I have been asked to start this thread as a central location for owners/listeners to post there impressions of the speakers.
So post away!
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I have been asked to start this thread as a central location for owners/listeners to post there impressions of the speakers.
So post away!
Proud new owner of a pair of 170SEs
So far, I've only played some various songs in my collection, mostly movie soundtracks and a few anime-based vocal songs...Using Foobar .83, with no DSPs (although I flipped on the Tube Sound DSP occassionally, it sounds nice with some brighter material).
The speakers are certainly very clear and precise. They were a little brighter than I expected, but since I've been listening to computer speakers quite a bit lately, maybe my ears are just transitioning slowly from "muffled highs" to "real highs."
I think I expected earth-shattering bass with the thing, but so far extension is very similar to what I've heard with other bookshelves. Maybe I'm confusing the large SPL bass boost of a regular sub compared to linear bass, which may be why I'm not "hearing" it. Then again I am mating it with a sub so bass response won't be a problem.
I noticed this is one huge bookshelf! I mean its meaty, like a battledwarf or something :D not really tall, but wide and deep.
Let me preface with the fact that I'm new to audiophiledom. I haven't heard B&Ws, Monitor 5s(?), Energy C-3s and the like. So far the 170s seem to be delivering what was promised: quality mids-highs. The following are first impressions and should be taken with a grain of salt. I think it will take weeks to form final judgements/figure out optimal placement/receiver settings.
1. Placed 3' from wall with an Onkyo 502 in Direct Stereo Mode the soundfield was excellent as I kept looking to the sides for band members hiding in the wings. This is good isn't it? :)
2. At this same config, I felt the need to use my sub as the low end was not 'filled out'. I thought it might work to use these basically as towers but I seemed to be wrong for the time being-more on that later.
3. Highs were very well defined, that's all I can say for now. Very crisp and clear. Vocals in particular were accurate sounding.
4. When mated with my G4 Mac, placed 2" from the wall, driven by an older Onkyo 8011 receiver, I got some seemingly better results. The bass improved significantly and I was happier overall with their abilities to perform without the aid of a sub. As a side note, I suppose my tastes for bass are unnaturally high and take away from an accurate presentation.
5. It seems as though the sound improved slightly over the period of 5 hours...not sure about break-in but I'm assuming it'll take at least a week to get a more 'true' sound out of them. I would say the 'richness' seems to be improving as my absolute first impression was a little frighteningly 'thin'.
That's all for now, just hoping to add to the discussion since all of this is new.
Again, I'm gonna give them some time to break in before making final judgements. Any comments/suggestions on my config or break-in would be welcomed as I am still learning.
Mark
Portland, OR
mark,
as for breaking in: just leave your stereo on either a CD on infinite repeat mode or a pop FM station at moderate volumes (70-75db) while you are away at work during the day. Some people who don't wish to disturb their neighbors turn their two speakers to face each other at a close distance in order to cancel out much of the sound.
The 170SEs are not supposed to be full-range speakers that can be run on their own without a sub AFAIK...that would be the 340SEs.
There are very few bookshelves which can be run without a sub and sound good all around especially at this pricepoint, usually if they have decent bass it's at the expense of other parts of the frequency spectrum.
Thanks for the info, I'll keep running them. They even seemed more full this morning as I left them on low volumes all night...guess I didn't realize the degree to which they loosen up/improve in sound quality. My friend's Fluance towers were the same way. They definitely took weeks to open up but ended up being a great value as well. I've got a feeling these are gonna be what I needed. A recommendation: Andrew Bird-Mysterious Production of Eggs. Excellent. The strings, vocals, whistling, acoustic guitar, are presented well by the 170SEs.
Mark
Portland OR
Let me start with a mathmatic formula: sub+170SE+good receiver+good audio source=incredibly good sound quality. It took some tweaking on my Onkyo 502 input configs(wasn't on the optical cable) and sub settings/levels. Also they've been running for about 24hrs straight. These things are imaging great, and they've filled out considerably.
