Ascends---what's the catch?
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 219 Registered: Mar-05 | Regulars on this forum know I have 'em and love 'em, but here's a growing thread about them that I just stumbled across today on another forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=3ff71dfeabbf6c7bbf1db4fc005c34be &threadid=532163&perpage=30&pagenumber=1 Thought this would also be interesting because on several threads recently people have been talking about the Paradigm Studio 20s, 40s and 100s as well as B&W speakers, which a couple of the AVS posters also mentioned in comparison. I'm posting this just FYI...don't mean to gloat, I swear! : ) |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 60 Registered: Apr-04 | Do you have a sub with your Ascends? |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 29 Registered: Apr-05 | I'll be honest with you Edster, I've never heard Ascend speakers. It could be that if/when I do, I'll be a big fan. Until then, I like my 'digms. By the way, I did detect a slight amount of gloat. |
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Silver Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 303 Registered: Feb-05 | Hey, we all gloat about our speakers and how they are giant killers etc, why should Ascend owners be any different. It goes to show who they all want to beat. Yo Jimvm I'll take my 'digms. I'm bettin' those Acsends are a fine speaker in their own right and it's good to see them get some more recognition. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 221 Registered: Mar-05 | Rick, yeah, it's a crappy JBL e150 which I'm dying to upgrade in the next couple of months. Somewhat OK for HT but horrible for music. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 222 Registered: Mar-05 | > By the way, I did detect a slight amount of gloat. Me? Noooooooooooo! |
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bumblebee Unregistered guest | some views on paradigm. just sharing. http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9687&highlight=paradigm |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 30 Registered: Apr-05 | Ascend speakers may sound spectacular, but they look like they've been whooped with an ugly stick. I went to the website and saw that they only come in three colors -- black, black and black.  I must admit though that, looks aside, I've never read/heard one bad thing from anyone about them. And the price is right! |
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Bronze Member Username: ErikPost Number: 21 Registered: Apr-05 | Yes---but making a speaker look good really doesnt take much effort especially relative to what it takes to make them sound good. I dont judge a book by its cover but it seems a little silly to make such a great sounding speaker and put into such an unnattractive casing. Am I alone on this one? Qaulity of Audio is everything to me but it couldnt hurt if Ascend made the looks match the sound atleast to an extent. |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784Post Number: 292 Registered: Nov-04 | haha, maybe ascend needs some more women on their staff, or men with wives. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 225 Registered: Mar-05 | Jim, Actually if you click on "Finish Options" in the uppper left hand corner you'll see some different colors as well as the option of getting the speaker in unfinished MDF if you're handy with a paintbrush. http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cmt340m/cmt340mfinop.html |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 226 Registered: Mar-05 | Erik, Yes I agree with you somewhat there, though I think that this is the niche market Ascend is aiming for: people who are more concerned about getting the best possible sound for their money and are willing to sacrifice a little aesthetics for it. Truthfully though I don't find the 340s to be ugly at all---the 170s however are a different matter. But that still wouldn't stop me from buying the 170s for a smaller room. You wanna see fugly, look at this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00022IBTS |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 32 Registered: Apr-05 | Edster - Ahhh...I missed that. That puts an entirely new light on your Ascends. Actually, I was just joking about them; they're not that bad looking. On my cabinet with the room darkened, they wouldn't look too much different than my Studio 20's which are black with black grills. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 613 Registered: Jan-05 | I'd definitely recommend a pair of small bookshelf speakers for those interested in a small, petite, & dainty soundstage |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 228 Registered: Mar-05 | LOL Paul, and I'd definitely recommend a pair of behemoth Cerwin Vegas for those interested in sound VOLUME at the expense of sound QUALITY. Reminds me of the cartoon of a Hummer with the bumper sticker, "I have a small wanger." : ) |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 229 Registered: Mar-05 | Jim, strange, the Paradigm website doesn't seem to list the Studio series for some reason. I was looking for a pic of your 20s for comparison. http://www.paradigm.com/Website/SiteParadigmProduct/ParadigmProduct.html |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 33 Registered: Apr-05 | Go to that page and click on "Reference Product" in the upper right corner. From the resulting page, you should be able to navigate to this page: http://www.paradigm.com/Website/SiteReferenceProduct/RModels/StudioSeries/Studio Specs.html. