JasonFab -- Any news on the new center? (1 Viewer)

Jason, can you give us an update on the upcoming Ascend Acoustics "dedicated" center channel? Date, specs, prices, or even a model number would be appreciated!

Hi Ben,

I would be glad to answer your questions, at least as many as I am able.

We estimate production models will be shipping by late April or early May. We are in the process now (although not listed on our site) of taking pre-orders by email for the new CMT-340 center.

I would prefer not to publish the specs on this forum but I would be happy to supply them (and pics) to anyone interested. Just send me an email.

The speaker is a woofer-tweeter-woofer configuration with dual 6.5" custom Aerogel woofers and a new ultra wide dispersion high-end tweeter. The speaker does have some new proprietary crossover features that optimize it for center channel duty and these features combined with the new tweeter contribute to smooth off-axis response in all directions.

It is timbre matched to our CBM-170s and the initial feedback from our customers using pre-production models has been terrific. We are confident that this speaker at $299 will offer the highest price to performance ratio for a center channel speaker anywhere. Perhaps even under $500!

Send me an email and get on the pre-order list, we expect these to sell out quickly!

Thanks Jason, I've pestered David with a few emails and he sent me most of the specs and pictures. You both are to be commended for the easy access you give both current and potential customers. Now that I know the model # I'll email my preorder in very soon. Can I assume that you will take my HTM-200 back on a trade-up?

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the positive comments :b

We will be offering a trade-in (trade-up?) program for those Ascend customers wanting to upgrade their HTM-200 or CBM-170 center channels.

While the exact amount of credit offered has yet to be confirmed, I can tell you that it will be based on 2 factors. One is the condition of your current center, the other is how long you have owned your center.

In other words, a customer who purchased a center from us 1 month ago will receive a slightly higher trade-in credit than someone who purchased a center 2-years ago, provided both are in equally good shape. We feel this is only fair and that our own customers will welcome our program.

BTW, pls keep pestering David, this way he won't have the time to pester me

Jason, that sounds fair to me. You guys deserve all of the success that you're experiencing.

Jason,
when i first got my ascends back in aug last year, i thought that the center was a little...well , i guess the weakest element of what was/still is an incredible package.
take that to mean, i was nit-picking.

i was also coming of a month long audition of the bigfoot Rocket 200 center.
and yes in a comparison between the two, the rocket came across with more authority and weight.

however i quickly realized after that what the 170 was doing 10x better than the rocket , which was imaging the sounds to the screen above.
the imaging of the 170 as a center i found to be just unreal time and time again.
for a HT application, this quality alone soundly trumped any other concerns i might have.


my seating though, is off axis, and while you addressed this a little in one of your posts above, i've been told in that case to avoid an MTM design and stick with the vertically oriented 170.

i'd love to try the 340 anyway just to satisfy my curiosity, but recent changes i made to the room have impacted the acoustics.
not unlistenable, but i have definitely detected a - change in the imaging and soundstaging.
i can live with it for a while with no problem, but i wonder about the value of making any descisions based on the room the way it is now.

is it your opinion that the 340 is so much more substantial that i can't help but see a difference- or is it possible that for my room, the design of the 170 would always be the better choice?

any advice?

Information on the 340c is now available on the Ascend website.

You can find it here or under "products>home_theater>centers". (For some reason it is not listed under "products>speakers" yet.)

Matthew

Anybody know what the trade-in policy is going to be outside of the announced sliding scale to the age of center being traded?

I've ordered mine!

Hi Paul,

If possible, can you email a or fax me a diagram of your room layout with dimensions. Please include your front speaker locations and your listening position.

Our new CMT-340c has excellent horizontal dispersion (even though it is M-T-M) up to a particular angle. It all depends on how far back you are from the center to determine if your off axis position will is too great to benefit from the new center.

What the CMT-340 will give you regardless of position is enhanced low end, tighter and more pronounced dynamics, and the *potential* for even cleaner dialogue.

Get me your room dimensions and I can make a recommendation for you.

Chris, you can email David with your current center's model number, serial number, and condition. He will give you an estimate that will be confirmed after Ascend receives your old center. I have sent back my old center (a HTM-200) and I'm eagerly awaiting the CMT-340c. I'm also ordering a pair of the BB-75 speaker stands for my rear CBM-170's. I feel in the case of these two center speakers that there will be a significant improvement. David quoted me a trade-in allowance of $80 assuming that the 200 is in new/mint condition. A CBM-170 will of course get you a larger allowance.