SVS MBS-01 vs. Ascend Sierra-1

[ChicagoLR3]

So I've come to the conclusion that a good pair of bookshelf speakers are probably better than a medicore pair of towers. I've narrowed it down to these two which are both presently on sale. the MBS are $750 and the Sierra in natural are $688. Does anyone have experience with these? Or can anyone recommend a substitute in the same price range?

Use will be 80% home theater approx, and I love the clarity of Martin Logan.

 

[ChicagoLR3]

No one? wow.

Well, for what its worth I've decided to get the Sierra-1's. Basically, they have a slew of reviews touting them as the best thing since sliced bread under $1,000, and the MBS has one pro review I could find, and that one largely focused on the sub that came with the system.

I plan on powering it with a HK 3490, and hopefully down the line, upgrading my blu-ray to an Oppo 83 to take advantage of the digital input. It's quite a change from a year ago when I had my heart set on a Aperion 6T's powered by a SC-25, but....

thoughts?

 

[bandphan]

I plan on powering it with a HK 3490, and hopefully down the line, upgrading my blu-ray to an Oppo 83 to take advantage of the digital input.

thoughts?

Congrats on some great speakers. What are you saying with the above statement about the digital input?

 

[just listening]

The Sierra 1's or the 6B's would make an excellent choice and offer up tremendous bang for the buck. Just get a good pair of stands that can be sand-filled.

 

[ChicagoLR3]

From what i read in the review on this site, the 3490 has a digital input and good internal DAC's. The review implied its would be a great way to get superior sound from ordinary players by allowing the receiver to convert the raw signal. My current blu-ray doesnt have digital outputs and reguarly pisses me off for a variety of reasons.

Can anyone recommend a good set of stands or even wall mounts? also, since the sierra-1's are rear ported, are wall mounts even recommended?

 

[j_garcia]

The newly updated Sierras? I haven't heard the Sierras at all, but having heard the CMT340SE and CBM170SE, I'd have to say they are a good choice.

I don't recommend wall mounting for any speaker really, ported or not.

The Oppo will have as good or better DACs than most receivers. I can tell you, even on the base SE, the DACs are quite good.

What do you mean you have a blu-ray player without a digital out? That seems almost impossible? It has HDMI and analog but no optical or coaxial out?

 

[bandphan]

From what i read in the review on this site, the 3490 has a digital input and good internal DAC's. The review implied its would be a great way to get superior sound from ordinary players by allowing the receiver to convert the raw signal. My current blu-ray doesnt have digital outputs and reguarly pisses me off for a variety of reasons.

Can anyone recommend a good set of stands or even wall mounts? also, since the sierra-1's are rear ported, are wall mounts even recommended?

The DACs in the 83 are certainly are pretty damn good

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/transports/high-definition-dvd-players-hd-dvd-blu-ray/oppo-bdp-83-universal-blu-ray

 

[ChicagoLR3]

I cant comment that it doesnt have a coax out, but i know it doesnt have a optical out. Its just a cheap samsung blu-ray we bought the same time as our TV. I would very much like to throw it off our balcony.

Would i gain anything from using the DAC's in the 3490 as opposed to in the 83? or should i save the optical for our cable box?

 

[j_garcia]

I would most likely use the optical for the cable box and analog for the Oppo. I doubt you will gain anything by using the DACs in the 3490 vs the Oppo. The Oppo sounds very good in analog so I wouldn't worry about using it via digital.

The Oppo will have as good or better DACs than most receivers. I can tell you, even on the base SE, the DACs are quite good.

I said SE but I meant the base 83

 

[ichigo]

Sorry for the necro lol but I just found this thread while contemplating which speaker to buy.

The MBS-01s use $220/ea tweeters.
The Ascend Sierra-1s use $60/ea tweeters
The Swan D2.1SE use $20/ea tweeters.

These monitors all cost in the same price range.

You would think based on this the SVSs would mop the floor but for some reason they don't do too well at the Audio GtGs.

 

[its phillip]

ichigo: If the GTGs don't have the speakers level matched and tested blind, I wouldn't say they're fair comparisons anyway

Of course, people will like whatever they like, and there isn't anything particularly wrong with that. I just think it's possible that people are being influenced by the hype of other speakers and already think they will sound better in comparison to the SVS.

 

[j_garcia]

My speakers use $24 tweeters and they sound excellent. Just because you have an expensive driver doesn't guarantee a great speaker. GTGs aren't always the best judge of speakers, and speaker are a personal preference, so really the only way is to hear them yourself unfortunately.

