Customer Testimonials

 

The following are quick links of customer reviews listed on AudioReview:
CBM-170 pair CMT-340 center CMT-340 mains HTM-200 center
Amateur Reviews:

 

Brad Judy's thorough online review of our 22-1001 5.1 channel system

 

Customer Testimonials:

A. Mcleod, Newark NJ:
"The CBM-170's are by far one of the most accurate speakers I've listened to. They play everything exactly as it is recorded errors, clicks and all. The sound stage is awesome and everything is very balanced. I've had a few of my mates over to demo these bad boys, and everyone left satisfied and in awe :-) "

Karl Lies:
I used to be a partner in a recording studio, in L.A., for many years. Was able to hear some of the best equipment available as we specialized in audiophile recordings and, if I ever have another studio, I would set up the CBM-170's on the "desk" in a heartbeat! They are great.

Jerry Lucianovic:
"I would like to thank your company for what I believe is truly one of the most enjoyable speakers I have ever auditioned. I can't get enough of my cd collection. Amazing! The CBMs coupled with the HSU sub - how can you get any better? I have heard the clearest, most natural vocals ever. The mids are way beyond my expectations. When your speakers reproduce the acoustic guitar, it is as if it is right there in the room. I am just amazed at the tonality, the richness and the "reality" that these speakers reproduce. Following is in part a review that I sent in to AudioReview...

'The first thing I noticed was the mids. Voices sound so clear, and I might add - there is a realism to the voices that I have not heard on any speaker. I have auditioned many in the past. The voice sounds very natural from these speakers. I too noticed details that I had previously not noticed. For instance, Sheryl Crow's "Weather Channel", you can hear her breathe in at the intro... you can hear the smack of her lips as she opens her mouth to sing the first line! I was amazed. The clarity and accurate reproduction is unbelievable. The CBMs also do justice to stringed instruments. Again, the sound is very natural. I know the sound of a live acoustic guitar, sometimes speakers have a way of skewing that sound, but not the CBMs. Mind you, I have only had these for (3) days, but we have gone through so much of our music, and along with the amazing HSU sub, I am totally happy with my purchase. My hat is off to the quality sound coming from these speakers. I purchased them solely for 2-channel audio listening. They have far exceeded my expectations.'

I really appreciate all the help, the answered questions, and the honesty of you and your company. I feel very confident, very satisfied, and will be telling many of my friends about Ascend Acoustics."

Ben Woodham Jr.:
"Thanks to David and company for your superior products and customer service. I recently upgraded my center channel to the new CMT-340c and couldn't be happier. This new center is worthy to be combined with the CBM-170s I use on the "corners" of my 5.1 system. Along with my Hsu VTF-2 sub the Ascends are extremely enjoyable for both movies and music. And you should hear DVD-As on this setup- Awesome! Thank you again for your efforts and integrity. Ascend ROCKS!"

S. Fowler of Miami, FL:
"I just wanted to pass on that I'm quite pleased with the whole Ascend (w/HSU VTF-3) system you sent out. I enjoy listening to every thing I have all over again. And I will tell you that your CBM-170 has won my "unofficial" speaker show down with a pretty good competitor the Axiom M-22. Overall I enjoyed the Axiom and think it's a good speaker and great value...but your Ascend CBM-170 just leaves me shaking my head in admiration after each visit. Wonderfully smooth, nice highs without being too bright and a good sense of the soundstage were some of the things that led me to stay with the CBM-170 while sending the M-22's back to Canada. When paired with a great sub like the HSU VTF-3 I truly believe this combo would compete with some of the heavy hitters at a price point well into the 1000's. To my educated but maybe not expert ear...this system sounds better than some $3000 B&W setup I heard not too long ago. Job well done.

Thanks again for providing a truly great speaker at such an unbeatable price. I will highly recommend these speakers to all that will listen.

