Ascend Anyone?

Early B.
Early B. Posts: 7,900
edited March 2005 in Speakers
Anyone ever owned or demoed the Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 bookshelf speaker? It has incredible reviews. I wonder how they compare to the RTi38 or LSi7?
HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

"God grooves with tubes."
Post edited by Early B. on
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2004
    I've read many reviews of them myself.

    Judging strickly from the reviews, I'd say the CBM's would trounce the RTi38's.

    The LSi7's would hold their own. {edit}
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited June 2004
    I would almost echo what G-Mo said, though I find the cabinets of the Lsi to be better. The frequency plot of the CBM is one of the flatest I've ever seen, very impressive for such an inexpensive speaker.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2004
    Scratch my comment about the cabinets, I was thinking of something else...... The LSi7 has a MUCH better cab.... oops.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,776
    edited June 2004
    Where is Sean on this one? He practically fell in love with a pair!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited June 2004
    Ascend Acoustics has a new bookshelf speaker out that looks like a center channel (two 6.5 woofs and a tweeter) that's based on their CBM-170's. Price is $548. I'd love to try out a pair, but don't want to spend the money right now just for a demo. I suppose I'll have to wait for the reviews on it, especially from folks who know their Polks.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited June 2004
    ATC -- how do they compare to the Lsi7's?
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • TechChallenged
    TechChallenged Posts: 106
    edited June 2004
    Originally posted by gmorris
    I've read many reviews of them myself.

    Judging strickly from the reviews, I'd say the CBM's would trounce the RTi38's.

    The LSi7's would hold their own. {edit}


    This great Polk Forum has taught me to be skeptical of sponsored reviews. Time and time again I read "Let your ears be the judged." I am no audio expert but if the CBM's truly trounce the RTi38's then they must be one Hell of a speaker.

    In my listening comparison tests, dollar for dollar, the RTi series does a pretty good job stacked against the LSi's. No doubt the higher up the line you go the greater the disparagement between the series.
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  • SomeDood
    SomeDood Posts: 10
    edited March 2005
    I owned the Ascends Acoustic CBM-170 speakers for about a year, and have driven them with a Onkyo TX-8511 ( not too good) and a Cambrdige AZUR 540a ( much better) so id say im pretty familiar with them. I agree that they do have a very flat response, and are VERY fast. Ascend as a company has very good customer service, and i felt that if anything ever went wrong they would do anything they could to help me. I respect this company. However, they aren't the most musical, and tend to be too "Analytical" for my taste, which is why i decided to sell them in the end .
    Besides this, i found them very unforgiving of upstream equipment, and changing amps brought about a night and day difference in their sound. I replaced them with a pair of PSB Stratus Mini's, which absolutely STOMPED the Ascend's. The psb's were much, much more musical, had decay and ambience the 170's just couldnt compete with, all the while remaining fast and flat just like the Ascends. I really think that the Ascend's are a love or hate speaker, they are not warm and forgiving speakers. I also think that reviewers are out of line when they compare them to speakers in the 1 k range, they cant hold a candle to the Stratus Mini's.
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  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited March 2005
    Excellent first post by a newbie on the board.

    Welcome

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited March 2005
    Don't know about the 170's, but I bought their center channel to replace the Polk Csi40. The Ascend is quite simply a better speaker, and that's saying a lot since the Csi40 is a very good center channel. Someday I'd like to audition the 170's with tube gear.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2005
    I'd like to hear the Ascend 340's.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • SomeDood
    SomeDood Posts: 10
    edited March 2005
    Joe- thanks for the welcome, i feel glad to be aboard.

    Zero- Again, thank you for the welcome. And I agree the CBM's arent the most engaging, in my case not engaging in the least bit. But i still dont feel they can compete with speakers in the 1 k range, let alone 2k. Yes, they measure well, and overall had a clean sound, but i felt the aerogel woofers added extra "fuzz" to the midrange, especially guitar harmonics, and imo this was very fatiguing. This became more noticable over time, and for this i dont feel these speakers are as smooth as most properly designed 1k speakers. I get the feeling that these speakers were designed more for measurements than musical pleasure . Im sure there are worse sounding 1k speakers, but overall these particular speakers, when it comes down to musical enjoyment, sound like $300 speakers.
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