Horizon Idea

[Blutarsky]

I am wondering if the Ascend Horizon could be wired for stereo inputs and used as a stand alone Mono speaker?
There are small integrated amps with digital inputs that would create a sweet/compact system. http://www.psaudio.com/products/sprout/

B.

[davef]

I am wondering if the Ascend Horizon could be wired for stereo inputs and used as a stand alone Mono speaker?
There are small integrated amps with digital inputs that would create a sweet/compact system. http://www.psaudio.com/products/sprout/

B.

This can get a bit complicated as you would end up shorting the left/right outputs of the amp together. Depending on the design of the amp, you could end up quickly destroying it. To properly do this with a high level signal going to the speaker, transformers would need to be used - certainly it can be done, but to do it right takes some work.

The better way to do this would be at the pre-amp level. Summing the left/right pre-amp outs and then sending this now mono channel to an amp and then one amp channel to the speaker, as compared to two.

[Blutarsky]

Thanks for the input. I thought it might be a new product for Ascend. It would handily beat other products out there. The Horizon is the anchor of my system. I listen to a lot of music in surround mode now just to get it involved.

[Jack1949]

Thanks for the input. I thought it might be a new product for Ascend. It would handily beat other products out there. The Horizon is the anchor of my system. I listen to a lot of music in surround mode now just to get it involved.

I listen to a lot of music also and I do the same thing (either surround or 9ch stereo). While the towers sound great by themselves in 2ch stereo, IMO adding in the horizon takes the music to another level.

Jack

[sludgeogre]

I listen to a lot of music also and I do the same thing (either surround or 9ch stereo). While the towers sound great by themselves in 2ch stereo, IMO adding in the horizon takes the music to another level.

Jack

I've found this a few times as well. The thing about surround music with the Horizon is that it adds laser sharp focus to the vocals. Like you said, the Towers sound absolutely amazing on their own, but surround tracks with the Horizon is better than a live concert, which is why I rarely go to them anymore. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I mean sheesh, the accuracy that speaker puts into voices is spooky and addictive. Netflix has been compressing on me lately and you can hear the audio quality start to muffle when it does it, it drives me absolutely insane and my GF as well. I was never able to tell on other speakers.

[curtis]

You guys need to get into multi-channel hi-res audio....SACDs or DSD files.

[sludgeogre]

You guys need to get into multi-channel hi-res audio....SACDs or DSD files.

I'm not sold on DSD and I'm not buying a DAC for that, no way, especially when there's almost zero new content coming out in the format. I'm fine with 24/96 files in stereo for now until someone starts releasing more blu-ray 5.1 discs. I'm a metalhead anyway and literally zero metal music exists in DSD, although there are a few DVD-A ones. Loooove my 5.1 concerts from Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Katatonia, Pelican, and a few others.

[Jack1949]

You guys need to get into multi-channel hi-res audio....SACDs or DSD files.

Thanks, I've already started down the hi-res path. I've downloaded several 2ch hi-res albums from HDTracks, as well as purchasing some multi-channel SACDs and Blurays. It was the hi-res music that really made me appreciate the towers and horizon w/RAAL. When I first purchased them, I first listened to my old CDs and thought the speakers sounded good. Then when I played some hi-res music, I couldn't believe the detail, clarity and sound stage. The mid and high ranges came alive and I fell in love with these speakers. As I type this, I'm listening to Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah from the Grace album...just beautiful!