340 insides!!!!

[Jeff52]

Hello,
Can anyone provide some pics of the inside of a 340SE speaker? The sides, top and bottom baffles are 5/8" MDF correct? How thick is the front baffle? Are the drivers stamped or cast baskets? Sorry for all the questions, this will be my first speaker purchase in a long time, I have researched many brands and decided on Ascends 340SE's and 170's for surrounds. I am very sincere with this request and would greatly appreciate all responses.
Jeff

[davef]

Hello,
Can anyone provide some pics of the inside of a 340SE speaker? The sides, top and bottom baffles are 5/8" MDF correct? How thick is the front baffle? Are the drivers stamped or cast baskets? Sorry for all the questions, this will be my first speaker purchase in a long time, I have researched many brands and decided on Ascends 340SE's and 170's for surrounds. I am very sincere with this request and would greatly appreciate all responses.
Jeff

Happy to assist you!

I will try and post some pics for you later.

The front baffle of the 340SE is 3/4" thick.

The woofer basket frames are a glass fiber reinforced polymer. This type of basket frame is more rigid than a stamped frame but less rigid than a cast frame.

Hope this helps!

[Jeff52]

Happy to assist you!

I will try and post some pics for you later.

The front baffle of the 340SE is 3/4" thick.

The woofer basket frames are a glass fiber reinforced polymer. This type of basket frame is more rigid than a stamped frame but less rigid than a cast frame.

Hope this helps!

Dave, thank you very much, it certainly does help and will be looking forward to the pics, I know your busy and I can wait for the pics, thanks again.

[Jeff52]

Are there any 340SE reviews where the reviewer does actually open up the speakers for a quick peek inside, I know Audioholics does it. Thanks to all, Dave I'm really not trying to put pressure on you my friend, I'm just dying to see inside.
Thanks Jeff

[curtis]

Are there any 340SE reviews where the reviewer does actually open up the speakers for a quick peek inside, I know Audioholics does it. Thanks to all, Dave I'm really not trying to put pressure on you my friend, I'm just dying to see inside.
Thanks Jeff
None that I know of for the 340.

What is driving this need?

[Jeff52]

None that I know of for the 340.

What is driving this need?

Curtis, I really don't know, but I just read an interesting article on speaker cabinets and bracing, also damping material used, and how important an enclosure and bracing is, many believe the cabinet could be the most expensive part in designing a speaker, and of course the drivers used in this enclosure, cabinet design and manufacturing are often where many but not all speaker companies make their compromises. Just curious, I intend to have an all 340 setup.
Thanks, Jeff

[curtis]

Curtis, I really don't know, but I just read an interesting article on speaker cabinets and bracing, also damping material used, and how important an enclosure and bracing is, many believe the cabinet could be the most expensive part in designing a speaker, and of course the drivers used in this enclosure, cabinet design and manufacturing are often where many but not all speaker companies make their compromises. Just curious, I intend to have an all 340 setup.

Got it.

Right, it is all a formula. Spend money where it will make the most impact.

[S_rangeBrew]

Got it.

Right, it is all a formula. Spend money where it will make the most impact.

I just opened my 340SE up (I held off for 5 years!) and I'm very impressed by the bracing. Two big main braces with holes in them top and bottom, and corner bracing. Very well built cabinet.

I've attached 3 pictures. You can see one of the braces of the 340SE (the bottom one, near the crossover).

I'm personally most impressed by the size of motors on the woofers *and* tweeters. Massive for a speaker this size. As you can tell from the picture, the crossover is very nice-looking also.

Love these speakers. :cool:

[Jeff52]

Brew, thank you so much for the helpful post and excellent pics, I am very impressed that this kind of detail with the cabinet has been addressed, I see no compromises here. It is truly amazng Dave can offer this quality at the asking price. Thanks again.
PS.. what is that toggle switch in the xover network, I'm assuming the speaker you opened was the center channel and that switch engages the EXBAC circuitry, is it that easy to engage or disengage the EXBAC, correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks again, those photos and the motor sizes surely made my mind up to purchase, good job my friend.
Jeff

[S_rangeBrew]

Brew, thank you so much for the helpful post and excellent pics, I am very impressed that this kind of detail with the cabinet has been addressed, I see no compromises here. It is truly amazng Dave can offer this quality at the asking price. Thanks again.
PS.. what is that toggle switch in the xover network, I'm assuming the speaker you opened was the center channel and that switch engages the EXBAC circuitry, is it that easy to engage or disengage the EXBAC, correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks again, those photos and the motor sizes surely made my mind up to purchase, good job my friend.
Jeff

No problem, Jeff. I've seen the insides of a few speakers, and these definitely are quality.

