Time to VOTE!!! HSU vs Ascend vs Arx

[Nexus221]

I wanted to get the community average on this one so I would like everyone to vote. I just want to get a feel as to what the community as a whole likes out of the 3 sets of speakers that will be listed for a 5.1 home theater in a 20Wx12Lx7H room. Now I am planning on pairing any one of these sets with a VTF3- MK4 so the subwoofer is all set. After pouring over the forums it seems that they are all pretty even, but now we can truly get a feel for what the majority of the community uses or feels is the best for this price range which my budget is right about $1600.

1. HSU Hybrid 3 5.1 Package of the 4 HB-1 MK2, and 1 HC-1 MK2 with the VTF3- MK4 for $1600 Shipped

2. Ascend CBM-170 SE x 2 Rear Surround CMT-340 SE x2 Fronts and a CMT-340 SE Center (As suggested by a AVS forum Member)

3. Arx A2c x 4 Surround and 1 Center

After pouring over the threads for speakers in this price range this is what most comes up and all have good reviews. Everyone states these choices are all solid which is awesome so I really can't go wrong. Now it’s just all about finding out what the Audioholics community uses or feels is the best at this time.

 

[sholling]

I've listened to the HB-1 MK2 and the CBM-170 SE. The super accurate 170s excel in a small room, but might be challenged in a room the size of yours. A better choice for mains (L and R fronts) in a medium sized room like that would be the Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE (on sale for $500/pr). I've owned the 340SEs and they are excellent speakers for a medium sized room. The rear ported 170s are a better timbre match for 340s but the sealed HTM-200 SE are cheaper and much easer to place as surrounds. I would not use the 200s as mains.

The Hsu are pretty good bargain priced horn loaded speakers but I really prefer the Ascend 340s. Perhaps you could start with 2-3 340s and a sub and then add the surrounds when money allows.

 

[ImcLoud]

I have a largeish room 350sq ft with 9ft ceilings, and run 340 front three and 200se surrounds, it sounds great.. I would go 200s for the surrounds, the 170 {I have tried them as surrounds, as I own almost every ascend speaker made , just not the sierra towers, yet} and noticed ZERO difference on surround duty, sure if they were in the front the 170s are much stronger, but for surrounds the 200s will serve you very well... Plus keep in mind the 170s are a pretty big bookshelf speaker...

The 340s will have no trouble, and I have ran the 170s in the front of my room with a 340 center and been impressed, IMO the only benefit of going 340 for the front left and right is if you are going to use them for music... My room isn't small and I used the 170s up front with a 340 center for a couple months, and it sounded great... But since I have the 340s they made their way back when my other speakers came in...

I play with my speakers A LOT, I move them around and check what sounds good with what... I actually own a evo2 center that is in the box still because I wanted to see if I liked them in my theater better than the 340s, I didnt, but now Im stuck with a $600 evo2 center that I have no use for, lol...

If your budget is $1600 just for the 5 channels and not the sub, I would go Sierra 1's for the front 3 and 200se's for the surrounds that comes to $1568 shipped and you will NEVER have to upgrade...
I own a pair of Sierra 1s with a pair of mono blocks for music and they sound awesome, while I like the 340s in my theater because the center fits over the fireplace better {and I dont own a sierra 1 center}, but if I ever switched from the 340 front end, I would get the sierra 1's...

The ascend speakers are just realistic, there is no other way to really explain it, they color NOTHING, they just reproduce what is given to them, no strong highs, or strong mids, just how its given to the speaker it plays the material... I really like them...

Also I have tested many speakers, and for theater I would always go bookshelfs, I have tried a lot of towers, and prefer a strong bookshelf upfront...