Question for Ascend owners.

[Kris]

Hello,

Ive been out of the HT game for a while. My previous system was was Sony STR-50ES reciever paired with Polk RT6 towers, PSW 450 sub, CS350 LS center and FX surrounds. Im looking at purchasing a new system and possibly Ascend speakers. My question is what other speakers did you consider/audition aside from Ascend. I would like my next setup to be above that of my last although im having a hard time remembering what it sounded like 2 years ago. More than likely I will be using a Denon 3805 as the heart of the system. The room im trying to fill is 23ft x 17ft. Ive listened to B&W 600 series, Paradigm Studios, Energy Veritas & Con lines, and Monitor Audio (Silver & Gold) Id probably say i liked the MA Golds the best, followed by the Silvers (although I found the Silver LCR to be lacking for HT) Im interesetd in hearing Ascend users experiences. Is there anything else out there I should consider? Id get the Golds in a heartbeat if they werent so far out of my budget

-Kris

[Kpt_Krunch]

Hi Kris - welcome to the forum!

I recently upgraded my Polk RT800i / CS400i setup to Ascends - 340's across the front and a pair of 170's for the side surrounds.

The price was almost identical for what I paid - the polks were about about $1000 more though if you compare MSRP to MSRP.

I A/B'd the Polk RT800i's vs. a pair of the 340's - and that lasted all of 5 minutes. The difference isn't even close. The 340s just do everything so much better than the Polks it wasn't even funny (if anything, it was sad as I thought the Polks were pretty good speakers).

I haven't heard the Monitor's, but I did listen to Jamo's, Paradigm Studios, JM Lab, JBL's, Athena (I was impressed with these for the money, but I was looking or an upgrade and the Athena's were not enough of an upgrade for me) and a host of others. I have not A/B'd any against the Ascends (other than the Polks) but I have not heard anything before or since that come close to the Ascends at their price point or even a couple of grand above.

For the cost of shipping, it is definitely worth the risk. I went all out and ordered all five of speakers unheard - and shipping back to the US from Canada was going to be expensive, but it was a chance I was willing to take. No regrets here whatsoever - I am a very proud owner of these Ascends and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone!

They are very neutral, play very very fast (i.e. detailed), have a HUGE soundstage and image very well even in my not so perfect room!

There are a lot of people here willing to demo their Ascends, post where you're from and maybe there is someone in your area who'll let you audition them.

[jimsiff]

I'm a new Ascend owner, and so far I'm quite happy. I listened to various speakers including B&W 602s3, Definitive Technology BP10B & 7006, Paradigm mini monitors, monitor 3, studio 20, Athena f2's in a HT not BB, Boston, etc. To me, the Ascend 340s are better than my favorite b&m speakers I auditioned in my price range. I did a short write-up the other day on my initial impressions.

You can also find a bunch of threads in the speaker forum at AVS

[metalaaron]

hi, my name is aaron, and i'm a denon 3805 owner.

i owned the following before deciding on my ascends;
paradigm monitor 7 v.2
paradigm mini monitor v.2
paradigm cc370 v.2
axiom m60
axiom vp150
axiom qs8
rocket rs750
rocket rs250
rocket rsc200
paradigm studio 20 v.3
paradigm cc570 v.3

my favorites are the paradigm studio series and the ascends. i recommend ordering a pair of cbm170s, and trying them for 30 days. i bring my cbm170 surrounds into my computer/guitar room from time to time for stereo use.

[Kris]

Has anyone compared the Ascends to any of the Monitor Audio offerings?

[curtis]

Yeah...I have heard the Monitor Audio Bronze B2 a lot about a year or so ago. I am thinking about taking a trip on Sunday to listen to the MA S8's....and bringing my CMT-340's so the other guy can listen. Downside, it is an hour drive.

In A/B testing, the B2's had more bass extension, but the mids were recessed when compared to the 170s. The bass on the B2's seemed a little loose though.