Ascend CBM-170s: really worth $330? Comparable to larger, cheaper speakers? (1 Viewer)

[MichaelDDD]

Ahhhh! The pressure!!

I spent the better part of last night surfing around checking everything out. What a lot of choices! Read reviews on the Axioms and ELTs. I wish there were some reviews on the Ascend 340s.

From reading the reviews, it's become fairly obvious to me that a good pair of "bookshelf" monitors, such as the Ascends/Axioms/ELTs can outperform a so-so pair of towers, particularly when paired with a good sub, which I now have covered in spades. Of course, the proof is in the pudding and your ears, so to speak.

The PB2+ is a done deal. My order is in and I have zero regrets. Ron from SVS answered my emails promptly and is a great person not only to deal with, but chat w/as well.

As David*RT pointed out, buying this sub kills any future upgrade-itis in the sub-bass department. I am a bass head. If the music doesn't whack me in gut, I am not happy. I plan on keeping it until I die. Which won't be for a loooong time. Yes, it's a huge expense for me. But I've been saving and paid cash for it. No more CC debt for me! I have enough already. :b

OK, back to speakers. I will not be purchasing anything this week, so I have time to save up some more money and read reviews...hopefully on the 340s! They still aren't up on the Ascend website.

I would be willing to spend the $1K on the front three and just use my Kenwood surrounds for now (they still work ) in lieu of getting all five for that price if that meant getting substantially better speakers for the money.

The reviews I saw on the Axioms were all two years old...any newer ones? I was reading until 1:00AM...pretty beat this morning.

Thanks for your help and your discussion/debate amongst yourselves. I read everyone's posts and am "filing it all away" for assistance with a final determination.

 

[BobAlbano]

MichaelDDD, no pressure in this decision as this is the fun part...getting to audition all of these great speakers. If I had 1K to spend on the front 3 speakers I would take a peek at the Rocket 550/200 b-stock that they have right now. You should be able to pick these 3 speakers up for somewhere around 1K. I would be willing to bet the house that these front 3 can go toe to toe with anything in this price range any day of the week. Congrats on the SVS...Tom and Ron are really great guys that know there bass!!! This is the exact reason that I have bought 5 subs from them!

 

[CurtisSC]

Bob is right. No pressure. Have fun with it. Listen to everything you can, even after you settled on speakers. There is a lot of good stuff out there.

I think some "real" reviews are coming for the CMT-340. I also have someone coming over for a listen this weekend that has also spent some time with the RS750 and Ref1...maybe he will post some thoughts.

 

[Robert_Barlow]

Hrmmm, You could probably also dip into the Paradigm reference series at that price point as well(maybe a tiny bit more). I have been calling around the local hi-fi shops lately(considering going 6.1) and it seems you can get a pair of Studio 20's V.2 for 500. Add in a Studio CC channel(V2) for 350. Might even be able to top those numbers on ebay.

So, for 1300 you could be into a pretty nice paradigm set-up.

Shrug, just another option

 

[Chris Quinn]

You'd need to go to at least Studio 20s to match the 170s. I don't know how high up you'd need in Paradigm's to better the 340 since I haven't heard the 340 in a L/R set-up.

I owned Paradigm Mini-Monitors(and am familiar with the whole line) before the 170s which are so much better for the money. Now that said, Paradigms are a great value compared to many other speakers. But there are even better values out there than Paradigm.

 

[Robert_Barlow]

Like I noted, simply another opinion

 

[Frank Mowry]

Michael,
Where are you located? You can always find people on this and other forums (like the 10 others Curtis hangs out at ) that will let you audition some of the speakers you're looking into. Axiom and the Rocket guys both have forums where you can find people in your neck of the woods to audition. I'm sure Curtis and the other Ascend owners have a similar setup in their forum.

I've got the Axioms M22 HT setup. I've had two people stop by and hear my setup before buying in the last 3 months.

Frank

 

[CurtisSC]

Oh man Frank! Take a shot at me!

Home for him is in San Antonio...but he is currently overseas.

And it is really only maybe 5 forums that I really hang out at.

 

[Frank Mowry]

Curtis,
Obviously if I KNOW you're at a few different forums, I must at least be lurking at those forums, right

Frank

 

[CurtisSC]

OK OK OK.....you got me.

 

[MikeLi]

Just want to say that Its nice to see a forum where people actually help folks instead of bashing which goes on so much at another forum we used to all hang out at and I no longer post at. Anyway this whole thing is about helping new people, helping each other and realizing that we are all going to have different tastes as our ears are different. One speaker may have this or that quality going for it and that one may have this or that quality going for it but in the end it all boils down here to opinion. Rarely facts. Anyway thanks from one who likes to see folks act like human beings.