Buying Advice: Please help Compare Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EXL Towers vs Focal Sopra N1 vs Perlisten S4B

[rimmi2002]

Hi all,


I’m looking for guidance on my next speaker upgrade and would really appreciate your advice—especially if you’ve had firsthand listening experience with the following: Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EXL Towers + Horizon Center, Focal Sopra N1, or the Perlisten S4B.


My current setup:

• Front LCR: Ascend Acoustic Sierra 2 (original 2015 version)
• Subwoofers: Dual Rythmik FV18s
• Room: My room is 30ft wide x 15ft long x 10ft tall, with the speakers about 12ft from my main listening seat. There’s a fair amount of space, and I’m interested in how each contender might fill the room or throw a convincing image at this distance.
• Listening Habits: 50% Movies, Streaming show. 50% music videos on youtube (no pure music listening), but I like my bass to be tight/articulate/punchy (not boomy)

I’ve been very happy with my system for years. But recently, I got to listen to my cousin’s Focal Sopra 2.1 setup with Paradigm XR13 sub and was blown away. The imaging, musical instrument separation, and clear vocals made orchestral movie soundtracks sound incredibly lifelike, almost as if I were in the concert hall. The bass was deep and articulate (his sub was definitely helping), but what really stood out was how the entire presentation felt more holographic and immersive.

I didn't know sound could sound so good, so he has ruined by current system for me.


What I value:

• Clean, open midrange and vocals (not recessed)
• Wide, accurate soundstage with great imaging and instrument separation
• Impactful but not boomy bass (I rely on my subs for deep bass anyway)
• Non-fatiguing/neutral-to-warm sound (I’m sensitive to excessive brightness)
• Good value for money—appreciate bang-for-buck, but willing to stretch if it’s truly worth it

Contenders:

• Ascend Sierra 2EXL Towers w/Horizon Center (I already like the house sound and value, but not sure how much of a leap this is over my Sierras)
• Focal Sopra N1 (loved what I heard, but it’s expensive—however, I’ve found reputable eBay dealers selling these new for roughly the same price as the Perlistens)
• Perlisten S4B (impressive reviews, THX Dominus certified, neutral and dynamic, but very pricey for a bookshelf)

My big questions:

1) For anyone who has auditioned or owned any of these, how does the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EXL Tower stack up sonically against the Focal Sopra N1 and Perlisten S4B (recognizing the Focal/Perlisten are standmounts)? Specifically interested in real-world impressions around midrange, imaging/soundstage, and overall musical engagement—especially for movie soundtracks and concert recordings.

2) Also, are the Focal or Perlisten upgrades truly "night and day" over the Ascends, or is it more a matter of taste and room matching?

3) Within the Ascend line I chose the Towers with Horizon center because its a three way design with a separate woofer for mid range. In your opinion will these speakers be a big step up from my current Sierra 2.


Would love any thoughts about:

• Strengths/weaknesses of each for my use-case
• Differences you noticed in warmth/brightness, transparency, and fatigue long term
• Whether you think the jump in price to Sopra/Perlisten is justified (for music AND movies)
• Any other models you’d recommend in this price/quality bracket

Thanks so much for any detailed feedback or comparisons—demos are limited in my area, so personal experience really helps!

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi all,


I’m looking for guidance on my next speaker upgrade and would really appreciate your advice—especially if you’ve had firsthand listening experience with the following: Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EXL Towers + Horizon Center, Focal Sopra N1, or the Perlisten S4B.


My current setup:

• Front LCR: Ascend Acoustic Sierra 2 (original 2015 version)
• Subwoofers: Dual Rythmik FV18s
• Room: My room is 30ft wide x 15ft long x 10ft tall, with the speakers about 12ft from my main listening seat. There’s a fair amount of space, and I’m interested in how each contender might fill the room or throw a convincing image at this distance.
• Listening Habits: 50% Movies, Streaming show. 50% music videos on youtube (no pure music listening), but I like my bass to be tight/articulate/punchy (not boomy)

I’ve been very happy with my system for years. But recently, I got to listen to my cousin’s Focal Sopra 2.1 setup with Paradigm XR13 sub and was blown away. The imaging, musical instrument separation, and clear vocals made orchestral movie soundtracks sound incredibly lifelike, almost as if I were in the concert hall. The bass was deep and articulate (his sub was definitely helping), but what really stood out was how the entire presentation felt more holographic and immersive.

