Ascends vs X-Series

[Droht]

Not sure where to post this, but it is something I want to to say. I've been looking for front speakers for 3.1 config for a while now. I have auditioned a lot of speakers. Most of that work was simply framing up the final battle between Ascend and av123. Saving all the details I've read a thousand times on each speaker, my basic formula is this: Ascend (great sound; boring cab; price; size) = x-cs (very good sound; great cab; lower price; size is a negative)

So how do I choose. The marketing that each company does can be fairly effective. Ascend has a website in which many sections haven't been updated for years. New speakers or better cabinets may be on the drawing board (probably not) but all those things are kept very quiet until they are ready to go. David F. is fairly good about responding directly to people. Bottom line to me is that Ascend is saying "Our folks are busy building best speakers that you can buy, even in double this price range" "If you have a question we'll help you out, but beyond that we ain't doing much to sell these speakers 'cause we don't have to."

av123/Onix on the other hand sucks you right in their big family. Every detail of the companies business is seemingly on display. The owner, Mark, is ridiculolusly available to his customers, and often posts all his direct phone #s. He's at GTGs showing off speakers that are still on the drawing board. He's getting direct feedback from his customer base. He's publishing numerous designs and veneers that will soon be abailable, and extolling the sonic virtues or each.

I had clearly settled on the x-series technology a few times. When I analyze that decsion it is mostly around the excitement that company is currently generating. Seems like a bad reason to make a puchase decision. I have no idea what they will eventually be able to deliver with x-series (optimism seems to far outrun reality in these situations) and I have concerns that my meager order of 3 x-cs and one ulw-10 sub will not get the attention I prefer because everyone is exciting and tring to get something new done.

I guess this was mostly my self-psychoanalysis regarding buying speakers. If anyone has an comments please feel free. I'd say I'm 80% toward Ascends right now.

[SteveCallas]

I have observed exactly what you are talking about on that other forum. It's like bandwagon hysteria, and common sense or logic usually get pushed to back in favor of..."love" :rolleyes:

[jsotelo]

I understand everything you just said.

I REALLY wanted to buy AV123 speakers and was about to pull the trigger a few times. I loved the "energy" in the forum, I really like the way they look and also how much less they are than Ascends. Doesn't hurt that I live in California and have to pay tax on Ascends while the AV123 are tax free.

In the end I went with Ascend thou for 2 reasons.

#1 Size. AV123 doesn't have anything that compares size wise to 3 340s in the from and two 200s in the rear. The X-CS is huge at 15.5 inches deep and there was no way my wife would be happy with the 13.5 x 8.5 x 12 X-LS as surrounds. I showed her both speakers and to my suprise picked the "ugly" Ascends over the AV123 set. She really liked how slim the 340's were over the X-CS and the HTM-200 as surrounds made her happy.

#2 Sound. From the way everyone describes them Ascends are more of my kind of speakers than the AV123. I'm all about detail and I can't wait to hear the speakers once I get them.

[Lou-the-dog]

It is easy to get caught up in all the hype over there. Kind of a carnival atmosphere and I'm sure it helps sell product. AV123 makes good products no doubt but the best recomendation is still to make your purchase decisions based on what you hear.

Randy

[drewface]

i've never heard any of the av123 products and i'm sure they are fantastic, but i know i would much rather buy from a company whose products basically sell themselves as opposed to using a bunch of marketing hype. i am not bashing the marketing/community of av123 in any way with this statement, just stating my opinion.

[audibleconnoisseur]

Ask any sales person and they will all say they prefer referrals over any other form of business. It sticks longer, it is more solid of a chance to sell, the buyers are usually happier. That being said, If Dave doesn't advertise but is constantly selling a product and is available to you when you need him within reason, the reviews are quality and consistent that should speak for itself! If someone can sell without trying to "sell" the product... that should tell you a LOT about the product and customers. Very few are ever returned so that should also speak volumes. If you are still concerned, getboth and give them a FAIR A/B test (blind if you need) and enough time to break them in and get use to them and keep the ones that are the best sounding to your ears.