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 231 Registered: Mar-05 | Jim, ah, got it! No I have to say that the Studio 20 is still much better looking, it has the narrow and tall shape of the 340s just smaller size overall---not the chunky box-like shape of the 170. I'm curious, how much did you pay for your 20s? |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 619 Registered: Jan-05 | Yea, Too bad you've never heard the model in person for which I speak. On the other hand, I never knock brand names, but rather the concept of buying pint-sized dainty bookshelf speakers for HT use. On the other hand, I'd never be ignorant enough to consider discussing and critiquing a specific speaker model that I've never personally auditioned in person. |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 34 Registered: Apr-05 | Edster - Paid $699.90 (12.5% off) for the pair at an authorized dealer. Percentage wise I got more off of the CC-470 (23% off) and SA-10R's (18% off); don't know why they priced them that way. It all worked out to 17.5% off of the package. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 234 Registered: Mar-05 | No Paul I have not heard the CV Classic series but did hear the E-series which were plenty appalling. You on the other hand base your opinion of anything-other-than-floorstanders on a handful of entry-level mass market speakers that you auditioned under the oh-so-ideal listening conditions of cavernous big-box store showrooms, LOL. So who's the bigger ignoramus? |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 235 Registered: Mar-05 | Jim, Yikes, that's about double the cost of the 170s! I have to get around to asking my local Paradigm dealer if I can bring in my Ascends sometime to compare, now I'm really curious... As for your discounts, I get the feeling that dealers tend to markup the center speakers and surrounds a little bit more than the mains because they figure if you buy the mains you're probably going to buy the other ones too. Just a guess. |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784Post Number: 297 Registered: Nov-04 | it seems that paul and edster have once again hijacked another thread with their arguement on speaker size. paul, do i sense size compensation coming from you? |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 630 Registered: Jan-05 | I guess if your idea of enjoying your surround system is sipping some wine, nibbling some cheese, and enjoying your favorite string quartet, then I guess your little bookshelf speakers are the perfect choice for you. If your idea of enjoying your home theater is having a cold beer and watching "Band of Brothers" as it was meant to be experienced, then you might consider something less petite than small insignificant bookshelf speakers serving as the cornerstone of your HT. |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 36 Registered: Apr-05 | Try not to be too obsessed with trying to convince others of your masculinity. Methinks thou doth protest too much. |
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New member Username: PbdrPost Number: 3 Registered: Apr-05 | "Methinks thou doth protest too much. :-)" he, he... Paul and Edster, why don't you guys just fist fight and get it over with. It gets pretty annoying to have you guys turn every thread into you r own personal pissing contest! Grow up both of you. |
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Silver Member Username: Stealth_cDublin, CA USA Post Number: 195 Registered: Jan-05 | To be fair, Edster did start the thread. |
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New member Username: PbdrPost Number: 4 Registered: Apr-05 | That's true and I should have considered that before my mini-rant, but they have hijacked many a thread before... |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 180 Registered: Feb-05 | all someone has to do is mention an audiophile speaker, like martinlogan, and paul is CERTAIN that his CV will BLOW them away with their superior sound quality. |
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New member Username: PbdrPost Number: 6 Registered: Apr-05 | Stealth, This is where my rant should have gone... |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 251 Registered: Mar-05 | Peter, I know it does get old but I can't help it if Paul insists on endlessly spouting how his holy Cerwin Vegas can crush every other non-CV out there. I do gush about Ascends a lot, but not at the EXPENSE of every other non-Ascend speaker on the market, especialy speakers that I have never even auditioned before. Let's just say that Paul and I have a friendly disagreement going on, even though it sometimes may sound a little rough. We just lob a couple jabs back and forth, no real damage...you're more than welcome to simply ignore us, scroll down and get on with the thread. |
