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View Full Version : some quips from RonStimpson re. Ascend :)



gr1m
10-27-2005, 12:50 PM
from:

http://www.hometheaterspot.com/htsthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/758782/page/0/fpart/6/vc/1


For that size room the Ascend 340's might be a bit more than you "need" but who the hell cares about that? ;^) The 340's and 170's are among those speakers we at SVS have immense respect for. We have and can continue to recommend them to anyone for whom their size/price and styling seems to fit their needs. They are great speakers. I've personally told David Fabrikant that we'd be quite pleased to simply have entry level speakers that deserve to be in the same room with his products.

These do, albeit in a smaller form factor and less expensive package. Dollar for dollar we'll put our new 5.1 package up against anything in the world, but given the excellent CBM-170's are somewhat larger and more expensive than our speakers (a bit over $700 for a 5.0 package with HTM-200 as a center, whereas our 5.0 system is $549 during its intro... a fairly substantial difference in this price point) frankly we don't consider them to be head to head competitors.

Subwoofers are a different issue of course. We do consider the PB10-ISD to be in a class of one when it comes to anything remotely close to its price point and you get that with our 5.1 system of course.

If you are not that price sensitive, moving up to a $1,500 price point will get you a GREAT system from Ascend (where you could add an SVS sub by ordering from us, or getting a package from PlasmaDocs). Of course if $999 (or for now $899) is the top of your game, I believe you would have a tough time finding anything as good, much less better.

While I may now be partial to SVS speakers, you won't find me disparaging the Ascends. David Fabrikant knows what the hell he is doing (but then again, so do we).

that is in response to:

Great! I was all set to pick up some Ascends (340's & 170's) and a SVS PB10 and now this comes along. At $899 pre-order price this may be to good to pass up. These speakers would be for 100% HT use in a dedicated HT room that is 12x18 with 8ft ceilings and closed off by a door.

It sounds like SBS-01 package could be perfect for this room size. I currently have a Yamaha 995 so I have plenty of power to drive these speakers.

Comparing the new SVS to the Ascends looks like these stack up against the 170s. I would be interested to know how well the SVS performs against the 170s. I was planning on getting the 340s with the 340 center channel for the front but that may be over kill for this room size. Maybe 4 170s and a 340 center would be better. That would put me at $954 + shipping for the Ascends and $429 + shipping for the PB10. That's about $1500 vs about $900 + shipping for the SBS-01 package. So going with the SVS package would save me roughly $500 - $600. Jeez to many decisions!!

Does the $899 pre-order price include free shipping. If it does this would make the decision a LOT easier.

curtis
10-27-2005, 02:00 PM
Great post.

Ron got the price of 5 HTM-200's wrong though, it is $652 shipped, and their 5.0 package is $549 before shipping.

EdK didn't calculate 4 CBM-170's and 1 CMT-340c correctly either, it is $916 shipped.

The Ascend System Advisor is a great tool:
http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/purchase/advisor.mv#bottom

bikeman
10-27-2005, 03:49 PM
Thanks for posting this. Ron's math may be a bit off but I like the way he handles a potentially delicate question. He'd probably love to have Ascend as a reseller and who could blame him.

David

Quinn
10-27-2005, 05:11 PM
Thanks for posting this. Ron's math may be a bit off but I like the way he handles a potentially delicate question. He'd probably love to have Ascend as a reseller and who could blame him.

David


Isn't the why plasmadocs.com exists?

chas
10-27-2005, 08:30 PM
Ron got the price of 5 HTM-200's wrong though, it is $652 shipped

I think he must have been talking 4 - 170s and a 200 center which comes to $708 (plus $44 shipping).

curtis
10-27-2005, 08:36 PM
Ahhh...I think you are right.

Clearly though, at least on paper, their speaker competes with the HTM-200, and SVS does not consider the CBM-170 to be a "head to head" competitor.

chas
10-28-2005, 06:21 AM
Clearly though, at least on paper, their speaker competes with the HTM-200, and SVS does not consider the CBM-170 to be a "head to head" competitor.

Very true...the 5 - 200's package would seem to be a more logical comparison.

Jonnyozero3
10-28-2005, 05:13 PM
Wow, he showed a lot of class with that answer. They jumped a few points in my book. NOT just because he said good things about Ascend, but in the manner in which he handled, as was said, a delicate question.

mboy
10-31-2005, 04:32 PM
I believe I read somehwere that Ron has Ascend's in his home as his personal speakers (or did before they came out with their own).

Quinn
12-06-2005, 09:14 AM
Very true...the 5 - 200's package would seem to be a more logical comparison.

I'd agree. Looking at the ~4%THD at 100Hz for the SVS, in the Secrets review, I'd expect the HTM-200 to do better. Two 4" drivers have more area than 1 5.25, do they not?

GaryB
12-09-2005, 03:25 PM
Slightly... approximately equivalent in cone area to a single 5.6" driver, although there are almost certainly many other factors to consider.