New member here- Hello!!

[muzz]

Hey Folks,

This is obviously my 1st post here, so I will start off by just saying Hello to you all.

I frequent alot of forums, for all kinds of stuff around the net, I came here because I am upgrading my speakers soon, and well, Ascends seem to have ALOT of folks raving about them.

First off:
I am NOT rich, so Quality, at a reasonable price is paramount.
I have other HT stuff I WTB (good DLP FP for one lol), so COST is very important(see the NOT rich part above LOL).
The banks that hold my Mortgage and car still want to get paid EVERY MONTH!!
Arrrrrrrrgh, I've asked them for a 10 year hiatus, but they aren't having it!!

So with that out of the way.......

I own a BA setup, that sounds pretty good, but it wasn't what I really wanted, at the time I bought this setup, I wanted the VRM60 mains, a VR920 Center, and VRM50's for the rears...
That was ALOT of sctratch for me at that time, so alas I REALLY had to drop expectations quite a bit, I ended up with a halfway decent setup( this is 90% HT based ), not audiophile quality, but good enough for me to get into HT.

The gear I bought ( try not to laugh- it was all I could afford LOL):

Yamaha HTR-5550
Mains- BA CR75
Center- CRC - ARRRRRRRGH!!!(voicing concerns/timbre)
Surrounds- Micro 90's
Sub- PV600
Homemade- sand filled stands

I WAS trying to buy a VR12 center and some VRM60 mains, but I've given up trying to piece together a SS system based on BA, because they seem to refuse to sell NEW CC's that will do what I want, not to mention these are getting harder and harder to come by, if something happens to them... well, you know how that go's...
TOO BAD!!

So here I am!!

I am thinking about the 340SE's across the front(3- 1 the modified 340SE CC), I REALLY like the idea of having the EXACT same speakers across the front, and I WAS gonna move my CR75's to surround duty...

As stated above, COST is something I HAVE to keep reasonable, so I am CONSIDERING:
4- B Stock 170's
1-340SE CC

I've read some of the threads here regarding these 170's, and they seem to be regarded very highly.

The questions I have:
1 How much will I lose by going with the 170 MAINS vs the 340SE mains?
The size difference is substantial(obviously 2 drivers heheheh).
2170's overkill for surrounds?
3 timbre-SE with the 170's?
4I'm wondering if running the 340se's across the front, and just using my CR75's as the surrounds would be better than 4-170s and 1- 340se.

Money has always been an issue,but as I've gotten older, I've tended to buy the BETTER Quality things in the 1st place, instead of buying something, and then having to upgrade/replace not long after(within REASON of course), hence the questions put forth.

I'm sorry for the long winded post, I just wanted to get all the info I could out there in the 1st post, so there isn't misunderstandings/reposts regarding what I already own.

Thanks for all replies,

m

[muzz]

Well, I think I'm just gonna get a pair of 170's- B Stock NOW ( while they still have some at that price!!), and a 340SE center, and maybe later move the 170's to the rears and replace with 340's.
Move my CR75's to surround duty(getting rid of the Micro90's), and maybe my CRC for rear center(matrixed- I'll check it out)

Moneywise, that seems like the smart move.

I just don't want to miss out on the 170 deal.......

[muzz]

1- 340SE CC
2-170 B stock

On the Way!!

[Mike^S]

Awesome! And welcome. I think you will enjoy the Ascends very much. The 170s and the 340s are timbre matched so they will sound fantastic together.

[kinggimp82]

i own the 170 se's and 340c se across the front. its quite an impressive combo. those b-stock 170s are a steal. congrats.

what size room will you set these up in? and im curious what sub you have. if ur interested in upgrading you sub hsu reasearch has the stf-2 ($319) and stf-3 ($479) models on sale. i own a stf-2 myself. heres the link if ur interested

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/

[muzz]

Thanks Guys

My room is kinda weird actually, it's a 2/3 finished basement.
I attached a Word Jpg to illustrate the shape etc...

I have a BA PV600 sub right now, it will have to do for the time being, it actually sounds OK, as I don't push it hard, I use it for FILL, not to dominate like some folks do. It is PLENTY big enough for my "seating" area.

Thx for the info on the HSU.
I know I'm a hack with word drawing, but hey, it's hard to explain the shape.

muzz

[muzz]

BTW, I forgot to add the surrounds and sub location.
The sub is located beside the left speaker(from couch),on the side AWAY from the TV(toward the overhead beam, which does NOT go exactly to that corner- the sub is NOT behind that enclosed column), right after that bump in(where the TV is- I didn't want the sub in that corner).
The surrounds were a bit tricky, the right is on the right wall, between the 2 doors, the left is on the enclosed lali colum to the left of the couch(NOT ideal, I know, but as you can see, it's WIDE open over there).
Both of those are on app. 3" standoff brackets.

The Left Main is NOT inside the bump-in wall, the R main is a bit, due to THATwall sticking into the room further(the furnace is behind THAT bump-in).
Behind that wall is a storage are, app. 2' wide- pretty empty back there.
Neither speaker is in a "Corner" so to speak, although they are NOT ideal.

BTW- Commercial berber carpet, drop ceiling(app 8.5' high- 2x2's)

[muzz]

I'm actually considering just getting ANOTHER set of B stock 170's NOW, instead of moving my BA CR75's to surround duty.

For that price, I'm seriously considering it.....
Would I miss ALOT by using the 170'sx4(and a 340se CC) instead of 340x3 and 2x170 for surrounds?

Thx.

m

[curtis]

The 340SE is a bigger speaker than the 170SE and plays that way. More bottom end, can play louder, etc....but has the same tonality and timbre.

[muzz]

TBO, I can't even crank the CR75's as loud as I would LIKE very often, due to neighbors( I live in an end-unit of a Townhouse, so I have 1 common wall- see that stairwell?- the other side of THAT wall is the basement of the adjoining unit).

I have found myself cranking my system up a bit more as of late, probably because I was thinking(now DOING) of upgrading.

Right now, noone is home here, OR next door!! LMAO...

I bet they can hear rumbling 2 units over heheheh
The ONLY thing that saves me at all, is the fact that I am in a finished basement, if I were at 1st floor level.....

Forget it.