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Silver Member Username: Stealth_cDublin, CA USA Post Number: 197 Registered: Jan-05 | I dont think Paul believes that his CV's have superior sound quality per say. He states they throw a larger sound stage and are good for HT, which arguably they are. If one listens to music where subtle details are not the name of the game, or if one just doesnt care about the subtle details, CV's will probably suffice. Keep in mind that a lot of people fall into these categories. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 253 Registered: Mar-05 | Stealth, You have a point, but lately Paul's taken to making all these macho disparagements of non-SPL-oriented speakers. I wouldn't even dispute his claim that his CVs might through a larger soundstage, it's his comic machismo that cracks me up. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 647 Registered: Jan-05 | Gavin, I never said Martinlogan, nor any other brand of speaker sounded bad, or was poor quality. What I did say was that no tiny little pint-sized bookshelf deserves a place as front speakers of any home theater. There's quite a distinction between the two. If your bag is nibbling cheese, sipping wine, and enjoying a string quartet, by a means use your little bookshelf speakers, but if you want to experience a movie, keep your bookshelf speakers in your den. Just be sure to keep them out of your theater, unless of course they serve as surround, or back speakers. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 648 Registered: Jan-05 | Stealths comments are headed in the right direction. People seem to think Im saying something completely different than what is actually being said. You could spend $5,000 on the half-pint bookshelfs if you choose, and they'll still be crap if their function is as front speakers in a home theater. The quality of speaker is irrelevent if you choose the wrong design for the wrong purpose. To me, buying small bookshelf speakers to front your home theater is as stupid as buying a Ferrari Enzo lug your wife and three children on a 1,000 mile road trip. Great car???....YES!! But entirely unsuited for its purpose!!!! Your family will no doubt be better served if you save the $650,000 and buy a Minivan or SUV instead. |
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Silver Member Username: Stealth_cDublin, CA USA Post Number: 199 Registered: Jan-05 | Out of curiousity, what is your definition of "pint sized" Paul? A lot of the bookshelf speakers that people talk about here I wouldnt really call pint sized. For example the Paradigm Studio 40's carry 2-7" woofers, are 22" tall, and weigh 35 pounds a pop. Now something like a Bose 161, thats pint sized. |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784Post Number: 307 Registered: Nov-04 | paul, i think the problem is that eventually the arguement boils down to whether or not the SUV is a better car than the ferrari. you make it sound like you are talking about absolutes even though you do mention HT setup. in the end your words always read big hulking CVs are better than non-hulking speakers. you also have never articulated you reasoning for this belief except for some ever so repeated sentences that have no real content. i asked you once in another thread to articulate why in this case size does matter but you brushed it off. i think the problem some people have with your arguement is the lack of support you provide for it. you also make it sound like this is a rich vs poor thing. who ever said that people with bookshelves that listen to jazz or classical sip wine and nibble on cheese? thats about the worst stereotypye i have seen. i listen to classical, jazz, rock, hip hop, pop in any given sitting on my "puny" bookshelves and in no way fit any stereotype that you have been pushing. in another thread you congratulated some one on getting B&W 604s, i thought you needed massive 200lb speakers to have a good system? if you are going push your agenda so strongly, please do it consistently. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 650 Registered: Jan-05 | Stealth, Any bookshelf will probably fit the bill, and no...I dont keep a secret logbook listing acceptable size and weight dimentions.....Heh In truth, it's all about the sound, and to achieve the desired soundstage(for me), the speakers will no doubt be large to create the effect that I desire. Whenever I do finally replace my old speakers, they will no doubt be large and beefy and I wont have to worry about my 3 year old son accidentally tipping them over. |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 39 Registered: Apr-05 | "To me, buying small bookshelf speakers to front your home theater is as stupid as buying a Ferrari Enzo lug your wife and three children on a 1,000 mile road trip." So Paul, how about some clarification? Is it your opinion that everyone who buys bookshelf speakers for use in a home theater, for whatever reason, is stupid? Even if they have space considerations? Even if they have budgetary considerations? Even if they have WAF considerations? Is there anyone that you deign to let off the hook here, or are you pronouncing us all to be stupid? |