There are a few posts in these forums referencing the fact that the 340SE center and mains are the same speaker, and that the EXBAC feature can be turned on and off. My 340SE mains have the same toggle. I assume it saves Dave from having to make two separate x-overs. Anyway, I don't know for sure, but I assume that toggle when pointed down, means the EXBAC feature is turned off.

Hope you enjoy your new Ascends!

[davef]

Attached are a few more pics for you.

Please let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.

Take care!

[Jeff52]

No problem, Jeff. I've seen the insides of a few speakers, and these definitely are quality.

There are a few posts in these forums referencing the fact that the 340SE center and mains are the same speaker, and that the EXBAC feature can be turned on and off. My 340SE mains have the same toggle. I assume it saves Dave from having to make two separate x-overs. Anyway, I don't know for sure, but I assume that toggle when pointed down, means the EXBAC feature is turned off.

Hope you enjoy your new Ascends!

Brew, Thank you my friend, I've seen many larger speakers without the cabinet bracing and filler or damping material of the 340SE, and I'm really impressed with the drivers also. I will certainly enjoy the 340's, I'll keep you posted. I've already made some custom stands for the mains and center, if I can figure out how to put some pics I will post them, thanks again.
Jeff

[Jeff52]

Thanks Dave for the additional pics, can you address the toggle switch in the crossover, by the way the network is impressive?
Best regards, Jeff

I will be contacting you soon to purchase.`

[DougMac]

Jeff,
Be sure to leave us your impressions once you're set up.

My HT uses 340 SE for L/C/R, 170 SE for side surrounds and 200's for back surrounds. We watched "The Road to Perdition" last night, which has an excellent soundtrack. There's an apartment scene where a Chicago "EL" train runs by just outside. It was so realistic it was frightening!

Also, every once in a while I'll play music I haven't played on the speakers. I often find myself hearing subtleties I've never heard before, even on songs I've lived with for many years.

[Jeff52]

Jeff,
Be sure to leave us your impressions once you're set up.

My HT uses 340 SE for L/C/R, 170 SE for side surrounds and 200's for back surrounds. We watched "The Road to Perdition" last night, which has an excellent soundtrack. There's an apartment scene where a Chicago "EL" train runs by just outside. It was so realistic it was frightening!

Also, every once in a while I'll play music I haven't played on the speakers. I often find myself hearing subtleties I've never heard before, even on songs I've lived with for many years.

Thanks Doug, that is the exact system I am shooting for minus the 200's, I'm trying to put this together as as possible, I've been looking for a year now and finally decided that for the asking price and the build quality of Ascends speakers there is no comparison, then there is customer service that is second to known. It will be my pleasure to express my impressions, thanks my friend.
Jeff

[HiroPro]

Is there a chamfer on the woofers? It doesn't look so in the pictures. That would be the only complaint if there isn't. It can really help a woofer breath and is almost a necessity when your baffle is 3/4 or greater in thickness.

The ultimate is a 1" baffle chamfered and also chamfered aroud the screw holes. Also the screwy don't tap into the wood as they can strip the wood right... You use these hurricane nuts. All this adds time to manufacture and increases cost.

Here is a picture with it done the way I would do it.

http://www.baniels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG_6270-820x546.jpg

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2753561830104344812ANYMdl

http://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/15/27/18/80/p1000029.jpg

Basically if you have a one inch baffle you chamfer in at 45 degrees to the 1/2" mark. With 3/4" it's a little more difficult as you don't have as much "meat". In that cause I'd chamfer like the first picture leaving meat for the screws. Hurricane nuts are just that little added touch...

Here is a picture of it done 100% perfectly IMHO. (I'd also use wood filler to cover the holes/recess of the hurricane nuts then making a perfect 360 degrees chamfer.)
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/3865/hnutcbores.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/651/hnutcbores.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Here is a great forum thread on the subject.
Hurricane T-nut Evaluation (http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=29922)

Basically these ROCK
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/5391/pic3mu.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/189/pic3mu.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

And these SUCK
http://www.ezlok.com/images/InsertsWood/hero-soft-wood.jpg

BTW obvious QUALITY construction on those cabs! You wouldn't see that from any other manufacturer at that price point. NO WAY