You can also ask to audition the Ascends in someone's home before you buy if you need. Maybe pick up the av123's and take them there to A/B them yourself. Many options to choose but nothing beats research and hands on before you buy... that is why so many of us will never buy a car without test driving it. These speakers will last longer than two or three cars for you so do it right the first time!

Good luck!

[curtis]

I have had Ascends for just about 4 years now.....wow!

I am probably one of the VERY few that have met both Dave and Mark personally. As nice as both are, they are EXTREMELY different, and their personalities are reflected in their companies.

That said, the CBM-170 is seemingly always the target, and has been around for 7 years, with the first change coming last year.....that should say something.

edit: As much as I think the 170SE sets the standard, the advice I give is to compare. Like some, you may prefer somethingelse.

[davef]

Hi Guys,

I think Curtis says it best as he has spent time with both me and Mark. Mark and I are completely different people. I am not a marketing person, salesperson, and I don't even consider myself a businessman.

I am a quiet unassuming family guy who prefers to say out of the public eye.

I design unique audio products, this is what I am best at and this is how I enjoy spending my workday. If customers love them, great -- if they don't that is OK too.

I have no desire to sell a few thousand speakers per month; I have been there, no thank you. If I had that desire, we would have no choice but to change our marketing, in fact -- we don't market at all (no banner ads, no magazine ads -- nothing) Any "hype" is generated by consumers. We are actually a bit unique in the industry and I think that is also reflected in our products. It is not just about the quality of the parts we use, but of the amount of engineering time and experience that goes into every design.

And it should not be forgotten that I personally test each and every loudspeaker that leaves here. I can guarantee you that our quality control procedures and methodology are unmatched anywhere. It is kind of ridiculous actually but that is just me…


Bottom line to me is that Ascend is saying "Our folks are busy building best speakers that you can buy, even in double this price range" "If you have a question we'll help you out, but beyond that we ain't doing much to sell these speakers 'cause we don't have to."

There is a lot of truth in that statement...

While my technicians do assemble all of our speakers on the production line, I am not busy building them, but I am too busy testing each and every one of them ;) We work HARD here...

Ascend / AV123 -- we are two completely different companies with entirely different approaches and that is cool... Mark and I often disagree -- but we have agreed to disagree and we both have much respect for each other, both personally and professionally.

Which loudspeakers should you purchase? The ones that you enjoy listening to the most…

Take care!

[Droht]

Thanks to David and everyone else for the responses. I really have trouble moving away from the fact that each and every speaker from Ascend is checked by David. I started my career in QA and R&D in the plastics industry and just can't help but being impressed by that approach.

[drewface]

wow. i never knew that dave personally tests every loudspeaker that gets shipped out. that is insane, and makes me that much more pleased with my decision to support Ascend by buying their speakers.

[debo]

Dave you just made my day, the pride in your work definitely shows in your products. Every single day when I turn on these speakers I smile ear to ear.
Who couldn't want to do business with someone like this?

[Galwin]

Last Saturday I had some free time and went to the local Hi-End audio shop to audition a couple of speakers that I'd read about: the Gallo 3.1 and a set of Usher Towers. Both were impressive in their own way with the Gallo projecting a huge soundstage and the Ushers soundiing sweet as honey running through tube amps. Both are in the $3,000 range if purchased new. As good as they are, I would not trade my 340SE's for either of them. There is a level of realism in instruments and voice projected by the Ascends that even these fine speakers could not beat! With a well integreated sub, the Ascends give you true hi-end performance at a mass market price.

There is no question that speakers costing 3X or more can do things that the 340SE's can't. But are they better? Not necessarily. You've got to think long and hard about whether all that extra cash is really buying a sound that is much superior.

