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...
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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.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?
-curtis
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.
-curtis
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.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.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.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?