Are the 340SEs loud enough for you?

[marksanctuary]

Isn't it distracting having those guys assault you while you're trying to listen to the speakers? Maybe next time you should ask them to leave.

Always a kidder in the group. Geese!

[S_rangeBrew]

The 340's are very efficient, and can get very loud with very little power.

I have the same problem as you are having with the XM Radio stations on DirecTV. The signal is just too low. Has nothing to do with the speakers, amplifier, wires, etc. Maybe your PS3 has a similar problem. Try hooking up a different source to your reciever (examples: cd player, IPoD) and see if that is better.

Try "Direct" stereo mode on your reciever... DSP settings can sometimes mute things.

The last thing I can think of is lack of power. Maybe you need a beefier amp, although with the efficiency of the 340's, I would doubt it.

[audibleconnoisseur]

I have had the 340's for about 9 months and I can say without question, and using measurements, that the 340SE's are MORE than capable of causing you permanent ear damage if you stay in the room where they are being..... aired out so to speak. I have personally run mine to over 110dB and will say that anything above 90-100 can cause loss of hearing depending on the health of your ears and age.

At 110dB, they were still impecably clear and precise (for the few seconds I was able to stay in the room). Don't try to push these with an underpowered system or you can/will blow them and I am pretty sure this will really ruin your day! Of course you could then go get you some Sierra's and be even happier.

Good luck in your listening and love your speakers, just don't LOVE your speakers!

[S_rangeBrew]

Don't try to push these with an underpowered system or you can/will blow them and I am pretty sure this will really ruin your day! Of course you could then go get you some Sierra's and be even happier.

Agreed with everything you wrote except this part. The 340SEs are far more efficient than the Sierra's, and can get much louder because of that. If you blow the 340s, you will blow the Sierra's even faster. And that would not make you happier.

[azanon]

I hurt my ears all the time with my Ascend 340SE's; and that's driving them with a 40x5 H/K. (55x2, 2 channel). Granted, I also use a VTF-2 with a 60hz crossover. My room is medium sized and open to adjacent rooms.

I actually feel like i'm battling addiction now. On the one hand, I love a 45minute to an hour session of loud music. But when I do that, I usually end up plugging up one ear, and that ear doesn't feel "open" until usually the next day. I already know i'm damaging my ears doing that!

[imromo24]

I haven't bought my spl meter yet but I have experienced your question. They are so clear up to what must be unsafe decibel levels that you are trying to reach a volume level that "hurts" in order to judge volume (hurting ears as well as the speaker, for instance distortion is usually an indicator of volume to some). I have found that listening alone is a bad idea because there is no way to judge volume when alone. However when the wife comes down it becomes quickly apparent that the volume is excessive.

Is this your first set of quality speakers?

[bdfin]

Back to the original issue. To me it must be the PS3. I don't own the 340's but experience the same type of volume difference with my setup. I can run music files from the Mac through a USB analog imput to the receiver and must boost the volume considerably to get the volume I may want. If I then switch to cd playing in the oppo dvd/cd unit it would blow you out of the room.

[muzz]

As I stated earlier, it has to be a config issue, the 340SE is a pretty efficient speaker, and will handle a fairly large amount of CLEAN power...
Enough to drive ya outta the room.