Looking to upgrade from Acsend CMT-340 SEs

if you like the ascends get the custom stands (imo).. the elac's might be a big disappointment...a very different (less revealing) sound...

boltonic said:

I currently have CMT-340SEs as my LCRs and looking to upgraded to towers, for the LR of course. Don’t want to spend a lot so I was curious is the ELAC Uni-Fi UF5 as the LR and the UC5 as the center. If anyone has heard the the CMTs and the ELAC can you let me know if it’s a worthy upgrade? I want the Focal Aria 926 but they are way too much money. Let me know what you guys think.

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One knowledgeable AVS member had his son upgrade from the 340s to Chanes and said the difference was significant.

The towers are $429 each though, before shipping.

But I believe the AVS member's son upgraded to A2.4s across the front which can be done for far less.

Well then instead of going to another brand what about upgrading to the Sierras?

boltonic said:

Well then instead of going to another brand what about upgrading to the Sierras?

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That would be a good option -- and also look at Chane .... and if budget permits look at Revel

boltonic said:

Well then instead of going to another brand what about upgrading to the Sierras?

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that's a good idea... the chane a 2.4's as well.. but i'd do the sierra one's or two's(budget permitting) first...

boltonic said:

I currently have CMT-340SEs as my LCRs and looking to upgraded to towers, for the LR of course. Don’t want to spend a lot so I was curious is the ELAC Uni-Fi UF5 as the LR and the UC5 as the center. If anyone has heard the the CMTs and the ELAC can you let me know if it’s a worthy upgrade? I want the Focal Aria 926 but they are way too much money. Let me know what you guys think.

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What don't you like or would like improved with the 340's?

pase22 said:

What don't you like or would like improved with the 340's?

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I heard the Focal Aria 926 and the vocals sound amazing but the price is way too much. That gave me the itch.

boltonic said:

I heard the Focal Aria 926 and the vocals sound amazing but the price is way too much. That gave me the itch.

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that could be set up as much as anything.. you may want to mess with speaker placement a bit.. the aria 900 series is reportedly darn good though..but honestly the ascends ought to be pretty darn good when set up properly..

Lp85253 said:

that could be set up as much as anything.. you may want to mess with speaker placement a bit.. the aria 900 series is reportedly darn good though..but honestly the ascends ought to be pretty darn good when set up properly..

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The CMTs sound great and I never complained about them nor will I ever but after hearing the Focals I definitely heard a difference.

boltonic said:

The CMTs sound great and I never complained about them nor will I ever but after hearing the Focals I definitely heard a difference.

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i don't doubt it, all you have to do is figure out how much it's worth to your ears to upgrade..

Lp85253 said:

i don't doubt it, all you have to do is figure out how much it's worth to your ears to upgrade..

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I wonder if I should upgrade my receiver instead. I have a Denon 1200W currently.

boltonic said:

I wonder if I should upgrade my receiver instead. I have a Denon 1200W currently.

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no , i wouldn't , go higher end speakers (if anything ) and if you like those *a lot* then try to find a nice matching amp..i'm no "expert" , but i have heard a bunch of speakers and a bunch of different avr's and amps.. i can tell you for
sure, get speakers you want to live with forever and be happy being happy about them .. upgaditis *is* a disease , kinda like being a hoarder.. it's a road to "i want" as a motto, and that's a scary place for your wallet...

Lp85253 said:

that could be set up as much as anything.. you may want to mess with speaker placement a bit.. the aria 900 series is reportedly darn good though..but honestly the ascends ought to be pretty darn good when set up properly..

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You can go with something different in the same price range as the 340's. They may play louder and have different sound characteristics that may (or may not) suit your preference, but won't necessarily better. You'll have to step up to the next level. The Focal Aria or even Canton Vento may be more budget friendly if you stick to bookshelf speakers. Of course Sierra's or Luna would be excellent options as well.
https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...helf-speaker-dark-walnut-pair-open-box/1.html
https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...6-6-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-black-pair/1.html

pase22 said:

You can go with something different in the same price range as the 340's. They may have different sound characteristics that may or may suit your preference, but won't necessarily better. You'll have to step up to the next level. The Focal Aria or even Canton Vento may be more budget friendly if you stick to bookshelf speakers.

https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...helf-speaker-dark-walnut-pair-open-box/1.html

https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...6-6-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-black-pair/1.html

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Are 2 way bookshelf speakers going to much different as a three way speaker? Will the they be as precise?

boltonic said:

Are 2 way bookshelf speakers going to much different as a three way speaker? Will the they be as precise?

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I went from 3 way towers to 2 way bookshelves. The towers play deeper, had better dynamics and could play louder. Adding a good sub not only added more depth, but also plays the low end much cleaner and more efficiently than most towers. It's not about physical size and number of drivers, it's build quality, better quality drivers and internals as well as the cabinet. That said the difference in sound quality will be much more noticeable with music. If you use your set exclusively for HT/TV, the upgrade may not be worth it.

pase22 said:

I went from 3 way towers to 2 way bookshelves. The towers play deeper, had better dynamics and could play louder. Adding a good sub not only added more depth, but also plays the low end much cleaner and more efficiently than most towers. It's not about physical size and number of drivers, it's build quality, better quality drivers and internals as well as the cabinet. That said the difference in sound quality will be much more noticeable with music. If you use your set exclusively for HT/TV, the upgrade may not be worth it.

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I do use it just for home theater so I guess the upgrade just isn’t worth it. I did move my theater to another room in the basement and by doing so I had to put the LR standing up. Will having them on a stand standing up be a big difference than laying then flat? Remember all three are 340 SE main speakers.

boltonic said:

I do use it just for home theater so I guess the upgrade just isn’t worth it. I did move my theater to another room in the basement and by doing so I had to put the LR standing up. Will having them on a stand standing up be a big difference than laying then flat? Remember all three are 340 SE main speakers.

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Proper positioning and setup are very important. I don't know how much difference vertical vs horizontal will make, but having them at the proper height and distance will make a difference. The TP stands made for the 340's wouldn't be a bad idea.

boltonic said:

I do use it just for home theater so I guess the upgrade just isn’t worth it. I did move my theater to another room in the basement and by doing so I had to put the LR standing up. Will having them on a stand standing up be a big difference than laying then flat? Remember all three are 340 SE main speakers.

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They will have better sound quality vertically oriented. Horizontal dispersion/accuracy will be improved. The 340's strike an excellent balance of sound quality, capability, and value. You have to spend a lot more for any marginal or significant improvement.

If you sit far enough away(12'+) *and* want crystal clear home theater playback approaching reference level, I would lean towards high sensitivity speakers such as PSA for a very substantial upgrade. However, there aren't many regular "hi-fi"(low sensitivity speakers with small drivers that attempt to play full range) that will offer huge sonic benefits without spending much much more. Even then, I think the improvement will be marginal when crossed to high quality subs.

boltonic said:

I wonder if I should upgrade my receiver instead. I have a Denon 1200W currently.

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Yes, I'd get a Denon 3xxx series minimum in order to get Sub eq HT, and, if you don't have them yet, get two good quality subs placed and setup properly. This will make an enormous difference in music and home theater playback. You can usually pickup last years version on close out for $5-600.