Rating
Reviewed by:
Audiophonics
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
June 15, 2008Overall Rating
 4 of 5
Value Rating
 5 of 5
Used product for
3 Months to 1 year Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5,
2.00 votes
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Review 1 of 90
Price Paid:
$368.00
from Ascend Summary:
I purchased these speakers as rear surrounds to complete a 5.1 system. My setup consists of a Panasonic sr55 reciever, paradigm studio 20s as LR and a 470 center. Basically I wanted an inexpensive way to complete the setup without resorting to buying another set of studio 20's. (aiming to get studio 60's soon).
Anyway, these speakers fit the bill perfectly. Had no expected such quality, but they sure come close to the studio 20's, for half the price. The timber matching is off slightly, but far closer to my mains and center than I ever expected. Highs are airy, midrange is full, and imaging is quite wide. I am getting a VTF2.3 to complete the setup, and I have no doubt that the 170s will shine with the low end support.
Additionally, the time I did test the 170s as mains when I first purchased them, I did hear a small but distinct difference between the tweeters of the 170's and those of the 'digms. The studio 20's are ever so slightly crisper w/dialogue, and in the upper harmonics of explosions and the like, this is probably due to the 170's soft dome tweeters vs the studio's aluminum one. As I've said the difference is slight, and the 170's are quite a phenomenal value. Strengths:
Great tweeter, airly highs. Midrange is spot on. Weaknesses:
weak low end, but, of course are meant to go along with a sub. Similar Products Used:
Sony, Aiwa, Klipsch RBs, Paradigm Studio
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Rating
Reviewed by:
stimuli
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
July 1, 2007Overall Rating
4 of 5
Value Rating
4 of 5
Used product for
3 Months to 1 year Visitors rate this review
3.44 of 5,
9.00 votes
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Review 2 of 90
Price Paid:
$368.00
from Ascend Summary:
The are good speakers; nothing more, nothing less.
The highs are outstanding and are what separate these from big box retail speakers. The mids are good; the bass weak and in need of a quality subwoofer for true full-spectrum sound.
Off axis sound is unremarkable... these are not Ohm Micro Walshes! But for small box speakers these have fair imaging and are not brutally unforgiving of less-than-ideal positioning. For the very fair price these will surely please, if not amaze, the audio enthusiast. Pair with a detailed amplifier and good digital source for
A very good product at a fair price, with no glaring weaknesses sans the lack of bass (which was a conscious trade-off of the manufacturer). Don't let he endless stream of over-keen reviews skew your judgement: these are not miracle-working speakers. Nonetheless I do recommend them. Strengths:
Excellent Value, reasonable price for quite good sound. Beautiful highs, decent mids. Weaknesses:
Nothing glaring, when used with a quality sub. Works as engineered to (small rooms, on-axis, with sub). Similar Products Used:
Polk, Mirage
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Rating
Reviewed by:
Frank H.(Unregistered User)
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
May 28, 2007Overall Rating
5 of 5
Value Rating
5 of 5
Used product for
More than 1 year Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2.00 votes
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Review 3 of 90
Price Paid:
$0.00
from online Summary:
As a guitar player of many years, I am familiar with various studio monitors, speakers designed to reproduce sound as accurately as possible for people who mix music professionally.
These speakers are studio monitors for the consumer. They are constructed in the same way as professional monitors, and have the great, flat frequency response expected in a studio monitor. There is a slight weakness in the midrange, but they are still the best consumer speakers I have ever heard anywhere near this price. There is no competition. Just buy them.
When you first get your speakers, expect a slight harshness as the tweeters break in a bit -- at least that was my experience. Then it all smooths out, and is beautiful. I love them. Similar Products Used:
Studio monitors.
