* Wide dispersion pattern. * Solid bass. * Neutral black front. * 5 way binding posts. * Reasonably priced.

None.

I was looking for a center channel speaker to match the dispersion of my Ohm 4XO speakers. Most center channel speakers just can't keep up with the Ohm's and so over the years I resisted adding a center speaker. I decided after reading the reviews and with a 30 day money back guarantee I should try this speaker. I was immediately impressed with the wide dispersion pattern and the deep bass that the large cabinet provides. The Audax aerogel drivers are excellent. The audax tweeter with the wide dispersion faceplate seamlessly integrates with the wide dispersion pattern of the OHM 4XO's and is also a good tonal match for the Lancer LE-50 surround speakers which also use Audax drivers. I highly recommend this center speaker. Using a center with smaller woofers means that it won't sound very good with music and that was what I was looking for; a center channel speaker that sounds like it's part of the orchestra instead of a one man band.

Customer Service

Good.

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Many auditioned.

It is inexpensive

Lack of dynamics, hard to follow dialogue.

After reading the hype on this speaker, and others from Ascend, I ordered a set from the factory direct program. In 3 months of trying 2 different receivers and not being able to get the type of dynamics needed, I sold the system. Dialogue never made you feel like the actor was in the room. Turning up the volume was no help. The Psb C-6 is far better than is this center.

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Psb and Energy

Strong Clarity and accuracy for both voice and music. Attractive MTM design. Well built and an easy load for an amp. Bi-wire, Bi-amp capabilities.

For my uses, not quite as open sounding as the CBM-170 though you may have different results.

This speaker was purchased along with a pair of CBM-170s to be used in a dedicated movie/recording studio. The speakers arrived promptly, well packed and in excellent condition. They were positioned with the 170s right and left with the 340c placed under a projection screen about 2 feet above the floor on a small stand focused toward the listener. After about a 24 hour break-in I gave them a serious listen. These speakers demonstrated a wonderful accuracy with voices, in particular, sounding very natural. The 170s really disappeared throwing a large (for such a small speaker)image slightly behind and against the front wall where the screen is mounted. The 340c, while exhibiting the same accuracy, seem to contain the image more with the sound coming more directly from the cabinet. (I'm told the 340c uses a different crossover than the 340m and, therefore, the latter is a speaker I have not heard.) It might be the confinement of the sound I heard from the 340c could be due its' location in my studio though I did try it in my bedroom system with similar results. Consequently, I returned the 340c but kept the 170s and later was given a prompt refund. Ascend Acoustics is an excellent company that makes some of the best small speakers available right here in America.

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Axiom, ACI, Magnepan, Yamaha, RBH, Genelex, and LOTS of others.

Build quality, bi-ampable, sleek clean black appearance, low profile for watching movies, good bass response...pretty much everything.

I thought it was kind of big and heavy but I think that's actually a good thing.

All of my speakers are mismatched and low quality so I carefully chose Ascend to replace everything with. I can only afford to buy one piece at a time so I started with the center channel CMT-340. Ascend shipped my order immediately and the speaker was packaged very well and double-boxed. I wasn't expected such a large box to arrive at my door. The speaker itself was a lot larger and heavier than what I am used to. It really dwarfs my cheap Sony center. It's build appears to be high quality. I like the fact that it's just plain black because when I'm watching a movie I don't want any distractions. I don't even want to see the speakers. So the way it looks is perfect for me. It is the first center I've seen with a port on it. Again, I'm just not used to speakers in this league. Now the Ascend center by itself, amongst all the cheap Sony speakers, still made a huge difference in the overall sound of my home theater. The dialogue was so clear and detailed. And there's actually some bass coming from the Ascend center, something I'm not used to. I started hearing things in movies I haven't heard before. There was one scene that had a song playing in the background that I just realized was there, and I've seen the movie several times already. I'm greatly looking foreward to purchasing the rest of my Ascend speakers.

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Never used anything like it.

Huge bang for the buck. Bi-wireable. nice stands with carpet spikes. quality terminals. Sound absolutely fantastic!