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bumblebee Unregistered guest | guys, take it easy on paul. the idea of big speakers for HT purposes makes sense. but as far as music goes, hi-fi speakers are a must. paul, i think most people here uses their avr's for musical purposes too. in this case, a hi-fi bookshelf will be better than a CV. space is also a consideration. and most probably the WAF when one doesn't have a dedicated room for HT. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 652 Registered: Jan-05 | "paul, i think the problem is that eventually the arguement boils down to whether or not the SUV is a better car than the ferrari." ---------------------------------------- The vehicle/speaker intended purpose is all-important, and you couldn't be more wrong. If you want to try to load your family into what is basically a one-seat formula racecar for a cross-country family trip, by all means knock yourself out. I'll choose something more suitable for the intended travel/HT purpose. The reasoning you wish for me to articulate is that I have recently shopped for speakers and tested many front/sub combos well into the intermediate price range, and I didn't like a single one of them because they all sounded weak and unimpressive to my ears. Yes, many were nice quality and sounded great, but all failed to deliver the desired effect. What I seek is a large theater soundstage, and sorry my friend...........little 30lb speakers do not remotely deliver such effect. My point being that I do not like what I hear coming from today's intermediately priced speaker market. There is no reason on this Gods earth that I shouldn't be able to go shopping for front-speakers in the $3000 price range and find exactly what I seek. I did exactly that with full intentions of coming home with a new pair of speakers, but came home empty handed. And that my friend is upsetting!! The entire industry is filled with slick marketing propaganda, space aged this, boutique that, and a bunch of fancy terminology that means absolutely nothing when the products don't deliver what I want. For me, speaker shopping is as frustrating as it would be to go house shopping in Malibu for a 4 bedroom, three bath, three car garage home for under $300k. Whoa, talk about frustrating!! When it comes to speaker shopping, I'm stuck in Malibu looking for something that does not exist, and have no map or compass to guide my way to the 'Midwest' where I'll easily find what I want. And there is my best articulation for why I rant on this topic. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 653 Registered: Jan-05 | I agree with bumblebee, and my comments have been clearly directed towards HT purposes. The WAF doesnt compute for me because I wont put the HAF stamp of approval on any house that doesnt meet my HT-room needs. If she wouldnt accept a single room in our home dedicated to my HT stuff, she'd have to live somewhere else. :laugh: |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 654 Registered: Jan-05 | Stealth, yes, Bose161s are in fact puny 8lb. wall-mount speakers. It's also true that I would never recommend those as front speakers for any system. Heh |
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Bronze Member Username: ErikPost Number: 22 Registered: Apr-05 | Paul, I ahve the ascends and am very happy with them. I do not know eneough about this stuff to agree or disagree with you or edster but Im just trying to interpret the point you are presenting. Are you saying there is a sacrafice in sound with smaller bookshelf or "pint sized" speakers? Ascend doesnt cares much for aesthtics which is why the speaker itself is no eye-candy so I dont think they would have partiulcarly made them smaller simply for the prupose of a compact design. I have been under the impression that bigger is not always better with speakers but it seems you are just saying watever is bigger has to generally be better than its smaller counterparts? Am I understanding you right? |
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Bronze Member Username: JimvmGonzales, Louisiana U.S.A. Post Number: 40 Registered: Apr-05 | "I'll choose . . . I didn't like . . . to my ears . . . the desired effect . . . What I seek . . . I do not like . . . what I want . . . my HT-room needs" There it is . . . it's what YOU want. Fine, if that's what YOU want. Not everyone wants what YOU want. Some folks want what THEY want. It's all a matter of personal choice . . . not one of intelligence or stupidity. No one calls you stupid because you like floorstanders. No one goes out of their way to insult you because you've chosen something they did not choose. Why do you insist on attempting to demean people who've made different choices? |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 656 Registered: Jan-05 | Erik, no......You're way in left field. The speakers intended purpose is 'all important' and should be considered carefully before buying speakers. Too many individuals would rather attempt squeezing their family into in a one-seat fomula race car when they should be driving minivans on long roadtrips. As it relates to HT, a $1,000 pair of large behemoths will make 'state of the art' $5,000 pair of small bookshelves sound like a $5 hunk of rotten cherry by comparison. It works both ways......... If you're a hardcore music buff who mainly listens to finer music, the reverse is true. Geez, maybe I'll ask stealth or bumblebee explain it for you. Since you dont seem to understand, when I say HT, Im saying "home MOVIE theater". I've tested the race cars, and all were inadequate..... 1.too little seating 2.no luggage storage 3.lousy gas mileage 4.uncomfortable ride They all came up short for my road trip/HT needs. |
