I think that I will try the Ascend acoustics with their 30 day return policy. Thanks for everyone's suggestions.
I'm happy to see that you are giving Ascend a trial. I believe you will be glad you did.
Do not be misled by the price of the 170-SE. They are an excellent value. In fact, I had no intention of returning them until the release of the Sierra-1 last May. The special introductory price made the Sierra a steal in my reckoning. The Sierra does require some power to be at their best but a 700 series Onkyo should do just fine with them. The Sierras are so neutral that they can sound bright in a tiled or bare room. Like all good speakers room acoustics play a big role. I only had the 340 center channel during my trial of the 170's so I cannot speak of their musical qualities much. The Sierra outputs a level of bass not to be expected in a small speaker and reproduces brass instruments in astounding detail even in complex jazz passages. The experts here mentioned some imperfections in the mid-range but I have never noticed any coloration in the Sierra's. If room acoustics are an issue or your choice of music is not demanding as Steve mentioned then give the 170-Se a shot. As mentioned above I really liked them for home theatre and multi-channel concerts as well.
If you have not already ordered consider the 170-se and then return them for the Sierra if not satisfied. Ascend is a great company to buy from as they go out of their way to help.
Best wishes from Brevard