I've not heard AV123 products, but in the $600 to $700 price range, I've not heard anything that comes close to the 340SE's in the B&M stores. It really has me curious about what David could produce in the $1500 to $2,000 price range. If the price/performance ratio of the 340SE's was maintained - well, that would really be something to hear!

It does my heart good to see someone with integrity, doing what they love, and being successful in the business. Dave is clearly a class act and a rarity in today's business world. If he can make the business go without having to resort to marketing hype in a world where consumers are programmed to salivate on cue, that's as great an achievement as the prodcts themselves! I wish him continued success!

[Classpro]

There is tremendous hype over at AV123. They have had problems delivering products, however. Their inexpensive amplifier was supposed to be delivered more than a year ago. Their bookshelf speaker is very pretty and very reasonably priced, but did not sound nearly as good as the Ascends. Of course, the Ascends were quite a bit more money and the Ascend's cabinet is not nearly as fancy. I have not purchased either speaker, but am thinking seriously about buying Ascends. It's a quality product.

[GirgleMirt]

I started my career in QA and R&D in the plastics industry and just can't help but being impressed by that approach.
I'm sure that listening to speakers is more fun that looking at plastics though :p

A friend of mine once worked in a factory doing QA. In other words, her job was to sit down and watch bottled pickles pass in front of her all day long. I think she lasted one or two days. She said she dreamed about pickles for a few weeks after that :D


It really has me curious about what David could produce in the $1500 to $2,000 price range. If the price/performance ratio of the 340SE's was maintained - well, that would really be something to hear!
You could sign me up for a pair! :eek:

[curtis]

It really has me curious about what David could produce in the $1500 to $2,000 price range. If the price/performance ratio of the 340SE's was maintained - well, that would really be something to hear!

There are many of us that would like to hear something like that!! But you got to wonder if it makes good business sense for Ascend to venture into that area.

[GirgleMirt]

Why wouldn't it? I'm sure every single person who has ever bought Ascend speakers would consider the newer speakers, and with Ascend's good reputation, even if the speaker was somewhat average (which I would doubt), Ascend would still sell more than a few.

If av123.com can afford to sell 30 different speakers (and I don't think that number is an exaggeration), Ascend should manage to sell 4 :p

[Droht]

Why wouldn't it? I'm sure every single person who has ever bought Ascend speakers would consider the newer speakers, and with Ascend's good reputation, even if the speaker was somewhat average (which I would doubt), Ascend would still sell more than a few.

If av123.com can afford to sell 30 different speakers (and I don't think that number is an exaggeration), Ascend should manage to sell 4 :p
I don't know about that. As I make my purchase decision I like the fact that David is totally focused on a fairly short product line. And I'm not particularly thrilled that Onix is working on a slew of new products and focusing less (my assumption) on manufacturing speakers I may order now.

Read the story about the time he invested when he upgraded the 170s and it becomes clear why he isn't adding more speakers. I think it might also require a different approach to sell $2k speakers, for instance. More emphasis on aesthetics for sure, and likely the need to market a bit differently.

[GirgleMirt]

well good luck finding speakers from a company who offers LESS than 4 speakers then! :eek: If Ascend released a fourth speaker, it would absolutely take nothing away from the HTM200, 170SE or 340SE. I'm not trying to point you away from Ascend, but its a bit silly to base your purchase decision on that...

You have a point though on Ascend's design philosophy vs other companies... Others buy drivers here and there, make a crossover and a cabinet and bing bang shaddabing a new product. David's approach seems to start by designing the drivers (I believe the woofers are proprietary design) and going from there... I'm guessing he'd want to use the same approach for a 1500$ speaker and this seems to take more than a few weeks...

Viewed like that, it somewhat looks unlikely... Still I would love to buy a speaker by Ascend (DF) where they had less price constraints and could put out a product with less compromise.

I'm dreaming very heavily braced cabinets with 1 inch mdf (100% inert) maybe with a special baffle (if that really helps), improved tweeter and woofers, exotic crossover parts (again, if it really helps..).

