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.