I posted a review a few weeks back of the HTM-200's. I just received my three 340's which I use across the front, so I will review the LR pair and the system as a whole. (Also see my other thread "I begin my Ascend Odyssey")

I got everything hooked up and tried to calibrate using my new Pioneer 1015TX. I couldn't do this as well as I liked because my OSD was not working. Therefore, the 340's could have some equalizing that I don't really want. I also have an SVS 20-39+ in the system.

I used a couple of my favortite CD's Dire Straights, Brothers in Arms, and Evanescence and listened in stereo with the sub. On Dire Straights, they just sounded beautiful. There were just layers there that weren't there in the past. The integration with the sub was also flawless. I could have used a little more from the sub, but again, a receiver setup problem. The sound was so good I just had to turn it up more and more. They sounded better and better as I turned them up more. The bad news is, I reached a point where is was near the top of the scale on my receiver, and I could hear the sound degrade a little, so I turned it down.

On Evanescence, it was much of the same. Sound was clear and clean. However, here it lacked the impact I got with my Denon receiver. Not quite the punch I used to have. Again, this is a receiver issue, not a speaker issue. I plan to resolve these by adding an outboard amp in the not-too-distant future.

Finally I listened to the opening battle scene in "Saving Private Ryan" in Dolby PLIIx THX. The speakers continued to shine. Sound was very realistic, a true movie experience. The rear HTM-200 gave a whole different sound than I got from my bipole Definitive speakers. The sound was more focused and less difuse. It wasn't bad, just something I need to get used to. The front soundstage was very uniform, as expected with three identical speakers.

It's hard for me to elaborate too much on the sound, because it's been a few weeks since I had my old set. It is difficult to do a good comparison. Overall, I am very pleased and would recommend these without hesitation. Combined with the sub, these are better than my old speakers, at about one-third the new price.

I will follow-up once I properly calibrate.

leonp