* PS - That new 340 center channel is a moose. It really makes the movie dialog come alive. I really didn't know how much of that I was missing in my old B*** setup."

A. Williamson of Bronx, NY:
"Just wanted to say that i am very pleased with the purchase I made in regard to the 5.1 system last week. A much improved sound experience over the B*** system (LS 12 ll) I've been using for the last two years. Excellent with both music and HT. Also, David was very helpful and accurate with his advice. A very refreshing purchasing experience."

Kelvin Mah:
"All I can say is WOW! Finally hooked them up this past Sunday to my Sony DA333ES and they blew me away! I haven't even tweaked my settings yet and they were excellent out of the box! The sub shook my room with authority. The highs sounded great! Crisp, clean, perfect! You can post my comments on your site if you'd like. These speakers are the real deal. All I need now are some stands to go with my fronts. :)... Thanks for the BEST speakers at the BEST deal!"

Jeff McManus:
"...Most folks don't seem to know what "real" music (unamplified piano, voice, etc.) sounds like. Those would be happy with any number of "good" speakers (that sound better than a rock concert). The CBM-170's do more than just outline the note, they fill in the color. They give you the juice, not just the skin of the fruit. They have good detail and proper tone down. And they image like magic.

Will beat any $1,000 and under Paradigm, B&W, Dynaudio, or Phasetech out of the water. Appliance store speakers? Forget about them!! 89 dB efficiency, average impedance, bass down to about 60 Hz (which is just fine in a small room). 6" aerogel woofer, 1" recessed soft dome tweeter, excellent build quality, internet purchase only. Paired them with a $700 Sony ES CD player and Rotel amps and they haven't come up short. At 100 wpc never overloaded them (before others asked for mercy).

Add a sub when/if needed. I used them happily for audio, but have since separated equipment into audio/HT systems. In my opinion they're too good for HT (except for the music found in DVD movies). Thanks again, a real no-brainer for under a grand!"

Ed Zak:
"After hooking up the 170's I will be replacing a pair of original B&W 602's! Incredible sound when used with a quality subwoofer. Crisp, detailed highs and clear mids with outstanding imaging! What else could you ask for?"

Dave Foshee:
"I bought a pair of the HTM 200's to go with my HSU subwoofer and they are great. It's a perfect match - - the 200's are clear and bright, I'd highly recommend these speakers and can't say enough about the support staff at Ascend. I probably asked more questions than they expected before the sale and they promptly responded to every one - great people to do business with!"

Arturo Gorena:
"Finally, I have got to say I'm really happy with the speakers and have left a positive review on audioreview. I had the opportunity to listen to a lot of speakers before buying yours. While there are certainly better monitors out there, you probably have the BEST one out there at this price point. The sound is near high end, and the price you offer is just unbeatable. As I said in the review, music is done extremely well and the action scenes in HT have impact without any edgyness. With the Hsu sub, its a perfect combination.

I wish you the best of success in this market, you certainly offer outstanding value on a sweet set of speakers!"

Ben D. Burnsed:
"Ascend's surround package is the only one to consider if you want an amazing home theater. I bought the recommended set of CBM-170's, HTM-200's, and the recommended VTF-2 subwoofer sold directly through Ascend. The HTM-200's are amazing with vocal clarity and solid musical quality. The center sounds amazing and much bigger than it is. The sub is just amazing though...get the package! When you get this system make sure you watch Fight Club on DVD...a perfect mix of boom and vocals to test the system."

Ben Medwed:
"I recently purchased the complete HTM-200 5.1 system packaged with the Hsu subwoofer and I just wanted to say THANKS!!! I am very impressed with the performance. I did a direct comparison between my system and a neighbors Energy Encore system and the Ascend system put that system to shame. My neighbor left my home humbled :)

I really don't understand how you can offer this level of performance for the price you are asking, but my ears and my wallet truly appreciate it! I know first hand how difficult it is being a small company trying to compete with the manufacturing giants. Feel secure in knowing that you really have a great product and I will recommend Ascend to anyone willing to listen."