I didn't know sound could sound so good, so he has ruined by current system for me.


What I value:

• Clean, open midrange and vocals (not recessed)
• Wide, accurate soundstage with great imaging and instrument separation
• Impactful but not boomy bass (I rely on my subs for deep bass anyway)
• Non-fatiguing/neutral-to-warm sound (I’m sensitive to excessive brightness)
• Good value for money—appreciate bang-for-buck, but willing to stretch if it’s truly worth it

Contenders:

• Ascend Sierra 2EXL Towers w/Horizon Center (I already like the house sound and value, but not sure how much of a leap this is over my Sierras)
• Focal Sopra N1 (loved what I heard, but it’s expensive—however, I’ve found reputable eBay dealers selling these new for roughly the same price as the Perlistens)
• Perlisten S4B (impressive reviews, THX Dominus certified, neutral and dynamic, but very pricey for a bookshelf)

My big questions:

1) For anyone who has auditioned or owned any of these, how does the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EXL Tower stack up sonically against the Focal Sopra N1 and Perlisten S4B (recognizing the Focal/Perlisten are standmounts)? Specifically interested in real-world impressions around midrange, imaging/soundstage, and overall musical engagement—especially for movie soundtracks and concert recordings.

2) Also, are the Focal or Perlisten upgrades truly "night and day" over the Ascends, or is it more a matter of taste and room matching?

3) Within the Ascend line I chose the Towers with Horizon center because its a three way design with a separate woofer for mid range. In your opinion will these speakers be a big step up from my current Sierra 2.


Would love any thoughts about:

• Strengths/weaknesses of each for my use-case
• Differences you noticed in warmth/brightness, transparency, and fatigue long term
• Whether you think the jump in price to Sopra/Perlisten is justified (for music AND movies)
• Any other models you’d recommend in this price/quality bracket

Thanks so much for any detailed feedback or comparisons—demos are limited in my area, so personal experience really helps!

I haven't heard any of those, but by the look of it the Perlisten aces the others.

However, I have to ask: - Why are you so hung up on bookshelf speakers? You end up putting them on stands anyway and the space is much better devoted to a larger more capable speaker anyway. A sub does not properly address the issue as the major bass power band is way above sub range.

A bookshelf system however exotic will always be compromised in a space like yours.

Also I take it your speakers are set against the long wall as you say the room is wider than it is long. May be I'm not understanding that correctly. But the speakers need to be on one of the 15'walls and not the 30' walls. If that is how you have it, then that is a big problem which needs correcting before you consider more speakers.

 

[rimmi2002]

I haven't heard any of those, but by the look of it the Perlisten aces the others.

However, I have to ask: - Why are you so hung up on bookshelf speakers? You end up putting them on stands anyway and the space is much better devoted to a larger more capable speaker anyway. A sub does not properly address the issue as the major bass power band is way above sub range.

A bookshelf system however exotic will always be compromised in a space like yours.

Also I take it your speakers are set against the long wall as you say the room is wider than it is long. May be I'm not understanding that correctly. But the speakers need to be on one of the 15'walls and not the 30' walls. If that is how you have it, then that is a big problem which needs correcting before you consider more speakers.

That the same problem. I haven't listened to any of them either I guess except for Sopra (the most expensive of the bunch).

Main reason for going for bookshelf for Perlisten and Focal is that there is a large price difference between bookshelf and Tower speakers. For example S5T are ~$16k a pair and S4B are ~9k a pair...hoping that pairing them with my sub will make up the difference in bass.

