Ascend SE Owner's Thread - Page 113

Thanks for the info about the logo. Nothing against Ascend, but that logo is really meh imo.

Hoping the charge for a custom finish isn't too pricey, I like the espresso finish they offer on the Sierra line.

What do you guys think of the Sanus Steel Series vs the Sanus Natural Series? I'm going to place my order this weekend.

http://www.sanus.com/ap/en/products/speaker-foundations/sp-steel
http://www.sanus.com/ap/en/products/speaker-foundations/sp-natural

Well it seems the natural series is cheaper than the steel series. But for me it wasn't about which one was cheaper or wether I liked the wood better than the steel or steel over wood, it was the fact that i wanted 34in stands and they don't make that height in the natural series. If they had a natural series 34in stand I'm sure i would have bought it.

I'm not a big fan of logos at all. Unless I get something out of displaying them, of course, but usually just prefer to go clean and mean...

I would have gone with the NF24 mocha or dark cherry if I didn't have pets and needed a sturdier steel stand filled with sand. The wood finish is much more attractive than matted black and would have looked great with my cherry hardwood floors. If your speakers are prone to being knocked over, go with the sturdier steel unit. Otherwise pick whichever would be more aesthetic in your room or comes in the size you need.

Hey what lights did you get from ikea and how did you fasten them to the back? Also how many? Is it the Dioder 4 piece set? Also, can you dim them or is it on/off only? I have a new tv coming and might do the lights behind.
Sorry to berate you with ?'s.

I used this kit:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50192365/

It comes with some adhesive strips, and I also used Monoprice zip ties & zip tie mounts to keep wires flush against the back of the TV. They aren't dimmable but also not very bright, so it shouldn't be overwhelming. I find they are perfect as is and don't need additional dimming. But you could rig them up to a dimmer easily. There are also kits at Amazon & Ebay for about the same price, but you end up with 50 feet of LED ribbon. I plan on buying some soon for accent lighting in my kitchen but didn't need such long runs for my TV.

If you have neutral white or grey walls, you might want to get a legit TV back light in the correct spectrum (6500K). The IKEA lights are 2700K I believe. It helps with eye strain but not as effective as a proper back light on neutral walls.

Thanks guys.

I was looking beyond aesthetics. I was curious if the Steel Series offered better acoustics due to the material as well as the ability to fill with sand. I'm still indecisive about going with a 34" or 36" stand. My ear height is ~42-45" while seated. The 34" stands put the tweeter at 43" and the 36" stands at 45". If I go 34" it's the Steel Series34. If I go 36" it's the Natural Series 36. Decisions...decisions.

Last night I finally set up my speakers using my AV stand, a nightstand, various boxes, and a few thin sheets of very dense foam. I didn't run Audyysey since I hadn't received the adapter for the boom mic stand. I listened to some music and watched part of Toy Story. I definitely have to get used to the size and shape of the CBM-170 SE's in my small room. I was a bit disappointed how they looked, not the speaker design, but rather the footprint.

Here's another speaker stand I'm looking into. They are expensive, but I can get them at a local music store for $87 with the combination of a price match and a gift certificate. The only thing that concerns me is the 19" base diameter. What do you guys think?

http://www.ultimatesupport.com/product/MS-90-36B


Edited by p3Orion - 1/19/13 at 1:50pm

Would I be compromising sound quality if I place my CBM-170 SE's behind the front edge of my dresser? My dresser is 33" tall, but my speaker stands will be either 34" or 36" tall, placing the bottom of the midwoofer several inches above the top of the dresser. The front of the speaker would be 3" past the TV screen and 3" behind the front edge of the dresser. The I tried a mock setup and prefer the speakers when they are a little farther back, but wouldn't place them there if it isn't advisable.