But... Realistically... Seems unlikely to happen... Unless they got a new employee to insure QA and focus all energy on this new speaker? :p Can we vote by a show of hands? ;) Which would you rather see, a new and improved 170SE/340SE, or a brand new spanking speaker at 1000-1500$ price range to upgrade your current 340SE to?

[curtis]

On reputation, it is much easier to try something under $1K than $2K....especially for new customers.

For those of us that have experienced Ascend speakers, it is much easier.

[audibleconnoisseur]

well good luck finding speakers from a company who offers LESS than 4 speakers then! :eek: If Ascend released a fourth speaker, it would absolutely take nothing away from the HTM200, 170SE or 340SE. I'm not trying to point you away from Ascend, but its a bit silly to base your purchase decision on that...

To combat the "less than four" comment, a little Oliver Wendell Holmes comes to mind:

LITTLE I ask; my wants are few;
I only wish a hut of stone,
(A very plain brown stone will do,)
That I may call my own;
And close at hand is such a one,
In yonder street that fronts the sun.

Plain food is quite enough for me;
Three courses are as good as ten;--
If Nature can subsist on three,
Thank Heaven for three. Amen!
I always thought cold victual nice;--
My choice would be vanilla-ice.

I care not much for gold or land;--
Give me a mortgage here and there,--
Some good bank-stock, some note of hand,
Or trifling railroad share,--
I only ask that Fortune send
A little more than I shall spend.

Honors are silly toys, I know,
And titles are but empty names;
I would, perhaps, be Plenipo,--
But only near St. James;
I'm very sure I should not care
To fill our Gubernator's chair.

Jewels are baubles; 't is a sin
To care for such unfruitful things;--
One good-sized diamond in a pin,--
Some, not so large, in rings,--
A ruby, and a pearl, or so,
Will do for me;--I laugh at show.

My dame should dress in cheap attire;
(Good, heavy silks are never dear;) -
I own perhaps I might desire
Some shawls of true Cashmere,--
Some marrowy crapes of China silk,
Like wrinkled skins on scalded milk.

I would not have the horse I drive
So fast that folks must stop and stare;
An easy gait--two forty-five--
Suits me; I do not care;--
Perhaps, for just a single spurt,
Some seconds less would do no hurt.

Of pictures, I should like to own
Titians aud Raphaels three or four,--
I love so much their style and tone,
One Turner, and no more,
(A landscape,--foreground golden dirt,--
The sunshine painted with a squirt.)

Of books but few,--some fifty score
For daily use, and bound for wear;
The rest upon an upper floor;--
Some little luxury there
Of red morocco's gilded gleam
And vellum rich as country cream.

Busts, cameos, gems,--such things as these,
Which others often show for pride,
I value for their power to please,
And selfish churls deride;--
One Stradivarius, I confess,
Two Meerschaums, I would fain possess.

Wealth's wasteful tricks I will not learn,
Nor ape the glittering upstart fool;--
Shall not carved tables serve my turn,
But all must be of buhl?
Give grasping pomp its double share,--
I ask but one recumbent chair.

Thus humble let me live and die,
Nor long for Midas' golden touch;
If Heaven more generous gifts deny,
I shall not miss them much,--
Too grateful for the blessing lent
Of simple tastes and mind content!

The point being, be thankful for what we have in the three that are provided and produced so well in deed!!! Keep up the great work Dave, we all love the speakers and your continued support and devotion to your product and our service - AC

[Droht]

well good luck finding speakers from a company who offers LESS than 4 speakers then! :eek: If Ascend released a fourth speaker, it would absolutely take nothing away from the HTM200, 170SE or 340SE. I'm not trying to point you away from Ascend, but its a bit silly to base your purchase decision on that...
My point, obviously I thought, was that it is reassuring that DF/Ascend are so focused on what they do and doing it extremely well. I'm sure one more speaker wouldn't impact them negatively. The comparison was to av123 however. Is it silly to base a purchase decision on a company being very focused?