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Silver Member Username: Stealth_cDublin, CA USA Post Number: 200 Registered: Jan-05 | Paul, out of curiousity, did you try any bipolar floor standing speakers in your attempt to find replacements for your CV's? |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 659 Registered: Jan-05 | I listened to Definitive Technology Super Towers that looked great on paper, but their sound didnt quite measure up to the paper. Nice sounding speakers, but not enough to get my juices flowing or get me excited enough to ditch my current setup. They didnt deliver enough beef for my taste, but they'd probably be great for someone with a critical ear and a taste for fine music. The ones I listened too were rated down to a rediculously low number, but they didnt quite deliver the experience I was looking for. I cant explain it other than sometimes specs dont tell the whole story, and the ears will always be the ultimate judge and jury. They may have been rated very low, but did it in a very weak kind of way........LOL |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 660 Registered: Jan-05 | BTW, I also listened to some KEF towers selling for $8000/pr(more than I would ever spend)that didnt sound as good as the Definitive Technology speakers selling for half the price. It just goes to show that more expensive doesnt necessarily mean better. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 258 Registered: Mar-05 | Paul, OK since we're onto car analogies, I think a more apt comparison would be a 3 person family which buys a Chevy Tahoe instead of a Honda Accord, mainly because the husband needs to feel "manly" while dropping off the kid at school and commuting to work. The Accord is smaller but is actually safer because it is much more agile and has better braking so it can avoid accidents more easily, gets far better gas mileage so is easier on both pocketbook and environment, has a more comfortable ride and handling, is going to last a lot longer with far fewer trips to the repair shop, has better resale value due to Honda's famous reputation for long term reliability---basically is a better car in every possible criteria. EXCEPT that of course the Tahoe can haul much bigger loads and can take twice as many passengers---both capabilities which the average 3-person family will seldom if ever need. I mean, how often do you buy a washing machine? However, Mr. Hubby in order to satisfy his comically cliched notion of masculinity still buys the Tahoe and loses all of the clear advantages of the Honda. Substitute CVs for the Tahoe, bookshelves for the Accord. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 661 Registered: Jan-05 | Actually, it's the soccer moms that go for the SUVs, and for completely different reasons. If you're going to do an analagy, you might as well get your premise correct. SUVs are nothing more than todays modern era station wagon, and you(once again) got your thinking completely backwards. I do happen to own a SUV, but it's my wifes daily vehicle. The primary SUV target market is women with children you dingaling, not egotrippng men. hahahahahahah It does come in handy though because my other hobby involves lugging around and transporting a large telescope, and no sedan exists that will accomodate its size. I strictly prefer the sedan for daylight hours though. LOL...... |
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Bronze Member Username: ErikPost Number: 23 Registered: Apr-05 | Im really lost here..I dont understand these comparisons of cars to sound. What is the point of reference I can relate to from the following. 1.too little seating 2.no luggage storage 3.lousy gas mileage (power consumption?) 4.uncomfortable ride |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 260 Registered: Mar-05 | Well Paul on the rare occasion you are partially right, and here I should've used not SUVs but Hummers as a more precise analogy, Hummers and/or big pickup trucks. Glad to hear you do prefer sedans though, that means there's still hope after all!!! In all seriousness though, I do appreciate your genuine good humor in spite of all the jabs we exchange. : ) |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 261 Registered: Mar-05 | Erik, yep, metaphors are a dangerous thing---too easy to mix up. Sorry to confuse you. I think the correct automotive equivalent to CVs would be say a Ford F250 4-door truck or Hummer, and a Honda Accord for bookshelves. There are some men who would consider themselves unmanly if they did NOT have some big hulking thing like that to the office every day. I suspect these men are more likely to, in Paul's anlogy, enjoy watching some dreck like "Band of Brothers" while drinking Bud Light or Miller or some other hyped up lousy pseudo-beer than to listen to classical music with some wine and cheese. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 667 Registered: Jan-05 | LOL... There you go again...... Guys dont drive F250 trucks to the office to look cool. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 266 Registered: Mar-05 | Paul, You obviously do not live in the South. However I'm exaggerating slightly---the most common parking-lot poser truck is the F150. |
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konamusicman Unregistered guest | maui from the grave! http://gallery.audioasylum.com/cgi/view.mpl?u=641&f=maui.jpg&v=f&UserImages=641& session=&&moniker=bent&invite=&w=876&h=625 |
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Bronze Member Username: ClaudermilkPost Number: 90 Registered: Sep-04 | Unfortunately around my area, yes, they do drive those monsters to look cool. Imagine if you will a lifted H2 with chrome 24" wheels & 25-series tires. Barf! |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 678 Registered: Jan-05 | LOL Around here, the status vehicles are expensive luxury or sports cars..............not trucks. As for SUVs, I totally disagree. Those are nothing more than "Wife-mobiles". I'll have to admit, it's the perfect vehicle for hauling around my 'behemoth' telescope, and the all-wheel drive comes in handy because many of our observing sites require driving hilly dirt roads which cant be passed by cars if they're muddy. My wife loves it when I leave her with a mudcaked vehicle......Heh The funny thing is that I wanted nothing to do with a SUV and I was set against it, but she insisted. Now that I have the Scope, and lug it around, I couldnt do without it. I could get a van, but those are too easy to get stuck. |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784Post Number: 325 Registered: Nov-04 | paul, what do you do for a living that requires you to haul a telescope? lookin at stars for a living im guessing? |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 680 Registered: Jan-05 | I never said I haul telescopes for a living. Thats a hobby.... I have 3...... My HT/Movies Golf Telescoping...... All are strictly for fun, and in my spare time. |
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Silver Member Username: Touche6784Post Number: 326 Registered: Nov-04 | ahh. my mistake. quite some hobbies you got there. |
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yoda Unregistered guest | Isn't there a home theatre section for y'all wantin' to hear stuff blow up? GO THERE! Thank-you. |
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Silver Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 684 Registered: Jan-05 | Could you please translate that into English for me Master Yoda? |
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Anonymous | it loosly translates into paul likes it up the chute |
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Somed00d Unregistered guest | The catch is they arent as good as the reviews say. In other worse, they are extremely hyped. I will say they are decent for the money, but nowhere near quality 1k speakers. For example the PSB Stratus Mini (about 700 new) stomps the Ascends in every way possible. Its really not a fair comparison considering the PSB's cost much more, and use Vifa drivers. |
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Barnacle Unregistered guest | This shows personal sound preferences. I moved from PSB Silveri to Ascend 340s and a Hsu STF-1 and could not be any happy with the sound quality improvement at a major savings. The 170s aren't going to compete with a good $1000 a pair speaker but they only cost $325. The 340s at $550 on the other hand will compete very well with many $1K and up speaker. |
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Barnacle Unregistered guest | Now that I'm not peekish from no sleep. I will say that Ascends are not for everyone. If you are college aged and just care about pumping out rock-n-roll or techno at volume they likely aren't for you. They are very neutral and do not color music in anyway so if you are playing poorly recorded digitally compressed music that is so common these days that is what it will sound like. The Ascends are not going to warm anything up. The signal they get is what they reproduce. Also, if your front end electronics are warm or bright that is how the speakers are going to play. If you listen to acoustical, jazz, classical, singer song-writers and so forth and appreciate great mids, natural voices, separation of instruments, and imaging you are going to appreciated Ascends. I have heard some pricey monitors that did not do the mid-range as well as Ascends do. The 340s convey timbre and resonance better than the 170s in addition to having a wider soundstage and being able to play louder. The Ascend soft dome tweeter will not get screechy on violin high notes like the PSB's metal tweeter can. $700 is a great price for the PSB Stratus Mini as the MSRP is $1100. At the MSRP you could pick up 4 pairs of 170s or two pairs of 340s. That you moved up to a >$1K monitor to better the ~$300 170 rather than the PSB Image 2B at ~$300 says plenty about Ascend's value. