170SE Impressions with my H/K AVR630 and Pany XR55

[1Time]

I got my two B-Stock Ascend 170SE's yesterday and have had them playing for about 12 hours now. I will update my impressions and comparison over the next couple of days. Comments and questions are welcome.

Pany XR55 Settings:
Treble = -10
Bass = +2
Speaker = Small
Crossover = 80 Hz
Dual Amp = On
Sound Mode = Stereo
Source = FM Radio - Smooth Jazz and Classic Rock
Volume = Low

H/K AVR630 Settings:
Treble = 0
Bass = -2
Speaker = Small
Crossover = 80 Hz
Dual Amp = N/A
Sound Mode = Stereo
Source = FM Radio - Smooth Jazz and Classic Rock
Volume = Low

Speaker Position and Room:
~ 22" from side walls
~ 20" from rear walls
~ 4' 5" from floor, shelf mounted
This positioning was done for convenience in my small listening room, which mostly has hard surfaces.

Ascend 170SE Impressions with Low Volume Music:
Pros
- smooth, even response from highs to lows, not "peaky"
- nice ambience, big sound field, nice stereo imaging
- excellent value for its performance
- handles speach well (comercials) and music very well
- seems like it would perform even better with more power
- works great with my H/K AVR630, best with Logic 7 (music)

Cons
- overall tonality is a bit higher than seems natural, slightly compressed
- very slightly sibiliant, likely due to my source
- does not work well with my Pany XR55

Other Comments
I'm keeping this brief for now. I will expand and update this as time permits and cover my comparison of the two receivers.

[bikeman]

I got my two B-Stock Ascend 170SE's yesterday and have had them playing for about 12 hours now. I will update my impressions and comparison over the next couple of days. Comments and questions are welcome.
Pany XR55 Settings:
Treble = -10
Bass = +4

The treble setting indicates some serious room issues. The bass setting could indicate alotta things.
There is no way there is that much difference between those two receivers.

David

[ebh]

i haven't played with the treble/bass settings at all on my panny xr55... maybe i should try it out and hear what it sounds like.

[BradJudy]

Using FM radio as the source introduces issues. First, you're also comparing the tuners of the two receivers (unless you're using an external tuner). Second, FM radio isn't a very good quality source.

I'm confused by the positioning - 4'5" high on shelves, but 20" from rear wall? Is this a really deep wall unit or something?

[1Time]

I now have a Bach CD playing with the Pany's treble set at -4. Sounds very good and enjoyable. The bass of the 170SE's seems proportionate in volume to the higher frequencies so being away from the wall doesn't seem to be an issue.

My entertainment center is positioned away from the front wall so I can walk behind it to allow convenient changing of connections as I compare receivers, speakers, and subs.

I may want to fashion some home-made room treatments some day; however my preference IS to keep the ambience effect that the hard surfaces in my room seems to compliment.

Thanks for posting your input. I expect to have time to get more into all of this tonight or tomorrow.

[1Time]

Taking a break so posting again. Switched back to FM (smooth jazz) and changed settings on the Pany to -3 Treble and 0 Bass. Sounds very good. So what's happening here? I think the Pany was breaking in. Of course the Ascends also are breaking in but they sounded very good with my H/K before. Now with the Pany they just sound even better, fuller, deeper, more musical (I've turned them up a little too). The two FM stations I listen to the most come in very clear and play music that compliments the frequency range of the 170SE's.

[cyberbri]

I may want to fashion some home-made room treatments some day; however my preference IS to keep the ambience effect that the hard surfaces in my room seems to compliment.

I just want to add that if you treat the first side-reflections, the soundstage opens up greatly and the imaging really improves.

You'd think the reflections would increase the "size" of the sound. But I've found that with side-wall treatments, I only hear the sound from the speakers (plus any minor reflections elsewhere in the room), and that sound is much, much bigger.

With fiberglass panels with frames, you can cover them with any kind of fabric you want. Not just plain canvas, but patterned or colored fabric to match your living space. I use a purple shower curtain, that luckily was the exact same color as our walls, for the side panels. For the front panels (bass traps), I use a patterned tablecloth.
( http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgall...ppuser/7455862 )
So you can find creative ways to help blend panels in a little better that everyone in your house can at least live with.

[1Time]

My 170SE's are sounding SO good now with music. They're finally getting broken in. Very nice, and I'm mostly just listening to FM radio with my H/K AVR630. After a few hours the Pany simply wore me out, very fatiguing, as if it were never going to mellow out and become more musical. I know it needed to break in several more hours before I should have given up on it. However, I wanted to listen to and enjoy what already was sounding so good and that was the H/K and 170SE's. I could only keep one of these receivers and the H/K does such a fine job with the 170SE's, plus it has features I want that the Pany does not have, and the H/K's performance with my headhones is top rate, VERY nice. Sorry all... I actually sold my Pany before breaking it in for a good 40 hours to see how it would better compare with the H/K.

[muzz]

I would've thought the High Current amp would sound better, but thats just my old school ass(tube gear in my past- nothing high end, but smooth none the less).
The 170's sound sweet to my ears as well 1Time.

[1Time]

Oh, and one more thing. I'm listing to way more music at home than I ever used to and am watching way less TV. I think this is a good thing.