Can you feel the excitement?

[ChrisC]

or is it just me??
I have my 170SE's being delivered tomorrow. I am going to have a little speaker shoot-out here this weekend. Hmmm, I work in sales so technically I can work from my house tomorrow :D

[ChrisG]

Congratulations Chris. I received my 340SE's today and they sound wonderful, just as everyone has stated they are very neutral reproducing music just as it was recorded.

[ChrisC]

Congratulations Chris. I received my 340SE's today and they sound wonderful, just as everyone has stated they are very neutral reproducing music just as it was recorded.
Thanks Chris, you must be having some fun.

[ChrisG]

Masters of the Acoustic Guitar sounds incredible.

Are you ever in for some fun. :D

[ChrisC]

I have my music lined up and ready to go! Cant wait

[Classpro]

What speakers will you be comparing?

[ChrisC]

I have in the house currently
-Triangle Titus
-Monitor Audio Silver S2
-Focal 806v
just waiting on the Ascends

[bigd]

Hi Chris,

Interested in your post, do let us know how that test unfolds. I'm new here and went though the same excitement your experiencing. Received mine 2 weeks ago. That acoustic recommendation appeals to me .... play a little myself and have always liked Clapton, Walsh, and many more when unplugged.

Also enjoy the newer 'genre' unplugged , my son introduced me to 'Guns n Roses' unplugged album years ago. 'Patience' album if I recall .... good stuff.

Enjoy, there is always a special thrill in new toys :) Van Morrison was wrong when he wrote "A Thrills a Thrill' ;) :eek: .... that's a wink and an eek, don't mean to stir up the Morrison fans. He had 'stuff '.

..bigd

[bigd]

Hey Chris,

Went here and had a listen to the samples, nice. For others that like acoustic:

http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Acoustic-Guitar-Various-Artists/dp/B000005P0C#moreAboutThisProduct

... really enjoyed several of them .... it's on my list ..tks

.... bigd

[ChrisG]

BigD, a technician that worked for me turned me on to that CD, he played acoustic guitar and loved this one and it really came alive through the 340's.

Another one I like it Billy McLaughlin's "Out of Hand", you can listen to samples here:

http://www.amazon.com/Out-Hand-Billy-McLaughlin/dp/B00000IP3L/ref=m_art_li_1/103-9476611-4643039

He's got several other CD's (I keep wanting to say "Albums" and my kids correct me), I'm planning on picking up a few more of his titles, he's excellent.

[boludaso]

try to find anything with violin or chelo and you'll freak on how well those speakers produce that sound. I thought my speakers were broken because of how the chelo vibration sounded, soooo real.

congrats

[ChrisC]

So I received my 170's today. I didnt get much time to play with them, but I did run through a few Norah Jones songs. My first impression, I dont understand the whole "ugly" thing. I have heard many times that people find them ugly, I dont.
They are very well constructed for starters. Ugly, no. Not beautiful, ok. But how many speakers are that beautiful. I have 4 pairs of speakers here and my wife walked by, stared at them all, and pointed to the Ascends and said they are cute.
So whatever thats worth :)

[ChrisG]

I agree on the ugly thing. Granted they won't win any beauty prizes but they are very attractive and look nice in my living room.

So far the 340's have really impressed me and thrilled with the purchase, I'm sure once you get some more time with them you'll love them Chris.

Actually, they impress me so much I'm planning on adding the 170SE's on the second channel, these are great speakers, especially for the price.

[ChrisC]

I had a really fun time this weekend comparing the speakers. If anyone is interested, I will give some details. I will state the obvious that the Ascends are very accurate, much more so than the other speakers I compared.

[curtis]

I had a really fun time this weekend comparing the speakers. If anyone is interested, I will give some details. I will state the obvious that the Ascends are very accurate, much more so than the other speakers I compared.
I think most of us, if not all, would love to read some details.

[bikeman]

I think most of us, if not all, would love to read some details.
Yes, please. If time allows, give us a write-up. Thanks.

David

[audibleconnoisseur]

Do it man... I did it, others do it, you have to do it! Do it man, do it! I dare you to do it. I don't think you will do it (works for kids anyway)...

Hey, if you can that would be great and if not then that is ok too. I would like to see your thoughts if you have the time. We appreciate others opinions and welcome to Ascend!

[ChrisC]

Hey All,

Well I have had some time to really compare these speakers. I will start by saying I think my expectations in the price range are way too high. All of the speakers do some things very well, and some things not so well. I know its a battle of trade offs. I find it hard to believe that someone could think one of these speakers is that much better than the other. Different yes, but also similar in some ways.
Here is a quick summary on each speaker and then I will go into more detail later.

Monitor Audio S2- Has a nice overall sound. Highs are a little bright. This speaker seems to condradict itslef. It has a forward presentation, but the mids seem somewhat recessed compared to the highs. Good bass. Takes a good amount of power compared to the others.

Focal 806v - Very nice finish, although very modern and may not fit into many rooms. Very smooth tweeter, and easy to listen to. Very detailed and extended, vocals sound great. Very nice wide soundstage. Mids are a little congested and seem to get lost compared to the highs. Bass is there but not great.

Triangle Titus 202 - Small speaker, not very well known. Highs are very detailed, but with the wrong song, are very bright. Has the best mids of the group to me, no question. Absolutely open and detailed. Huge soundstage, high and wide. Vocals seem holographic, a little creepy with the certain music. Not much bass at all.

Ascend 170SE - The cheapest and smallest. Not nearly as bad looking as I have read. Disappears in the room and doesnt call any attention to itself. This speaker is the most accurate of all. Bad recordings on this speaker sound the worst out of all the speakers, but the best recordings don't necessarily sound the best either.