[drewface]

while i'd love to hear a $2000 ascend speaker, i'm not sure i could bring myself to pay that much for a speaker. the CMT-340SEs are already often compared to other speakers priced much higher than they are, and in some cases are declared the clear winner. not to mention i can't afford to spend $2000 on a pair of speakers...

if ascend were going to expand their speaker lineup, i'd much rather see a sub woofer added to the mix specifically designed with 340s, 170s, and 200s in mind for the rest of the setup. seeing as i don't have a sub yet, i would snatch one of these up in a heart beat!

[GirgleMirt]

On reputation, it is much easier to try something under $1K than $2K....especially for new customers. For those of us that have experienced Ascend speakers, it is much easier.

Yeah I'm sure Ascend has a large customer base which wouldn't hesitate to buy a new top of the line speaker. I really don't have any intention of upgrading the 340SE any time soon, but if Ascend made a 1000/1500$ speaker, I'm sure I'd be very interested. The issue I see is required investments from Ascend to make such a project...

It's just that it would seem a better upgrade path for current Ascend owners to get a new 1000$ speaker than purchasing/upgrading the same updated model. I'm not sure if the difference of 170/170SE or 340/340SE was that big, but I'm sure that a 1000-1500$ by Ascend would be an easily discernible difference!

But again, it takes more than a few hours for Ascend to update/design speakers so it's not a small investment...

[Jonnyozero3]

I think that if Dave & Co. made a move upmarket, it might be best to create a new, separate company, or some sort of sub-company/division. Sure, it'd be run by the same people and be out of the same office, but he'd probably need to market differently and have a different brand image. I wouldn't be able to buy a 1k-2k speaker for a while, but i would look at it very seriously if it had Ascend blood.

(The Count voice) "Wannnnh, Toooooo, Thrreeee, Foharrrrrr, FAIIIIVEE Ahhhscend Speakers....ahht ahht ahhhhh!"

[audibleconnoisseur]

I think that if Dave & Co. made a move upmarket, it might be best to create a new, separate company, or some sort of sub-company/division. Sure, it'd be run by the same people and be out of the same office, but he'd probably need to market differently and have a different brand image. I wouldn't be able to buy a 1k-2k speaker for a while, but i would look at it very seriously if it had Ascend blood.

(The Count voice) "Wannnnh, Toooooo, Thrreeee, Foharrrrrr, FAIIIIVEE Ahhhscend Speakers....ahht ahht ahhhhh!"


Kind of like Magnolia inside of Best Buy? I sooooo want to take my 340SE's and HSU 2.3 in there to pit them against their top line equipment or anything they have under $1000 just to see them clinch their cheeks together... you know what I mean?!

[Lee Bailey]

Kind of like Magnolia inside of Best Buy? I sooooo want to take my 340SE's and HSU 2.3 in there to pit them against their top line equipment or anything they have under $1000 just to see them clinch their cheeks together... you know what I mean?!

So, what's stopping you?

[audibleconnoisseur]

I really am considering it but need to cover the nameplate and as for the sub, I don't really want to carry that monster around! I am certain it will stop on all of the subs they have in there though!

[Classpro]

I don't think Ascend needs a $2,000 speaker to round out its line. I think it should consider making the 340 into a real floor standing speaker instead of the two-piece thing with the wood flap on the back connecting them. That would only require, I would think, only some minor retooling of the box.

I don't really understand the idea of a sub being "specifically designed to work with the speakers." The sub's in a different location than the speakers, so you would need to adjust it just the same as a Hsu or SVS sub. It's hard for me to see the advantage of it - especially since there is nothing really unique or special about the finish of Ascend speakers that would require special matching to the appearance of the sub. I think a real floorstanding speaker would help round out the line.

[Quinn]

The the 340 is designed that way so it can be shipped UPS at normal rates. It is part of Ascend's mission to keep things affordable. Look at some of the other ID companies' shipping rates for their tower speakers.

