Do you think I'll be fine pairing Sierra mains with HTM200's as rears in a 5.1?

[Drew888]

Or do I really need to step up to CBM 170's?

Due to my limited placement options in my HT room the rears I have now are currently installed as high up the 8' wall as they can be due to having french doors on the left side that run the entire length of the left wall.

I'm thinking HTM's would be easier on the eye and easier to wall mount.

If I were to share a pic I'd be interested if you thought CBM's would be better.

Thanks,

Drew

[kinggimp82]

I have that combo and it sounds good to my ears. I thought about 170's but the are pretty big in comparison. 200's have a better form factor for ceiling or wall mounting.

[Drew888]

Thanks Andrew

I agree on the size. I was wondering if someone might have an argument for not installing the 200's. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Looks like we have very similar systems.

Drew

[kinggimp82]

what kind of sub are you using? I'm curious

[billy p]

If this where primarily a music oriented set up than you'd likely get an argument....for the most part Ascend closely voices all their speakers so I see little to no issues arising by mixing & matching. I'm using a RAAL centre with NrT mains and 200se(see sig) and extremely happy with the results.

[natetg57]

I'm running HTM-200's with a Sierra front stage and am very satisfied. Even 5 channel music sounds good. I like them better than my old dipole Paradigms.

[Drew888]

Same as yours.



what kind of sub are you using? I'm curious

[Drew888]

Perfect, thanks all!

[Dark Ranger]

Drew,

I'm late to the party here, but add me to the list of satisfied customers using the Sierra-1s in front and HTM-200 SE in the rear. I've got a 7.1 setup, so there are four (4) HTM-200 SE speakers for side/back surrounds. They are fantastic and hands-down the best surround speakers I've ever had. :)

When I was in the planning stages for my HT, I agonized over this same decision--should I go with 170s or 200s? I ended up choosing the 200s for their smaller size, sealed enclosure, aesthetics, and more flexible placement options. No regrets. The 200s are outstanding speakers and I wouldn't hesitate to use them as mains in a small, space-constrained HT (notice I didn't say low budget). In fact, I ran two of them in my bedroom for a while (full-range) until I eventually upgraded to 170s. The 200s gave me a special experience one night that I will never forget. I even wrote Dave about it. Trust me, the 200s are not second-class speakers.

The 170 SE and 200 SE share the same tweeter which says quite a bit about the performance. Sonically, the 170 plays deeper, hits harder, and sounds more full-bodied than the 200 mostly due to improved low-frequency performance. However, the 200's bass performance is impressive considering its size. IMO, it's fast and tight, albeit with a more "lean" sound in the bass/mid-bass frequencies compared to the 170.

I think the 200s will be great for your situation, especially since most of your usage will be HT. Like Billy P says, 170s could be argued for a high-priority music system versus HT. Someone who listens to a lot of full-range multichannel sources (SACD/DVD-A) or wants more "oomph" and bass response from the surrounds might lean towards 170s. Similarly, those with lots of space for surrounds could justify the 170s. However, in an HT environment and with a typical 80 Hz crossover, you won't be missing much at all. The 200's other attributes make it very attractive.

[curtis]

I also use HTM-200SE's for surrounds with my Sierra-1 front stage. They work very well together.

[Drew888]

Perfect! more motivation to come look you up. Regular Sierras's or nrt's?

[curtis]

Perfect! more motivation to come look you up. Regular Sierras's or nrt's?
Standard Sierra-1's, they were the second set ever sold.

I used to have CBM-170SE's for surrounds, but after installing bamboo floors, and painting the room, I wanted the surrounds to be less intrusive, so I traded my 170SE's for 200SE's with a local owner (he uses the 170SE's in his classroom with a Hsu VTF-3MK3), and have been extremely happy.