Ascends versus Aperions...

[NewBuyer]

Hi everyone, first post.

After a long research period on speaker selections I have finally narrowed down my choices to either 1) the Ascend line, or 2) the Aperion Audio line.

What I am wondering is whether anybody at all here has any experience whatsoever with the Aperion products, and what you think of them - especially if you can compare their sound quality against the Ascends. The product lines for both Aperion Audio and Ascend Acoustics look like extremely high quality to me.

I realize this is a very general appeal for information, without any one particular speaker model from either manufacturer specified. So, even the most general information you might contribute to the comparison of these two speaker lines would be very appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

[curtis]

I had the 522d's in home for a comparison about 2 years ago, and a friend of mine has a pair.

The cabinet is very nice. Soundwise I felt it sounded thin when compared to the CBM-170's. Not a bad speaker, but not in the same class IMO.

[NewBuyer]

I had the 522d's in home for a comparison about 2 years ago, and a friend of mine has a pair.

The cabinet is very nice. Soundwise I felt it sounded thin when compared to the CBM-170's. Not a bad speaker, but not in the same class IMO.

Thanks for your reply Curtis!

So is it correct then that nobody else here, AT ALL, has ever auditioned Aperion speakers???

[Jonnyozero3]

I considered them awhile back, but every comparison I had read (the one I recall included Ascend, Rocket, Aperion, Axiom), had Aperion near the bottom. Now, that's not saying Aperion is bad (because I've heard they a very good) because that's some heafty competition I listed. Anyhow, I never heard them, just heard about them. I went with Ascends and I'm "happy as a clam."

[BradJudy]

I listened to Aperions, but long after I had bought Ascends. I liked their new 633 (I listened to a prototype version), but didn't think their other ones were that great (including their sub). They do look nice and the 522 was smaller than I expected.

[Eddie]

Jonny,

do you happen to have a link for that comparison? If not, do you remember how these various I-D brands ranked respectively? I'd just be curious...am pretty clamlike myself with my 340s already! :p

[curtis]

Eddie...I was a new CBM-170 owner at the time, at that listening session, and one of the three or four guys that wrote a comparison. I actually got in touch with Axiom and Aperion, and asked for speakers to bring to the session. For about two or three weeks, I had those three pairs of speakers in my home at the same time to compare. For an additional week, I also had the Rocket RS150.

I had to take care of my curiosity, and it was an EYE/EAR openning experience! Nowadays, I am still curious, but more skeptical.

I'll see if I can find my original post...but it may be tough.

[Jonnyozero3]

Wow this is an old thread :)

http://forum.av123.com/showthread.php?threadid=598&highlight=ascend+axiom+aperion

edit: and here's a comparison between Rocket Sig 750s and the CBM-170s....geez talk about a price differential...just throwing this in because it came up in the search for the other thread.

http://forum.av123.com/showthread.php?threadid=2379&highlight=ascend+axiom+aperion

[curtis]

That is the session I attended.

I wonder why my post is not in there.

[Jonnyozero3]

Umm...yeah. THat's kind of sketchy. Did you definately post in the AV123 forum? Or was there another thread on AVS or HTF or HTSpot?

[curtis]

ahhh...found it!

http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=263414

Yes...I do believe I posted on AV123.

Here is another one from an Axiom owner that came to my place:
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=3

[JohnnyCasaba]

LOL! Do you have to think that hard to figure it out Curtis? I thought Spiffnme also posted on AV123 about that session too. Don't see his posts either. Here is his thoughts on that session from the old forum:

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=3

I remember that LA session very well as I was finalizing my purchase around that time. Everything I was reading was leading me to the Ascends, but like most, was having a hard time buying a speaker before hearing it. Luckily, I found a local Ascend owner willing to give me a demo. Well after that demo (mid May), my mind was made up on the Ascends, but since this session was only a couple weeks away and my research had taken months I would wait to read all the impressions before pulling the trigger. What I found was not that surprising, the Rocket owners liked the Rockets best, the Ascend owner liked them best and the Axiom owner, well you see what I mean. But what sold me on the Ascends was that the other speaker owners all had the Ascends in second or tied with first. That to me said that taking the owners bias out of the picture, the Ascends must be a very fine speaker. I ordered shortly afterward and almost 2 years later I am still very happy with my decision. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[Eddie]

jonny,

thanks, those were very interesting links. Seemed like there was a little friction between Ascend and Rocket owners on the second thread.

So it looks like the Rockets and Ascends are the closest in quality according to the comparison, eh? Funny, I've never looked into the Rockets for some reason...maybe it was just the toy-like name that turned me off when I was speaker shopping. :D

But it sounds like the RS150 is a pretty darn good speaker for $200, 48Hz is very impressive for such a small size. I'm sure it easily beats out the Infinity and Polk speakers in the same price range at Best Buy, CC, etc.

[curtis]

Eddie...the CBM-170 and RS150 are polar opposites in how they present sound.

Which is why the comments of them being closely matched were a learning experience for me.....kind of adding on to what JohnnyCasaba posted.

[Eddie]

Curtis,

Yep, it looks like there's a disagreement on the presentation of highs.

You hear the Rockets as being somewhat muffled in that department, while one of the other reviewers found the Ascend 170 to be bright and fatiguing---this was surprising to me since I'd never describe my 340s in those terms, and as I understand it the 170 has a flatter-response tweeter than the 340s! :confused:

Guess it does boil down to personal preference though.

[JohnnyCasaba]

Here are some of the AVS threads on that LA session:

http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=262037&perpage=20&highlight=ascend&pagenumber=1

http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=263414&highlight=ascend

[shane55]

Curtis,

Yep, it looks like there's a disagreement on the presentation of highs.

You hear the Rockets as being somewhat muffled in that department, while one of the other reviewers found the Ascend 170 to be bright and fatiguing---this was surprising to me since I'd never describe my 340s in those terms, and as I understand it the 170 has a flatter-response tweeter than the 340s! :confused:

Guess it does boil down to personal preference though.

Eddie...
You are absolutely correct. the 340's do have a greater extension on thh highs, but as I said in an earlier post, I found the 170's to be (ever so slightly fatiguing 'in comparison' to the 340's... especially watching movies. I don't think it's due to the highs. For my ears, it seemed to come from the areas where the 340's are a bit deficient. The 170's are flat and clear, while the 340's are not, and where they are not seems to be where tones can seem 'harsh' over long periods. Perhaps this is where their FR takes a bit of a dip... at around 3khz.

Whatever the reason, the 340's come off as a bit more 'mellow' (man, I hate that word!) than the 170's. Again, not as 'true' and exact, but more 'listenable over long periods.
About the high extension of the 340's... there is nothing harsh about it. It seems very smooth and bright without being grating. It's very clean.

And... as far as personal preference is concerned... you nailed it. Even though the 170's are exact and precise, I 'prefer' the 340's for mains and the 170's for the surrounds. Go figure. :D

cheers

shane

[curtis]

You hear the Rockets as being somewhat muffled in that department, while one of the other reviewers found the Ascend 170 to be bright and fatiguing---this was surprising to me since I'd never describe my 340s in those terms, and as I understand it the 170 has a flatter-response tweeter than the 340s! :confused:

There were some high end speakers at the session as well, with highs that seemed to be kicked up a bit compared to the CBM-170's....and they were not described as bright.