CM-340 or Sierra 1's

[Needspeakers]

Can anyone comment on the difference in sound / quality that can be expected between the Sierra 1's for L/R/Center and the CM-340 SE's? Cost differential is around $450 however I wouldn't want to buy the 340's only to feel the need to upgrade the speakers again in a couple of years.

Speakers will be in a relatively large room (25 x 16 x 8 feet) and will be paired with a Rhythmic Audio LV12r sub. I understand that the Sierra has better bass extension than the 340's however I'm wondering if that is needed since I will be using the sub for bass anyways. Will I notice a substantial difference in the midrange's and high's from the Sierra's.

Also would be interested if anyone has tried using a CM-340 center with Sierra's as L/R speakers.

[curtis]

Can anyone comment on the difference in sound / quality that can be expected between the Sierra 1's for L/R/Center and the CM-340 SE's? Cost differential is around $450 however I wouldn't want to buy the 340's only to feel the need to upgrade the speakers again in a couple of years.

Speakers will be in a relatively large room (25 x 16 x 8 feet) and will be paired with a Rhythmic Audio LV12r sub. I understand that the Sierra has better bass extension than the 340's however I'm wondering if that is needed since I will be using the sub for bass anyways. Will I notice a substantial difference in the midrange's and high's from the Sierra's.

Also would be interested if anyone has tried using a CM-340 center with Sierra's as L/R speakers.
What's your intended use?

The CMT-340SE, IMO, is Ascend's best bang for the buck of their speakers.

I would give the Sierra-1 the nod for music only listening...it is a bit more refined. The 340 is a bit more forward in its presentation. With the sub, the Sierra-1's advantage in bass pretty much erased.

Will you notice the differences...I would say yes, but for its worth, it is subjective. Also remember, with the Sierra-2, you have an upgrade path to the Sierra-1NrT and Sierra-2.

[davef]

Can anyone comment on the difference in sound / quality that can be expected between the Sierra 1's for L/R/Center and the CM-340 SE's? Cost differential is around $450 however I wouldn't want to buy the 340's only to feel the need to upgrade the speakers again in a couple of years.

Speakers will be in a relatively large room (25 x 16 x 8 feet) and will be paired with a Rhythmic Audio LV12r sub. I understand that the Sierra has better bass extension than the 340's however I'm wondering if that is needed since I will be using the sub for bass anyways. Will I notice a substantial difference in the midrange's and high's from the Sierra's.

Also would be interested if anyone has tried using a CM-340 center with Sierra's as L/R speakers.

This is a fairly large room and a recommendation between Sierra-1 or CMT-340's depends on your listening preferences. Will you be using the system for mostly home theater or mostly music? I would also like to know how far back you will be sitting from the speakers and how loud you generally like to listen. Please feel free to email us directly or send me a PM.

That said, Curtis did sum up the differences well, but I would also like to add that the Sierra-1 offer better imaging, an overall "fuller" and smoother sound than the 340's. We actually just had a customer here on Friday who wanted to demo the 340's vs Sierra-1 vs Sierra-2. The family (almost all of them are musicians) all preferred the Sierra-1 over the 340's for music.

[Jaybeez]

I would say you will notice both mids and highs from the Sierras vs. the 340s, particularly with music.

The bass on the Sierra 1s is very impressive, but certainly not the only feature that sets them apart.

Don't get me wrong the 340's are very nice speakers, but the Sierras are worth the extra $ if you can swing it. Plus the finishes are beautiful.

[Needspeakers]

Dave

Thanks for your response. The new speakers will be used for both music and home theater though I'd say probably 75% music / 25% movies. The primary listening position is approximately 14 feet from the speakers. The new speakers would be placed on stands either side of a media cabinet that is approximately 9' wide.

The new speakers will replace a pair of Wharfedale Denton speakers that are around 25 years old. These still sound pretty good to me however I am finding that they are 'popping' when I play music at higher volume / bass levels. I wouldn't say that I listen at excessively loud volumes and was therefore somewhat surprised to find the woofers reaching their maximum excursion limit. This only seemed to happen after I had replaced my old HK receiver with a newer Yamaha (Aventage A-1020).

[theophile]

Dave

Thanks for your response. The new speakers will be used for both music and home theater though I'd say probably 75% music / 25% movies. The primary listening position is approximately 14 feet from the speakers. The new speakers would be placed on stands either side of a media cabinet that is approximately 9' wide.

The new speakers will replace a pair of Wharfedale Denton speakers that are around 25 years old. These still sound pretty good to me however I am finding that they are 'popping' when I play music at higher volume / bass levels. I wouldn't say that I listen at excessively loud volumes and was therefore somewhat surprised to find the woofers reaching their maximum excursion limit. This only seemed to happen after I had replaced my old HK receiver with a newer Yamaha (Aventage A-1020).

NS,

What type and condition are the surrounds of the woofers? Unless they are a high quality butyl rubber, even treated foam surrounds will have deterioration after 25 years...probably could use replacement!

Ted