CMT-340 SE, CMT-340 C SE, HTM-200 SE my new 5.0
I bought these on the recommendation of the guys over at AVRant.com shortly after closing on my house summer of 2019.
The Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE, CMT-340 C SE, and HTM-200 SE speakers arrived to me double boxed and corner braced. I filmed me unboxing if you're interested.
After getting everything setup (100" apart, 22 degree toe-in, as close to the wall as possible) I listened to various tracks for details that get lost when moving between listening environments and in some cases equipment.
Music: I used "Get on the Floor" by Michael Jackson from the "Off the Wall" album. At the 2:50 mark there's a conga solo. At the beginning of the solo the congas sound diffuse and almost buried behind the drums, which are keeping time with the kick and high-hat. If this were a live performance the congas sound would be physically behind the drum kit. Just before the rest of the instruments drop back in the congas change from sounding behind the drums to in front of them. I've listen to this in my living room where my old Andrew Jones Pioneer towers are now serving, on my Audio-Technica M50x, my Plantronics Back-Beat Pro 2s, in my car, and from a variety of sources. Nowhere is that shift in sound more apparent than in my theater on the Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SEs.
Movies: I remember asking the AVRant Podcast guys for demo content that highlights panning sounds. When I was in my old house with the old Pioneers, I couldn't easily discern what my surrounds were doing. Pans often got smeared. With the Ascends, Holy Sonic assault Batman. I use the "Welcome to Jurassic Park" scene often to show off the subs (dual SVS SB12-NSD), but there's birds and bugs chirping in this scene as well. When I played this scene waiting for the Brachiosaurus to drop, I got drawn in by all the ambient critter noise first. Amazing!
"The Matrix" Lobby scene is another one that impressed. Not only is there gun fire clearly happening from everywhere, I could hear the different calibers being fired. Not the obvious ones like M-16 vs the shotguns. The more sly difference like the sound of the Micro Uzi vs the Model 61 Skorpion. Even though these sounds weren't absolutely weapon accurate, the sound engineers took time to make each thing sound different. I can easily hear that difference.
Video Games: My kids love playing "Fortnite" in the theater so they can hear how far away the other players are.
Jump scares from Man-bat are still a treat when any of the Batman games are in play.
God of War in Immersive mode is another showcase of the Ascend Acoustics SE series. Many note how cinematic this game is without the HUD. This is true... I like to point out how much I have to rely on the sound to help me out, as there's no screen arrows pointing me toward in-game danger.
I am thoroughly impressed with these speakers. Though not as pretty as my 1st choice RBH Impression series (discontinued), I have no regrets. The Ascends literally disappear into the room when the lights go off. It's almost eerie how the textured finish of the SE series reflects so little light.
Are these my forever speakers? Probably not. However, the capability of these speakers are so high. Any upgrade would likely be largely in form and minimally in function.
Cons: I'd like to have magnetic grills. I can't image that this feature cost that much more. I don't think the dual 5-way binding post are needed. To be fair, I'm really nit-picking.
Who are these speakers for? The Ascend Acoustic SE series are what I would call pro-intermediate speakers. They're a clear upgrade for the beginner coming from a more budget focused speakers. Yet, an experience listener could also appreciate these speakers, as they give all the performance without any of the jewelry.
This whole review has come together while I'm still in process of treating my room. I've let Audyssey do its thing up to 5 kHz. I imagine the sound will only get better as I treat the reflections.
I truly understand why the AVRant Podcast guys say "if you don't like what's coming out of these speakers, it's probably not the speakers."
I thank AVRant.com for the recommendation,
Thanks to Ascend Acoustics for making a great set of approachable speakers,
Dazz
Re: CMT-340 SE, CMT-340 C SE, HTM-200 SE my new 5.0
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dazz_Wryght
I bought these on the recommendation of the guys over at AVRant.com shortly after closing on my house summer of 2019.
The Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE, CMT-340 C SE, and HTM-200 SE speakers arrived to me double boxed and corner braced. I filmed me unboxing if you're interested.
After getting everything setup (100" apart, 22 degree toe-in, as close to the wall as possible) I listened to various tracks for details that get lost when moving between listening environments and in some cases equipment.
Music: I used "Get on the Floor" by Michael Jackson from the "Off the Wall" album. At the 2:50 mark there's a conga solo. At the beginning of the solo the congas sound diffuse and almost buried behind the drums, which are keeping time with the kick and high-hat. If this were a live performance the congas sound would be physically behind the drum kit. Just before the rest of the instruments drop back in the congas change from sounding behind the drums to in front of them. I've listen to this in my living room where my old Andrew Jones Pioneer towers are now serving, on my Audio-Technica M50x, my Plantronics Back-Beat Pro 2s, in my car, and from a variety of sources. Nowhere is that shift in sound more apparent than in my theater on the Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SEs.
Movies: I remember asking the AVRant Podcast guys for demo content that highlights panning sounds. When I was in my old house with the old Pioneers, I couldn't easily discern what my surrounds were doing. Pans often got smeared. With the Ascends, Holy Sonic assault Batman. I use the "Welcome to Jurassic Park" scene often to show off the subs (dual SVS SB12-NSD), but there's birds and bugs chirping in this scene as well. When I played this scene waiting for the Brachiosaurus to drop, I got drawn in by all the ambient critter noise first. Amazing!
"The Matrix" Lobby scene is another one that impressed. Not only is there gun fire clearly happening from everywhere, I could hear the different calibers being fired. Not the obvious ones like M-16 vs the shotguns. The more sly difference like the sound of the Micro Uzi vs the Model 61 Skorpion. Even though these sounds weren't absolutely weapon accurate, the sound engineers took time to make each thing sound different. I can easily hear that difference.
Video Games: My kids love playing "Fortnite" in the theater so they can hear how far away the other players are.
Jump scares from Man-bat are still a treat when any of the Batman games are in play.
God of War in Immersive mode is another showcase of the Ascend Acoustics SE series. Many note how cinematic this game is without the HUD. This is true... I like to point out how much I have to rely on the sound to help me out, as there's no screen arrows pointing me toward in-game danger.
I am thoroughly impressed with these speakers. Though not as pretty as my 1st choice RBH Impression series (discontinued), I have no regrets. The Ascends literally disappear into the room when the lights go off. It's almost eerie how the textured finish of the SE series reflects so little light.
Are these my forever speakers? Probably not. However, the capability of these speakers are so high. Any upgrade would likely be largely in form and minimally in function.
Cons: I'd like to have magnetic grills. I can't image that this feature cost that much more. I don't think the dual 5-way binding post are needed. To be fair, I'm really nit-picking.
Who are these speakers for? The Ascend Acoustic SE series are what I would call pro-intermediate speakers. They're a clear upgrade for the beginner coming from a more budget focused speakers. Yet, an experience listener could also appreciate these speakers, as they give all the performance without any of the jewelry.
This whole review has come together while I'm still in process of treating my room. I've let Audyssey do its thing up to 5 kHz. I imagine the sound will only get better as I treat the reflections.
I truly understand why the AVRant Podcast guys say "if you don't like what's coming out of these speakers, it's probably not the speakers."
I thank AVRant.com for the recommendation,
Thanks to Ascend Acoustics for making a great set of approachable speakers,
Dazz
Excellent! We are thrilled you are enjoying the 340's and thanks so much for posting the review! Stay healthy and listen to as much music as possible during this crazy time!
