New review and interview of DavidF!

[curtis]

The April issue of Affordable Audio has a review of the CMT-340SE and an interview of DavidF!

http://www.affordableaudio.org

[Gov]

Good read, thanx!!!

[jvillas]

I agree with David F's priorities in speaker design. It's what is inside the box that counts the most,(the guts). From there each and every part is of equal importance. I have been listening to my 170's for about 2wks now, and I must say that I am very pleased.

[drewface]

they said SE stood for "special edition"...

:p

also...

But to be perfectly frank, I have a very special pair of Ascends that I absolutely love listening too and I feel compare well with some of the best I have ever heard.any insight on what makes these particular ascends special?

[jvillas]

they said SE stood for "special edition"...

:p

also...
any insight on what makes these particular ascends special?



Nice catch drewface.I missed it.

My guess is perhaps this is a new Ascend, perhaps something to be introduced in the future ,or maybe an enhancement to a current model that is going to lead the way to further upgrades in the current line-up.

[drewface]

Nice catch drewface.I missed it.

My guess is perhaps this is a new Ascend, perhaps something to be introduced in the future ,or maybe an enhancement to a current model that is going to lead the way to further upgrades in the current line-up.haha. could be, i suppose. i was thinking more along the lines of them being the first pair of ascends dave ever produced, or just a specially tuned pair of a current model that he modified especially for his room or something... could be something more, though.

[jvillas]

haha. could be, i suppose. i was thinking more along the lines of them being the first pair of ascends dave ever produced, or just a specially tuned pair of a current model that he modified especially for his room or something... could be something more, though.


I suspect your closer to the truth than I am.

An excellent review,and comparison, good choice of music. I have often used Kieth Jarrett's solo piano music to evaluate speakers.It is one of the most difficult instruments for a loudspeaker to reproduce with accuracy, and realism.The Grand Piano covers many octives,thus gives a loudspeaker a really good workout. I own the 170's, and I felt they did an excellent job. Glad to see the 340's did too.

[Jonnyozero3]

great review!

[Sam1000]

any insight on what makes these particular ascends special?
Dave,
Will you take special order to have my new pair sound like yours?? :) :)

[clarke68]

Hey guys!

I had the pleasure of writing the Affordable Audio review...thanks for checking it out.


they said SE stood for "special edition"...Ouch...sorry 'bout that! I can see if Mark (the editor) can correct the error, but in the past he's been pretty loathe to modify the pdfs once they're live... :o



any insight on what makes these particular ascends special?I asked Dave directly if these were a new product or simply something with sentimental value. He told me next to nothing, but seemed to imply they were both... :cool:



I have often used Kieth Jarrett's solo piano music to evaluate speakers.It is one of the most difficult instruments for a loudspeaker to reproduce with accuracy, and realism.The Grand Piano covers many octives,thus gives a loudspeaker a really good workout.Spot on. Accurate piano reproduction truly separates the men from the boys (so to speak) in speaker design...not just for the frequency range, but also in the complex harmonics & overtones they produce. It's also a difficult instrument to record well, so I'm always on the lookout for great piano albums. Let me know if you have any favorites!


Through the whole process, Dave's been a 100% class act. I hope that came through in the re/interview.

[drewface]

hi clarke, nice to see you drop by to check out our comments on the article. i enjoyed it.

i guess i'll let you get away with that little slip-up on the "SE" this time, but you better watch your back if it happens again *shakes fist* :p

[Quinn]

Spot on. Accurate piano reproduction truly separates the men from the boys (so to speak) in speaker design...not just for the frequency range, but also in the complex harmonics & overtones they produce. It's also a difficult instrument to record well, so I'm always on the lookout for great piano albums. Let me know if you have any favorites!




Do you have David Fung's The Piano Evening Conversions from Yarlung records? Great recording. http://www.yarlungrecords.com/#davidfung2

[jvillas]

Hi clarke 68, there is another favorite pianist of mine his name isTete Momtoliu,a jazz pianist There is a sieries of jazz trio recordings piano ,bass, and drums,and a couplle of duets piano, and bass from the seventies that are simply wonderfull. There on the Speeple Chase label.