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 468 Registered: Mar-05 | SomedOOd, Well to each his own. I actually brought in my Ascend 340s to my local dealer and A/B'ed them against his stock of PSBs, Triangles, Monitor Audio, and Klipsch. The PSBs in the same price range were absolute toast, ditto with the other brands' offerings in the $600 range. Only one Triangle model at about $1500/pair clearly bested them and even the sales guy had to grudgingly admit that. |
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Somed00d Unregistered guest | Yeah, I guess it does depend on tastes- I found the Ascends too analytical and the aerogel woofer too fatiguing ( it added an extra fuzz to the music) for me. While listening to these speakers, it was just like i was listening to the speakers, and not the music. They didnt make me sit down and listen for long periods. I also thought the tweeter on the Ascends was brighter and more irritating, im guessing because the Mini's tweeter is much more laid back. I dont think the metal tweeter has anything to do with harshness, although the PSB Image 2b was considerably brighter than both the CBM-170 and the Mini- but id still take the 2b over the Ascends for music. While the Stratus Mini may not be perfect, it at least involves me in the music and makes me forget about the speakers while listening. The music over these speakers sounds so much more like music than on the Ascends- the ambience, decay, soundstage, imaging - pretty much everything sounds better. I guess it depends on whether or not you want a musical or analytical interpretation of the music. For me musical sounds much better, and much more like real music. Oh ya, and for the record i pretty much listen to everything-except country- so I have a pretty good idea on how both of these speakers perform on all types of music. Its really no contest for me on which speaker is better. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 473 Registered: Mar-05 | Wow, I guess it really does back to subjective musical preferences because what you said about "listening to the speakers and not the music" and brightness/harshness was EXACTLY how I described the PSBs I was comparing to the Ascends! In fact if you ever look at the reams of consumer and professional reviews written on the Ascends, "transparent" and "natural" are recurring adjectives they all contain. I'm curious, what receiver or amp was running the Ascends you heard? Also, did you home demo the Ascends yourself or did they belong to someone else? |
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Somed00d Unregistered guest | Hi Edster, I owned the Ascends for roughly a year before selling them. When I first got them i was using an Onkyo reciever and a Kenwood cdp- obviously not the best gear in the world. After awhile I upgrade to a Cambridge AZUR 540 a and a Toshiba sd 3950. The Cambrdige is/was a HUGE improvement over the Onkyo, I seriously dont know how people with cheap HT recievers can use the Ascends and be satisfied. I had the AScends in two different rooms , one small (10x10) and the other a large living room. They pretty much sounded the same in both rooms, except slight differences in air and space around the speakers. Ive used my PSB Stratus Mini's with the same set ups ( I even recently hooked up my old Onkyo to the psb's to see how it sounded) and in both set ups they sound much more musical. Im curious as to what PSB's you compared the Ascends to ? Alphas maybe? The stratus mini is far from being harsh, and far from being un invovling, especially when compared to the cbm-170. I admit that the Ascends do have that "WOW" factor when you first listen to them, but after listening to them for awhile they just seem like theyre trying to hard to impress the listener, not get down to the music. To me these speakers seem like they were built for measurements, rather than musical enjoyement. But, I guess to some being impressed with a speaker is all theyre after, so in this case the Ascends would fit the bill. |
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Silver Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 478 Registered: Mar-05 | I can't remember which PSBs exactly, I just remember the cheapest PSBs he had were about $450/pair bookshelves all the way up to almost $2000/pair floorstanders. > I admit that the Ascends do have that "WOW" factor when you first listen to them, but after listening to them for awhile they just seem like theyre trying to hard to impress the listener, not get down to the music. Funny, that's exactly the opposite of how I'd describe the Ascends. They sound more like "arrogant lazy bastardos" to my ears! : ) A more polite description would be "understated" of course. |
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