Then I did and A/B with the old HTiB Onkyo 240s; fuggedaboutit. Oh yeah, my fears of directional sound quality were quelled as well. I can be anywhere in the room and they sound awesome although it must be noted there is a 'sweet spot'. More later, hopefully these posts have been of use to someone.
Mark
Portland OR
Mark thanks for taking the time to post your impressions. I can finally officially post to this thread -- got my tracking number today! Thanks Dave F.!! I'll have my 170 SEs on Tuesday!!!!! :D
Yum. :p
I received my 7.1 Ascend SE setup two days ago. 340SE, 340cSE, and 170SE's for surrounds. I'm now waiting for an HK-635 to arrive from eBay. I thought the speakers would be the last part of the system to show up, but Ascend surprised me with an early delivery!
Now I am stuck with beautiful speakers that I can't listen to.
I should have the HK by Monday, then I will post my impressions.
I received my 340SE LCR at 6 PM yesterday and was listening to them at 6:01 (not, not really!). One thing you should know is that my keeping the Ascend's was purely dependent on my wife's approval. I made the deal that if she did not hear a significant difference from my old KEF's, that they would go back. (She is a former member of the Pennsylvania State Orchestra so she has an ear or two).
Anyway, I just set them in place on the stands where the old KEF speakers were and started listening to song after song. I disconnected every speaker except left & right including the sub so I could just hear the Ascend's. I only listened to music, no movies yet. I eventually hooked up the sub and continued to listen. During this time my wife was in the bedroom leaving me alone. She did mention three or four times that it was HER decision to keep them or not.
After listening to some Dire Straights and Pete Townsend (her favorite), she entered the room and said "We are keeping those speakers!". She had heard a difference in the bedroom from the old KEF's. We started listening together and were both amazed at the clarity and the accuracy of placement of sound across the front of the room. It was like getting my windows washed after a dirty rainstorm. I believe that they will be even better once I place them and level match with meter and such. I have never believed in the need to break in a speaker. What are the suggestions for breaking Ascend's and what is the why of it? I can't wait to get the 170's for the rear. Thank you DaveF for a very good loudspeaker.
Chuck
Curtis I'm interested in hearing your impressions of comparing the classics to the SEs. I have the 170 classics now that I use for 95% music and I've been trying to decide if it's worth it to upgrade.Quote:
Originally Posted by curtis
Chas: Speakers are mechanical devices, and as such running them can cause the parts to loosen up a bit...but in a good, comfortable shoes way, not a bad, your car engine just blew way...
I hate being the someone that tells you to upgrade...the value really belongs to your ears and budget.Quote:
Originally Posted by jermy4
The improvement in bass is noticeable, the difference in the highs is noticeable(but not as much as the bass) and the difference in the mids is not very easily noticed.
There....how's that? :)
What receiver crossover configuration are people using with the 170SE and subwoofer?
in-room, I bet they cross well at 60hz if not 80hz. I didn't use a sub when I had them for that weekend.
I'm hoping that someone close to me will let me audition them. I could bring over my classics and we could do a comparison.Quote:
Originally Posted by curtis
I have had my SE's for about a week and have accumulated some impressions. Sorry for the delay but I needed more time. Right now they are just sitting on some end tables about 6 feet apart about 1 foot from the wall. I haven't decided what stands to purchase or what design to build. I really do think that they need breaking in to open up or is it my ears that need breaking in? I am very happy with the dispersion and detail and their ability to not lose much detail at low sound levels. My previous speakers were Rogers LS7's which needed substantial volume to bring out detail and really shine. With the Ascends, some material extends the sound stage beyond the base of the listening triangle. They are very musical and are easy to listen to for long periods of time. I'm now listening to more music than I have for years.The 340's are quite capable of functioning without a subwoofer but I'm sure that they would sound even better with a quality sub which might be my next purchase or DIY.
For some reason the 340's sound better when playing the local PBS FM jazz station than they do when playing musical CD's on my inexpensive Panasonic DVD S31 ($65) player. Could it be the quality of my CD's or the player? Perhaps a dedicated CD player or higher quality DVD player should be my next audio investment? Suggestions are welcome. My AVR is a Pioneer VSX-D498 (80w/channel) that I purchased at Costco about 5 years ago; I might be due for an upgrade soon.