Making the pedestal base of the 340 "floorstander" stack into a sub would be nice.

A $1000 speaker makes more sense than stepping up to a $2000 speaker for Ascend. There are plenty of good speakers availible starting around $1500-2000 but what could Ascend deliver at $1K? That idea intrigues me.

[Jonnyozero3]

Kind of like Magnolia inside of Best Buy? I sooooo want to take my 340SE's and HSU 2.3 in there to pit them against their top line equipment or anything they have under $1000 just to see them clinch their cheeks together... you know what I mean?!

Naw, Magnolia was an existing company bought out by BB and expanded to help them hit the mid-upper market better (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

I'm thinking more like Toyota/Lexus or Honda/Acura. Something like that.

[drewface]

I don't really understand the idea of a sub being "specifically designed to work with the speakers." The sub's in a different location than the speakers, so you would need to adjust it just the same as a Hsu or SVS sub. It's hard for me to see the advantage of it - especially since there is nothing really unique or special about the finish of Ascend speakers that would require special matching to the appearance of the sub. I think a real floorstanding speaker would help round out the line.you may be right. i don't know a whole lot about what goes into designing a subwoofer, but i assume that making a sub match up with a set of speakers could be supported by its design from the start. i'm talking sound here, not finish. obviously the sub is going to have to be adjusted, but main speakers need to be, too, in order for them to blend together correctly.

every room is going to respond to all the speakers differently, including subs. having a speaker designed with the other speakers in the setup in mind helps this, though. it's going to be easier to match a cbm-170 with another cbm-170 than with, say, an AV123 X-LS bookshelf speaker. i figured it would be similar with matching a sub to a particular set of speakers.

plus... having a complete speaker system all under one brand name would be pretty nice, as well! :D

[Classpro]

Quinn: That's an interesting point about UPS. I checked quickly, and couldn't find any shipping prices. Axiom and Aperion have free shipping. AV-123 doesn't list prices for shipping towers. UPS ships by weight, I think, so unless the small tower would be out of size, I wouldn't imagine there would be much cost difference. Of course, there would be savings for Ascend having one box size for centers and fronts, but I suspect most people would prefer a real tower (I may be wrong - maybe it would be worth asking. I know I'd prefer it, even if shipping were a little bit extra).

[Quinn]

Quinn: That's an interesting point about UPS. I checked quickly, and couldn't find any shipping prices. Axiom and Aperion have free shipping. AV-123 doesn't list prices for shipping towers. UPS ships by weight, I think, so unless the small tower would be out of size, I wouldn't imagine there would be much cost difference. Of course, there would be savings for Ascend having one box size for centers and fronts, but I suspect most people would prefer a real tower (I may be wrong - maybe it would be worth asking. I know I'd prefer it, even if shipping were a little bit extra).

AV123 makes you put the speakers in your cart and give all your shipping and contact info before they give you the shipping cost. I did it for a pair of 450s to central Texas and it was $94 in shipping that is $42 more than a pair of 340s and matching stands. UPS has extra charges for boxes that exceed a certain size.

The free shipping from Axiom is new. I wonder if they are one upping av123's freeshipping on bookshelves or if av123 went to free shipping on bookshelves in response to Axiom's free shipping.

[Classpro]

I don't think AV123 has free shipping. The shipping is only free if you don't keep the speakers - at least that's my understanding.

Seems smart to offer money back guaranty. I suspect few people will send the speakers back - except for some people who are doing comparisons.

[davef]

I think it is important to note that while we charge you $26 for shipping a pair of 340 SE, the actual UPS ground shipping costs are considerably higher.

We will, in fact, be slightly raising our shipping costs in the coming months to keep up with ever increasing UPS charges.

Not to worry though, I promise the increase won't be much.

[bikeman]

It cost $38. to ship a pair of X-LS's one way last year.