Not very attractive but im just picky. the black matte finish is as good as a black finish needs to be. while I assembled them the sweat and oils from my hands dissappeared which is neat. The stands are not available in the optional paint finishes.

A lot of research went into my decision to purchase these. I have Been looking for main speakers for a over a year. It first began once I purchased a Cambridge Soundworks mc500 center channel and found a substantial amount of midrange detail that was missing in my monster Cerwin Vega at-15 mains. My search was on. I spent quite a bit of time studying DIY speaker projects and learned quite a bit about crossovers,cabinet volume, ported Vs unported, etc... This is one reason I looked at Ascend. But that puny little cbm-170 did not meet the testosterone quota for me. No substitute for cubic inches. I want audiophile sound with a speaker display that makes me salivate. You wont find that much with the 340 cause its a black box. But it does sound wonderful. I purchased the 340 pair with stands special they have running for $598. and what a steal! I took special attention while unpacking and said to myself "this is basically done as best it can be while maintaning this price point." So whine all you want and then try to build a better cheaper product. I had them dropshipped to work so I could break them in and also since I am saving up for dual SVS subs I want to add to to this combo. No point in bringing them home yet so I hooked them up at work with an ancient Sony stereo reciever an Onkyo cd player and crappy speaker wire. That didnt matter, they are still magical. I cannot wait to hook them up to a quality amp and processor. At first they sounded bright but only needed a touch of treble ajdustment and some adjustment in my brain to the new level of detail. I have had a few experiences visiting snooty audiophile stores that once the tubes were warmed up I heard bliss. You know when sound floats invisibly in front of you. These speakers came much closer to that than anything else I own. Another observation was when I barely touched the mid bass drivers they would move very easily. Very responsive. Now that I have listened to these for over 10 hours I find I cant wait to pop in the next cd. I am discovering things I have never heard before in my collection. At work I am using an Infinity Hts-20 sub (POS) that really has no business with music however the 340’s have such a perfect rolloff that I could turn the sub down to where it just creates that sound pressure thump to fill in. The 340’s handle all of the midbass that music requires the rest is just pumping air. At first I listened to “masters of acoustic guitar” and these provide plenty of thumb WHAP without a sub. I have a pair of comparably priced Polk Audio RTI-38’s that I sampled as mains before turning them into surround speakers for my home theater and there is no comparison with the 340’s in just about every aspect. When I am finished I plan to blend these with a pair of SVS 20-39pc+ and I’ll be done for a little while. Bottom line is you CANNOT beat this deal in sound quality VS cost. You guys at Ascend need to keep this little jewel available and start on something that can compete with Rocket and Swan cabinet finishes even if it cost’s more I don’t think it will matter.

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Polk rti-38,polk rt-25, polk rt-10, csw mc-500, Cerwin vega at-15, bose 301, klipsch and a few others.

Strengths: Purest sound you can imagine, then some! Better than the movies and just like the real thing for music!

I replaced a set of suround sound Klipsch speakers with these Ascends as surrounds. I have the 340c for center, 340m for fronts, and these 170's for rears. The difference in sound was immediately noticable and astounding. My wife, a musician with a trained ear, generally does not appreciate my audio pruchases immediately, but when listening to Dizzy Gillepsie on DVD-Audio and Lord of the Rings 1 and 2 on DVD and the detail was incredible! There are numerous posts comparing these speakers to Axiom Audio speakers, which are, themselves, fine speakers. I have enjoyed them a number of times at a good friend's home. They produce an excellent sound with abundant detail and clarity. They sound wonderful on home theater, but may be a little loud or harsh on music on the high-end... this is certainly not a weakness, as some people enjoy that type of sound a good deal. The Ascends: the Ascends produce an enveloping sound in 5.1 that can only be described as awe inspiring. After ordering the Ascends and throwing down the necessary dollars for it I had a bout of buyers remorse because I really, truly, enjoyed the Klipsch and was having a difficult time giving them up. However, when I set the Ascends up that quickly faded away in a room filled with the purest sound I have ever heard. I will have to rewatch all of my movies, relisten to all of my music, and invite all of my friends over, because this is the real deal! Many thanks and much praise to the fine people at Ascend. David Fabrikant has produced a masterpiece here and I can't sing his praises enough. The sound is crystal clear, not too muffled, not too bright, and extremely musical, all the while perfect for home theater. The proof is in the listening! Listening to Dizzy Gillespie, my wife closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the ride. Afterwards she said she the experience reminded her of actually being in a Jazz club listening to live performers. This is no small feat, as she has done so many times, as well as having been the one to perform on stage! As far as I am concerned, there can be no higher praise than my wife's thumbs up on speakers!

