Hello from Indy.

[Dark Ranger]

Okay, so I recently got my tax refund, and am almost ready to order my pair of 170's. A couple of questions before I do however. I see there are some 170's B-Stock for sale, I know performance wise they will be fine, but as far as cosmetically speaking, would any blemish be THAT noticable?

I have not yet purchased B-Stock from Ascend, but I doubt they'd intentionally ship out anything with significant eyesore blemishes. I found a thread here with feedback from several members who purchased B-Stock at some point. The thread is about 2 years old, but you can get a feel for it.

Do these ship out faster than if I were to buy a pair brand new? I know that it would save me around $41 going with the B-Stocks over new, but was just wondering what to expect. Also, will there be a sale anytime soon? I know there was a holiday sale that ended not too long ago, but if a sale is coming up for spring/summer I may wait until then to pull the trigger so to speak.

Give Ascend a call and they can answer these questions for you. Otherwise, hang out here and see if Dave will pop in. He's a very busy man building toys for good girls and boys.

[darkpoet25]

Hello from Nappanee.I am a past resident of Indy and know most of the outlets there.The Ascends will be a major upgrade over the Athenas.In fact, it won't even be close.I am a Cedia installer and have my own business.I am familiar with the Athena line and as you know,they are no longer made.I would strongly,VERY strongly suggest,that if their is any way you can swing it,go for the Sierra 1's.I currently run a Yamaha Aventage 800 with my Sierra Nrt's and they are the best speakers I've ever heard under $3k.As I'm moving back to Indy I have put off my purchase of the new Sierra Tower.
As soon as I'm back into my house,they are my 1st purchase and I can hardly wait.Believe me when I say Ascend,specifically Dave and Dina are fantastic people who know their product and are completely upfront with you.I've heard most every "high-end" speaker on the market courtesy of the Cedia and CES shows.Their is nothing out there that is remotely close to the Sierra1's,whether the base or Nrt version in their price range or even much higher.If you want:
Clarity,neutrality,dynamics and an honest full range sound then I suggest that you put Sierra 1's at the top of your list.I would be glad to answer any of your questions and you are welcome to hear the 1's in Nappanee or in 3 mos.when I return to Indy via Noblesville.I've kept the technical aspects and measurements out of this piece of advice for fear of confusing you.I supplement the 1's with an Outlaw Compact 1 sub crossovered at 60hz.
The less costly Ascends are superior speakers in their own right,but,if you really value "musical integrity",go with the Sierra in IMHO.Hope this helps in some way and doesn't add to your questioning on how to move forward in obtaining Good Listening.

If I could afford them, I would get the Sierra's without question. But they are out of my price range sadly. I've heard nothing but good things about all of their speakers, so I have a feeling that the 170's would do the job nicely.

[Dark Ranger]

Hello from Nappanee.I am a past resident of Indy and know most of the outlets there.The Ascends will be a major upgrade over the Athenas.In fact, it won't even be close.I am a Cedia installer and have my own business.I am familiar with the Athena line and as you know,they are no longer made.I would strongly,VERY strongly suggest,that if their is any way you can swing it,go for the Sierra 1's.I currently run a Yamaha Aventage 800 with my Sierra Nrt's and they are the best speakers I've ever heard under $3k.As I'm moving back to Indy I have put off my purchase of the new Sierra Tower.
As soon as I'm back into my house,they are my 1st purchase and I can hardly wait.Believe me when I say Ascend,specifically Dave and Dina are fantastic people who know their product and are completely upfront with you.I've heard most every "high-end" speaker on the market courtesy of the Cedia and CES shows.Their is nothing out there that is remotely close to the Sierra1's,whether the base or Nrt version in their price range or even much higher.If you want:
Clarity,neutrality,dynamics and an honest full range sound then I suggest that you put Sierra 1's at the top of your list.I would be glad to answer any of your questions and you are welcome to hear the 1's in Nappanee or in 3 mos.when I return to Indy via Noblesville.I've kept the technical aspects and measurements out of this piece of advice for fear of confusing you.I supplement the 1's with an Outlaw Compact 1 sub crossovered at 60hz.
The less costly Ascends are superior speakers in their own right,but,if you really value "musical integrity",go with the Sierra in IMHO.Hope this helps in some way and doesn't add to your questioning on how to move forward in obtaining Good Listening.

Hi Paul, welcome to the forums.

Ascend will appreciate your kind words about the Sierra-1 monitors and the customer service. I agree on both points, especially the latter. I've called up a few times with questions and Dina never gives me the impression that I'm bothering her, although I know she is super busy. I appreciate her candor, knowledge, and friendliness and she's a first-class representative for Ascend. I have yet to speak with Dave by phone, although we've talked via e-mail. I think we're all well aware that Dave is "The Man."

Indeed, the Sierra-1 is something special. Sometimes I hear a good song on the radio at work or at a friend's house. I look up the album and think, "I wonder how this will sound on my Sierras?" I love those babies.

I think Cliff is doing it right taking advantage of the trial period. There's nothing to lose, really. He's just getting his feet wet with Ascend products and the 170s will do a great job at a fair price (the 170 was Ascend's "bread and butter" for a time and is a fantastic product). There again, the urge to upgrade will always be there for enthusiasts like us.

Paul, I hope you can get a pair of Towers for yourself down the road. I hear they are spectacular, transcendental, and pave the way to enlightenment. Seriously.



(Ok, Ok, I'll go to bed now...)

[paulphoosreal]

I do have to agree with you there.I also know us "audiophiles"-lol.The better sounding our systems get,the more we look for upgrades.My point,poorly presented as it was.Is that if you can swing it,or in the future when some more funds are abailable.Don't run out and look for the "golden goose".You have found it at Ascend.Reason,I'm getting the Towers.I want realism in my music and listening experience.The 1's will go into the den and the Towers into the family room.The 170's ARE a very good speaker,they will just make you yearn for the Sierra's all the more-IMHO

[darkpoet25]

Alright, I just pulled the trigger and ordered a pair of B-Stock 170's. Now to play the waiting game.

[paulphoosreal]

Good for you! I know you're going to enjoy them.Take the time to optimize where you position them and you'll be rewarded with speakers that give you much of what is on the particular recording you are listening too.

[darkpoet25]

Good for you! I know you're going to enjoy them.Take the time to optimize where you position them and you'll be rewarded with speakers that give you much of what is on the particular recording you are listening too.

Thanks! I think the only problem I will see myself having is the waiting period for them to arrive, lol.

[paulphoosreal]

Believe me,they are worth the wait.It won't be too long before you are enjoying your music the way it was meant to be heard.Send a mail my way after you get them if you have any questions on placement or for that matter anything at all.This hobby of ours makes for great fellowship and communication.After all,it's all about hearing sound whether spoken words,music or just communicating the emotion of the video you are watching.Remeber to just enjoy your Ascends.And I know they will serve you well with just a little TLC.

[darkpoet25]

They arrived yesterday afternoon. What I've done at this point is to have one CBM-170 hooked up to the front left channel, and have one AS-B1 hooked up to the front right channel. Last night I was watching the Incubus Live At Red Rocks BD, and I began to notice the differences between the two. While they both had smooth highs, the CBM-170 had more midbass/midrange. Every pluck of the bass strings had more impact, along with the kickdrum. I've had the Velodyne turned off, so I could tell the difference in sound. As for a blemish there was a scratch going down the middle of both CBM-170's on the bottom of the speakers. Other than that they looked perfectly fine.
I will spend more time listening to them in 2-channel, in order to hear more differences between them. But so far I enjoy what I am hearing very much.

[paulphoosreal]

How are you doing your positioning?
What works for your prior speaker will not necessarily work for the 170's.As you move the 170's further out into the room,bass empasis will lessen and your midrange should become more natural.Remember the closer to a wall,whether rear or side,the emphasis placed on the lower frequencies which are reinforced by room boundaries.Take the time to let the Ascends break-in,I'd say at least 20 hours and then play with positioning them.You will be rewarded with awesome detailed sound that is natural and correct from the lows to the highs.Hope this helps.
My Sierras didn't come really alive till I had quite some time on them,but did they ever come "alive".Also had to play with position for awhile after they had broken in.Will try and post some pics of my rig soon
.Have fun,enjoy and remember to just sit back and listen.The 170's won't let you down.