Top View



Front View

First, don't take this the wrong way, but I think you are over thinking this a bit too much. Some may tell you putting the speaker behind the dresser 3 inches is wrong but if you like the way it sounds then do it. The only way someone could possibly know where and how to place your speakers exactly would be for them to come over and calibrate your sound system to match your room. As far as speaker stands, I don't think 1 or 2 inches is going to make or break the way the speakers sound to you. I'm not sure what your unsure of about the stands you linked too, are you saying you don't like the larger 19in at base? The only way for YOU to decide if you like them is to buy them and try them. Could you buy those and return them if you don't like? That is what I would do.
Remember, people can tell you what they would do or what is recommended till they're blue in the face but YOU are the one who knows what YOU like best and what works best for YOU. So if you like the speakers a bit behind the dresser go for it. I know your trying to be thorough and that's good but don't stress yourself out with all thes minute details you'll give yourself an anurism!
If I was you I would buy those stands (assuming you can return them) and try them. I would put the speaker placement wherever it sounded the best to me and enjoy.

So those stands are $200+? This is just me, but I wouldn't put $350 speakers on $200 stands. I rather put my money towards the greater sonic improvement like better speakers and acoustic treatment. All speaker stands are more or less the same. Long as you have a sturdy stand that won't fall apart, you're good to go.

$28
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/clearance/763493327
$65
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/clearance/763445930

Or you could always make your own out of wooden dowels with two cuts of plywood for the base and top.

I didn't see they were 200 bones! On the other hand he says he can get them for 87 bucks which I don't think is to bad.

Yeah I saw the one you linked to, just wasn't sure wether you had the color ones or not. Might be fun changing the colors!

Well I just ordered this light http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=dbb233065ab1a040519e1597cbc0fff9&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.avsforum.com%2Ft%2F1430011%2Fbias-lighting-for-tv-mounted-in-alcove%23post_22449310&v=1&libid=1358708957117&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fredirect.html%3Fie%3DUTF8%26linkCode%3Dur2%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D9325%26tag%3Davsforum00-20%26location%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.amazon.com%252Fgp%252Fproduct%252FB007TG5EG8%252Fref%253Doh_details_o01_s00_i00&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.avsforum.com%2Ft%2F1148264%2Fikea-dioder-backlight-bias-lighting-photos-review&title=Bias%20lighting%20for%20TV%20mounted%20in%20alcove%3F&txt=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB007TG5EG8%2Fref%3Doh_details_o01_s00_i00&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13587095229558
Edited by skidog - 1/20/13 at 11:20am

Sound advice...ba-dum-chh. I am over-thinking this. It's taking the fun out of the process.

As far as placement my only concern was if placing them behind the dresser was a definite no-no. I'll play around with placement to get it to my liking.

I can get the Ultimate Support stands locally so I'll most likely purchase them and try them out. If they work great - I get a $240 pair of stands for $87. If not I'll go with Sanus.

I wouldn't spend $240 on stands. I have an old gift certificate (I've had it for 5+ years) that I assumed had expired. Fortunately, CA law disallows expiration of gift certificates. It's like found money. Add to that a price match and I'm only spending an additional $87. I'll have to check them out in person to see if I think they'll fit. The base is 19" in diameter. If I don't get them I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha FG700S acoustic guitar.

Thanks for the links. They are too short for my needs, but I'll look to see what else they have. I'm new to the whole speaker stand thing so I want to avoid getting something cheap (in quality) as well as getting something too expensive. If I won't have any issues with stands like the ones you linked I'm fine with only spending that amount.

How important is decoupling and isolation? Would the Sanus BF and SF stands provide one or both?
Edited by p3Orion - 1/20/13 at 1:16pm

Any stand will decouple your speaker from the floor, and so will inexpensive rubber pads that prevent chairs from sliding. If you don't plan on buying anything from that store; then you might as well use the credit towards stands. Since you're thinking about buying a guitar, you'd get more bang for your buck with less expensive yet fully functional stands like the Sanus, and buying a guitar with the voucher. Plus those expensive stands are ugly and would clash with almost any room decor.

Having the tweeter ear height is just a guideline. If you're off within inches, it's not a problem and especially if you're listening from a distance. 5-6" won't make a difference. Plus you can always tilt your speakers up by putting a larger piece of rubber in front to angle them 5 degrees or so.

Yeah the more I look at them the more futuristic they look. They remind me of a high tech bike frame, lol.

I sit ~7 ft from my TV. 34" or 36" stands will get the tweeter at the desired height. At that distance do you guys think that 30" stands would be fine?

