Ascend Sierra-1 V2 Speaker Review

[Marin]

Can you link to the list of things admissible/not admissible for a speaker labelled as NFS optimized? I was not aware of such a thing.

NFS optimased but how much?
As far as I understand it should be as flat as possible in the frequency range that is disegn to play,have controlled directivity in addition to other basic rules like correct minimum phase in the crossover area, extended bas response etc.
Until we see how this FR was measured, it is impossible to speculate why there was a drop in the crossover area....
Not to mention how the machine could have made a mistake in measuring full range speaker,and showing the result as consisting of midrange and treble so all these measurements should be taken with a grain of salt... especially filters EQ recommendations.

 

[kyuu]

Not to mention how the machine could have made a mistake in measuring full range speaker,and showing the result as consisting of midrange and treble so all these measurements should be taken with a grain of salt... especially filters EQ recommendations.

Uh, no. The machine is not making any mistakes. The Klippel NFS is extremely well vetted. The measurement you are looking at has no purpose except to show relative levels at different SPLs. The frequency response in that graph is meaningless. It is not representative of the speaker's true FR. That's what the actual spinorama is for.

 

[Marin]

Uh, no. The machine is not making any mistakes. The Klippel NFS is extremely well vetted. The measurement you are looking at has no purpose except to show relative levels at different SPLs. The frequency response in that graph is meaningless. It is not representative of the speaker's true FR. That's what the actual spinorama is for.

It is possible that this speaker has specific radiation.We never saw the driver.
But how can you say that the grand total of Klipel's measurements is meaningleas?
Which one do you think is the right anechoic FR?

 

[PristineSound]

So I went on the 11th Edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary to look up the definition of the word Passion, here's what came back:

There is no conceivable way we will ever recoup our expenditure for the NFS, nor do I care.

Even if I were retired from Ascend, I would have still made this purchase as this is simply what I do. If eventually something better replaces the NFS, and assuming I am still fit enough to lift speakers - I will be purchasing that device as well.

All kidding aside, clearly Ascend is doing something very right.

I have my own testimony about the Ascend ELX and how it's a true end game speakers, but since it's not about the Sierra, I won't comment about it here, instead I will point you to where I commented.

In fact, I had specifically requested that this customer avoid sending his speaker to Amir after he informed me that was his intention. Why did I request that? For specifically this reason of crazy nit-picking that can sometimes occur here.

That is a very unfortunate situation. I suspect many manufacturers feels this way. I must admit, I too am just as critical. I think we all forgot about engineering trade off's and are chasing perfection a rock bottom prices. And in this case critiquing a little sticker.

 

[Fabsen]

Hey, I own the speakers and have a question, but maybe it is not right to ask here?

I have the speakers since May 2024, bought a UMIK-1 in Feb 2025 to set an EQ for the Room and just recently noticed elevated distortion levels for 75dB (C) for one(right) speaker (I did not pay attention to distortion measurement before):

So, I am not an expert but it looks kind of high and wrong (for the ~2khz-10khz region)?
I asked Ascend Acoustics and was informed that this looks like it is coming from the electronics or it is simply noise. Is it correct, that it could not be the speaker?

I measured with another source, another DAC, different cables, tried both channels of my amp individually, different positions in the room but this issue still happens with the right speaker.
What do you think?

Setup: Win11 -> Topping DX 5 ->(XLR to TRS) Topping PA 5 II

 

[Matt_Holland]

Check all the screws and nuts are tight.
If you play sine waves through the speakers is the distortion audible at the relevent frequencies in the form of buzz/rattle? If so, can you identify the source of the buzz/rattle with the problem sine wave playing?

 

[PristineSound]

Hey, I own the speakers and have a question, but maybe it is not right to ask here?

I have the speakers since May 2024, bought a UMIK-1 in Feb 2025 to set an EQ for the Room and just recently noticed elevated distortion levels for 75dB (C) for one(right) speaker (I did not pay attention to distortion measurement before):
View attachment 467681

So, I am not an expert but it looks kind of high and wrong (for the ~2khz-10khz region)?
I asked Ascend Acoustics and was informed that this looks like it is coming from the electronics or it is simply noise. Is it correct, that it could not be the speaker?

I measured with another source, another DAC, different cables, tried both channels of my amp individually, different positions in the room but this issue still happens with the right speaker.
What do you think?

Setup: Win11 -> Topping DX 5 ->(XLR to TRS) Topping PA 5 II

So you measured both speakers and only one have this issue? Swap the channels of the amp (only, do not switch channels on other electronics), repeat measurements. If the same speaker has the distortion then it's not the electronics.

If the speaker distortion changes, then it's one of your electronic components.

 

[Fabsen]

Thank you. All the screws that are reachable for me are tight.
I played the problematic areas using a tone generator and could hear additional sound (noise) coming from the right speaker.
Swapped the channels of the amp and same issue, both by ear and by measurement. Makes me sad

 

[Matt_Holland]

Thank you. All the screws that are reachable for me are tight.
I played the problematic areas using a tone generator and could hear additional sound (noise) coming from the right speaker.
Swapped the channels of the amp and same issue, both by ear and by measurement. Makes me sad

Could you make a video where the noise is audible and swap the speaker cable over to the other speaker with no noise, and send that to the manufacturer.

