My HT Quest

[westcott]

It is all about compromise. I remodeled the entire first floor including the kitchen in exchange for the "His and Her Room".

1) Getting your wife involved in curtains, paint, furniture, lighting,and even the audio rack will go a long way in getting approval for the speakers and sub.
2) Wood veneers may limit your choices but it is a good idea to know what your wife prefers, wood or black cabinets or boxes vs. tubes. A trip to the AV store can help after step one above.

Enjoy!

 

[Sheep]

Hi All,

Just wanted to share a little joy from my weekend. This is my 10-month old boy, Aidan. He was whapping the top of the receiver like a drum and having a great time!

No, this was not staged. Kids will do the cutest things - too good not to post here. This also shows why I'm going to put this into fully enclosed cabinets!


~Josh

Sure, it can handle some slapping, but not the green apple splatters!

SheepStar

 

[wilkenboy]

Speakers: the next frontier

Next step: speakers.

Here are the contenders:

Onix x-ls ($200/pair)
Manufacturer site: http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=82.1
Review site: http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/loudspeakers/Onixxlsp1.php
Picture:

Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SE ($350/pair)
Manufacturer site: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170.html
Review site: http://www.goodsound.com/equipment/ascend_cbm170.htm
http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/ascend_cbm170_cmt340c.htm
User reviews: http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/ascend-acoustics/PRD_125308_1594crx.aspx
Picture:

Axiom M3ti ($320/pair)
Manufacturer site: http://www.axiomaudio.com/m3ti_main.html
Review site: http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/loudspeakers/SpeakerFaceOffVIp2.php
Picture:

I've taken the liberty of placing all of the frequency response graphs on the same scale via photoshop.

All three appear to be good candidates. Ascend 170SEs seem to have the advantage in low frequency extension. The Onix x-ls obviously has the advantage of price. And the Axiom appears to be have a slighly different possible "sound" than the other two - based on the plot it appears that it will accentuate the high end a bit more than the other two which appear to be "neutral". I don't know that this means anything to me yet. I'll just have to get them all in and see how I feel about their respective sounds.

 

[westcott]

The Ascend looks best on paper but in room sound performance may be different.

I strongly suggest you listen to as many designs as possible before making a decision. Off axis performance for a home theater is just as if not more important than on axis response.

I would consider listening to the RB25 or RB35, as well.

 

[wilkenboy]

I strongly suggest you listen to as many designs as possible before making a decision. Off axis performance for a home theater is just as if not more important than on axis response.

I would consider listening to the RB25 or RB35, as well.

Wescott,

I'd love to see some FR plots of these guys but couldn't find any reviews with any.

Do you have any idea where I can get a listen to the RB25 or 35? Those are listed as "Europe only" on the Klipsch website - will local dealers carry?

Ideally I'm going to pick the best of the direct internet bunch and then get some brick and mortar units in to test against it. If I can get a pair of these (with the ability to return) then they'll definetly be on the list.

~Josh

 

[wilkenboy]

Sure, it can handle some slapping, but not the green apple splatters!

SheepStar

 

[westcott]

Wescott,

I'd love to see some FR plots of these guys but couldn't find any reviews with any.

Do you have any idea where I can get a listen to the RB25 or 35? Those are listed as "Europe only" on the Klipsch website - will local dealers carry?

Ideally I'm going to pick the best of the direct internet bunch and then get some brick and mortar units in to test against it. If I can get a pair of these (with the ability to return) then they'll definetly be on the list.

~Josh

Here are some plots on the RB15 I found.

http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/204klipsch/index3.html

If I find anything else, I will post it for you.

 

[wilkenboy]

Happy Fathers Day

Time to kick this thread again... many months later and quite a bit of mileage on the home theater now. Lots of enjoyment but still the nagging desire to get "real" speakers.

So my wife just dropped about $300 on me to spend on speakers as my father's day present. Woot! I know that won't even cover the cost of the veneer for most of you, but for me its a huge step forward.

Here is my dilemma (which is a good one, but still a dilemma):

I'm running some fairly craptapular logitech PC speakers now for my left, right, and surrounds. I have a Yamaha as the center. Ideally I replace the left, right, and center in one shot and the surrounds come later.

Options:

Onix X-LS: I could replace all three in one shot, but this is the low end of the group.
Ascend CBM-170s: I could replace the left and right, but not the center.
Axoim M3tis: I could replace the left and right, but not the center.

My preferred method is to go with the Ascend CBM-170s, but then I'm still left with an unmatched, lower end center.

Thoughts? Advice? Random ranting?

Anyone want to unload some slightly used 170s on me?

 

[westcott]

Happy Father's Day!

If I only had US$300 to spend, I think I would be tempted to blow the whole wad on a center speaker and keep using the other speakers you have until Christmas or your birthday. I think you would get a lot more return on your investment if you upgrade the center first IMO.

Good Luck!

 

[wilkenboy]

Happy Father's Day!

If I only had US$300 to spend, I think I would be tempted to blow the whole wad on a center speaker and keep using the other speakers you have until Christmas or your birthday. I think you would get a lot more return on your investment if you upgrade the center first IMO.

Good Luck!

That's a good thought...

Another thought I had was take the wad to Vegas and turn it into $3000 at the blackjack table! BAM! But alas I am not that lucky. Sigh.

Since when is $300 a smallish amount to spend? I guess I picked the wrong hobby.

~Josh

 

[wilkenboy]

Pulled the trigger on the Ascends

Hi all, pulled the trigger on two Ascend CBM-170s off of ebay this morning. Classics, not the SE, but that's ok as I was sold on them before they released the SE versions.