I really do appreciate the help you guys have provided as well as the encouragement. This can be a daunting endeavor without guidance.
Edited by p3Orion - 1/20/13 at 1:45pm

I pulled the trigger on the Sanus SF34 stands - $117 at Parts Express.
Edited by p3Orion - 1/20/13 at 2:35pm

cant wait to hear how these work for you

Excellent. I know how you feel trying to make sure you've covered all your bases when getting something, I just spent the better part of the day trying to find what wall mount I want for the new tv! In the end I got one from Amazon and used my reward points so it only cost me 7 bucks. Hopefully it works.

I agree with skidog on this.

While I would not put speaker behind the dresser...it is not my space, and you have to do what is pleasing to you. You have to balance the sound characteristics to how you want your room to look/feel. That is subjective to your personal tastes and what trade-offs you are willing to make to get the living balance you want.

Now if you were specifically asking about the sound in regards to having the speaker behind the dresser, I will tell you that it will cause an early reflection and hinder sound/imaging/soundstage....but it is up to you if what you hear is a problem, and weigh it against your preferences.

The bottom line is try it any way you like...you can always change it later.

For anybody wondering about custom finishes through Ascend. I called them today, and they no longer offer custom finishes. I guess they used to have an automotive paint shop next store, and they no longer have access to it.

They should probably remove the option from their website if that is the case.

I apologize for any confusion, but this is not entirely true. We still do plenty of custom options on our Sierra series. The issue with 170's / 340's / 200's is that the prices for custom finishing has increased dramatically over the years, such that it brings the total cost closer to the price of Sierra-1 -- where someone can then get a premium finish AND better performance


Probably right.... Although we are still happy to offer 170's/340's/200's as unfinished so that the customer can do their own finishing.

I hate this place.......

8^)

I've been planning a new 5.1 system and recently ran into deals on a Yamaha RX- 673 and a Klipsch RW-12D. So far I've got $700 into this setup.

So I started looking into the remaining speakers with a budget of $800-$1000 in mind.
This led me to the Ascend 170se. Initially I figured 4 170's and a 340 center would put me right at $900 and call it done.

But the more I read the more I realize how much I want the 340's with the stand. 340's for LCR and 2 170's for surround would put me north of $1300 and is more than I really wanted to go.

And then I realized that what I really want is 340 LCR's and 6 170's for a 7.1 system with 2 170's in my bedroom for zone 2.

Help me I'm dreaming!

Anyway, it seemed dead here so I thought I'd jump in. I wonder if they have any b-stock...... 8^)

haha! Reading can be bad for the bank account.

How big is your room?

Give Ascend a call about "B" stock and if they can help with any package deals.

The main room is something like this. The main area is 14 x 22 with 8 foot ceilings. This ignores the Kitchen area (maybe 10x 6). The little offshoot on the wall with the TV is a stairway going up to the bedrooms.There is an entry door to the right of the TV. The couch is maybe 10 feet from the TV.
My biggest problem is the the left surround will be be only 2 feet max from the couch immediately to the viewers left. The right surround will be farther away. These will be sitting on furniture at about ear level- not mounted to the wall more than likely. The TV is a 60" Vizio LCD that I need to find a proper stand for. The stand will have a cutout for the center channel (340) or it might be possible to simply sit the TV on it?! The area behind the couch is quite full of my wifes computer desk and sewing/crafting work space shaped in an U pattern.

Anyway, I had fun doing this little drawing, but it didn't retain the formatting! Basically the main 14 x 22 area is split between a couch/tv sitting area and my wife's computer/sewing crafting area. The couch sort of divides the room. If I upgrade to a 7.1 system the 2 rears would be mounted to a beam that runs across the ceiling just in front of kitchen on the 14 foot wall and aimed at the back of the couch. I seriously considered not having the 2 surrounds in a 5.1 system by the couch and just putting them way behind on this beam but it wouldn't be ideal for movies.

You'll be fine with either 340's or 170's....the 340's will fill the room easier though.

Just don't put any of the speakers in a cabinet if you can avoid it.

For the center channel....I am looking for tv stands. Putting the center channel in something like this is no good?

http://www.amazon.com/Sonax-E-0062-BF-60-Inch-Component-Ravenwood/dp/B005HY6R7E/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_2

the hole is 8" x 21.75" the 340 is 7.5" x 21" i think.

I had my CMT-340 center in a cabinet like that for a long time and it sounded fine.