 

[PristineSound]

Thank you. All the screws that are reachable for me are tight.
I played the problematic areas using a tone generator and could hear additional sound (noise) coming from the right speaker.
Swapped the channels of the amp and same issue, both by ear and by measurement. Makes me sad

Chance of the speaker cables being bad are low, but worth a try.

After you try switching out the cable, try it one more time, with just one channel connected from source all the way to the amp. Then try connecting only one channel (the same channel, from the amp to both speaker one at a time. If the problem is persistent with just the same speaker, then it's highly likely the speaker.

 

[Vuki]

Check if it is the tweeter or the woofer that distorts. Then switch left and right distorting drivers just to be sure it is a driver and not crossover or some mechanical source of distortion. Then if necessary replace the driver.

 

[Matt_Holland]

@Fabsen has done more than enough testing to prove it’s speaker related. My money is on a tweeter problem, but could be confirmed by removing the tweeter from the cabinet and testing it with pure tones to remove the cabinet and fixings from the equation. Depending on how long the tweeter cables are you might need to hold the tweeter with your hand whilst testing.

 

[Fabsen]

Thanks for the good hints @Vuki and @Matt_Holland! I was not aware that I could theoretically do this.
I will wait for what Ascend Acoustics suggests, because I do not want to perform any unauthorized action and void my warranty (not sure if this is the case but just to make sure). But I sent in the video and asked if we can pinpoint it to maybe reduce transportation costs from and to Germany

 

[Vuki]

Measure each driver nearfield (left/right fr&hd) and compare...

 

[Toshiba191]

How does the Sierra-1 V2 compare to the new AsciLab C6B? Does anyone have experience? I'm not sure which one to buy and would be happy for advice.

 

[staticV3]

How does the Sierra-1 V2 compare to the new AsciLab C6B? Does anyone have experience? I'm not sure which one to buy and would be happy for advice.

You can compare the two side-by-side here:

Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2 Speaker Review

Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2 Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

AsciLab C6B Review

AsciLab C6B Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

The biggest differences are in directivity and multitone distortion:



The C6B plays cleaner and has more controlled off-axis response.

 

[Beave]

How does the Sierra-1 V2 compare to the new AsciLab C6B? Does anyone have experience? I'm not sure which one to buy and would be happy for advice.

Based entirely on a review of their measurements, both are good speakers in their price range, each with a few pros and cons compared to the other.

The AsciLab appears about 4-5dB higher sensitivity than the Ascend, meaning it will be 4-5dB louder at a given volume setting on your amp/receiver.

To play them both at the same loudness would require more voltage from the amp for the Ascend than for the Ascilab.

However, the tradeoff is that the AsciLab's impedance is quite a bit lower, meaning it will be drawing more current from your amp at a given volume setting.

Both appear to have similar bass reach.

Both have good on axis and off axis response, but are different.

The AsciLab is a little flatter (better) on axis than the Ascend.

Off axis, horizontally, the AsciLab is smoother, with less diffraction, but it is quite a bit narrower in dispersion in the low to mid treble (2kHz to 8kHz) region. The Ascend's dispersion is quite a bit wider but not quite as smooth. Which is better would depend on placement (how near to walls? how reflective are the walls?) and also on personal preference and maybe even the recording. Pros and cons to each.

Off axis, vertically, the AsciLab seems to give you a wider range of angles where the response stays good. The Ascend requires you to sit with ears pretty close to the tweeter axis.

Harmonic Distortion is pretty comparable for both - good overall, but neither can do low bass very loud without some distortion.

Multitone distortion is better for the AsciLab.

Compression is pretty comparable too, with neither being able to do bass very loud. The AsciLab is a bit better in mid to upper bass at loud levels, but both would benefit greatly from a subwoofer if you plan on playing any bass heavy content at anything above a modest level.

So, overall, I think they're fairly similar, both a good choice, with the biggest differences being the higher sensitivity of the AsciLab and the wider treble dispersion of the Ascend.

 

[Toshiba191]

Thank you so much for the quick and very informative response. I will think about that.

I was a bit confused. In Erin's review and top list the C6B is the best and game changing for it's price. But in another video, the Sierra was prefered over the C6B and other speakers:

I guess they are pretty similar and in the end it comes down to personal preferences. So I might have to listen to them for myself.

 

[testp]

Thank you so much for the quick and very informative response. I will think about that.

I was a bit confused. In Erin's review and top list the C6B is the best and game changing for it's price. But in another video, the Sierra was prefered over the C6B and other speakers:

I guess they are pretty similar and in the end it comes down to personal preferences. So I might have to listen to them for myself.

im not sure Erin reviewd C6B, he did review C6C i think, but could be wrong, going from memory..

+ the thing about videos and reviews is timeline and pricepoints.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

not sure Erin reviewd C6B, he did review C6C i think, but could be wrong, going from memory..

C6B