Part of it OCD driven for perfection and the other half is knowing that I want to move to a smaller place within a year. Keeping 90 lb lsim towers and the boxes were not in the cards when I decided to switch. I had originally decided on the KEF LS50 bookshelves given the great reviews then stumbled upon Ascend Sierra 2's given the strong comparisons between the two.
I like the Ascends and would recommend anyone looking for a solid speaker to check them out. I like the fact that Ascend tests and measures every speaker before it goes out the door. The bamboo cabinets are gorgeous. Most importantly, I hear parts of music I felt the lsims were masking. The Ascend Sierra 2's can be loud and accurate without being harsh which is a big win in my book. I feel I hear the exact moments the musical instrument stops playing or when the singer changes tone. It was a wierd feeling at first because the sound seemed flat, but it was really the agile tweeter not muffling/adding extra to the sound.
I am still playing with the placement as when I A/B'ed them against my old speakers, the Ascends were sitting on my coffee table and sounded beyond amazing. Now in their homes where the towers used to be near the wall, I am still tweaking placement due to the rear port.