Footprint is also different: For example (if correct) S4B Depth is only 7.3" vs. S5T is 15.8. This makes placement easier along the Wrong (long wall). I will have to treat the room to fix it, but the room is multipurpose and I can't really mess with positioning of the movie screen and hence speakers. So yup they are along the long wall, firing towards the short distance across 15' isntead of 30'.

 

[TLS Guy]

That the same problem. I haven't listened to any of them either I guess except for Sopra (the most expensive of the bunch).

Main reason for going for bookshelf for Perlisten and Focal is that there is a large price difference between bookshelf and Tower speakers. For example S5T are ~$16k a pair and S4B are ~9k a pair...hoping that pairing them with my sub will make up the difference in bass.

Footprint is also different: For example (if correct) S4B Depth is only 7.3" vs. S5T is 15.8. This makes placement easier along the Wrong (long wall). I will have to treat the room to fix it, but the room is multipurpose and I can't really mess with positioning of the movie screen and hence speakers. So yup they are along the long wall, firing towards the short distance across 15' isntead of 30'.

You have one of the most common misconceptions. Using a sub will NOT make up for the lack of bass in a bookshelf, particularly in a large space like yours. The reason is that the bass decades extend up to 400 Hz at least and I think actually a bit higher. If you listen to a speaker cut off at 500 Hz it sounds like all bass, and speech is essentially unintelligible.

If you play a sub and nothing else, all you hear is low intensity booming and woofelling. You won't hear is trace of 'snap' that people claim subs have. That effect comes from carful integration and balance of speakers.

Your other problem is that room. You won't cure your problem with room treatments. If you hang a bunch of sound deadening on the walls you risk just that a dead room.

Your biggest upgrade would be to solve your architectural/interior design problem. I say that, as I think the speakers you have, are in fact very decent speakers, with good European made drivers. I would bet that what is really at fault is your application.

Pictures of your room would be really helpful.

I fear you are about to spend a ton of money and it won't solve your problem. The integration of the space and equipment is a big and crucial part of the total design.

I realize this is not easy, but you have to approach this as a total design problem, and not expect just one change to bring you audio nirvana.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My current setup:

• Front LCR: Ascend Acoustic Sierra 2 (original 2015 version)
• Subwoofers: Dual Rythmik FV18s

I’ve been very happy with my system for years. But recently, I got to listen to my cousin’s Focal Sopra 2.1 setup with Paradigm XR13 sub and was blown away.

1. You were comparing 2 different room acoustics. His room acoustics may be better than your room acoustics. Also, if his room is smaller than your room, that could cause his bass to sound better than your bass.

2. Your comparison was not a blind-test, so looking at his much more expensive and prettier system could cause bias - people may prefer the system that costs a lot more and looks a lot more expensive, prettier and bigger.

3. Your current bookshelf speakers are smaller than his speakers, so his speakers could have more dynamics. If you had 61" big towers, your 61" towers may sound a lot better (and bigger) than his much smaller bookshelf speakers.

 

[rimmi2002]

You have one of the most common misconceptions. Using a sub will NOT make up for the lack of bass in a bookshelf, particularly in a large space like yours. The reason is that the bass decades extend up to 400 Hz at least and I think actually a bit higher. If you listen to a speaker cut off at 500 Hz it sounds like all bass, and speech is essentially unintelligible.

If you play a sub and nothing else, all you hear is low intensity booming and woofelling. You won't hear is trace of 'snap' that people claim subs have. That effect comes from carful integration and balance of speakers.

Your other problem is that room. You won't cure your problem with room treatments. If you hang a bunch of sound deadening on the walls you risk just that a dead room.

Your biggest upgrade would be to solve your architectural/interior design problem. I say that, as I think the speakers you have, are in fact very decent speakers, with good European made drivers. I would bet that what is really at fault is your application.

Pictures of your room would be really helpful.

I fear you are about to spend a ton of money and it won't solve your problem. The integration of the space and equipment is a big and crucial part of the total design.

