Onix x-ls, Ascend CBM-170 or SVS SBS-01

[silversurfer]

I agree, listening is key, but you have to narrow your choices. It is not practical to bring everything home at one time to compare.

What logic would you use?

 

[Davidt1]

Here is a review for the Onix speakers at Secret:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_13_3/onix-xls-speakers-8-2006.html

 

[Tomorrow]

I agree, listening is key, but you have to narrow your choices.

What logic would you use?

I sorta alluded to that in my last post. But I am a big believer in my ears, and specs be damned. (Given my age and infirmities, lol, it's one of my few organs that, tho' barely, still works as it should. )

I've had to explain to some really nice people, some of them high-end speaker manufacturers why I liked my current speakers (dumb ol' JBL Studio S312s) better than their highly touted offerings, and would be returning theirs. I have two requirements for my speakers. One, that they look presentable (a WAF bonus for oak veneer), and two, that they produce sound that sorta passes for real life sounds. But I MUST hear them...audition them...and actually a third important factor, I guess...I must be able to afford them. I have never heard any speaker that passes for real life sounding, btw, no matter the price. (The accuracy thing. All speakers color sound.)

I'd still like to hear the OP's reasoning for deciding on the superiority of the Ascends. (I don't want to argue with it. I'm just curious.)

 

[Tomorrow]

I agree, listening is key, but you have to narrow your choices. It is not practical to bring everything home at one time to compare.

What logic would you use?

(LOL, I like the edit, SS. )

Here is a post from another, current thread. This, I think, is a reasoned and reasonable approach in preparation to part with one's hard earned cash on transducers. He has looked and listened. He has identified and stated some preferred audio parameters. He asks for input based upon his preferences. Note that speaker superiority ('a step up') is most definitely not an issue (the Wilsons costing a king's ransom ).

I have listened to the Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy 7 and the B&W 802D and preferred the 802Ds (although the Wilson's were in a slighly livelier room). Thankfully I preferred the cheaper 802Ds. The B&Ws seemed to present a deeper soundstage and the voices were more natural and uncolored.

I'm going to try and get the 802Ds side by side with Paradigm S8 to see what I think. I'm hoping I like the Paradigm's enough to save even more cash.

That being said... I haven't heard the Revel Ultima Salons. Anyone have any feedback on those? (specifically vs. the B&W 802Ds)

These will be set up as a 5.1 system (all same brand and model line) but there is a lot of 2 channel listening as well. I listen to everything but tend to benchmark against vocal jazz music since I used to be in a jazz band and know what "live" sounds like.

thx

zing

 

[silversurfer]

OK....that is fair.

So how do you suggest he narrow down what to listen to or to seek out? What is the starting point?

Or are you saying ID speakers would not be on your list because you can not walk into a store to listen to them?

Or is it the fact that nothing is "better" until you hear it yourself?

Or are you trying to find out the OP's tastes?

 

[Tomorrow]

OK....that is fair.

So how do you suggest he narrow down what to listen to or to seek out? What is the starting point?

Or are you saying ID speakers would not be on your list because you can not walk into a store to listen to them?

Or is it the fact that nothing is "better" until you hear it yourself?

Or are you trying to find out the OP's tastes?

Your last point is the key for us. We can recommend speakers until we're all blue in the face. But until we know his tastes...we're just giving him ours. He kind of hinted at his budget, room size, etc, so we don't need to know much more about that. He's sold on Ascends. But (let's say I agree that Ascend speakers are "neutral"...whatever that means to everyone else, I dunno) he may not even like neutral speakers. Many don't.

ID...b&m store...it makes no difference other than it's better to audition speakers in the place where you will be listening to them.

And yes...in the end, ALL that is important in "better" is what your ears say.

 

[silversurfer]

OK, now I understand your point better.

Agreed, 100%. The OP's preferences are critical. Without a variety of listening, how is he to know what they are? If he does know, stating them would help with suggestions.

 

[Nick250]

I was interested so I looked.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=708659&highlight=Does+Anybody+Not+Like+Ascend
SBF1

I was going to look up the link later and paste in to my post, but, well, I just plain forgot to do it. Thanks for picking up the ball.

Nick

 

[Brandst]

Ok, I like a speaker that adds as little coloration to the sound as possible, a "neutral" speaker. I can always correct the room later or EQ. One of the reasons I chose the JBLs that I have now is that they sounded the most neutral out of what I had listened to at the time and were just a bit higher than I wanted to pay. I have not yet heard the SVS system, but every review, pro or otherwise, that I've seen said they fall short on music. Although I listen to almost all genres of music, when I sit down to enjoy it or for critical listening, it is almost always jazz or classical, the rest of the stuff is background music. My wife and I make all but 1 or 2 performances of the local symphony each year and I want something that will approximate that sound best. I know all speakers change the sound some, I want some that will do it the least. The Ascends are known for this, part of the reason I'm leaning toward them.
At least a bit of my preferences and logic for ya'll, jic.

Thanks again for the input and links,

Steve

 

[Tomorrow]

Ok, I like a speaker that adds as little coloration to the sound as possible, a "neutral" speaker. I can always correct the room later or EQ. One of the reasons I chose the JBLs that I have now is that they sounded the most neutral out of what I had listened to at the time and were just a bit higher than I wanted to pay. I have not yet heard the SVS system, but every review, pro or otherwise, that I've seen said they fall short on music. Although I listen to almost all genres of music, when I sit down to enjoy it or for critical listening, it is almost always jazz or classical, the rest of the stuff is background music. My wife and I make all but 1 or 2 performances of the local symphony each year and I want something that will approximate that sound best. I know all speakers change the sound some, I want some that will do it the least. The Ascends are known for this, part of the reason I'm leaning toward them.
At least a bit of my preferences and logic for ya'll, jic.

Thanks again for the input and links,

Steve

Steve,

You might also want to add the PSB B15's or B25's to your search list --->
http://audiophileliquidator.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=psb

and the Monitor Audio S1's or S2's --->
http://www.saturdayaudio.com/

They should be in your price range and give you extraordinary performance, and both are on sale.

Good hunting.