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Thread: Greetings from So-Cal!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    6

    Default Greetings from So-Cal!

    I’m a long time lurker on this site…and by long time I mean a few years. Yeah, a bit of procrastination on my part I’ll have to admit. Anyway, I figured it was about time I get involved and say hello.

    To say I’m obsessed with all things home audio/video is a bit of an understatement (We’ve all got our own vices!) Someone with my level of obsession should likely be shopping at an A/V boutique that sells speaker cables made from carbon-nanotubes…wrapped in unobtanium… sprinkled in fairy dust... I mean if you pay more you get more right? I’d say not necessarily. The thing is that I work in product development for a corporation with extraordinary resources (not A/V related BTW). What I’ve learned is that when it comes to making great products it’s not necessarily a matter of who has the most money or biggest team to throw at a project. In reality I often see better results come from a few talented individuals with a passion for what they’re doing rather than a whole team of people who are just punching a time card. So have I heard Ascend speakers? No. But do I believe that Dave’s products could be as good or better than mass-marketed brands with huge R&D budgets behind them? Absolutely. I plan to audition some Ascends for myself and see if this theory holds true.

    BTW…I’m interested in a CMT-340 SE/CBM-170 SE setup…5.1…7.1…9.1…did I mention I have a problem?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Juliette, GA
    Posts
    403

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Welcome!

    Are you shopping to place in a new installation or replace existing speakers? Will you have a dedicated HT?

    I've got the setup you mentioned and they sound great! I agree with your theory. I think going with small ID companies like Ascend makes excellent quality affordable.

    Doug

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    5

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Welcome! I'm obviously new myself, but I just got a stereo pair of CBM-170 SE's and I am amazed at their sound quality. I haven't heard the 340's, but everybody around here says they are a step above the 170's, so I don't believe you can go wrong with an Ascend set-up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    6

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Thanks for the welcome. I have a fairly modest system at the moment…

    Receiver: Onkyo 7.1 (no support for blu-ray codecs)
    Source: Sony PS3
    Sub: SVS PB10
    Speakers: 5 assorted pieces of garbage that fill my heart with shame and embarrassment

    I don’t have a dedicated HT room at the moment, but on the other hand I have something that’s even better and sticks with me no matter where I move…a very accommodating wife who doesn’t mind a living room filled with big black boxes that make sound!

    I started with a 7.1 system in my current room but found that 5.1 actually sounded better because I was never really able to get the back surround channels located properly. That experience has convinced me that it’s better to have a couple of well-setup speakers than a bunch that never get positioned correctly.

    What I really want to do is try out 3 of the 340’s up front (missed the sale, dooh!) and see how they sound…and if I like them keep adding 170’s… maybe I’ll get up to 9.1 as space allows. I do plan on moving so there’s a real possibility of getting there. I read a post over on AVSforum where Dave F was saying that if someone finds that a standard monopole surround setup isn’t sufficient, then an array of multiple side surround monopoles (like in a real theater) is really the ideal setup over dipoles/bipoles… so that’s what I’m aiming for.

    Doug- I've got a question...

    How many speakers do you have and do you find that the 170’s surround presentation is sufficiently enveloping? I’ve listened to monopole surround setups where I can really tell the location of the speakers and I’m trying to avoid that…but I’ve also listened to dipole surrounds and I think sometimes they sound a bit too diffuse and strange (like the sound is in my head almost)… that’s why I’m looking for something in-between and figured 9.1 with monopoles might be the answer.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Juliette, GA
    Posts
    403

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Quote Originally Posted by ObliviusConsumr View Post
    Doug- I've got a question...

    How many speakers do you have and do you find that the 170’s surround presentation is sufficiently enveloping?
    I've got a 7.1 system consisting of:
    340's up front
    170's side surrounds
    200 Classic rears
    SVS PB 12-NSD Sub

    This is in a dedicated HT. The main area is ~16x20x9. To the left of the main area is a memorabilia display area ~8dx10wx9h. See:
    http://picasaweb.google.com/dougbrucemac/HomeTheater

    The sides and back are flown from the ceiling. Above the acoustic tile I mounted plates to the floor joists above. I mounted a flange on the plate to which I attached black pipe. I built boxes out of 1x6 that are open front and back and hung them from the pipe. I placed the surrounds in the boxes with the speaker wire running down the pipe. I couldn't bring myself to attaching any mounts to the Ascends! The rears are ~4' behind the couch. The sides are slightly behind and ~4' on either side of the couch. I wished the sides were a little lower and a little farther away, but life is a comprimise.

