Can the Ascend 170SE be Improved?

[jvillas]

No doubt any loudspeaker can be improved. But, the 170s have set such a such a high benchmark, that other speaker manufacturers have taken aim,and are trying to produce loudspeakers with similar sound at a competative price.


Can the 170s be improved? To my ears I'm not so sure, perhaps they can be tweaked here and there, but I'm talking very minor adjustments nothing major. These kind of tweaks I'm guessing would have very little impact if any on the final cost.

I mean how do you make a speaker with a a very clear and open sound more clear.and more open?

A speaker with great mid and high detail, more detailed?

A speaker with a nice defined and tight bass, even tighter?

A speaker that is able to reproduce vocals in a natural , and effortless way,more natural, more effortless?

I Wonder.

I would see any major changes as constituting an entirely new product,and of course higher cost at every level production through to retail.

I am new here and have only been a 170 owner for a month, but man am I impressed with these speakers.

I have not heard the 200s, nor the 340s so my perspective is somewhat narrow. I can say this though in the current review in Affordable Audio I felt that much of what was said to describe the sound of the 340s could have easily be said of the 170s.

I guess I'm just wondering where Ascend Acoustics is heading in the future in an extremely competative and pressured environment.

[Quinn]

You can do those thing but that takes even more expensive drivers and tweeters.

[curtis]

You are also possibly tweaking to your tastes, which may not be someone elses.

[jvillas]

You are also possibly tweaking to your tastes, which may not be someone elses.

This would be inevitable. My only tools are my ears, and perhaps some other speakers for comparison. Nothing objective.

[curtis]

and, our ears change over time.

I think it is interesting in the interview of Dave he mentions trying to remove all "voicing" from his speakers.

[jvillas]

and, our ears change over time.

I think it is interesting in the interview of Dave he mentions trying to remove all "voicing" from his speakers.

Yes, I find his statements here to be one of the big challenges to designing a neutral and accurate loudspeaker. A loudspeaker that brings no attention to its self, but just simply disappears. Throughout the interview it is so very clear that Dave's standards are the absolute highest,and he is pursuing an ideal. I suspect this is what drives him. He is most similar to an Artist.

[audibleconnoisseur]

I own the 340SE, not the CBM170 so with that said and considering the topic... is it possible or even feasible if one were to create a speaker where it has two larger drivers but one of the two would act similar to the 170 or 340 does now with clean and quick punch but the other (of the same size) would be able to provide more of a ringing style bass like you would find in a lot of today's rap music? Not sure if possible but would provide a speaker that could have the best of both worlds, a clean and precise punch for tighter and more controlled bass and one that reverbs better for longer drawn out humm style bass. Any thoughts? I assume it is tough to have one woofer do both and many speakers I have heard do either one or the other well but rarely both. Can you help make an ignorant man.... norant!?

[curtis]

The "ringing style bass"....would it be in the source signal? If so, then the speaker should attempt to reproduce it, if not, it shouldn't.

If the information is in the signal, then a system should reproduce it. Now, reproducing it accurately or with "something added" is a matter of taste.

[audibleconnoisseur]

When I tested the 340SE v/s the M22v2, I noted that the M22 seemed it may be a better option for rap b/c of this reverb style bass capability. Maybe I should better put my 340's to another test but I felt that day that the M22's held the bass a little longer for rap - not that this was a better or worse thing, just an observation. Maybe I will go back and try again to see how mine do now that they are broken in well. I have been using my sub ever since so I have not attempted the bass with them as much.

[curtis]

When I tested the 340SE v/s the M22v2, I noted that the M22 seemed it may be a better option for rap b/c of this reverb style bass capability. Maybe I should better put my 340's to another test but I felt that day that the M22's held the bass a little longer for rap - not that this was a better or worse thing, just an observation. Maybe I will go back and try again to see how mine do now that they are broken in well. I have been using my sub ever since so I have not attempted the bass with them as much.

It all goes back to the signal....is the reverb suppose to be there, or is it something the M22 adds?