I realize this is not easy, but you have to approach this as a total design problem, and not expect just one change to bring you audio nirvana.

Thank you. You make many excellent points. My thoughts on them, along with photos of my room, are below. I know room dynamics likely also played a big role in how my cousin's sounded compared to mine.

Before you gasp at the room’s layout, please keep in mind that I know the setup is far from ideal—the speakers fire in the wrong direction, I sit just 18–24” from the wall, and the speakers are mounted high (though they are angled toward ear level on the couch). It’s our bonus room where we spend most of our free time, so I have to be mindful of my spouse’s preferences. I’m stuck with the configuration and trying to make the best of it through room treatments and possibly upgrading speakers, if that would help.

Picture below and my thoughts at the bottom:

1. Bookshelf vs. Tower Speakers – I agree and understand that the “punch” from the bass comes from the 50–110Hz range, and bass extends up to 500Hz. That’s why I’ve considered the Ascend Towers to flank the screen. The tricky part will be the center speaker—it will still need to go above or below the screen and be angled to ear level. My bass currently sounds best (and actually quite good) when I set the crossover at 150Hz, highlighting how the bookshelves can’t keep up with bass. Surprisingly, even with such a high crossover, I still can’t localize the bass source.
2. Room issues – I’ve done quite a bit of EQ. I know it doesn’t solve everything, but it actually sounds really good to most people (and did to me) until I heard an even better setup. Now I think I just have the itch to upgrade and see how much I can improve.

My recent project has focused on room treatments: As an experiment, adding nine batts of Safe’n’Sound covered in cloth in one corner (visible in the photos near the large windows opposite the computer desk) has already made the bass much tighter and punchier. I also re-timed and phase-aligned the subs with the front left/right, which helped noticeably.

1. My goal is simply to get the best sound possible within the limits of my room and system. I can’t change the seating position, though I might be able to move the couch forward by about a foot.
2. Room treatment goals (separate from this thread): I’m planning large porous bass traps in each vertical corner and 4.5” wall traps with Safe’n’Sound on the wall behind and above the speakers to minimize reflections. Ideally, I’d like to build these DIY, since buying commercial options is pricey everywhere I check.

I know I’m limited in what I can do, but I’m considering all options.

Some basic REW measurement comparing my system to the REW measurements I did of other systems below:

My Room SPL curve and RT60M time Curve:

Red - Mine Rt60 with no Treatment + MY SPL curve for that with Both subs and All 5 speakers
Purple - Mine RT60 with first batch of trial treatment (see below for details) + MY SPL curve for that with Both subs and All 5 speakers
(Calibrated with Dirac Lives, Subs + (Subs + Fronts) Time/Phase aligned with REW with multiple manual PEQs used to flatten response from ~30-70hz.

I know my bass is high, but I like listening like this. Vocals are still very intelligible with this.

Cyan --> Friend with 2.1 setup 2x Focal Sopra and Paradigm sub15 (older version of XR13); Bar none the best system I have ever heard Bass and Vocals. Better than any theater. (Manually calibrate with no EQ) Very irregular room tough to describe. He is using some top of the line AMP and Preamp as well.


Blue --> ignore for this converssatoin.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thank you. You make many excellent points. My thoughts on them, along with photos of my room, are below. I know room dynamics likely also played a big role in how my cousin's sounded compared to mine.

Before you gasp at the room’s layout, please keep in mind that I know the setup is far from ideal—the speakers fire in the wrong direction, I sit just 18–24” from the wall, and the speakers are mounted high (though they are angled toward ear level on the couch). It’s our bonus room where we spend most of our free time, so I have to be mindful of my spouse’s preferences. I’m stuck with the configuration and trying to make the best of it through room treatments and possibly upgrading speakers, if that would help.