R. Kudor:
"Just a note of appreciation for creating these simply wonderful speakers. Although I had reservations buying online and sight unseen, the system turned out to be way beyond my expectations. A tremendous value! A special thanks to your customer service department as well, they have been and continue to be a pleasure to contact. You have made a customer for life! Well done!"

E. Tucker:
"Bought a pair of CBMs 2 months ago and have been very happy ever since. I actually started to listen to my CD collection again. Unfortunately, I had a very weak link in my home theater system, my B*** center channel just didn't cut it anylonger. Time to upgrade!

I say "had" a weak link because I purchased the Ascend HTM-200 center. This speaker actually cost me less than my Bose! Well, I am thoroughly pleased. The high quality is easily evidenced by the components used and by the sheer weight of the unit! I mean this little box is heavy for its size and feels very solid.

The sound is outstanding, as I have begun to expect from your company. Unlike almost every center speaker I have heard, dialogue and vocals do not sound thin. Male voices sound deep, natural, and guttural when need be. The transient response is excellent, special effects demonstrate the right amount of attack making them sound crisp and tight. This little speaker truly sounds BIG!. All of this was immediately noticeable as soon as I placed the speaker on top of my TV and played my favorite DVD (Gladiator, of course!).

Congratulations and a huge thanks. I do not think there is a better center channel speaker available at this size and definitely at this price. I recommend it!"

A. Keesey of Portland Oregon:
"Thanks so much for building these great speakers for me! They sound so good I hardly ever shut off the stereo. Right now I'm listening to various CDs I've only ever heard on my crappy old speakers and the music sounds really rich and clear and detailed - so much better. It's like having new ears!"

Dan Luning of Knob Nobster, MO:
"I bought a 5 speaker system that has 3 170's for the front and 2 200's for the rear surround... After having these speakers for 6 weeks, they have become better and better. The highs are crisp and the lows are very good coming from a small speaker. When I turn on my sub, the total system sounds incredible! I am very pleased with these speakers. They complete my mid budget system with high budget sounding speakers."

Mark Bagby:
"I received my speakers and installed them with my Onkyo 797. (Six 170’s plus Hsu woofer) What can I say, they absolutely rock! The 7.1 set up is incredible for DVD movies, but the sound of my CD’s is so much improved – I’m now digging out my older CD’s and enjoying them all over again. Much, much better than the higher priced Polk home theatre setup I was looking at. By the way, I had very low expectations for the speaker appearance – they look great, classic speaker look but obviously well made (and substantially heavy for their size). Thanks also for answering my detailed questions. Please feel free to use me for any references."

J. Weld:
"I bought an A/B switch, a pair of CBM-170s and a pair of Axiom M3ti speakers. The CBM-170s won hands down. The accuracy of the CBM-170s amazes me. The depth of soundstage and ambience continue to thrill. I offered the Mordant Short dealer an opportunity to join the test. He refused. Friends tell me their Bose Towers and Infinity Towers sound muddled after hearing the CBM-170s. The service from David et.al. is superior. Try the CBM-170 speakers, you'll like them."

Ben D. Burnsed:
"I would first like to say that if you are considering buying a home theater set of speakers....look no further than Ascend. I bought the recommended set of CBM-170's, HTM-200's, and the recommended VTF-2 subwoofer sold directly through Ascend. The CBM-170's are amazing with vocal clarity and solid musical quality. The rest of the system is amazing especially the sub. If you get this system make sure you watch the Unbreakable DVD when Bruce enters the Subway near the end...amazing. E-mail me if you want."

Mort Roche:
"All I can say is that this system is just too awesome. The CBM-170s have been complimented on looking great and sounding excellent. The amount of bass you get from such a small cabinet is mind-blowing. This system is a great bargain on my tight budget since I still have to pay for school. I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone."

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