2. speakers
  3. 1263565995

Ascend Sierra 1 Reference vs. Era D5

Anybody familiar with these monitors who can compare their sound? Both are extremely well reviewed and similarly priced. I have a smallish listening room, about 15 x 13 with an 8 foot ceiling. I have good amplification: a Manley Shrimp tube pre, feeding a Bel Canto S300 (150 w/channel into 8 ohms).

I value detail, neutrality, soundstage and imaging. I don't listen to music incredibly loud. Steely Dan, James Taylor, Joe Jackson, Paul Simon, some orchestral stuff and jazz, a little rock. I have a pair of Ohm Walsh 100's that I'm quite happy with, but I've got the itch to hear what a pair of good monitors would sound like in my room.

Thanks for any insights.
rebbi
newbie13
242 posts
 
ProAc monitors(Tablette?) sonic signature is what the Sierra 1s remind me the most of.
paulsax
275 posts
 
hey loomis no squall at all. I merely was surprised at the tinny and such comments as that is maybe the first time I've heard that particular comment associated. Now as I am not tied to my speakers and am a big boy I take criticism of them as it is given and considering the factors involved one mans treasure is another's garbage. I was just puzzled, thats all. Other that that I could not agree more with the listen to everything ethos, especially while removing all the variables that it is possible to remove.
loomisjohnson
1,900 posts
 
i've made a mental note to audition the eras again to ascertain whether i'm delusional, which is certainly possible. when i heard them previously, they were paired in a dealer showroom with a really good integrated (i believe a classe) and music server, so i don't think the associated gear or room setup was the issue, but obviously system synergy can be quirky. paulsax et. al., feel free to rip me any time--after most of my marriages, public pillorying would seem like club med.
bondmanp
1,781 posts
 
Rebbi - If all you want to do is satisfy your curiousity, try to find someone local who owns decent monitors and have them bring them over to your place.

That said, I highly doubt you're gonna have any kind of an epiphany when you go from the Ohms to a small, inexpensive monitor, unless that epiphany is what an incredible value the Ohms are, and that there is no replacement for displacement, even in modest sized rooms. I also doubt you'll find any speaker, of any size, under $5K, with better detail retreival that is not fatiguing and overly-bright. Just MHO, YMMV, of course.
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
Bondmanp,

You may very well be right, especially since I upgraded my electronics, which have the Ohms singing at a new level. But I am curious. This audiophile thing is as much a disease as a hobby sometime, as you know.

I think you should copyright the phrase "there's no replacement for displacement" now, before somebody else grabs it. ;-)
More to discover