I am considering the 340's. What was the decision maker for you?

Newbie here... first post.
Great forum you have here...

I asked this question on AVS, but got little response, so I thought I'd go to the source... a forum full of satisfied customers (or so I'd think).

Foolish as it may be to some, I consider stereo listening to be more critical than HT. I'm not downplaying the importance of HT sound... on the contrary. I'm assuming that most speakers I get for good music reproduction will do will as HT speakers.

That said, I'm interested in the 340's for front L&R, and was wondering if anyone had compared them to these:
1) PSB Image B25 (or the 2B)
2) Paradigm Studio 20 or 40's.

If so... what made you opt for the Ascends?

I plan on getting the PSB's and the 340's and doing an A-B comparison, but I'm just curious what others have done and why.
I can't afford new Paradigms, so used will have to do. But I've heard them and have been impressed.

I may also upgrade my center (second) and my rears (third), but the fronts are primary... as is the subwoofer. I'm deciding between the Hsu STF-2 adn the SVS PB10-ISD. Opinions about these would also be appreciated.

TIA

shane

Hi Shane,

I auditioned the PSB Image B2's but purchased a pair of Ascend CMT-340 with a Hsu STF-2. I too am more interested in music and spend 95% of my listening time on two-channel stereo. (I also have CBM-170's for my center channel and surround speakers, but I'll focus on two channel here.)

The PSB B2 is a fine speaker, but the Ascend 340 has greater clarity and detail, and is also more transparent. In fact, I ultimately ruled out the PSB B2 because it sounded "boxy" to me. Some low-frequency tones (like those produced by a timpani drum) would produce nasty resonances that simply aren't present with the Ascends. Then again, these same resonances produce a false sense of fullness that is often called "musical" by the press. So what sounds "boxy" to me sounds "musical" to others. Go figure.

Don't get me wrong, PSB makes great speakers. I have a pair of original Alphas in my bedroom, and I still enjoy listening to them (even though they're much more "boxy" than the B2). All in all, I would rather have Ascend 170's upstairs, and I vastly prefer the Ascend CMT-340 to the PSB Image 2B.

I hope this helps. Let us know what you decide to do.

P.S. I chose the Hsu STF-2 over an SVS PB-10 because I wanted to connect my sub to my receiver with speaker wire, so that I could use the sub’s variable, internal crossover. (My receiver’s lowest crossover is 100Hz, and I wanted to set the crossover between 65Hz and 80Hz.) The PB-10 only has a sub input jack, so I bought the STF-2, which has proven to be an excellent sub.

Thanks Matt!

That helps me a lot. Yes, the new B25 has gotten a seriously rave review in Stereophile and this peaked my interest. I can get them locally for a price directly between the 170 and 340's. So, it's a very good value. But I greatly appreciate your 'musical' vs. 'boxy' comparison. That makes a lot of sense to me. I also don't know, beyond the spec. changes, exactly what the sound difference is between the old and new models.

It should be an interesting test.

Again, much thanks!

Cheers

shane