Short answer: the Ascend Sierra 1 v2. It ranks #3 of 34 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1000; the Dayton Audio OPAL1 ranks #16 and costs $1038.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Ascend Sierra 1 v2 offers: Formaldehyde-free layered bamboo ply cabinet with a 1” dome tweeter over a 5.25” midwoofer, mated by a 4th-order acoustic crossover rather than a stock textbook design. Watch for: F3 of 55Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean in-room extension tops out in the mid-40s Hz; the reviewer still recommends a subwoofer for full-range material.
What the Dayton Audio OPAL1 offers: A 2-way bookshelf speaker with a 5.25” mid-woofer (large surround) and a 1” dome tweeter, plus two passive radiators on the rear panel. Watch for: Measured average sensitivity is notably low at about 75.7dB - well under the 78dB spec - due to a nearly 3dB dip through the midrange, and the reviewer needed serious amplification (monoblock power amps, not just a compact…
Buy the Ascend Sierra 1 v2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Dayton Audio OPAL1 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ascend Sierra 1 v2 | Dayton Audio OPAL1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1000 | $1,038.99 |
| Ranked | #3 of 34 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #16 of 34 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 30Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 55Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.2"H x 7.5"W x 10.5"D (361.9 x 190.5 x 266.7 mm) | 14"H x 7"W x 9.5"D |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal (4.3 ohms minimum @ 4.4kHz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 81.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 75.7dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner; 78dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 5.25" proprietary mineral-filled polypropylene cone with cast aluminum frame woofer, 26mm aluminum/magnesium alloy dome tweeter with titanium former (SEAS Titan) | 5.25" mid-woofer, 1" dome tweeter, dual rear passive radiators |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs / 8.4 kg each | 20.8 lbs each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | passive radiator, rear (dual) |
| Frequency Response | - | 32Hz - 20kHz (-3dB, half-space, manufacturer specified) |
| Power Handling | - | 200W RMS (75-200W recommended amplifier power) |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 2,200Hz |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Philharmonic Ceramic Mini
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Zaph Audio ZA5.2 TM
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Audiofirst Fidelia
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Tekton Troubadour
The Two Speakers In Full
Ascend Sierra 1 v2: $1000 Ascendacoustics
Pros: Formaldehyde-free layered bamboo ply cabinet with a 1” dome tweeter over a 5.25” midwoofer, mated by a 4th-order acoustic crossover rather than a stock textbook design. In-room response is extremely linear - the reviewer called it “textbook” - a clear step up from the earlier V1, which had boxiness around 700Hz-1kHz and sibilance around 4-6kHz. Preference score of 8.4 with a subwoofer (6.8 without), which the reviewer calls topnotch. Wide, even horizontal radiation of about ±70° up to 6kHz. Better vertical directivity than its tweeter-to-woofer spacing would suggest, thanks to the steep 4th-order crossover slopes. No mechanical noise, port chuffing, or woofer bottoming even driven to 96dB/1m. In a three-way comparison against the Dynaudio Emit 20 and a Revel bookshelf model (all around $1,000/pair), measured as the most linear of the three and was the reviewer’s personal pick over both, despite the Dynaudio’s deeper bass and higher output capability. Independent ASR Klippel measurements corroborate Erin’s findings: superb off-axis response with only slight on-axis variations, and an in-room response the reviewer called “incredibly smooth and accurate - amazing for a non-DSP speaker.” Distortion above 200Hz at 86dB/1m is very low for the class.
