

 

[Fowl]

Fowl, have you received your Ascends yet?

Nope, got the approval from the wife but waiting on some funds. It should have come through a month ago, but delays, delays, delays

 

[razzy]

any report on the ascend sierra's yet? lol

 

[billy p]

any report on the ascend sierra's yet? lol

He decided on the Aperion..in the end....

*** The Official APERION Thread ***

 

[audio1246]

I don't think it is a toss-up in sound quality...it is more of an understanding of what you are hearing vs what you like.

I have heard the Songtower and the Sierra Tower, and the difference in the midrange is apparent in side by side comparisons with level matched instant switching...they do not sound the same. Both sound great, but unless you are familiar with what you are hearing and/or how it was recorded, you won't know which has a more accurate reproduction.

An example I just thought of is the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium CDs. Those discs, which I love, are well known to be recorded hot, and on an "accurate" system, you can hear the distortion and edginess in the mids, it other systems, that stuff gets more glossed over.

Hi Curtis. Which one do you think sounded the most natural?

 

[Tomorrow]

You know...I just breezed through this thread, so I may have missed something. But I did not see it mentioned, nor anyone asking about the OP's room size or music preferences. That could have impacted your suggestions. Just a thought.

If the OP is still with us...I just want to add that I own or have auditioned varying models of all the manufacturers outlined in this thread. You really can't go wrong with any of them, especially if you get the RAAL tweeter. Yeah, it's that good. If you did indeed get Aperions, they are pretty darn good too, though, and you should be quite happy with their performance relative to the EMPs.

 

[Tomorrow]

Doh, nevermind. I see that this thread is ancient. (Like me. )