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MikeQ
04-28-2005, 07:05 AM
This whole 1500 for some speaker thing is a bit uncomfortable for me.

But, as I have spent so much on the rest of my system it seems that I can only continue to assemble a good solution.

Here comes my question.

Can I use the 170's FLR and 340 center and the 200's in the rear?

Is this stoping short of what I should do? I don't do a lot of two channel stuff. The room is 30 by 14 and my couch is 25 feet from the TV (50 inch DLP)

Some one please validate this so I can end the torture OR tell me why I should to the 340's across the front, thus adding cost.

Thanks

Mag_Neato
04-28-2005, 07:23 AM
How loud do you like your movies? That's a long room. I sit about 12' from my 170's and the room is 18ft. long x 13ft. wide with 8ft. ceiling. I'm using a 65w/channel outlaw 1050 receiver and have plenty of volume.

I have not auditioned the 340's so I cannot comment on them. I absolutely love my 170's, so if the 340's are better I would never know it unless I directly compared both.

The 340's will play bigger due to their extra driver and size.

You could always try the 170's for the trial period and switch to the 340's if they don't fry your bacon!

MikeQ
04-28-2005, 07:44 AM
Loud is not my thing...even music is played so we can talk over it...usally...sometimes when home alone I like to just CRANK...but not often.

We have not had a HT before so this is our first try.

I will be using a Marantz SR8400 with 110 per channel so there should be enough power...

sensibull
04-28-2005, 08:11 AM
If loud is not your thing, and power is not lacking, then I would think the 170s as mains would be fine. I think the standard response would be go to the 340s with a room that big, but as Mag Neato pointed out, you'll have 30 days to determine whether the 170s meet your needs. Moreover, with a room that big you may decide to eventually go 7.1 and you could then move the 170s to surround duty, the 200s as rears, and buy 340s for the mains.

Mag_Neato
04-28-2005, 08:30 AM
The danger of the Ascends is not appearant at first, but I have identified it.

They sound so sweet, when coupled with good electronics and source material, that you find yourself "cranking" them more and more, so having good, clean power is essential. The danger is in those elevated SPL's for extended periods of time. Your hearing gets accustomed to the decibal level and you don't realize just how loud it actually is. I've had the system playing a movie at a fairly good clip, while the wife and kids were out, and not hear them come home and enter the house. The next thing I know my son is yelling to me from 6 ft. behind me asking me what the heck I'm watching!

Then I get the wife's comment:"Don't EVER tell your children that they have the TV volume too loud!" LOL!

Lee Bailey
04-28-2005, 09:48 AM
The room is 30 by 14 and my couch is 25 feet from the TV (50 inch DLP)

:eek: 25 feet from your couch to your TV. Do you use binoculars?

I would go with the 340's with a room that size. How much power are you driving these with?

MikeQ
04-28-2005, 10:31 AM
Hmm...Power? I am using the Marantz SR8400 which specs out at 110W per Channel.

As for binoculars....I used to watch a 10 year old 27" Sony from that distance...now it is a 50" DLP so...to ME it is great!

Quinn
04-29-2005, 07:12 PM
In that size room I'd step up to 340s. I have 340s in my 2 channel rig and 170L/R, 340cc, 200 surrounds for my HT. If this is a music too system I'd day the sound difference of the 340s is worth it. The best way I can describe it is while the 170s gets everything correct the 340s convey the emotion and energy of music better. I can hear the energy of/off the body of the instrument in addition to the notes with the 340s.

I run my HT with a Marantz 7200.

millerwill
04-29-2005, 09:53 PM
My room is 18 x 14 x 8.5 (ceiling); I had a pair of 170's (with the 340C center) and have just recently swapped them for a pair of 340's. (Just had the 'itch' to know if they were better!) I liked the 170's very much, and they were plenty loud, but I do like the 340's better. Not that I play them any louder, but they provide a noticeably 'fuller', more eveloping sound, due presumably to the 2 drivers. The clarity of these things is really amazing; talk about hearing a pin drop in the background of a conversation! This was something I decided I had to find out and was willing to swallow the shipping costs even if I decided to return the 340's. But I'm returning the 170's instead.

PS My AVR is the Pio 1014, and sub is SVS PB 10. These complement the 340 L/C/R perfectly.