Pairing Sierra-1 with CMT-340

[SweetFish]

Hi All,
New Sierra-1 owner here. What are your thoughts about pairing Sierra-1 front channels with the CMT-340 center? Im powering the speakers with a Denon 3213 in a room thats about 12 x 14. Would I be remiss not to go with the Sierra center channel? Im not concerned with matching the speaker visually since they will be recessed in a media center. Reason Im looking at the CMT is because I'm over budget on the other components of my HT.

[Dark Ranger]

Hi SweetFish,

Welcome to the forums. :)

While all of Ascend's speakers are similar in timbre, there is something to be said about a seamless front stage. The front three speakers are arguably more important than surrounds/presence/wides/heights, and IMO, the center channel is the most important of the three fronts. Will the 340 center give you excellent dialog? Yes, certainly. However, there will be sonic differences between the two that you might start to pick up on as you get familiar with the sound signature.

If this is your final and only purchase on a center speaker (no upgrades for a long time), my honest recommendation is to wait a little longer, save up a bit more, and "do it right" with an identical Sierra-1 for the center channel. In case you think I'm trying to up-sell you on the Sierra-1, it has nothing to do with price. For example, if you had purchased 340 SE mains and were debating between a 340 center or Sierra-1 center, I would recommend going with the 340 center. The fact that the 340 is cheaper is irrelevant; it will be a perfectly seamless match.

Of course, these are not rules set in stone. For example, I'm running a Horizon with Sierra-1 mains, but I have specific reasons for that. FWIW, my original configuration was set as 3 Sierra-1s for front stage.

You won't get poor performance from the 340 in any way, I only suggest that the Sierra-1 is a better choice long term.

[battlefrog]

Sweetfish, what did you end up doing?