Picture below and my thoughts at the bottom:


View attachment 74305


View attachment 74308


View attachment 74309

1. Bookshelf vs. Tower Speakers – I agree and understand that the “punch” from the bass comes from the 50–110Hz range, and bass extends up to 500Hz. That’s why I’ve considered the Ascend Towers to flank the screen. The tricky part will be the center speaker—it will still need to go above or below the screen and be angled to ear level. My bass currently sounds best (and actually quite good) when I set the crossover at 150Hz, highlighting how the bookshelves can’t keep up with bass. Surprisingly, even with such a high crossover, I still can’t localize the bass source.
2. Room issues – I’ve done quite a bit of EQ. I know it doesn’t solve everything, but it actually sounds really good to most people (and did to me) until I heard an even better setup. Now I think I just have the itch to upgrade and see how much I can improve.

My recent project has focused on room treatments: As an experiment, adding nine batts of Safe’n’Sound covered in cloth in one corner (visible in the photos near the large windows opposite the computer desk) has already made the bass much tighter and punchier. I also re-timed and phase-aligned the subs with the front left/right, which helped noticeably.

1. My goal is simply to get the best sound possible within the limits of my room and system. I can’t change the seating position, though I might be able to move the couch forward by about a foot.
2. Room treatment goals (separate from this thread): I’m planning large porous bass traps in each vertical corner and 4.5” wall traps with Safe’n’Sound on the wall behind and above the speakers to minimize reflections. Ideally, I’d like to build these DIY, since buying commercial options is pricey everywhere I check.

I know I’m limited in what I can do, but I’m considering all options.

Some basic REW measurement comparing my system to the REW measurements I did of other systems below:

My Room SPL curve and RT60M time Curve:

Red - Mine Rt60 with no Treatment + MY SPL curve for that with Both subs and All 5 speakers
Purple - Mine RT60 with first batch of trial treatment (see below for details) + MY SPL curve for that with Both subs and All 5 speakers
(Calibrated with Dirac Lives, Subs + (Subs + Fronts) Time/Phase aligned with REW with multiple manual PEQs used to flatten response from ~30-70hz.

I know my bass is high, but I like listening like this. Vocals are still very intelligible with this.

Cyan --> Friend with 2.1 setup 2x Focal Sopra and Paradigm sub15 (older version of XR13); Bar none the best system I have ever heard Bass and Vocals. Better than any theater. (Manually calibrate with no EQ) Very irregular room tough to describe. He is using some top of the line AMP and Preamp as well.


Blue --> ignore for this converssatoin.


View attachment 74311View attachment 74310

The speakers are not only up high but on their sides. That set up is a total lost cause and needs a complete rethink and redesign. I can only imagine how limited the sound is. Also these subs are turned up way, way too high. So, you have bad ceiling reflections and the polar response of the speakers is 90 degrees off axis from what it should be.

Do you have another room you could use?

I hope we have stopped you buying more speakers. You could buy the best in the world, but with that room and layout it would still be dreadful.

If you want to use that room to make the best of a bad job, then you need a smaller TV so you can get tower speakers either side of the screen and also put a center below the screen and preferably not a horizontal MTM.

I feel faint after looking at those pictures!

I'm sorry to be blunt, but the only way to describe that is an AV horror show.

 

[rimmi2002]

1. You were comparing 2 different room acoustics. His room acoustics may be better than your room acoustics. Also, if his room is smaller than your room, that could cause his bass to sound better than your bass.

2. Your comparison was not a blind-test, so looking at his much more expensive and prettier system could cause bias - people may prefer the system that costs a lot more and looks a lot more expensive, prettier and bigger.

3. Your current bookshelf speakers are smaller than his speakers, so his speakers could have more dynamics. If you had 61" big towers, your 61" towers may sound a lot better (and bigger) than his much smaller bookshelf speakers.

1. You were comparing 2 different room acoustics. His room acoustics may be better than your room acoustics. Also, if his room is smaller than your room, that could cause his bass to sound better than your bass.

Agree—room acoustics definitely play a role. Funny thing: my cousin took me to his Focal dealer, and I listened to a 2.0 setup with Focal Utopia Towers (over $100K for the pair). They sounded about the same as my setup—my bass was actually better, since they didn’t use a sub (which, with those large speakers, you’d expect wouldn’t be necessary). It’s likely due to poor calibration and the room acoustics affecting the sound.

