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Thread: Hello from the Bay Area

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    14

    Default Hello from the Bay Area

    I am from the Bay Area, and got into quality sound systems a few months ago with SVS. Currently I have an SVS setup - bookshelf, center channel and satellites from the Prime series, with a SB12-NSD sub. However, my cousin purchased Ascend CMT-340SE and CBM-170SE on the secondary market that got me curious, and I was thoroughly impressed with their sound. And now I have a full Ascend system (CMT-340SE mains, center) and HTM-200SE on my way! Plan is to replace SVS with Ascends, and move SVS to bedroom duty.

    Hope to interact with fellow sound enthusiasts on this forum. Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    457

    Default Re: Hello from the Bay Area

    That is pretty amazing, and what dedication you have to the hobby already!

    I was always interested by SVS, but have never heard their gear. It is great to know that the CMT/CBM setup is even more incredible than the SVS Prime serires that I have heard so much about. I couldn't be happier with my Sierra Towers, and they beat the pants off of my Dad's Triad setup that he paid a whole lot more for!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,538

    Default Re: Hello from the Bay Area

    Quote Originally Posted by sludgeogre View Post
    That is pretty amazing, and what dedication you have to the hobby already!

    I was always interested by SVS, but have never heard their gear. It is great to know that the CMT/CBM setup is even more incredible than the SVS Prime serires that I have heard so much about. I couldn't be happier with my Sierra Towers, and they beat the pants off of my Dad's Triad setup that he paid a whole lot more for!
    I think you will find that at any given price point, our products use higher quality woofers/tweeters and crossovers than nearly any competitor. Especially when compared to manufacturers that fully build their products overseas. A speaker is only as good as the quality of the components it uses...
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    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    457

    Default Re: Hello from the Bay Area

    Quote Originally Posted by davef View Post
    I think you will find that at any given price point, our products use higher quality woofers/tweeters and crossovers than nearly any competitor. Especially when compared to manufacturers that fully build their products overseas. A speaker is only as good as the quality of the components it uses...
    Indeed, that is why I ended up going with Ascend. You don't see anyone else using cabinets that are engineered to that degree, and you very rarely see such high quality components. So many other companies spend their budget in all the wrong places, like marketing, advertising, distrbutors and sales people, fancy finishes, big ol' bi-wire speaker terminals with cheap plated jumpers, and embossed panels with their dumb model names for their same-ol' tweeter with a new, buzzword optimized waveguide.

    I think the thing that really sealed it for me were the measurements and honest engineering work. Once I read the RAAL tweeter comparison to the NrT, with all of those pages of comparisons and real, actual engineering published for consumers, I couldn't justify spending my money anywhere else. I showed that work to a friend of mine and it convinced him to buy a pair of CMB 170 SE's. You just can't argue with sensible engineering.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,538

    Default Re: Hello from the Bay Area

    Quote Originally Posted by sludgeogre View Post
    Indeed, that is why I ended up going with Ascend. You don't see anyone else using cabinets that are engineered to that degree, and you very rarely see such high quality components. So many other companies spend their budget in all the wrong places, like marketing, advertising, distrbutors and sales people, fancy finishes, big ol' bi-wire speaker terminals with cheap plated jumpers, and embossed panels with their dumb model names for their same-ol' tweeter with a new, buzzword optimized waveguide.

    I think the thing that really sealed it for me were the measurements and honest engineering work. Once I read the RAAL tweeter comparison to the NrT, with all of those pages of comparisons and real, actual engineering published for consumers, I couldn't justify spending my money anywhere else. I showed that work to a friend of mine and it convinced him to buy a pair of CMB 170 SE's. You just can't argue with sensible engineering.
    Thank you, your comments are very much appreciated! If we actually had a marketing budget, it would not be possible for us to offer our speakers at the prices we do. Over the years, we have had many industry insiders who actually have a very good idea of what our profit margins actually are contact us and question why/how we are selling at these prices.

    I once challenged a consumer who was a huge public fanboy of one of our competitors to find any retail or ID speaker that uses even a stock SEAS tweeter that sells in the $300/range... He failed miserably
    .
    .
    .
    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    457

    Default Re: Hello from the Bay Area

    Quote Originally Posted by davef View Post
    Thank you, your comments are very much appreciated! If we actually had a marketing budget, it would not be possible for us to offer our speakers at the prices we do. Over the years, we have had many industry insiders who actually have a very good idea of what our profit margins actually are contact us and question why/how we are selling at these prices.

    I once challenged a consumer who was a huge public fanboy of one of our competitors to find any retail or ID speaker that uses even a stock SEAS tweeter that sells in the $300/range... He failed miserably
    And thank you for being such an incredible speaker designer and for having this community and taking your time to talk to us. It has been a blast!

    I spent two years researching for this purchase. I went and listened to a bunch of speakers and nothing compared to my Dad's Triad speakers. I knew there was so much more out there from what I had read, but I just wasn't hearing it. I knew if I wanted to find real value, I had to go internet direct, and I had to find someone who didn't use Chinese bargain bin plastic junk.

    The only other speakers I was really close to buying was the Aperion Verus Grand, since they are engineered in my hometown, but with MDF cabinets and cheap drivers, I couldn't do it, and Magnepan 1.7i, but they lack dynamic punch and putting together a 5.2 system with them would have been an expensive pain in the butt, and even then, most people aren't pleased with their center channel speakers. With the Sierra setup, you get a center that is very close in volume to the towers, and uses the same drivers. That is another thing you just can't find anywhere. Most center channel speakers are a huge, glaring design flaw and compromise after another, and there are tons of reviews out there to attest to that.

    I watched The Revenant last week and holy hell all of that stabbing and screaming and shouting and bears destroying Leonardo, I was cringing in my seat. The Horizon really made it one hell of a ride!

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