Which 5 speakers for HT?

[Ivory05G35]

I'm considering a speaker upgrade for my HT around May and I'm considering Ascend Speakers for the upgrade.

I know I'd get the 340 center for the center channel (obviously) but I'm wondering what to do for the Front L/R and surround L/R? I was thinking 170's for the front and 200's for the rear (for a 5.1 system). And in the future I could go with either a pair of 340's or 170's to create a 7.1 system.

I guess my question is, should I go with 4 170's or 2 170's and 2 200's? I'm interested in HT duty only as I have a stereo setup elsewhere in the house.

Thanks guys, other oppinions are very welcome. Oh, and I'll be pairing whatever I get with an Outlaw LFM-1 subwoofer.

[linecircle]

4 170's are going to be better than 2 170's and 2 200's, of course. But the cost is different, so you'll have to decide if it is worth it to you. You'll probably be very happy with whatever choice you make so...flip a coin, heads=4x170, tails=4x170.

Actually I don't know if others feel this way, but when you put 170s into rear surround duty, you kind of feel bad. It's such a nice and totally capable speaker, and all it ever gets to play is ambience, car noises, rain, wind, leaves ruffling, etc... poor thing.

[Jorge59]

For HT only, 5 HTM-200 will do the job pretty well.
You save space, they can be wall mounted and the sound is just great.

[InTheSun]

For HT only, 5 HTM-200 will do the job pretty well.
You save space, they can be wall mounted and the sound is just great.

Yeah, that's what I decided too. Even though I enjoy 5.1 hi-res music, in my room the 200s are a better fit. On the other hand, I think getting the pair of 170's was just another 80 bucks. So for me it was just about the room and in the end I went with the 200s. I just ordered today. Can't wait to have them.

[Ivory05G35]

I guess I'm trying to figure what to take advantage of. If I have 4 170's, there should be a seemless blend of sound. I was thinking that the HTM 200 might disperse the sound a little better in back because of the extra drivers but that they might not blend quite as good. Does that seem right?

[GaryB]

It might seem right, but in practice the blend is close enough to be thoroughly convincing. The HTM-200s, used with a good sub, are an excellent surround for any Ascend HT-only setup.

It's not wrong to go for CBM-170 surrounds, it's just that they're bulkier and harder to wall-mount, and the gains for home theater use will be marginal at best.

[Ivory05G35]

Do the 200's use different tweeters?

Is there any reason to get the 170's over the 200's?

[GaryB]

The HTM-200s use the same tweeter as the original ("Classic") CBM-170. The new CBM-170 SE has a new, improved tweeter, which is still a good sonic match to the original, and its relatively subtle benefits are unlikely to be noticed for home theater surround use.

[sensibull]

Do the 200's use different tweeters?

Yes. But they're closely timbre matched with the new tweeters in the SE models. Purists would say go with all 200s or all 170SEs but the difference will be subtle at best, likely undetectable in HT use.

Is there any reason to get the 170's over the 200's?

See this, then do a search.

[Ivory05G35]

To continue my questioning, and thanks for the replies guys, for dedicated HT duty, do I need 170's over 200's?