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Junior Member
comparison with focal?
has anyone compared the focal chorus 706s and 716s to the ascend 340se and 170se? i'm asking because i have focal polyglass components in my car which i really like and the chorus series use the same polyglass midrange. whatever brand i go with would be used for home theater most of the time.
Last edited by bigwise1; 03-04-2006 at 10:44 PM.
Elite Member
http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/500/
I draw your attention to the specifications page. This review was written by John Atkinson who, in my opinion, never met an advertiser whose products he didn't think were the best.
Based on John's specifications, the Ascends appear to be a more neutral and efficient speaker. Ascend also have customer service that's as good as it gets. I didn't see anything in the review that would make me want to consider these over the Ascends but my criteria isn't the same as everyone else's. A direct comparison, in home is the only real test. See if you can arrange it with the Focal dealer. A second option, although not near as good, is to take the Ascends to the dealer and do the audition there. This option has some drawbacks if you're not familiar with how the cards can be stacked by the dealer. Let us know what you decide.
David
Advanced Member
This would make for a VERY interesting AB comparison...I also find the Focals very "paradoxical" as the Stereophile reviewer calls it, just like the Triangles (another French speaker) which are a bit brighter to my ears.
Edited to add: have only heard the 806 and 908 which are 3 and 6 times more than the Ascend 170s respectively, not the 706.
Last edited by Eddie; 03-05-2006 at 09:42 AM.
Advanced Member
In this case you are likely to also enjoy the Focal bookshelves at home, esp. for HT. On the other hand, "brightness" is less of an issue in a car due to all the plush surfaces (i.e. seats) absorbing it.Originally Posted by bigwise1
The Ascends will have similar clarity but probably seem more laid back in comparison.
Junior Member
that's the problem. there are no local focal home dealers locally. i was going to have to try and order them through my car audio shop who is a focal dealer.
Junior Member
"bright" is what the focals are known for in the car audio world. alot of people don't like them but they sound good to me and that's what matters. i thought that you would want something a little brighter for home theater. the thing that got me interested in the ascends were these , which are the new lotus car audio line made by seas. i've heard these and they sound great and the ascend's also use a tweet by made by seas.
Advanced Member
Well to be honest the people who object the most to "bright" speakers are usually music listeners so if your usage is primarily HT then I think you're on very safe ground.
The 806 Focals are $1100/pair at Tweeter so I'd expect the 706 to come in at around $700-800, well over double what the Ascend 170 goes for. If I were in your shoes I'd gamble the $15 return shipping and just order a single pair of the 170s to hear at home. The other Internet-direct speaker that's often accused of being "bright" is Axiom so you could also home demo a pair of their equivalent bookshelves to compare.
Member
I have heard both the Chorus 707/707 and the CBM170, in two different rooms. I found the 170 a much better speaker overall. The Chorus sounded like a veil had been placed over it. I was very surprised considering all the good press and reviews I had read before. Of course, they were in two different rooms but both were run by a Denon 3805
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