2. Your comparison was not a blind-test, so looking at his much more expensive and prettier system could cause bias - people may prefer the system that costs a lot more and looks a lot more expensive, prettier and bigger.

Not a blind test, but this is an easy tell. I have heard tons of systems. Have been into audio gear 20+ yrs. His setup was just awesome. Even my wife, who doesn't care about sound much, tells me our sound is not so good at all after hearing that (so I have a bit of green light to do room treatments / buy speakers). For context, In the past, I was forced to throw away the "beautiful" acoustic wall panels I made because they irritated my spouse. My point is, a person who generally doesn't care for sound so much appreciated that sound so much that she is allowing me to make modifications which were never before possible. So that sound that we heard was real and amazing.

I am just stuck in a dilemma if it's the room or the speakers or what percentage each played a role. I have no local dealers with this stuff. No way to audition it in my space...so it's a lot of money to throw on speakers to just find out because of my room they don't sound much different or marginally better than what I have.

Your current bookshelf speakers are smaller than his speakers, so his speakers could have more dynamics. If you had 61" big towers, your 61" towers may sound a lot better (and bigger) than his much smaller bookshelf speakers.

Yup, hence the thought of asking the group for their opinion on AA Towers vs. Sopra/or Perlisten bookshelf speaker offerings. I can't afford Focal/Perlisten towers unless I find a good deal on a used pair.

 

[rimmi2002]

The speakers are not only up high but on their sides. That set up is a total lost cause and needs a complete rethink and redesign. I can only imagine how limited the sound is. Also these subs are turned up way, way too high. So, you have bad ceiling reflections and the polar response of the speakers is 90 degrees off axis from what it should be.

Do you have another room you could use?

I hope we have stopped you buying more speakers. You could buy the best in the world, but with that room and layout it would still be dreadful.

If you want to use that room to make the best of a bad job, then you need a smaller TV so you can get tower speakers either side of the screen and also put a center below the screen and preferably not a horizontal MTM.

I feel faint after looking at those pictures!

I'm sorry to be blunt, but the only way to describe that is an AV horror show.

Lol, I warned you about the room before I posted the pics. I know there are some hardcore audio rules that I am violating. But the thing I have learned about rooms over time is that they all have their own behavior, and sometimes you don't know if something works until you try. Especially if you are stuck with my type of setup .


Sometimes stupid stuff works or isn't as much of a deal breaker as you think, but I know there will always be some limitations if you violate these tenets of audio systems.


So here is the interesting thing: despite how it looks, it does actually sound pretty good. So far, the only setup that I have heard among all friends, family members, and showrooms that beats mine hands down is a system that has been down this rabbit hole to begin with. (Now I also admit I have not heard high-end Focal/B&W, etc. systems till now, but I never ever before thought about purchasing them). Perhaps my reply above to AcuDefTechguy will provide some more perspective.


So I get it, my room setup sucks... the good thing is it's in my house... so I can experiment with things that improve things. There has been a dramatic improvement in bass with the little bit of room treatment experiment and redoing FR+FL Subs Phase alignment with REW + minidsp.

For perspective: If the bass I heard at my cousin's was a 10/10, mine was a 5/10 before and now its a 7/10 where I sit (seat #1) and an 8/10 where my wife sits (Seat #2) with some experimental treatment + EQ changes.


My bass is high, but I'm a bassaholic and like loud clean bass. It is still very clean above 50 Hz and blends well with the system.


My RT60 times really shoot up below 60-70 Hz and I have always felt my low end (below 50 Hz-ish) is a bit boomy. I'm not sure if that high level is because I am playing my subs too loud (which then it should be up to 150 Hz which is the crossover) or because of the room and me sitting next to the wall or because there is high floor noise in measurements.

