Different surround speakers with Ascends???

[Mag_Neato]

Are the Infinitys at a local store? You could purchase the 170's w/30 day trial, take them to the store where the infinity speakers are and try to hook them up there to compare. From my own experience with infinity (granted, many, many years ago) they seem to have a "HOT" top end....JMHO! Ascend is rumored to be developing a dedicated surround speaker, but no real info from them on it yet. I know of a person using Paradigm Ref. series(Studio models)with Axiom bookshelves for surround duty. They reportedly match up well. From what I've read, the Paradigms and Ascends have similar sound. I would put the Ascend sound #1 and build around that, but that's just my experienced opinion.

Ed

[Quinn]

Do you know for sure you like di/bi poles sound? They were developed in the Pro Logic day when the reciever was creating the surround sound and the indirect sound helped create the illosion. Today's sound tracks are recorded in 5.1 by the sound engineer. The indirect nature of those speakers is no longer needed. Many do like the indirect soound. So, it really is a matter of personal preference.


I have Paradigm Atoms(in white) as surrounds due to WAF compromise.

[billmail1]

It sure would be nice if Ascend offered a surround speaker. At least everything would match sonically. The only place I've been able to locate the Infinity speakers was on-line (One Call, etc.) and none of them have a return policy (at least without charging a minimum 15% restocking fee). Maybe using CBM-170's in the rear is the right way to go. I'm also shopping for a new receiver and the HK's look good on Ascend's website but I've read many complaints on the AVS forum about dropped digital signals and audio losses when switching digital sources. I haven't read anything on this forum about it so I need to find a local dealer and listen to one for myself. If the audio drop out does not exist, I will purchase one on the Ascend website when buying their speakers. So many decisions - so little time and money.

Bill

[curtis]

The dropped digital signal issue is WAY overblown IMO. First....how often do you switch signals during a show? Second, it just doesn't happen out of the blue.

As for surrounds....Ascend does offer "surrounds", the issue is what you define as a surround. If it is a multipole design, then no, Ascend does not have one. But has Quinn has pointed out, 5.1 sound is not mixed with multipoles in mind, and there are arguement for and against the use of multipoles. You should listen to a variety of systems to see what suits you.

-curtis

[billmail1]

I've always had multipole surrounds and never thought about anything different. I went to a local B&M store this afternoon and asked them to demo a speaker system with monopole rears. Gotta admit - I was really impressed. SACDs and DVD-Audio sounded outstanding. Movies sounded different but a lot better with clearer and more direct sound effects. I should have checked this out a long time ago. Unfortunately, they do not sell the HK product line so I'll have to go somewhere tomorrow to have a listen. At least for my speakers, this is going to be an easy decision - CBM-170s all around, CMT 340C for center and a VTF2 MK2 sub.

Thanks

Bill

[curtis]

Ya see....Quinn does not lie often. [:D]

-curtis

[Quinn]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by curtis

Ya see....Quinn does not lie often. [:D]

-curtis

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

You've never been on the kayak fishing board I reside on. [;)]

Spelling is a whole 'nother issue. LOL!

[metalaaron]

bill,

definitely 170s for the surrounds. no regrets!

pay close attention to quinn's statement up above about pro logic and the use of polar speakers. it's true. i just don't believe that polar speakers have much use any longer w/ today's recorded materials.

[Lou-the-dog]

Ahhh, a fellow fisherman! We don't lie...we just don't know how to read tape measures or weight scales.

Randy

[Quinn]

Yes, I caught 10 fish up to 22". ; )

Translation- I caught 9 dinky fish and one keeper.

[delling001]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by billmail1

I'm also shopping for a new receiver and the HK's look good on Ascend's website but I've read many complaints on the AVS forum about dropped digital signals and audio losses when switching digital sources. I haven't read anything on this forum about it so I need to find a local dealer and listen to one for myself. If the audio drop out does not exist, I will purchase one on the Ascend website when buying their speakers. So many decisions - so little time and money.

Bill
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Bill, A while back I had the same questions you did about the audio dropout in HK AVRs. I e-mailed Dave F. @ Ascend and his response back to me is below (I hope he doesn't mind me passing it along, but his response helped me). I heard Curtis' Ascend set-up last year with his HK (525?), and it sounded absolutely great! As far as the sound... I loved it! As far as any other issue, I'll let current and former HK owners add their own thoughts and comments...

Dave.

<font color="blue">"Regarding the H/K receivers:

To be perfectly honest, we have only heard of this "issue" (if you want to call it that) only once from a customer. We have hundreds and hundreds of customers using H/K receivers.

I believe what H/K elected to do was program in an auto mute function. This is not a bad thing. If you have ever heard what a digital signal sounds like that has not been locked in and properly converted by a DAC, well, you would understand. Imagine, perhaps, the most startling annoying and loud sound imaginable... Better safe than sorry I say...

I think the slight mute is a small price to pay for the sheer power, dynamics, and loads of headroom these receivers offer (not to mention the true musicality of them).

EVERY receiver or processor we have used here has certain annoying issues. We have the top rated Rotel RSP-1066 processor in our lab and we find it incredibly annoying at times. However, the sound quality can't be beat and this is, for us, what is most important."

Take care!

Good Sound To You!
ASCEND ACOUSTICS, INC.

David Fabrikant
http://www.ascendacoustics.com/</font id="blue">

[billmail1]

Holy stuff!!! You guys are making it awfully difficult to justify going back to multipoles. The speakers are now a no-brainer. Gotta be Ascends. The B&M store that I was at today was really trying to build a positive case for monopole rears. Besides the clarity and pinpoint focusing of specific sounds, he said that todays receivers have plenty of built-in DSP effects to make monopole rears sound like multipoles. In fact, he demonstrated it by engaging Dolby ProLogic II while playing a DTS demo DVD. As soon as he selected the ProLogic II mode the monopole surrounds became very diffuse. Basically, he told me to go with monopoles and let the receiver do the sound diffusion (if that is the sound I wanted at any given time). He was right - it works perfectly. I really wish he had a HK receiver to demonstrate but that will come tomorrow. I'm feeling very positive that I will be making the right decision. And, as long as the rear CBM-170s are white, my wife will be content. Ahhhh....life is good!!

Bill

[Quinn]

Here is what Dave F. has posted previously on this issue-

"During the old Pro-Logic days where the rear channel was simply a matrixed signal derived from the left and right channels, the need for ambient reflected sound was critical. Early Dolby THX standards even required this type of speaker.

With the introduction of discreet rear channels, the need for multi-polar rear speakers declined (as such Dolby THX standards were modified).

It is now simply a matter of personal taste, there are advantages and disadvantages to both multi-polar and omni-polar designs."

[billmail1]

I decided to go with a pair of HTM-200s for the rear. You guys convinced me (as well as a very impressive demo at a local B&M store) that monopoles are the best way to go especially for DVD-Audio and SACD. If I want a diffuse sound in the rears, I'll just select a DSP mode in the receiver. Now I'm just waiting for everything to arrive [:D] [:p]

Bill

Bill