CBM-170s (L/R) + HTM-200 (C)?

[krayziekid]

I am looking to pick up my first set of quality speakers and am leaning really heavily towards the Ascends after hearing one of my buddy's setups. I am planning on starting with a 3.0 setup as I am in quite a small apartment and don't want to piss off the neighbors lol.

Originally I was looking at the CBM-170 (L/R) + CTM-340 (C) combo, but after some looking and measuring, there is just no good place for me to put the 340. It would have to awkwardly mounted or muffled in a cabinet. The HTM-200 seems like it would fit much better just from a size POV.

The only thing is that I haven't really been able to find many people talk about running CBM-170 (L/R) with a HTM-200 center. Is this because they aren't a great combo? Or would I be fine running them together up front? Thank you!

(For reference, I sit around 7-8 ft away from my TV in my small living room. I mainly watch TV and movies and don't need ear-piercing levels of volume. Going to run everything through a Denon X1400h)

[jimb]

Any chance you could stretch to 2.0 with Luna or B-stock Sierra 2? They'd be a great anchor for building from in the future, rather than replacing your entry speakers. Others can give you their opinions on the benefit of a center like HTM200 with CBM-170s versus WAY better L&R with a 'phantom' center.

[krayziekid]

I appreciate the idea! Unfortunately the Sierra stuff is way out of my price range. I am really trying to keep this in the 500-600 range which is why I was leaning towards the 170 combos. I mean, either way, anything will be a big upgrade from the like 10 year old crappy Logitech speakers that I currently use lol

[N Boros]

I appreciate the idea! Unfortunately the Sierra stuff is way out of my price range. I am really trying to keep this in the 500-600 range which is why I was leaning towards the 170 combos. I mean, either way, anything will be a big upgrade from the like 10 year old crappy Logitech speakers that I currently use lol

The 340s, 170s and HTM200s can be mixed and matched as you like. They should all timbre match very well.

[SunByrne]

I bought a pair of HTM-200s last year because I needed some speakers I could place horizontally. The HTM-200 is an excellent little speaker—the only real knock against it is that it doesn't go very deep, but that's what you're going to get with 4" drivers in a sealed configuration. But mostly what you want out of a center is dialog, and they're great for that.

As N Boros, said, they'll match with the 170s, no issues there. A pair of 170s and a 200 for center is a great starting configuration.

Next thing you really need is a sub. WAY more important than surrounds. Even a small sub (so as not to annoy the neighbors) will be a good addition.

[krayziekid]

The 340s, 170s and HTM200s can be mixed and matched as you like. They should all timbre match very well.



I bought a pair of HTM-200s last year because I needed some speakers I could place horizontally. The HTM-200 is an excellent little speaker—the only real knock against it is that it doesn't go very deep, but that's what you're going to get with 4" drivers in a sealed configuration. But mostly what you want out of a center is dialog, and they're great for that.

As N Boros, said, they'll match with the 170s, no issues there. A pair of 170s and a 200 for center is a great starting configuration.

Next thing you really need is a sub. WAY more important than surrounds. Even a small sub (so as not to annoy the neighbors) will be a good addition.


Really appreciate the help!! After weighing the pros and cons of various combinations, I think the 170s + the 200 will be the right combo for me to start out with in my space.

SunByrne, I have been kind of avoiding getting a sub as I am in the top floor of an old multi-family home with wood floors. I am definitely fearful of pissing off the neighbors right below me! But your comment has me interested now, so I might start looking around for a small sub that might not rattle the hell out of the house! Thank you!

[bcg27]

I would definitely recommend the Rythmik F12 or L12. I had the F12 in a high rise apartment without issues as long as I didn't crank things up too much. You can always adjust the bass gain either on the sub itself or in your AVR's EQ settings.

[N Boros]

Next thing you really need is a sub. WAY more important than surrounds. Even a small sub (so as not to annoy the neighbors) will be a good addition.

I agree with you here about the sub probably being a more noticeable improvement than surrounds. For me the order of important is 1) Left/right speakers 2) Subwoofer(s) 3) Surround speakers 4) Center channel speaker.

In fact, if one only cares about the primary seat directly in the middle of the left and right speakers, one can get by without a center channel at all. I've had about 7 years with a dedicated center with my Axiom speakers. However, about 4 years ago after upgrading to Ascend speakers, I still do not have a center speaker, because I only care about the main listening position right now and don't care to spend the money on it right now. Down the line, as I am finishing my theater to have more people viewing it that usually just me, I will get a center. But, it is far down on the list of priorities from my perspective.

[Mahawkma]

An L12 would be a perfect fit imo for that system. [redacted]

edit: Decided, rules or no rules, posting something like that would be inappropriate.

[SunByrne]

I definitely agree with folks here that an L12 would be perfect. I have an L22 myself, but that might be a bit much for a small upstairs apartment. Sounds amazing, though.

Not sure I agree with Boros about the relative priority of the center channel, though. In most movies, the center actually does most of the work; it's where pretty much all the dialog is routed. I've never found the "phantom center" concept to work nearly as well, particularly for dialog. If I were building a system, I'd go [1] LR [2] Sub [3] Center [4] Surrounds... but that's only one different than Boros, so I think everyone is in agreement that the next thing needed here is a sub.