Finally got my Ascends

[Jonnyozero3]

I was just going to say - how were the speakers set up in your comparison? Was the ratio of the distance between the speakers to the listener close to .73 as specified by the Ascend manual? How far were they from the rear and side walls? How close were obstructions to the front face of the speaker? Did you level match each set of speakers with an SPL meter prior to listening?

Also, I listened to the B&W 603's looking for speakers and I found my CBM-170s to be AT LEAST as good, if not better. But, that was not a direct comparision and it was awhile ago. I just know I didn't buy the B&W's

As for cables, I think that if any cable is changing the sound it is doing something wrong. A good cable is transparent, and does not distort or alter the signal going to the speaker in any way. Frankly, based upon my reading and how well I think my plain old SoundKing 12ga w/bannanas does, I would encourage you to do some double blind testing with "expensive" cables and some "regular" but quality ones from companies like: www.bluejeanscable.com

Again regarding cables, it is my opinion that science is very important. This site has a lot of reading that tends to agree with my thinking on the subject. I'm not aggressively challenging your opinion, but I want to offer another viewpoint to you other than what you are getting from the salesman at the B&M store:
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/...les/cables.htm

Note, I can't say I've read everything listed there, but the genreal idea I agree with.

Anyhow, keep talking with the great guys here and with DaveF (who is also a great guy ) and I'm sure you will find a great deal of untapped potential in your CBM-170s.

[Eddie]

Jorge,

Wow, your experience with cables is even very interesting to me than with the CBM-170s!

I have 3 questions:

1. How much lag time was there between switching the two cables? Did the salesperson just hit a button and the output switched to a different set of identical speakers using the different wiring, or did he have to go disconnect the first cable and then reconnect the second cable?

2. Did you know which cable you were listening to each time?

3. Did the salesperson "help" you by telling you what to listen for when he switched to the higher end cable, or by telling you what HE heard was different about it?

[Kpt_Krunch]

Nice to read a different opinion on the speakers - at least the 170's.

I'm currently listening to some Acoustic guitar on my 340s' (with the 170's providing some ambient sound - a DVD-A in 'audience' mode as opposed to surround mode) and all I can say is WOW. I don't get a chance to sit down and just listen during summer and with my son (now 3 years old) taking up virtually all my spare time.

I guess not everyone's experience is the same. I'm sure you'll find once your system at home is calibrated properly the 170's will sound great for you. I'm sure they are a much better value than those B&W's as well. But, B&W makes a fine speaker, and can put a lot of other speaker manufacturers to shame.

[bikeman]

Some folks with normal hearing and very good audio systems hear a difference with expensive wire and some don't. If there was a difference with the wire, we'd all hear it. We don't. There are reasonable explanations for this and the one's I subscribe to have nothing to do with the wire.
Looking at the dimensions of Jorge's room (3m (10ft) x 3.5m x3m), is there a possibily that he's dealing with a null in the midrange?

David

[shoboat90]

Well, I finally got my front and center 340s set-up and connected. Powering them with a 200w x 5 Anthem and wowza!!!! These are in a very large room (17w x 30L x 15H) and the Ascends can take everything that amp has to offer to fill the room with magnificent sound!! I'm using the Hsu STF-2 as well. Pink Floyd Momentary Lapse of Reason in 2-channel is unreal....and U2 Live from Slane Castle DVD in DTS is insane. When Bono's voice comes from that center channel....you'd think he's in the room.

Yahoooooooo!!!

[bikeman]

Yahoooooooo!!!

Welcome to all the enjoyment, Sho. That's a heckofa set-up you've got there.

David

[Kurt C.]

(order of quoted material deliberately changed)
Next week the guy will come to my apartment to evaluate the HT room (WxLxH=3m x 3,5m x 3m) and help me plan the new set up. He will supply the stands and cabling and calibrate the Marantz.

Wondering how the cables may affect the sound, we tested the $8/m cables vs the $25/m one (these are the US$ prices in Brazil, probably twice the price in the USA). I must tell everybody who read the "Top 10 Audio Lies" article and believed that the cables have no influence in the sound: it does have an important influence. Each cable prints like a "sonic signature" on the overall result. Of course, it won't be noticeable if you're using crappy equipment, if the room acoustic is bad or if the source is poor.

If your information is coming from this "expert", I'd recommend you find a new person to plan your setup. This audiophile may seem like a wonderful person, but he's either dishonest or foolish. If you were doing listening tests with someone who is both honest and a genuine expert in audio setup, I promise that you wouldn't 'hear' differences between good quality $8/m cables and $25/m cables.

You'll get much better sound if you find someone else to optimize your room/system, or better yet, do more reading here and at sites like audioholics.com to learn how to do it yourself.

[Jorge59]

Eddie,

1. We did both. Sometimes a/b click, sometimes immediate changing banana plug.

2. I personally found the difference subtle, but they seem different to me. I can't tell in terms of cost-benefit, but I think good sound is a sum of many things and details. Ears get educated as well.

3. Yes, he pointed out highs and imaging.

I didn't want to believe that cables could make big difference (except for bad materials), but if this was all bullshit, why industries producing so many types and qualities still exist? There must be a reason...

David,

I don't think there is a freq graph for my Polks. Thank you, but it's not worth spending time on this. They are entry mid-fi speakers. I must get my ears used to the the new system. Now, I'm more concerned in getting HTM surrounds.

Quinn asked if there was something between the CBMs in the test. In the high end set, YES. The B&W were in between, with the CBM right on their outer side. Could this be a salesman trick?

[Kurt C.]

I didn't want to believe that cables could make big difference (except for bad materials), but if this was all bullshit, why industries producing so many types and qualities still exist? There must be a reason...

There is a reason...cables don't cost much to make, especially compared to other audio components and, given the right salesman, can be sold for $$$.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for quality cables and use Blue Jean's component video cable in my system, but it makes me mad that snake oil salesmen make a fortune while honest audio experts are barely staying in business.

[Quinn]

Yes, putting something between speakers can and will mess with imaging. When doing A/B testing like that the speakers should not be A B...............B A but A B............A B so both are handicapped equally on imaging. Better yet try each without anything between.