    I find the setup sufficiently enveloping. I've noticed in some movie mixes, the add a touch of the orchestra to the sides. This expands the front soundstage nicely, it makes it wider and floats it out a little in front of the screen. Of course, the surrounds blend seamlessly with the fronts. The sound is directional when appropriate. Very rarely does the sound seem like it's coming directly from the speaker. That makes me think it's more of a mixing issue than a speaker issue.

    Unless you have a huge room, I think two well placed 170's as surrounds would be fine.

    Doug

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Roseville, CA
    Posts
    45

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    I have the same setup (340se's across the front and a pair of 170se's as surrounds) and love it. I have the HSU VTF2-mk2 which does a great job of filling in the bottom. The 170's blend perfectly with the 340's and are plenty powerful enough to match. My room is a very large great room (35'lx20'wx24'h) and the setup can easily fill the room with excellent sound. I use the setup for 95% HT and couldn't be happier. I've convinced a number of people to buy Ascends after hearing my setup, so it's not just me!

    Something else to consider -- as great as these speakers are, the service you get from Dave surpasses them. You won't find a better person to deal with, before or after the sale.

    Some day I would like to build a dedicated theater and if/when I do, it will be filled with the latest Ascend offering with no doubt.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    6

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Quote Originally Posted by DougMac View Post
    I've got a 7.1 system consisting of:
    340's up front
    170's side surrounds
    200 Classic rears
    SVS PB 12-NSD Sub

    This is in a dedicated HT. The main area is ~16x20x9. To the left of the main area is a memorabilia display area ~8dx10wx9h. See:
    http://picasaweb.google.com/dougbrucemac/HomeTheater



    Doug
    Doug…

    Your HT looks very well done…and much more comfortable than a theater. I noticed you placed the table with the single malt next to the off-center seats. Trying to lure guests over to the side seats so you get the sweet spot are you? I see what you’re doing…veeeerrry clever.

    I’ve read a lot of nit-picking about the Ascends being dull looking with their matte-black finish but I think they complement the subdued lighting of your room and blend well into the background. I mean if you’re going to have a light controlled room with a front projector… why pay for fancy wood veneer?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    6

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Quote Originally Posted by P Seastrand View Post
    I have the same setup (340se's across the front and a pair of 170se's as surrounds) and love it. I have the HSU VTF2-mk2 which does a great job of filling in the bottom. The 170's blend perfectly with the 340's and are plenty powerful enough to match. My room is a very large great room (35'lx20'wx24'h) and the setup can easily fill the room with excellent sound. I use the setup for 95% HT and couldn't be happier.
    That is a huge room! That’s pretty impressive that the Ascends can hang with that room volume, especially given their relative small size.

    Quote Originally Posted by P Seastrand View Post

    I've convinced a number of people to buy Ascends after hearing my setup, so it's not just me!

    Something else to consider -- as great as these speakers are, the service you get from Dave surpasses them. You won't find a better person to deal with, before or after the sale.
    I hear you on the customer service side. I haven’t had any direct experience myself but it certainly means a lot to buy from people who sell on the merits of quality products rather than high pressure sales. It looks like Ascend depends on people like you to spread the word because I’ve actually never seen an advertisement anywhere. I have to admit that I myself have recommended Ascend to others (at the risk of sounding like a fanboy given I haven’t heard them myself). Around the office people come to me for advice on electronic purchases and I normally recommend Ascend and SVS as brands to consider.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Manhattan Beach, California
    Posts
    7,032

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    OC....where in SoCal are you?

    You are more than welcome to come hear my 7.1 setup made of Sierras and 170SE's (classic 170s in the rear). I am in Manhattan Beach.

    I think Ascend customers are the type of people that really like to research their purchases. Ascend speakers are reviewed by more respected online publications than most other ID speakers, and the products have longevity. Add to that many happy customers, and it leads people to want to hear Ascends.
    -curtis

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Juliette, GA
    Posts
    403

    Default Re: Greetings from So-Cal!

    Quote Originally Posted by ObliviusConsumr View Post
    Doug…

    Your HT looks very well done…and much more comfortable than a theater.
    Thanks. I did everything but lay the carpet and hang the ceiling. I hired in a drywall guy because I don't mud well. I did help hang the 36 12' sheets, though. I started in February and finished in July, working most weekends and a couple of nights a week. My wife is working on her doctorate, so 95% of the time I was a crew of one.

    I gave Deb a WII for her birthday. Even at the WII's low res, it's a ton of fun to play with the big screen. Our grandkids come over and everybody has a great time!

    Doug

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