Short answer: the Ascend Sierra 1 v2 for better sound quality, the Klipsch RP-500M II for the lower price. The Ascend Sierra 1 v2 ranks #3 of 34 bookshelf speakers at $1000. The Klipsch RP-500M II ranks #8 at $479.99, $520.01 cheaper.
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 Klipsch RP-500M II offers: Major mid-range clarity improvement over the original RP-500M: about a 5dB fill-in between 1-3kHz in the estimated in-room response, giving a noticeably more resolved, detailed midrange. Watch for: Klipsch’s quoted sensitivity (around 92-93dB) uses an unconventional in-room-based rating rather than the standard anechoic measurement; on an anechoic basis it measures closer to about 85dB, in line with typical bookshelf…
Buy the Ascend Sierra 1 v2 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Klipsch RP-500M II if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ascend Sierra 1 v2 | Klipsch RP-500M II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1000 | $479.99 |
| Ranked | #3 of 34 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #8 of 34 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 67Hz (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) | 13.6"H x 6.8"W x 10.6"D (344.4 x 173 x 270.5 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal, 3.3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 81.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| 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" Cerametallic™ cone woofer with Faraday rings, 1" LTS Titanium diaphragm tweeter with Hybrid Cross-Section Expanded Tractrix® horn |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs / 8.4 kg each | 13 lbs / 5.9 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | ported, rear |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1530Hz |
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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 |
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- 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 Wharfedale Super Denton
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- See all 17 comparisons
Klipsch RP-500M II: $479.99 Amazon
Pros: Major mid-range clarity improvement over the original RP-500M: about a 5dB fill-in between 1-3kHz in the estimated in-room response, giving a noticeably more resolved, detailed midrange. More neutral and linear overall than its sibling RP-600M II, which carries about 2-3dB more high-frequency energy and a touch more bass but less overall balance. Very precise soundstage imaging and instrument placement. Distortion through the midrange is cleaner than the previous generation.
Cons: Klipsch’s quoted sensitivity (around 92-93dB) uses an unconventional in-room-based rating rather than the standard anechoic measurement; on an anechoic basis it measures closer to about 85dB, in line with typical bookshelf speakers this size, so it isn’t the outlier in efficiency the spec sheet implies. Horizontal dispersion of about ±40-50° is narrower and more directive than the reviewer’s preference for a wider, more enveloping soundstage. Toeing the speaker out to widen the soundstage or soften on-axis brightness comes at some cost to imaging precision. Slightly less clean in the tweeter region than the midrange, likely tied to crossover placement, though not considered a dealbreaker. Low-frequency output is limited - measured around 95dB at 4 meters for the pair before the woofers started to unload, so a subwoofer is recommended for anyone wanting real bass rather than stepping up to a larger model.
Full Klipsch RP-500M II review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 67Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1530Hz |
| Dimensions | 13.6"H x 6.8"W x 10.6"D (344.4 x 173 x 270.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.25" Cerametallic™ cone woofer with Faraday rings, 1" LTS Titanium diaphragm tweeter with Hybrid Cross-Section Expanded Tractrix® horn |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 3.3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 13 lbs / 5.9 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Klipsch RP-500M II vs Moondrop M4P MTM
- Klipsch RP-500M II vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1
- Klipsch RP-500M II vs Arendal 1961 Monitor
- Klipsch RP-500M II vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2
- Klipsch RP-500M II vs KEF LS50 Meta
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