$250 for the pair shipped with Omni mounts- when you consider they go for almost $370 shipped new (without mounts) I felt I got a pretty sweet deal.

Going to watch Star Wars EP III tonight. Can you believe I've never seen it? Yeah, that's what kids do to ya. My wife and I have been using the $300 blockbuster gift card I got with the Panny 900U I picked up a few months back through the Audioholics deal. Finally catching up on all those movies I've missed.

I'm also eyeballing a 370 center now to round out the L, C, R set... time to start thinking again about stands / furniture and painting the room!

~Josh

 

[Sheep]

I'm also eyeballing a 370 center now to round out the L, C, R set... time to start thinking again about stands / furniture and painting the room!

~Josh

Don't you mean 340? I would get 1-170 for the center.

SheepStar

 

[wilkenboy]

Don't you mean 340? I would get 1-170 for the center.

SheepStar

Ooop, typo. Yes - 340c.

I'm looking at the 340c, but the 170 (normal) was my original plan. Problem is, its hard to come across people trying to unload singles.

I can get a slightly used 340c for $225 shipped, a new 170SE shipped would be $205.

Opinions? Care to elaborate on why the 170 in the center? I have my reasons to lean that way but are curious in yours!

Thanks-

~Josh

 

[wilkenboy]

By the way, Sheep, just checked out your rig.

I was this close to getting some of the Energy C-3s instead of the Ascends... what do you think of your C-1s?

~Josh

 

[Sheep]

By the way, Sheep, just checked out your rig.

I was this close to getting some of the Energy C-3s instead of the Ascends... what do you think of your C-1s?

~Josh

I like them. Then need a subwoofer, but the mids are nice (I like the warm sound) and the highs are there, but not overpowering or sibilant.

SheepStar

 

[hopjohn]

Hi all, pulled the trigger on two Ascend CBM-170s off of ebay this morning. Classics, not the SE, but that's ok as I was sold on them before they released the SE versions.

$250 for the pair shipped with Omni mounts- when you consider they go for almost $370 shipped new (without mounts) I felt I got a pretty sweet deal.

~Josh

Congrats on the new speakers. I think you'll enjoy them.

Josh just a heads up on the omni mounts. I used them with my 170s and a day or two after install they start to sag forward. The design of them is just crappy, because you just can't get them tight enough to lock down and the little ball just slips, and even worse the hex nut starts to strip really easily. I ended up having to send mine back for a partial refund. Anyway, I just wouldn't you to be disappointed if they don't work out, which there is a good chance of, particulalry if they are used. I wound up buying the BTECH BT77 Mounts for the 170s and they are great, highly recommended.

 

[wilkenboy]

Omni Mounts

Thanks Hopjohn,

I'll likely end up using the omni mounts for my surrounds or reselling- the 170s I'll either build stands (short term) or finally put together the cabinets I'm planning them to sit on in the long term.

~Josh

 

[wilkenboy]

Center: 340c it is!

Found a steal on a 340c from a member over at AVS looking to unload it.

After much deliberation and the sage advice of those who have tread before me (found here):

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23372

I've decided to forego my original plan of 170s all around and pulled the trigger on the 340 center. Someday in the distant future (after the sub upgrade) I'll pick up anothe pair of 340s and move the 170s to surround duty.

Ultimately I decided the 340 for its slighly lower extension, slightly better listening window, and for the upgrade path to 340s in the L/R slots. The voicing of this speaker appears to be very close to the 170s based on FR plots so I don't feel I've strayed too far from my original intent.

So my logitechs have been hanging on nails in the wall - somehow at 14lb a speaker I don't think those little nails arre gonna cut it. Sometime in the next few days I'll build some temp stands out of some spare MDF I have in the garage.

~Josh

Oh, by the way, my impressions from Star Wars EP III- great special effects... wasted on a smoldering pile of crap of a story. I laughed out loud at the end when the newly costumed Dark Vader finds out about Padme's demise and, shaking his fists in the air, yells "NOOOOoooooooo!" Somehow it struck me as something out of Spaceballs, not Star Wars. Oh well.

 

[westcott]

Found a steal on a 340c from a member over at AVS looking to unload it.

After much deliberation and the sage advice of those who have tread before me (found here):

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23372

I've decided to forego my original plan of 170s all around and pulled the trigger on the 340 center. Someday in the distant future (after the sub upgrade) I'll pick up anothe pair of 340s and move the 170s to surround duty.

Ultimately I decided the 340 for its slighly lower extension, slightly better listening window, and for the upgrade path to 340s in the L/R slots. The voicing of this speaker appears to be very close to the 170s based on FR plots so I don't feel I've strayed too far from my original intent.

So my logitechs have been hanging on nails in the wall - somehow at 14lb a speaker I don't think those little nails arre gonna cut it. Sometime in the next few days I'll build some temp stands out of some spare MDF I have in the garage.

~Josh

Oh, by the way, my impressions from Star Wars EP III- great special effects... wasted on a smoldering pile of crap of a story. I laughed out loud at the end when the newly costumed Dark Vader finds out about Padme's demise and, shaking his fists in the air, yells "NOOOOoooooooo!" Somehow it struck me as something out of Spaceballs, not Star Wars. Oh well.

So...........how much did you steal the 340c for?

Good call, by the way.

 

[wilkenboy]

So...........how much did you steal the 340c for?

$200. Not too bad.

~Josh