Short answer: the Ascend Sierra 1 v2 ranks #3 of 34 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1000; the Tekton Troubadour ranks #13 at $1000. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
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 Tekton Troubadour offers: Offset in-phase array of 2x 5.25” mid-woofers and 3x 1” dome tweeters gives good on-axis linearity (within about ±2.5 dB) and a wide vertical listening window (about ±20°), so seating height isn’t fussy. Watch for: Forward, elevated upper-midrange presentation from increased off-axis energy in the 2-8 kHz range, centered around 4 kHz, that can read as hot or aggressive depending on the room and listener; a couple bands of EQ can tame it.
Buy the Ascend Sierra 1 v2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Tekton Troubadour at the same price, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ascend Sierra 1 v2 | Tekton Troubadour | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1000 | $1,000 |
| Ranked | #3 of 34 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #13 of 34 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 51Hz (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) | 21"H x 13.5"W x 9"D (533 x 343 x 229mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 3.6 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 81.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, 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) | 2x 5.25" mid-woofers, 3x 1" dome tweeters (offset in-phase array) |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs / 8.4 kg each | 32 lbs (32 lbs / 14.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | - |
| Country of Origin | - | USA |
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- KEF LS50 Meta vs Zaph Audio ZA5.2 TM
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Philharmonic Ceramic Mini
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Audiofirst Fidelia
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Dayton Audio OPAL1
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 Klipsch RP-500M II
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Wharfedale Super Denton
- See all 17 comparisons
Tekton Troubadour: $1,000
Pros: Offset in-phase array of 2x 5.25” mid-woofers and 3x 1” dome tweeters gives good on-axis linearity (within about ±2.5 dB) and a wide vertical listening window (about ±20°), so seating height isn’t fussy. Bass extension is solid for a stand-mount this size: F3 around 51 Hz, F10 around 39 Hz, with distortion staying below 3% THD down to about 40 Hz at 96 dB. Made in the USA. Asymmetrical tweeter/mid-woofer placement broadens horizontal dispersion versus a conventional symmetric layout.
Cons: Forward, elevated upper-midrange presentation from increased off-axis energy in the 2-8 kHz range, centered around 4 kHz, that can read as hot or aggressive depending on the room and listener; a couple bands of EQ can tame it. Multitone distortion climbs to about 10% around 1 kHz at higher output, attributed to the 4-inch mid-range drivers. Because the driver layout is offset rather than mirror-imaged, left/right placement and toe-in matter more than with a standard symmetric bookshelf design.
Full Tekton Troubadour review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Dimensions | 21"H x 13.5"W x 9"D (533 x 343 x 229mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 5.25" mid-woofers, 3x 1" dome tweeters (offset in-phase array) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.6 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 88dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 32 lbs (32 lbs / 14.5 kg) each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons