It’s been almost 4 months, so I called Ascend Acoustics today, just to check on the status of my order. I spoke with Dina, and she told me my Sierra 2 build was just completed today. What timing! Right on schedule. She sent me some pictures (see attached). They look just as I had hoped — matte/satin white. Those ribbon tweeters are calling to me. The pair is waiting in line for testing, and should be shipped soon. I am stoked! Ascend been very responsive and personable, and so far working with them has been a very positive experience.
I let her know I saw the Sierra2’s on Massdrop recently, and she made a clear distinction for me. She said those cabinets are made with Asian bamboo. My custom order cabinets are made with American bamboo. Apparently good bamboo has been difficult to come by for the past couple of years. I didn’t know the difference. A friend explained American bamboo has more fibers, and more density than Asian bamboo. This increased density, reduces cabinet resonance and vibrations. He related it to an idea of reducing “cabinet energy”, to isolate the drivers, so their movement more accurately produces the music. The idea of “cabinet energy” is new to me. I am trying to understand this better, so any more information or clarification on this topic would be appreciated.
Additionally, I ordered a pair of IsoAcoustics Aperta stands in silver to mount the Sierra2’s on. I am really looking forward to it.
Next step after this will be upgrading my amplification. Hmmm...
My best,
Shrinky