If I may add one more, Thelonious Monk, anything by him, The recording quality will vary alot.

David Murray Octet recording that you used I am familiar with great stuff.

My I suggest a recording by Archie Shepp also on the Steeple Chase label,It is a solo saxaphone recording of tradition American mostly folk songs, simply amazing. I think the title of the album is Goin Home.

I was struck by the fact that you used older classical recordings in your review. I am familiar with some of the Fritz Reiner recordings from that time. A favorite of mine is Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. I am not sure if it was with the CSO,or the Cleveland Symphony.

I can go on and on, but I think I will stop here. Once again Thanks for the well written, and honest review of the Ascend 340's.

[clarke68]

i guess i'll let you get away with that little slip-up on the "SE" this time, but you better watch your back if it happens again *shakes fist* :pLOL...consider me scared straight!


Do you have David Fung's The Piano Evening Conversions from Yarlung records?I hadn't...thanks! I'll definitely check that out.


If I may add one more, Thelonious Monk, anything by him, The recording quality will vary alot.Oh yeah...Monk is the man. I have one that I use often for speaker tests: Alone in San Francisco (just gave it a spin on the Ascends right now...thanks for the reminder!). It was recorded in what is now the Fugazi Theater in North Beach...not really the best recording in the world, but a great performance. Near the end of "Ruby My Dear" he does one of his characteristic triplet runs down 4 or 5 octaves, and finishes the number with a pedal-depressed flourish that generates a ton of overtones. Sadly, the engineer fades it, but while it's there it's one of most gorgeous sounds ever.


David Murray Octet recording that you used I am familiar with great stuff.Indeed, and I must say that's one that I heard in an entirely new way on the Ascends. I kinda felt like the "listening" section of the review went long, but I had to squeeze that in!


My I suggest a recording by Archie Shepp also on the Steeple Chase label,It is a solo saxaphone recording of tradition American mostly folk songs, simply amazing. I think the title of the album is Goin Home. Shepp is a cat I know little about. Thanks for this recommendation, I'm fascinated by avant-garde guys doing spirituals (funny that Albert Ayler has a Goin' Home also, and with a few of the same tunes).


I am familiar with some of the Fritz Reiner recordings from that time. A favorite of mine is Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. I am not sure if it was with the CSO,or the Cleveland Symphony.I have it...it's Chicago. All of the RCA Living Stereos that I've heard are fantastic. There's a guy on Head-Fi who works at the company that did the digital remasters for the SACD re-releases. He got to listen to some of the original master tapes, and evidently this current crop of SACDs are practically indistinguishable from the masters.

Reiner's Zarathustra (well, maybe anybody's Zarathustra) is a great test of a speaker's dynamic range and (of course) bass response, with that 32Hz opening pianissimo.

[jvillas]

Hi clarke 68, I did not know Albert Ayler had a goin home recording too. I'll be sure to pick it up.

I did not feel the listening section of your review went to long. I felt you could have safely added another genre for even more diversity.

Your introductory and set-up paragraphs to the review were both funny and informative. Admittedly I'm not familiar with the "out burger". I don't think they are available here in Chicagoland.

[curtis]

The In 'n Out Burger reference was funny. I love their hamburgers!

As for the piano, another Ascend owner turned me on to Bill Evans.

Welcome to the forum Clarke!

[jamesg]

they said SE stood for "special edition"...

In truth, "SE" was a flexible combination of letters capable of meaning a few different things: "signature edition" and "SEAS" being among the ideas we wanted to evoke. No harm, no foul for them inferring "special edition," but a good catch nonetheless!

As for Dave's "special" set of Ascends, who know what lurks in Frankenstein's laboratory?!

[BradJudy]

As for Dave's "special" set of Ascends, who know what lurks in Frankenstein's laboratory?!

Maybe the 'special' pair of Ascends are just the kids. :D