htm-200, will they break-in over time?

I just hooked up a pair on new HTM-200s. I plan on getting the 170SE/340SE when they come out next year. The HTM200s are replacing a pair of Pinnacle 5.2s. The Pinnacles were a garage sale find last year which replaced a pair of Inifinty RS-125 which were fine as rear speakers, but were lacking up front. I'm using an HK AVR 125 receiver. Svs sub.

My room is 90+% HT, 10% music, and I never really had a problem with the Pinnacles for HT. However, they were unlistenable for music. They are very, very bright, and distored uncomfortably at even moderate volume levels. At high volume levels, I felt like the paint was going to peel off the wall. Painfully harsh.

The problem is that my new HTM-200s really didn't seem to have much at the high frequency end at all. I didn't want them as bright & scary as the Pinnacles, but I expected that they would at least be very clear sounding. The good news is that I can play them much louder than I could stand to listen to the pinnacles. The bad news is that they sound only slightly better to me than the old Inifinitys. Very slight. More like I was telling myself they *had* to be better. Pretty sure I could not tell them apart if blindfolded.

I was testing using L/R balance, with an HTM200 on one side and the Infinity or Pinnacle on the other. And example of sample music was Pearl Jam, Evenflow. That signature guitar at the beginning was not really there like I was expecting to hear it, it seemed to be in the background. On the other hand, Jimi Hendrix's voice in Purple Haze sounded pretty good on the HTM-200. I didn't compare Jimi on the other speakers because he only sung thru the right speaker.

So, will the HTM-200s clear up a bit with use?

I really want to like these and be done with my HT room when the SE's arrive. I'd decided on Ascends a long time ago, was just waiting to save up for them.

(Oh yeah, I did attempt to check the FAQ in the fourm. It's empty, so I posted)

Hi Bholio1,

Welcome to our forum!

Just a quick note... Comparing speakers using one on the left channel and one on the right channel while listening to a stereo source is not a fair comparison, and should never be used to compare one speaker to another. Stereo is indeed just that, 2 separate and discrete channels and the signal that is sent to the left speaker is not the same as the signal that is sent to the right. You need a monaural source in order to do this, plus you must level match the speakers.

Quote:

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I was testing using L/R balance, with an HTM200 on one side and the Infinity or Pinnacle on the other. And example of sample music was Pearl Jam, Evenflow. That signature guitar at the beginning was not really there like I was expecting to hear it, it seemed to be in the background. On the other hand, Jimi Hendrix's voice in Purple Haze sounded pretty good on the HTM-200.

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Exactly... because something like guitar is usually recorded hot on one channel and softer on the other to give you a sense of spaciousness and realism (for live music, the guitar player is usually off to one side of the stage). While vocals are often recorded with equal weight on both channels to make it sound like the vocals are coming from dead center and upfront (vocalists typically stand in the center and in front of other instruments). While listening to the exact same guitar section, swap the HTM-200 to the other channel... hear the guitars now? :D

Hope this helps!

Welcome bholio!! I think you may have actually become somewhat used to the harshness and unnatural high treble energy of your Pinnacles. Now that you have switched to a very neutral sounding speaker you are still tending to use the Pinnacles as you reference. My suggestion is to put the unnatural sounding Pinnacles away and listen to the Ascends only, for a month...then let us know what you hear. ;)

Randy

Dave,
Thanks for the response. I guess the best way to test is to dig up my old receiver which still has a/b switching for 2 sets of speakers. Then I can test a pair of each type and switch immediately between them.

I also do agree with Lou that I have become accustomed to the bright Pinnacles and need some time to adjust. I guess thats why they invented the treble knob. Turning that to about 2:00 makes things sound a bit more like I'm used to.

Thanks..

I was listening to some Hendrix music the other day, and I remember thinking the mixing was kind of primitive. Lots of stuff came out of one speaker or the other. "Stereo seperation" to the extreme. I bet it was pretty cool back in the 60's.

Like the other said, the 200s are not "dull". When I compared them to some JBL Northridge's, they were quite a bit more detailed. I actually would really recommend people who are sensitive to a "harsh" high end try the JBLs, they are cheap and actually matched the HTM-200s for sensitivity and a rough frequency response curve almost exactly. But they were quite a bit "duller".

Ascends seem to give you what's there in the music. Of course, that's not always good. ;)

If you're 90% HT why're you so worried about how some old CDs sound? ;) Is your receiver/speakers calibrated? How did movies workout for you? Better/worse/no change?

I guess I should have said that I wanted to be 10% music. With the previous speakers it wasn't really possible. There must be something wrong with them. Either that or they just happen to not match well with my receiver somehow. I bought them used, so who knows whats really in them?

I have enjoyed being able to listen to music for the past few days. I'm warming up to the sound of the 200s, starting to like them. They no longer sound dull to me. Someday I'll get around to A/Bing them properly with my old infinitys to see the differnce.

Last night we got around to watching a movie (Galaxy Quest). No complaints about the sound, but I'm still using my old center (Pinnacle 5.3) and surrounds (Advent bookshelf ii), so I wasn't expecting night/day difference. I will get the 170/340c SEs when they become available, and move the 200's to the rear. Then I'll be done with the HT for awhile.

Later...& thanks for the help & info