Another unconventional thing that worked for me was setting the crossover at 150 Hz. I reached this number by testing many different configurations in REW, and this looked the best and ended up sounding the best after I tried them all. So even though it’s an unusually high number, in the end it sounds really good on this system in this room. My feeling is that it’s either my bookshelves can’t produce enough bass to fill the room below 150 Hz, or their positioning next to the wall/ceiling is causing a lot of SBIR. Regardless, it works, so I stuck with it.

 

[TLS Guy]

Lol, I warned you about the room before I posted the pics. I know there are some hardcore audio rules that I am violating. But the thing I have learned about rooms over time is that they all have their own behavior, and sometimes you don't know if something works until you try. Especially if you are stuck with my type of setup .


Sometimes stupid stuff works or isn't as much of a deal breaker as you think, but I know there will always be some limitations if you violate these tenets of audio systems.


So here is the interesting thing: despite how it looks, it does actually sound pretty good. So far, the only setup that I have heard among all friends, family members, and showrooms that beats mine hands down is a system that has been down this rabbit hole to begin with. (Now I also admit I have not heard high-end Focal/B&W, etc. systems till now, but I never ever before thought about purchasing them). Perhaps my reply above to AcuDefTechguy will provide some more perspective.


So I get it, my room setup sucks... the good thing is it's in my house... so I can experiment with things that improve things. There has been a dramatic improvement in bass with the little bit of room treatment experiment and redoing FR+FL Subs Phase alignment with REW + minidsp.

For perspective: If the bass I heard at my cousin's was a 10/10, mine was a 5/10 before and now its a 7/10 where I sit (seat #1) and an 8/10 where my wife sits (Seat #2) with some experimental treatment + EQ changes.


My bass is high, but I'm a bassaholic and like loud clean bass. It is still very clean above 50 Hz and blends well with the system.


My RT60 times really shoot up below 60-70 Hz and I have always felt my low end (below 50 Hz-ish) is a bit boomy. I'm not sure if that high level is because I am playing my subs too loud (which then it should be up to 150 Hz which is the crossover) or because of the room and me sitting next to the wall or because there is high floor noise in measurements.

Another unconventional thing that worked for me was setting the crossover at 150 Hz. I reached this number by testing many different configurations in REW, and this looked the best and ended up sounding the best after I tried them all. So even though it’s an unusually high number, in the end it sounds really good on this system in this room. My feeling is that it’s either my bookshelves can’t produce enough bass to fill the room below 150 Hz, or their positioning next to the wall/ceiling is causing a lot of SBIR. Regardless, it works, so I stuck with it.

Some people will be happy with poor sound.

Clearly your data shows it is not good sound.

150 Hz crossover can work, but ONLY if you have the subs in proximity to the speakers that they are crossed over from. You can see that you have an enormous null centered on 150 Hz your crossover point. So you have a massive antiphase condition at crossover. This is a wide null also extending from 80 Hz to 500 Hz.

All I can say is that most people would hate that system. I would for sure.

You obviously had your "ears opened" when you heard your cousins system. I can assure you that only a fraction of a percent was because they were better speakers. I can bet almost all of it was due to set up.

You are welcome to convince yourself that you have a good system, but your own data says otherwise, and forcefully.

 

[shadyJ]

I haven't heard the Ascend speakers, but I have spent time with the Sopra No.1 and Perlisten S4b. Both are terrific speakers. I would say that the Sopras are the ones to get if you aren't using a subwoofer, but the Perlistens are the ones to get if you are using a sub. The Perlisten speakers will have a big advantage in dynamic range, but they give up low-frequency extension to achieve that.

 

[TLS Guy]

I haven't heard the Ascend speakers, but I have spent time with the Sopra No.1 and Perlisten S4b. Both are terrific speakers. I would say that the Sopras are the ones to get if you aren't using a subwoofer, but the Perlistens are the ones to get if you are using a sub. The Perlisten speakers will have a big advantage in dynamic range, but they give up low-frequency extension to achieve that.

Shady, this chap is a lost cause. They way his system is, it will make no difference and be a total waste of money.