 

[Warpdrv]

We did a head to head with both those speakers and the Sierra's came out on top over the SVS's, and that was with the older tweeter which seemed veiled rolling off on the highend a touch more then was acceptable for a few at the gtg. We couldn't seem to get the SVS's to put out a very good sound stage with all the different placements we tried as well as trying them with a parasound pre instead of the receiver we chose...... the SVS's honestly were ok but it was always easy to identify that the sound was coming from the box. We tried them in multiple rooms with different equipment and nothing seemed to change the nature of the beast...

I have heard the new Ascend Towers at a recent gtg with Salk Songtowers, Salk HT2-TL's and my Sig S8's...

All were very good speakers - but I will say that I even preferred the extremely balanced nature of the Salks in the midrange over my S8's... The Ascends didn't disappoint either but IMO just can't seem to be as good to my ears then the Salks... The Salks however can't hold a candle to the Sigs when it comes to seriously high output and power handling. I have an extremely large and open room and I need all the output I can get at times, so the Sigs will remain.... OTOH - my bedroom system could end up with some changes over to the new yet to be released Salk soundscape surround speakers Jim is working on...

The new tweeter in the Ascends was much better then the older one now IMO....


Disclaimer - I purchased the SVS's and ended up returning them as I just didn't care for them as much as I tried to like them.

 

[ichigo]

The old driver on the MBS-01s is the hyped aircirc which is $220/ea on parts sites. Although maybe the problem was they just thought to throw in an expensive off-the-shelf driver--(thinking like subwoofer guys?). The new tweeter is still from Tymphany so I assume it's similar but customized.

Still I want to hear what an expensive tweeter sounds like...wonder if I should jump on a b-stock mbs-01.

 

[davef]

Hi Ichigo,

Sorry for the necro lol but I just found this thread while contemplating which speaker to buy.

The MBS-01s use $220/ea tweeters.
The Ascend Sierra-1s use $60/ea tweeters
The Swan D2.1SE use $20/ea tweeters.

These monitors all cost in the same price range.

You would think based on this the SVSs would mop the floor but for some reason they don't do too well at the Audio GtGs.

The tweeters we use in the stock Sierra-1 are customized to our specifications and the price you listed, while probably reasonable for your comparison, is not what a consumer would pay for them if they were able to purchase one (our version is only available through us.)

That being said, it would be a mistake to judge the overall performance of a speaker based on the retail price of the tweeter (or woofer). Dunlavy succesfully used sub $10 tweeters (the OEM cost at that time) in some of his most famous models...

The old driver on the MBS-01s is the hyped aircirc which is $220/ea on parts sites. Although maybe the problem was they just thought to throw in an expensive off-the-shelf driver--(thinking like subwoofer guys?). The new tweeter is still from Tymphany so I assume it's similar but customized.

Still I want to hear what an expensive tweeter sounds like...wonder if I should jump on a b-stock mbs-01.

There would be little, if any, similarities between the ScanSpeak Aircirc tweeter and the Tymphany tweeter being used in the new MBS-02. ScanSpeak and Tymphany went their separate ways quite some time ago and ScanSpeak owns the patent on the aircirc technology. http://www.scan-speak.dk/news/20090421a.pdf

The new tweeter in the MBS-02 looks like a version of the classic Vifa DX25. http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-1020

Quite inexpensive compared to the aircirc but a VERY good tweeter and, IMO, a very good choice by SVS.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

I own MTS-01's and the MCS-01 but not the MBS-01. I like them very much. The high end is a little reserved and the mid-range a little laid back which means you can listen for endless hours and not get fatigued. They are also very good with movie dialog. Voices are nice and clear. IMO. That being said I can't recommend them because I'm not you...with your ears or tastes. I can say they are worth a listen but...

 

[cschang]

I have heard the new Ascend Towers at a recent gtg with Salk Songtowers, Salk HT2-TL's and my Sig S8's...

Warp...just to point out that the crossover in the Ascend Tower has been revised for production. Hope you can get a listen at merrymaid's soon.

 

[Warpdrv]

Will this be a new xover for MerryMaids speakers, as I have already listened to them..... Was a great day of fun with the usual guys...

I wasn't aware there was to be another change after they were delivered to him... Haven't spoken with Brandon for a bit now...

 

[cschang]

Will this be a new xover for MerryMaids speakers, as I have already listened to them..... Was a great day of fun with the usual guys...

I wasn't aware there was to be another change after they were delivered to him... Haven't spoken with Brandon for a bit now...

Yes...Brandon installed them this past week.

I am very interested in what you think.

 

[billy p]

Yes...Brandon installed them this past week.

I am very interested in what you think.

I just read his comments over at the froum and it sounds like the redesigned crossover help to refine and smooth out any minor issues which were related to the original xover. I'm already chomping at the bit upgrading to the towers but for now I'm content enjoying my 1's....