Ascend SE Owner's Thread - Page 105

That could be done. The room is w/in the attic and I have access to the back side of all walls except the front.

Any sound issues etc w/ putting a wall mount "in" the wall?

Great info. Thanks.

Have you had a chance to set up the speakers and give them a listen? Inquiring minds want to know.

right now i am using the 340SE's (LCR) and 170SE's as surrounds
what do u guys think if i buy another set of 340SE's ,replace the 170SE's with them and move the 170's to back surrounds?
so i am going from 5.1 to 7.1

i am also using an Outlaw LFM-1 EX

What do u think?

I think you need another sub, too !

another coming soon

Update regarding my choice of speakers as noted above:

I've been playing around with the Ascend Acoustics speakers for 3 weeks now and do like them very much. However, I didn't get the huge boost in performance that I was expecting, especially considering that these speakers were just under 3 times as expensive (costs + shipping) as was the Polk setup described above (costs + shipping). Still, I'm keeping these and will put the Polks in another room as originally planned.

Sometimes, I don't notice improvements in performance as easily as I notice degradation in performance, so some day when I get some spare time, I might hook the Polks back up to this system and see if the performance drop is more noticeable to me.

Thanks to all for the earlier comments!


Hello, darkpoet

Yes, my thoughts have now been noted above.

It depends on what you're listening for and also what you're listening to. In addition, these two speaker series share some of the same strengths, such as making details in the recordings stand out. It's not that they sound the same, because they certainly do not, but where they differ mostly concerns accuracy, and there is no universal rule that says that more accurate reproduction always clearly sounds better. Now, if the Polks were SO inaccurate that they grotesquely distorted the audio, then yes, the improvement would slap you in the face, but in my opinion the Polk Monitor series is pretty solid and sounds pretty good, despite the lack of respect it seems to get.

Since you've decided to keep them, give the Ascends and yourself more time to get better acquainted. Play some well-recorded material and compare it to what real voices and instruments sound like. Admittedly, you have to be pretty picky--even nitpicky--to immediately notice an improvement from a good enough speaker to what some picky people would consider a much better one. People also differ on what they consider a "huge" boost in performance--huge to some is subtle to others.

By the way, did you buy your Polk Monitors on clearance? Their asking price was a lot higher before the line was discontinued, making them a great value these days.


I hazard to guess that it will be more noticeable because if you're like many of us here, then you will have become a more critical listener over time (I know I have!). Eventually, it can even dominate the severe diminishing returns inherent in this field.

I mean, the Polk Monitors, despite being a budget-conscious line of speakers, are still pretty decent. I liked them when I first heard them (I don't usually go for bright-sounding speakers, but to my ear these are pleasingly tinkly), and I still like and recommend them today whenever they're a good fit. For perspective, you had mentioned HSU Research speakers earlier, so let's see how they fared against the Monitor 30 in a blind test conducted by critical listeners:

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/s...arch-hb-1.html

Personally, I think they were a bit hard on the HB-1 (its midrange doesn't sound all that muddy to me) and easy on the Monitor 30 (has more cabinet resonance than the HB-1 and compresses more at loud volumes), but then again I've never listened to them practically side-by-side like this. The point here is that your old speakers aren't too shabby, and won't necessarily fall apart even when compared to more expensive speakers--HTIB speakers they are not. They're not as accurate and transparent as your new Ascends are, though, and it will be interesting to find out whether the improvements (the latter are cleaner, tighter, non-fatiguing, and more articulate as well) will become more apparent to you over time.

I purchased two of the Monitor 60's earlier this year from NewEgg for $100 each (with free shipping), and two pair of the Monitor 30's a couple of years ago from NewEgg for $110 per pair, along with a CS1 center channel speaker for $90 (all came with free shipping).