Overall, I am very happy with the 340's and will continue tweaking and upgrading my audio equipment to make use of their potential :) . I'm, sure that my room could use some acoustical treatment also.
Nice to hear that you're enjoying the SEs, I'd love to AB the 340SEs with the classic 340s since I own the second.Quote:
Originally Posted by rajacat
It's the DVD player, I can hear a clear difference between my Marantz cc4300 and my Panasonic cheapo DVD player for music, especially at higher volumes---the Panasonic breaks up and distorts like crazy above 85db. BTW you can get that Marantz from accessories4less.com for just under $150 shipped, I actually preferred it to the $500 NAD c542 in a side by side comparison at a local shop.
If you decide to change out the receiver, give the digital switching Panasonic sa-xr55 a try, it has a great bi-amping capability that will let you take advantage of the 340s' dual binding posts.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will give the Marantz a look and it would be nice if it is compatible with the SACD format.
Unfortunately no, I don't think it is. If you want SACD playback you might have to go with a Sony or Pioneer universal player but those don't have very good sound quality IMO. Or look at the Denon 2910 but it goes for around $400-500 refurb I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by rajacat
I am also interested in the Panny XR55 but might wait until the XR57 is released to see what it has to offer. I guess we might be diverging from the topic of this thread, the 340SE's. BTW I notice a slight increase in SQ if the speaker grills are removed. Do you notice the same?
:D OK, back on topic:Quote:
Originally Posted by rajacat
Yeah I think your experience with removing the grilles is pretty common for most speakers. Heck even my lousy Logitech z-2300 computer speakers sound much better w/o their clunky plastic & fabric covers!
I know that David measures the speakers with the grills off so that should tell you something :DQuote:
Originally Posted by rajacat
I received three identical 340ses on Monday, which I will use as my LCR speakers, with 340 classics as my l/r surrounds. They are being coupled with my SVS PB12+2. Initial listening tests were positive, but I have been breaking them in over the last couple of days, and will settle in with them this weekend for a serious listening session. I have the LCR speakers on stands vertically under my projection screen, and recently added some nice home theater recliners to complete my dedicated room. There is no longer any reason to go to the movies.
Geez...another FIVE 340's owner!Quote:
Originally Posted by fastnee
If you could post what your opinion of the differences between the old and new models are I believe many people would be interested. Especially since you're probably in the minority of people who will have both types of 340's in the house at the same time. I know I would like to hear what you think since I am on the waiting list for a trade in and am trying to convince myself this is the best use of the money. I would hate to drop the coin to get just an incremental difference. I believe the best test would probably be listening to both types run as small and crossed over wherever is appropriate for your system and then of course run them both as large to see how big the difference in the bass performance of the new SE are. Since I am going to running them as small I am curious to hear if the bass is better even crossed over at 80 Hz. I am also hoping that the SE's are better on the highs because I do have a tendency to blast them when the wife isn't home and I have detected what I believe Dave was talking about when he said the 340's would start to smear the sound at high volumes. I have a big space so it isn't unheard of for me to get up near -0 Db on my Pioneer 1015.Quote:
Originally Posted by fastnee
I hate to sound like I am assigning homework :o but you could probably help out a lot of people. :) Anything you can contribute will be greatly appreciated. :D
Yes, I would be one of those interested. Like Dae3 said, a comparison run large w/o sub and also one run small with sub would be fantastic. I also am curious to know what your opinion on what crossover point might be optimum with the SE's.Quote:
Originally Posted by dae3dae3
Randy
Could you also try placing the center speaker horizontally and let me know if there is any difference in the sound? I too have a projection screen, but it is too low to allow a vertical placement. Since I'm using a projection screen and a stand for the center, I don't think the EXBAC crossover in the 340c is necessary or even desirable in my situation, but I'm not sure. If you could just flip the center 340 SE on its side and let me know how it sounds, I'd very much appreciate it :D
Jon
Finally setup and listened to my 340SE's yesterday, and let's just say I had a hard time coming to work today, let alone sleeping last night!
