[apollophono]

I'm in the market for some better speakers that are inexpensive.
One pair are the Ascend Acoustics CBM 170 SE's for $298 pair.
They have very good reviews, but as always I have to take reviews
with a grain of salt.

I didn't like the Pioneer SP BS22 LR's as they were a little grating.
I gave those to my brother. Good for the price, but I want better.

I own a pair of Cambridge Audio S30's but highs are too rolled off
for me. 

Any owners (previous or current) of the Ascend Acoustics  CBM 170's
and if so what were/are your impression of them?

[bpape]

I have not owned them but have heard them and recommended to my customers many times and I've never had anyone complain. Quite the contrary - people are quite surprised at the level of performance for the money and overall.

[JLM]

I'm one of the first owners (of the original non-SE) and the website still has part of my little review (Jeff M.) on the CBM-170 page.  The worst part is the looks: crummy/cheap vinyl 'finish'; they've discontinued the optional finishes; and the rather dorky shape.  But content value is extreme: currently cheaper than what I paid about 14 years ago; sound qualities are also very, very good; very musical; unreal imaging; good detail yet non-fatiguing; well suited for audio and A/V.  They've overmatched all associated gear short of what's in my current main audio rig ($9000 MSRP).

[rajacat]

I had a pair of the CMT-340 SE's (CMB 170SEs' with a pair of woofers) . They were my first speakers after I decided to get back into audio after a 7 year hiatus. I thought that they were musical, imaged well and were priced right.  I also thought they could have been much better if the cabinet had been more dead because it colored the music. They had a slight hollow sound when compared to my present speakers.

[jmc207]

I have the Ascend CBM-170SE's as well as the Pioneers. To me the Ascends are one or more steps up. Much smoother, fuller, dynamic, etc. Work well by themselves in a small to mid-size room and really good with a sub in all sizes of rooms.

John

[RDavidson]

I owned the non SE's a long time ago and was surprised by their overall sound quality. Reviews at the time gushed over them, which at the time, I think the Ascends deserved.......and still deserve though competition has caught up a bit. I found them full, yet quick and detailed, but never harsh. They imaged very nicely as well. I just couldn't get past their industrial looks and weird proportions. Not very living room friendly in that regard. I recommend you give them a try and see if they work for you. I believe Ascend has a nice trial period. I think you'd have to spend in the $500-$600 range to get an improvement in overall sound quality, and even then it wouldn't be a major leap in all areas. For a major leap I think you'd need to look in the $900 - $1000+ category (generally speaking). The Ascends respond quite well to system upgrades too.

[apollophono]

Thanks for the responses.  Sometimes it is good to get honest opinions
from real owners.  It would be nice to be able to do comparison tests
of different categories - say speakers- under $500 or integrated amps
under $500.  Do it in a controlled test.  Kind of like consumer reports
scenario.  Oh well keep dreaming. 

Right now i have a pair of JBL control 1 speakers, A/D/S L300c speakers, and
Cambridge audio S30 speakers.  Recently I gave my brother a pair
of Pioneer BS 22LR speakers.  Of all I like the A/D/S L300c but they do
need a little more bottom end.  Thinking of adding a Hsu STF2 Sub and
see if will mellow out the high end on the A/D/S L300 's a little. 

I run a Dayton Dta-1 t-amp that is really good for $38.  The other is the
TBI Millennia III. 

All of this cornucopia of equipment it to get to the best cheapest audio
quality.  I don't like listening fatigue and I want to get as much passion
from my setup within my budget. 

[JLM]

It's been awhile, but a couple of audio e-mags have done blind A/B shootouts with several affordable speakers.  Helpful, but still not a definitive answer based on your taste, musical genres, room, amp, etc.  Back in the day, you could go to a bricks & mortar store and, with a deposit, take equipment home to try out.  Nowadays you could do the same from many vendors with 30 day in-home trial, but the logistics can be daunting and returning the gear not so cheap.

After 40 years into stereo/audio I can still drive myself crazy trying to discern what piece I'd like for a given price.  For instance, should I go with the smaller $300/pair speakers that have tons of really good reviews or the $500/pair speakers that exude quality from a start-up that has fewer reviews but fits my audio 'beliefs' better?

[newzooreview]

Thanks for the responses.  Sometimes it is good to get honest opinions
from real owners. 

I've had the 170SEs for a few years now, and I think they are terrific. I keep them as second room/backup speakers, and I always enjoy the music when I swap them in (e.g. when I'm in transition between new main speakers). They have a beautiful midrange: vocals are very very good. They also image very well, and they are small enough that you can get excellent bass reinforcement by placing them on the floor, angled up to aim the tweeter at the listening position. When I place them this way in my room I get a wonderful room filling sound with lovely vocals and imaging. They have a smooth, detailed, well balanced sound that is never harsh but also not rolled off. Just reflecting on it, I'm tempted to set them up in the bedroom again!

They are definitely cheap and more than cheerful!

[charmerci]

I didn't like the Pioneer SP BS22 LR's as they were a little grating.
I gave those to my brother. Good for the price, but I want better.

I'm curious to know if he'll use them a lot. Because my pair became less "grating" after a number of months of daily use.


Hopefully, in 6 months I can come back here and remind you to them a listen again.