Cons: F3 of 55Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean in-room extension tops out in the mid-40s Hz; the reviewer still recommends a subwoofer for full-range material. Diffraction dips appear around 3kHz and 5-6kHz, and the 1” dome tweeter starts beaming above roughly 6.7kHz, narrowing the soundstage radiation in the top octave - a straightforward consequence of dome size rather than a design flaw. At 96dB/1m the 5.25” midwoofer shows increased distortion in the midrange, likely tied to motor topology; high-passing to a subwoofer around 80Hz largely clears it up. Moderate sensitivity (~81-82dB average) with a 7-ohm minimum impedance. ASR’s power-sweep testing found response holds steady up to 96dB SPL/1m, but pushing to 102dB causes midbass below 400Hz to sag with distortion “through the roof” - a harder output ceiling than the 96dB tests alone suggest. Vertical directivity also narrows above about 1kHz, so the reviewer recommends staying at tweeter-axis height for best results.
Full Ascend Sierra 1 v2 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.2"H x 7.5"W x 10.5"D (361.9 x 190.5 x 266.7 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.25" proprietary mineral-filled polypropylene cone with cast aluminum frame woofer, 26mm aluminum/magnesium alloy dome tweeter with titanium former (SEAS Titan) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 81.5dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs / 8.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: NEW! Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2 Review
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Ascend Sierra 1 v2
- Audio Science Review Ascend Sierra 1 v2
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 5 AWESOME SPEAKERS Under $1000 You Won’t Regret
- Erin’s Audio Corner: I Tested 250 Speakers So You Don’t Have To!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top Picks of 2023: Must-Haves Under $3000
- Reddit Search for Ascend Sierra 1 v2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs KEF LS50 Meta
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Philharmonic Ceramic Mini
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Arendal 1961 Monitor
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Audiofirst Fidelia
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Moondrop M4P MTM
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Emotiva B1+
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Wharfedale Super Denton
- See all 17 comparisons
Dayton Audio OPAL1: $1,038.99 Dayton Audio
Pros: A 2-way bookshelf speaker with a 5.25” mid-woofer (large surround) and a 1” dome tweeter, plus two passive radiators on the rear panel. A bass shelf in its response lets it sit closer to a wall than many speakers without sounding overly boomy, a similar design trait to the KEF R3 Meta. Measured F3 of about 55Hz and F10 of about 30Hz. Harmonic distortion is good for a 5.25” mid-woofer at both 86dB and 96dB output, and dynamic range/compression is reasonably well controlled up to about 96dB. Horizontal radiation of about ±60° lands right in the reviewer’s personally preferred range for soundstage width. On-axis, the sound is a little forward-leaning rather than dull, and EQ can bring back midrange fullness and a bigger sense of image spread if the stock tuning’s slightly recessed midrange isn’t to your taste.
Cons: Measured average sensitivity is notably low at about 75.7dB - well under the 78dB spec - due to a nearly 3dB dip through the midrange, and the reviewer needed serious amplification (monoblock power amps, not just a compact streaming amp) to drive them to real listening levels for bass testing. On-axis response is within only about ±3dB (a 6dB window) - not very linear - with a mid-range scoop and a bump around 1kHz that makes the sound a bit forward and less full than a neutral reference; EQ can address most of this but makes the image slightly more diffuse in exchange for added fullness. A roughly one-octave-wide diffraction dip between 3-5kHz can’t be corrected with EQ, since boosting it raises reflected energy in a band that’s already elevated off-axis. Top end rolls off fairly quickly above about 10kHz on-axis, and toeing the speakers out more than about 10° loses noticeable air and cymbal/hi-hat detail - best kept close to on-axis. Multitone distortion jumps substantially between 87dB and 96dB SPL/1m, so headroom for loud listening is limited. Vertical window is tight at about ±20°.
Full Dayton Audio OPAL1 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 30Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2,200Hz |
| Dimensions | 14"H x 7"W x 9.5"D |
| Drivers | 5.25" mid-woofer, 1" dome tweeter, dual rear passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 32Hz - 20kHz (-3dB, half-space, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (4.3 ohms minimum @ 4.4kHz, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Power Handling | 200W RMS (75-200W recommended amplifier power) |
| Sensitivity | 75.7dB (measured by Erin's Audio Corner; 78dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 20.8 lbs each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator, rear (dual) |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons