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Thread: 340's a good pick?

  1. #21
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff52 View Post
    Phipp, I do not find my 340's to sound niether bright or harsh, they have a well braced and damped cabinet. These speakers grow on you and you acquire a taste of the Ascend sound which to my ears is in a different class of other speakers at this price point. At $560 a pair you won't find a better speaker in my opinion. They continue to this day to amaze me with good source material and used in a HT setup with decent sub you can not go wrong. The only negative I have with the 340's is the disease to move up to the ST's which I hope to do soon. The 340's LCR and 170's surrounds=no regrets.
    Jeff
    Thanks for the input Jeff! The sub Im interested in is from Chase Home Theater. Hes testing a new 15" prototype right now and looking at an in stock date of Dec. or Jan if everything goes good. The more I research the more I am coming to the conclusion that this setup is the way to go. Im hoping to buy by the end of Oct. and no l ater than the end of Nov. I'd love to get the ST's and a Horizon but just cant come up with that amount right now LOL. Some day though! They are a thing of beauty!

  2. #22
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by curtis View Post
    It really depends on your interpretation of "warm". Some think of it as lack of treble, others thing of it as accentuated mid/mid-bass. Yes, definitely colored.

    I also don't think any Ascend speaker is thin.
    I think of it as lack of treble. Well sort of. If the highs are accentuated it bothers my ears. I really cant think of a way to describe it other than that.

    Quote Originally Posted by natetg57 View Post
    How would you define "warm"? What would you describe as the opposite of "warm"?
    A warm speaker to me is everything blending well together without "harsh" highs. The opposite would be a speaker that accentuates the highs. I dont know if Im explaining it right or using the right words LOL. Its been a long day!

  3. #23
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    Nov 2010
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by phipp01 View Post
    Thanks for the input Jeff! The sub Im interested in is from Chase Home Theater. Hes testing a new 15" prototype right now and looking at an in stock date of Dec. or Jan if everything goes good. The more I research the more I am coming to the conclusion that this setup is the way to go. Im hoping to buy by the end of Oct. and no l ater than the end of Nov. I'd love to get the ST's and a Horizon but just cant come up with that amount right now LOL. Some day though! They are a thing of beauty!
    You are welcome my friend, I started with what I could afford and have enjoyed every moment of my allotted funds. I will soon be in a position to move up to the ST's, my system is buildable if you can understand what I'm trying to convey, I don't have to start from scratch, I believe I have a solid foundation with my Ascend products and have no intention of switching brands, just making my "building" bigger so to speak. Ascend speakers have great resale value as well making the transition a lot easier financially.
    CHT seems to be making a name for themselves with their passive designs, I was not aware of the new prototype being tested, their facility is about a two hour drive for me and have invited me up for a test drive Take care phipp.
    Cheers Jeff

  4. #24
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by phipp01 View Post
    I think of it as lack of treble. Well sort of. If the highs are accentuated it bothers my ears. I really cant think of a way to describe it other than that.

    A warm speaker to me is everything blending well together without "harsh" highs. The opposite would be a speaker that accentuates the highs. I dont know if Im explaining it right or using the right words LOL. Its been a long day!
    Ok so IMHO, the 340SE will work great then. I was listening to them again yesterday and they again surprised and blown me away.. I was demoing some very heavy bass material (link in my Sierra measurement thread, kawai kenji), and I was honestly expecting the 340SE not to perform as well as they did. I was really surprised. Really amazing. These will really compete about 1000$ (1500$ in other cases ) full floorstanders with 6-8 inch woofers and really not end up short.

    The highs are definitely not accentuated nor harsh. But they're there, crisp, fantastic. Just a superb speaker for the money... Really can't go wrong.

    I was fantasizing while listening to the 340SE how it would be with a good sub, or with 8 inch Dayton woofers (or something) on top and bottom of each 340SE in a WMTMW, and actually seriously thought about making it happen.. LOL Maybe encasing the 340SE speaker itself, with a cabinet on top/bottom, active crossover, dual amplification... That would definitely be a crazy project and a sick result... Maybe one day...

    Oh, and in the Sierra Tower thread, I also rambled on about the 340SE vs Totems... might be an interesting read if you missed it! 340SEs are really not so little gems

  5. #25
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by GirgleMirt View Post
    Ok so IMHO, the 340SE will work great then. I was listening to them again yesterday and they again surprised and blown me away.. I was demoing some very heavy bass material (link in my Sierra measurement thread, kawai kenji), and I was honestly expecting the 340SE not to perform as well as they did. I was really surprised. Really amazing. These will really compete about 1000$ (1500$ in other cases ) full floorstanders with 6-8 inch woofers and really not end up short.

    The highs are definitely not accentuated nor harsh. But they're there, crisp, fantastic. Just a superb speaker for the money... Really can't go wrong.

    I was fantasizing while listening to the 340SE how it would be with a good sub, or with 8 inch Dayton woofers (or something) on top and bottom of each 340SE in a WMTMW, and actually seriously thought about making it happen.. LOL Maybe encasing the 340SE speaker itself, with a cabinet on top/bottom, active crossover, dual amplification... That would definitely be a crazy project and a sick result... Maybe one day...

    Oh, and in the Sierra Tower thread, I also rambled on about the 340SE vs Totems... might be an interesting read if you missed it! 340SEs are really not so little gems
    Mirt, just when I think I can't be any more impressed with the 340SE they blow me away all overagain. I like the WMTMW idea, go for it
    Jeff

  6. #26
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff52 View Post
    Mirt, just when I think I can't be any more impressed with the 340SE they blow me away all overagain. I like the WMTMW idea, go for it
    Jeff
    hahaha! Don't tempt me Pair of these 150$ (look would fit great with 340SE drivers!)

    But then there's the additional amp, the crossover, cabinets to build, bah! One day maybe lol...

    It's too bad that you just couldn't wire them with 340SE with a passive crossover as that would mess up the 340s...

    Ooooh, I had my 340SEs temporarily lying on their sides but stacked on top of each other which made me think; stack a bunch on top of each other to make a giant line array, that would also be something... lol Does Ascend offer discounts for multiple pairs?
    Last edited by GirgleMirt; 08-15-2012 at 09:57 AM.

  7. #27
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by GirgleMirt View Post
    hahaha! Don't tempt me Pair of these 150$ (look would fit great with 340SE drivers!)

    But then there's the additional amp, the crossover, cabinets to build, bah! One day maybe lol...
    That will work, start drawing up the plans and Dave may add some insight, let's get started.

  8. #28
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by phipp01 View Post
    I think of it as lack of treble. Well sort of. If the highs are accentuated it bothers my ears. I really cant think of a way to describe it other than that.



    A warm speaker to me is everything blending well together without "harsh" highs. The opposite would be a speaker that accentuates the highs. I dont know if Im explaining it right or using the right words LOL. Its been a long day!
    Okay, going by your definition of 'warm' speakers, the 340's should be right up your alley. The opposite of what you describe I personally call 'bright' or 'forward' sound speakers. Over time they can cause listener fatigue, which the Ascends won't give you. Owning a pair of 170's for my l/r and the 340 center myself, I am constantly in awe of how wonderful they truly sound to me. I will say that they are very accurate, meaning they show the true flaws in a recording. They have nice, clear imaging. Listening to the Eagles Hell Freezes Over DTS-Audio disc, the vocal harmonies sounded very full and rich. To me it was honestly like sitting in the audience. When they performed New York Minute, wow. That song itself reminded me of why I like them so much. I also have a CD called Symphonic Pink Floyd, which was done using the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and two members of Killing Joke. I have an apartment, so I normally listen to movies and music at around -55 to -60dB's on my Yamaha RX-A700. One afternoon, I decided to turn the volume slowly up until I got to around -40dB's. The 170's NEVER got overly 'bright' or 'forward' sounding, just clean pure sound. I hope that when the time comes for you to get the 340's, that you will share your experiences with the rest of us. It will take a few days of listening to get used to the sound they produce, but over time you will get accustomed to them, and truly appreciate the work that Dave has put into his products.

  9. #29
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    Apr 2012
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by darkpoet25 View Post
    Okay, going by your definition of 'warm' speakers, the 340's should be right up your alley. The opposite of what you describe I personally call 'bright' or 'forward' sound speakers. Over time they can cause listener fatigue, which the Ascends won't give you. Owning a pair of 170's for my l/r and the 340 center myself, I am constantly in awe of how wonderful they truly sound to me. I will say that they are very accurate, meaning they show the true flaws in a recording. They have nice, clear imaging. Listening to the Eagles Hell Freezes Over DTS-Audio disc, the vocal harmonies sounded very full and rich. To me it was honestly like sitting in the audience. When they performed New York Minute, wow. That song itself reminded me of why I like them so much. I also have a CD called Symphonic Pink Floyd, which was done using the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and two members of Killing Joke. I have an apartment, so I normally listen to movies and music at around -55 to -60dB's on my Yamaha RX-A700. One afternoon, I decided to turn the volume slowly up until I got to around -40dB's. The 170's NEVER got overly 'bright' or 'forward' sounding, just clean pure sound. I hope that when the time comes for you to get the 340's, that you will share your experiences with the rest of us. It will take a few days of listening to get used to the sound they produce, but over time you will get accustomed to them, and truly appreciate the work that Dave has put into his products.
    Thanks for the input Poet! I will definitely share my experience when I do purchase them. Hoping to have them and a new AVR by Thanksgiving. Hopefully soone LOL.

  10. #30
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    Feb 2011
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    Default Re: 340's a good pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by GirgleMirt View Post
    I was fantasizing while listening to the 340SE how it would be with a good sub, or with 8 inch Dayton woofers (or something) on top and bottom of each 340SE in a WMTMW, and actually seriously thought about making it happen.. LOL Maybe encasing the 340SE speaker itself, with a cabinet on top/bottom, active crossover, dual amplification... That would definitely be a crazy project and a sick result... Maybe one day...
    I simply rest my 340s directly on each of my two 12-inch subs. The subs themselves are elevated from the floor by about 15 inches, and I want to say, the sound is just awesome.

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