Ah yes, those were definitely clearance-priced at about 50% off (relative to street prices, let alone MSRP). The new TSi series that replaced the Monitor series is practically identical, model-for-model, except for a few cosmetic changes and numerical designations:

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/tsi/index.php

As you can see, their prices would be a lot closer to those of the Ascends if they weren't on clearance, and more than those of the HSU speakers they easily bested in the comparison linked above. Not to belabor this whole point, but for the sake of perspective, your Polks are better (and normally more expensive) than you had believed, to the point where you have to be fairly picky to appreciate how much more refined your Ascends are--you're comparing two legitimate hi-fi speakers with one another, not the Ascends to cheap junk (even though you got them for cheap ).

That comparison was against the MK I HSU not the current version.

I demoed the step up RTi series and came away very underwhelmed especially with the thin weak midrange.

I demoed the previous Lsi and was very impressed. So Polk can make good speakers but IMO the Monitor/TSi are not it.

I'm anxiously waiting for the closing on our house so that I can order a 5 speakers set of 340 for the front and 200s for the surrounds.

This would seem to explain my own more favorable impression of the HB-1, as I've only heard the MK2 edition, but the point still stands for that moment in time.


Like I said earlier, it's a matter of perspective--for those who are used to small TV speakers and HTIB systems, the Monitor/TSi speakers are very good indeed. And while I personally think that the Ascend SE series is a huge step or three above in every way--a whole different class, really, and a better bargain even with the additional cost--I'm still not surprised that some folks wouldn't immediately hear all that much of an improvement when upgrading. In short, it depends.

I suggest doing what I did when comparing the CBM-170Se's to my Athena AS-B1's. I hooked up a CBM-170 to the left channel and and kept an Athena hooked up on the right channel. I played a lot of 2-channel material, mostly music and watching some Blu concerts in 2-channel LPCM. When I was watching Incubus Live At Red Rocks, there is an impromptu jam session with the drummer, the bass player and the vocalist. The bass player had a smaller kit than the drummer(just the bass drum, snare, high hat and a cymbal if I remember correctly) and the vocalist had a couple of bongos/tribal drums.
When doing my comparison, they both sounded somewhat similar in regards to clarity, but the 170 had deeper impact in the midrange. So to my ears they had a better overall sound in the way of clarity, depth and overall soundstage both on and off axis. I made it a point to move around in my apartment to compare the on and off axis response. As well as playing the same material while leaving one hooked up and un-hooking the other to get a better overall feel for the differences in the sound. I found that I personally prefered the 170 over the AS-B1, and will slowly finish the system off with a CMT-340SEC and a pair of HTM-200SE's for surround use.(I plan on taking my time on my purchases, as my money will allow, because at the end of the day paying the bills comes first)

When I end up getting the HTM-200Se's, I plan on using a pair of speaker stands on either side of the couch in my apartment to put them on.(Being that they are sealed will help with placement since I don't have to worry about the ports being too close to the walls)
I notice the ones that Ascend sells, the SP-30 stands are out of stock. What would be a comparable stand to these?

Pulled the trigger on a pair of 170SEs. Nervous about buying speakers without hearing them first, but all the good comments here and positive reviews on the web impressed me. I'm also impressed that Ascend assembles speakers in the USA, but they are still affordable.
Just got the email with the tracking number so now the waiting starts.
Edited by Jeffer65 - 6/20/12 at 1:03pm

I have a feeling you will be just as impressed by them as I was. They are great sounding speakers for both size and money. Let us know what you think of them once you have spent some time listening to them.

Looks like I missed your post the first time around. In case you haven't bought anything yet, the Sanus SF30 is pretty similar, and likewise should easily support the HTM-200 SE. There are more economical stands made out of MDF instead of steel that should work fine, as well, if you'd be interested.

Right on!

Thanks for the link. Those are pretty nice looking stands. I will do some looking before deciding on what stands to go with. Just need to be sure and measure the areas beside the couch to make sure they will fit the space.

170s arrived on Monday in great condition. Fresh out of the box they sound nice and clear. Nice imagining too. I ran the setup on my AVR and they sound even better though I will probably do some more tweaking. I have to spend some time watching movies this weekend. If I keep them (I'm thinking I will), then I pick up a 340 center, live with them for awhile to determine if I should move them to surround duty and pick a pair of 340s for the fronts or get a pair of 200s for surrounds.
I don't think I have ever owned such accurate speakers. Good company to deal with too.