David

[audibleconnoisseur]

AV123 makes you put the speakers in your cart and give all your shipping and contact info before they give you the shipping cost. I did it for a pair of 450s to central Texas and it was $94 in shipping that is $42 more than a pair of 340s and matching stands. UPS has extra charges for boxes that exceed a certain size.

The free shipping from Axiom is new. I wonder if they are one upping av123's freeshipping on bookshelves or if av123 went to free shipping on bookshelves in response to Axiom's free shipping.


First, I am not slamming anyone, just noting something... For free shipping to be new, they also incresed the price of the speakers by about the same price the shipping would have been so the cost is the same, just sounds like it is being put into the speakers. Still, for the money, they are pretty nice speakers!

[Droht]

You are paying for shipping one way or another, whether you pay 100% as a separate charge or some or all of it is built in to price of speaker; there is no free lunch. The one point of differentiation with av123 and some others is that they cover shipping on both ends if you return the product.

[curtis]

The one point of differentiation with av123 and some others is that they cover shipping on both ends if you return the product.
True, but somebody eats or compensates for those costs too. I think the return rate on all of these products is relatively low though.

[SteveCallas]

I've shipped speakers, electronics, and various personal items through UPS, FedEX, DHL, and the USPS, and I'll be darned if the regular old USPS Priority mail isn't the fastest and cheapest by a wide margin. It's all I ever use anymore.

[Gov]

I've shipped speakers, electronics, and various personal items through UPS, FedEX, DHL, and the USPS, and I'll be darned if the regular old USPS Priority mail isn't the fastest and cheapest by a wide margin. It's all I ever use anymore.

I agree, but I hate the 70lb weight limit!

[kinger]

I am the proud owner of AV123's rockets.. 4 x 150's and a 100 center and ufw10. I like them, and I think they sound great. Like many, I was ready to pull the trigger on the little cubes from b***. A friend had rockets and showed me the way.

All that said, even the smallest of the rockets are too big in my opinion. (They don't make the smaller center anymore). The current 250 are roughly the same size as mine. I wish I had known of Ascend before I made my purchse. Everyone has different criteria but I think I made a good decision with the rockets but not a great one.

Although I didn't make my purchase yet, Dave was extremely helpful and patient with me. I will be buying from Ascend when I do our living room sound system.

PK

[bikeman]

All that said, even the smallest of the rockets are too big in my opinion. (They don't make the smaller center anymore).
Good point. For a decicated home theatre, size probably isn't an issue but for those of us who use our livingrooms as our HT, size is probably going to a BIG issue with the wife/SO. (Don't go there, guys. I know what you're thinking. :p)

David

[ChrisG]

David, there are a few advantages to being single again. Don't have to worry about passing the wife S/O test and to be honest my two daughters only encourage my two addictions to audio and astronomy. ;) Lots of speakers in the living room and the dining room looks like a telescope showroom.

Tomorrow the 340SE's and stands I ordered will be here and I'm looking forward to hearing how they'll sound with the Outlaw RR2150 and Cambridge Audio CD Player I recently upgraded to. I've been very happy with the recent additions and looked a long time for the right speaker set up. I looked at AV123, Axiom and several others but like what I read here on the forum and like the idea that DaveF personally listens to every speaker before it's shipped. Reminds me of a Stellarvue, a small manufacturer of high quality limited run telescopes, the owner personally star tests every scope before it's shipped, if he wouldn't use it he won't ship it. To date I've had 6 Stellarvue's and still have 4, it's tough to beat companies like Stellarvue and Ascend that have owners that are hands on in all aspects of the business and have the passion to follow follow through with their vision. Aren't we the consumer lucky?!

Thanks to all here for the great input I know the 340 SE's probably won't be my last purchase from Ascend.

Chris

[jad5]

I don't think divulging some new speaker developments is a bad idea. I'm sure there is plenty of interest in a floorstander from Ascend but with no info regarding design, price, dimensions, or anything else, prospective customers probably aren't going to hold off on future purchases from other companies. On the other hand, if we knew what Dave was cooking.... :)