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Rating
Reviewed by:
JohnMichael
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
February 11, 2007Overall Rating
5 of 5
Value Rating
5 of 5
Used product for
Less than 1 month Visitors rate this review
4.20 of 5,
5.00 votes
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Review 4 of 90
Price Paid:
$348.00
from Ascend Acoustics Summary:
I have been wanting new speakers for awhile that were more accurate and detailed than my old ones. I had visited several traditional audio shops and was not pleased with the demos or the unwillingness to demo. I began to look online for speakers. It is a brave new world shopping for speakers sight unseen and sound unheard. I was aware of all the positive reviews the Ascend CBM 170 SE's had received so I checked out their site. I liked what they had to say about their speakers and design. They claimed that their speakers had what I was looking for in a new pair. Sitting at the computer I ordered a pair. I am pleased to tell you that they are as described on their web site.
They are very neutral speakers. They image well. There is more seperation between instruments. Soundstage is wide and has more depth. Bass is tight without any artificial boost to give the impression of more bass. They reveal the ambiance of the recording venue if it was captured on the recording. They sound good with my current equipment and will reveal any upgrades to source or components. Strengths:
The CBM 170's greatest strength is their neutrality. I would not classify this speaker as warm or bright. You will know which of your cd's are well recorded and which are not. This speaker is truthfull but does not beat you up with the truth. I am still able to enjoy the music on poorly recorded cd's unlike some speakers that would make you want to discard many of your discs.
I am hearing more detail in the high frequencies. Cymabals and brushed cymbals sound much more natural. The delicate sounds of the harpsicord are beautiful.
Midrange detail is excellent. The speed of the midwoofer gives instruments new life. It is easier to hear differences in guitars and playing styles. Banjos and dulicimers sound more precise. Listening to a Michelle Shocked recording I noticed how playful her voice was in one song. I was never aware of that with my old speakers. Violins sound how they are played depending on the music.
I am pleased with the amount of bass. Living in an apartment it is enough bass to sound balanced without getting me in trouble with the neighbors. Cello recordings sound natural. Jaco Pastorius' technique is easy to hear even if the low bass is low in level. If I moved into a house I might buy a subwoofer but would not feel a strong need for one.
The efficiency of the speaker is also appreciated. It is 3db more efficient then my previous speakers and easier driven by my integrated amp. Music sounds more dynamic using the same amp.
I am amazed by the quality of sound achieved from two quality drivers, quality crossover and the designers talent. I even like the cabinet. The speaker looks like a speaker. The money was used wisely in drivers and crossover instead of a fancy cabinet. Weaknesses:
None at this price point. Similar Products Used:
My long term speaker was the NHT SuperOnes. I have owned speakers from Advent, AR, A/D/S, B&W, Bose, Celestion and Polk.
The Ascend CBM 170 SE's are being used with a Cambridge Audio Azur 640A integrated amp. Sources are a modified Rega Planar2 and a Marantz CD5001. Speaker and interconnects are by Alpha Core.
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Rating
Reviewed by:
Integra96
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
February 7, 2007Overall Rating
5 of 5
Value Rating
5 of 5
Used product for
Less than 1 month Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5,
6.00 votes
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Review 5 of 90
Price Paid:
$368.00
from www.ascendacoustics. Summary:
If I walked blindfolded into a room with CBM-170 SE speakers playing and was asked to guess the price of the sound-emitting things before me, I'd have to say "umm, maybe a thousand dollars?"
These speakers sound expensive. They certainly don't look that way, but who cares? What's important is how great they sound! They're hooked up to an old Yamaha receiver, sitting atop 32" Sanus stands about 10' away from my couch. The soundstage is huge, crystal clear, and lively. The speakers are very honest - they reproduce sounds - both good and bad exceptionally well. This means, as others have said, that good recordings are breathtaking and bad recordings sound that much worse. Either way, the sounds are pure and not annoyingly colored like lesser speakers do. You may or may not want to use a subwoofer. Surprisingly, after a few dozen hours of listening, the bass response really picks up. I'm quite impressed by the low end, but a sub will be added down the road.
All this for under $400? Yes. Even after reading dozens of glowing reviews, these beauties exceeded my expectations. Buy them if you want brilliantly engineered speakers at a wonderfully low price. Strengths:
Near perfect sound reproduction, great value, transparent sound. Surprising bass from a relatively small speaker. Weaknesses:
They don't come with a 12-pack? Similar Products Used:
Kenwood, Infinity, Polk, Mirage, Boston Acoustics
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4.91 of 5
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