Size and weight are more than acceptable compared to other high performance center channels. Easier to mount above and below a display. MTM design performs perfectly for those who mount a center channel above or below ear level. bi-wireable perfect match w/ Ascends 340 mains.

n/a

this center channel delivers every detail of sound, sonics, and dynamics that the HT listener can desire. the cmt-340c integrates perfectly with Ascend's new 340 mains and HSU subwoofers to create a fluid, dynamic, natural, and stunning soundstage. it is also resistant to finger prints. pretty neat. voices are clear, full, clean, and airy. the 340c presents the listener with an exceptional amount of horizontal AND vertical dispersion. it's amazing what quality crossovers and custom parts can do to the proven MTM design. copmares, contends, and conquers speakers 2-3x the price. dave f. and the ascend associates have created a diamond in the rough. one of the few online speaker companies that truly delivers a bargain to the consumer.

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rocket rsc200, paradigm cc-370, paradigm cc-570, axiom vp-150, infinity, jbl

Soundstage, realism, cost. This is the most amazing company I have ever delt with. Thier costomer sevice is like none I've ever heard of. It makes me think I have $10,000 speakers. Transferable Warrenty

I hate to put this in as a weakness just a observation. It is bigger than expected 7.5x21x10.5

I am a fan of Ascend and when I found out they had this speaker I planned for about a year to get it. My initail impretions where that it was great with music. I found it very airy an hard to locate. I wasn't as impressd with movies. I thought diolag might have been better. My thoughts where that it sounded a littel canned. After it boke in about two weeks I find that I really enjoy it more and more. Music sounds better and dialog sounds very natural. I highly recomend this product.

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Acsends 170 center. Infinity center, JBL center

Quality, clarity and price.

Maybe size (too large?), but it has a "big" sound to match.

When I ordered my surround sound speakers from Ascend, I was intending to use their model 170 for the center, but the guy I'd talked to when I ordered suggested this speaker (for not that much more $), and I thought "what the hey". Man I'm glad I did! The 170's are great speakers, but as a center channel, this really shines. Voices are very natural! The base is pretty good, but I do use a sub as well. It is a fair sized speaker - I wouldn't put it on top of anything less than a 32" screen. It just does what it's supposed to for a decent price.

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Never had a center channel before. Though I've heard enough others to know I've got a good one!

>Stunningly crisp and clear mid and high vocals, while still retaining warmth (not bright). >Excellent Dispersion: fills even my large living room with sound.

>Just make sure you have excellent front L/R, surrounds to go with the 340c unless you dont mind using DPLII for music. :-)

I recently got a full assortment of speakers from Ascend as part of a 5.1 package. Clearly, the shining star of the package is this wonderful speaker. Vocals on this speaker are rich and full. Most noticeable was the way the speaker seemed to fill my rather large living room with sound. The 340C also works wonderful as a center channel, convincingly attaching the voice and other front-center action to the TV in a very natural manner despite, in my case, being position quite a bit higher than the listening position (It sits on my TV which is already about a foot or so higher than line of sight from my couch). The only negative, if you can call it that, is that I find myself using DPLII mode over 2channel+ sub on music with the full 5.1 Ascend setup because I prefer hearing the bulk of the sound and vocals out of the 340c as opposed to my slightly smaller front L/R speakers.

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Replaced Advent CC