"I got my pair today and am very impressed - the articulation and clarity of the midrange is astounding for a speaker of this price range, and very good by any standard! The off-axis treble response is smooth and linear, allowing for stable and sustained imaging, even at the "far end of the couch". Combined with a quality subwoofer, these speakers will please even a picky audiophile, or delight anyone looking for quality sound in a compact, low-priced package. Five of these and a sub would be the foundation of a top-notch, compact Home Theater system. Very well done!" -Glenn Strauss
March 2003, SoundStage! -
CBM-170
Awarded 2003 Reviewer's Choice Award!
"For $328 per pair, the CBM-170 is nothing short of a steal, making it one of the giant killers you read about." -Doug Schneider
January 2003, the Sensible Sound -
CBM-170
Awarded Staff Pick
"For a cost-effective speaker you cannot do much (if any) better than the $360 per-pair Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 systems." -Howard Ferstler, The Sensible Sound
December 2002, AudioReview -
CBM-170
Awarded 2002 Choice Award
With so many glowing reviews, how could they not?
September 2002, The Sensible Sound -
CBM-170
Issue 92, Howard Ferstler
"I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they delivered some of the most attractive room curves I have ever measured in that particular room... Better yet, over the critical midrange between 250 Hz and 2.5 kHz the variation was only +/-2 dB, which would be a remarkable achievement for even a considerably more expensive speaker." -Howard Ferstler, The Sensible Sound
May 2001, CHT.com -
CBM-170
Staff Pick
"Ascend Acoustics Surround System with the CBM-170. Try to find a more accurate speaker for the money. This speaker is a music lover's dream and provides tremendous 2 channel music performance... Impressive musical reproduction and good home theater sound characterize this set." -Joel White, CHT.com
April 2001, CHT.com -
5.1 System
Awarded 4.5 Out of 5
"In the world of home theater, you usually get what you pay for. In the case of the Ascend Acoustics 5.1 surround system, you get an incredible system, but you pay a budget system price. We applaud Ascend for not trying to reinvent the wheel. They found a great sub, packaged it with a great sounding speaker system and are offering it for an affordable price." -Joel White, CHT.com
February 2001, CHT.com -
CBM-170
Awarded 4.5 Out of 5
"Ascend Acoustics has definitely built a nice looking, incredibly accurate speaker that makes music come alive... For music, we haven't found a speaker we prefer over the CBM-170s yet." -Joel White, CHT.com