I feel the same way about them and the company. Dave and Dina might take a few days to repsond to an e-mail, but they are honest and great to deal with. Right now my plan is to go with the 340C and use the 200's as surrounds.

Agreed! I had a great experience working with Dave and Dina, they know their stuff and truly know what "customer service" really is. I had the same experience with Brian with Rythmik subs as well. Truly unique in this day and age where most people think good customer service is just pointing you down the right isle!

Regards,

RTROSE

Still very much enjoying the 170s. Currently listening to A Question of Balance by the Moody Blues (not the newer remaster either) and I continue to be impressed with the clarity of these little speakers. My old speakers are Athena SCT S3s. I always thought they were great, but I think they tended to mush up the sound too much, or I never had them setup right.

The 170s did a pretty good job with the 2009 Star Trek DVD the other day too.

Is the CBM170 considered a step up from the HTM-200?

New to ascend. Interested in upgrading HT and heard ascend set-ups at two different friends' homes - 2.1 with Sierra 1's and 5.1 with CMT-340s and HTM-200s. Really, really liked the sound - very surprised to find out how reasonably priced they are.

What sub are you using?

Yes and the 170 is rear ported whereas the 200 is sealed so placement options differ a bit.

Thanks for responding. Somewhat new still to HT audio ... That would mean that the 200's could be mounted flush on the wall while the 170's would need some space? How much space would a speaker like the 170 need between it's back and the wall?

After auditioning several systems (in my price range) thinking I want to upgrade my HT with Ascend speakers. My primary goal is not roaring loud volume, but instead great sound (detail, balance, dynamic range, etc.) at medium volume. My current system is at it's best (but still not great) when volume is loud, but it loses A LOT when listening at medium or lower volumes (huge chunks of freq. disappear). One of the reasons I'm upgrading.
- Medium sized living room.
- Listening is 90% movie, 10% music.
- Have a new Denon 1713.
- After reading volumes of threads would like to try having L/F/C be identical speakers.
- Start with 340's, 170's or 200's and then upgrade later to Sierra 1's for the three fronts.

Questions …

Which would be better up front (L/R/C), the 170's or 200's? I would prefer the 340's as L/R/C (esp with the nice "tower" stands on the L/R) but I'm concerned about the weight of the center (it will be on a shelf attached to the top of the TV … still researching the best way to mount the center … )

Re a sub:
I have a new Energy S10.3 sub - would that work well with either the 340's or 170's up front? (I can still return it if I have to.) Suggestions for any other subs that would work better with Ascends for the $500 range?
(With sub's my preference again is good definition over volume. I've had numerous experiences of going to hear a friends' new HT systems with them thrilled that the sub could shake the walls - which it did. But to me it sounds too boomy … i.e I'm thinking - that's not a sound effect, that's a string line in the soundtrack, how come all I hear are blurry thumps instead of the actual notes?)

Much thanks for any input! (Edited)
Edited by sdg4vfx - 7/1/12 at 11:59pm

Didn't realize how much I typed - edited the post and sent some of the tech-y questions directly to Ascend ; )

(So nice they're here in the forums ...)
Edited by sdg4vfx - 7/1/12 at 10:12pm

From the Ascend owner's manual 3 inches min is recommended from the wall for the rear ported speakers. http://ascendacoustics.com/pages/support/Web_Owners_Manual.pdf

All of my Sierra1s (L/C/R, and they're also rear ported) are a bit further out from the wall, two-three feet although the center sits a few inches in front of my sub, but all three are stand mounted. When I got them I considered putting them up on the top of the walls (junction with vaulted ceiling) like I've had the last two sealed designs I've used (the latest being 200SEs), but now I'm leaning more towards the stands as it's way easier and don't have to drill into my Sierras . Somehow now I don't mind giving up the floor space for how good they sound. I did use one of the 170SEs as a surround that's wall mounted with just a few inches, probably more like two than three, and it sounded okay there, but moved them where they sit out from the wall and are mains in that setup so hard to compare.
Edited by lovinthehd - 7/1/12 at 7:03pm