One question though - from what I've been told, bi-wiring doesn't have any noticeable impact on sound quality or speaker performance. If this is the case, why do the 340s have that option built-in? Can you use the bi-wiring option to hook up the speakers to dual amps (hi-freq to one amp, low-freq to a 2nd)?
Going back to bi-wire and one amp/receiver, should I go that route or will it just be a waste of time? I don't want to spend time wiring it on and off and straining my ears and going nuts listening for the smallest difference if there isn't going to be any :)
Folks,
I have read your requests and will do my best to conduct the tests you suggested. The speakers will have over 60 hours of break-in by tonight, so Ill do some things this weekend. Until later...
Noel
In my set-up it would be a waste of time. I'm over horse powered as it is so additional juice won't help.Quote:
Originally Posted by KPFury
There are two posts from Dave F. on this page. It's a good read even if it dosen't answer your exact question.
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sho...highlight=wire
David
Thanks Bikeman, that thread was informative. I guess it doesn't hurt to try bi-wiring. One thing though, my receiver (Panasonic XR55) has separate binding posts in the back specifically for bi-wire, no problem there. But it also has a feature for "bi-amp." I wouldn't need to utilize this for bi-wire, correct? Just leave it exactly the way it is now, except with two pairs of wires going to the speakers instead of one?
Basically Dave made them bi-wireable because of all the audio geeks who believe in it and asked him for it. Dave is not a believer.
Received my 340 L/C/Rs today!
Of course (doesn't this seem to happen every time?) I'm heading out of town today and won't be back till Sunday.
However, I've had a very short time this morning to listen to them and compare them to my 340 Classics.
My verdict so far: I'm very happy. First off, they're very similar sounding, meaning you're still getting the same Ascend sound you're used to... it's not a completely different speaker with a completely different sound. This is to be expected, but still, reassuring for all of us who already loved our Ascends as they were.
Yet, I definitely like the SEs more so far. I had time to do one A/B comparison with the classics listening to Beck's "Sea Change". The SEs definitely have sweeter highs, and more highs, than the classics. As has already been described I believe by Curtis, the SEs sound more 'open'. It sounds like they're just hitting a greater range than the classics.
I've also been listening to a little Miles Davis, "In a Silent Way" (but not enough time to A/B), and I'm really enjoying the benefits I'm perceiving from the new tweeter.
I've been running them in stereo, crossed over at 60, and set to small. Haven't had time to try them full range, nor try them out in HT.
Anyway, hopefully I can offer more when I return Sunday. Just wanted to get some direct comarisons on SEs vs. Classics out there.
Glad I am getting some back up. :) Where do you live?.....we can have a party and "break them in" before you get back. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by MrTomasulo
Anyone send in their speakers for SE upgrade yet?
TIA,
Khoi
I'm still on the fence about whether I should send mine in for upgrade or not. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by khoi911
look here beefcake .. let me know when you do. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by jermy4
I'm on the list. The wait is kind of killing me because it is giving me the opportunity to second and triple guess my decision to upgrade. I am also being tempted to sell my SVS 25-31 PC+ and get something like a PB12–Plus/2 or dual PB010's. The guy at SVS assured me that two PB-10 would be an upgrade from my currrent sub in it's 20 Hz mode but I am having trouble believing it. :o I can't just add another SVS 25-31 PC+ because my wife has assured me that I do not want two cylinder subs in the living room. :rolleyes: I know the PB12–Plus/2 would be a big upgrade but I really like the idea of dual subs up next to my 340's. I don't care what people say, I can tell that the bass is coming from the corner and not from the main speakers. Non-directional my rear end. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by khoi911
Well, this post was mostly off topic but at least I was talking about upgrades. :)
I know what you mean, since the bass is running up your leg from the floor, it's pretty obvious where its coming from, even if you can't hear it, you can feel it : PQuote:
Originally Posted by dae3dae3
I'm on the list and Dave F. said it would be at least six weeks. I may only upgrade my 340C and buy the 340SE mains outright. That way I can move my current 340's into my study and/or use them as surrounds if and when I get into MC music.Quote:
Originally Posted by khoi911
David