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Professional Reviews
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March 2012, EnjoyTheMusic.com. - Sierra Tower
"So how do the new Towers sound? In a word, spectacular. In more than one word, the Sierra Towers seriously kick out the jams. They take every aspect of the Sierra-1's sound and turn it up a notch...delivering a weighty, front-row presentation that begs to be cranked up loud."
Oct 2011, Audo Review Canada. - Sierra-1
"Would I recommend the Sierras? Let me put it this way... I originally bought them to do home theatre duty in my living room. I moved them into my "reference" 2 channel music system, and am very happy with they results. They're THAT good.."
Aug 2009, Audio Video Revolution. - Sierra-1
"As the hours went by, I became aware this was a high performance monitor that was punching way, way above its weight class. The amount of musical detail being presented was quite startling."
Sep 2008, EnjoyTheMusic.com. - Sierra-1 wins a Best Of 2008 Award!
"It has been almost a year and still find myself thinking "I wonder what this will sound like on the Sierra-1?" Whenever I find an amazing piece of music away from home, I look forward to finishing reviews so I can have the Sierra reclaim their proper place in my system. Immensely satisfying from top to bottom, with a near-perfect balance of truth-revealing accuracy and psyche-soothing euphony."
Oct 2007, 3LUXE.com. - CMT-340 SE wins a Best Of Award!
"This “Best Of” is a dynamic, high performance 5.1 system that compares well with any of the big boys on the market."
Sep 2007, EnjoyTheMusic.com. - Sierra-1 Review
"...simply put, the Sierra-1 is the best loudspeaker ever made under $1000."
Sep 2007, Affordable Audio. - Sierra-1 wins a Best of 2007 Award!
"Out of all the sub $1000 two-way monitors I've encountered...none have been able to match the even-keeled performance and versatility of the Sierra 1."
Sep 2007, OnHiFi.com. - Sierra-1 wins a Reviewers' Choice Award!
"I've heard no other two-way speaker at or near the Sierra-1's price that sounds this clear, detailed, and resolving..."
Aug 2007, Audioholics.com. - Sierra-1 rated 4.5 out of 5!
"Imaging. If you don't know what it is, you need new speakers. And if you want to know what it is, pick up a pair of Sierra-1's."
Jun 2007, HomeTheaterSound.com. - 340 SE wins a Reviewers' Choice Award
"The Ascend SEs are detailed, fast, and dynamic, and can pass along to the listener the superior qualities of high-end electronics -- all at a mass-market price. These speakers’ levels of design, capability, and refinement far exceed what could previously be expected from this price range. Those considering buying far more expensive speakers would be well advised not to ignore the Ascends simply because of their low prices; you could be passing up one of the great speaker bargains of all time."
Apr 2007, Affordable Audio. - 340 SE Review and Exclusive Interview
"I went slackjawed…I was struck immediately by the 340s articulate sound, with a detailed, airy presentation I’ve only thought possible with much more expensive speakers."
Sep 2006, Editors Guild Magazine. - A Hollywood Sound Editor has some fun!
"For home theater and some 5.1 channel music, the Ascends were just flat-out great speakers."
July 2004, HomeTheaterSound. - 5.1 System Awarded Reviewer's Choice Award
"The Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 and CMT-340c comprise the most convincing conventional speaker system I’ve heard for less than a thousand bucks. It offers sonic abilities heretofore seen only in much more expensive systems, and accepts few compromises in the process."
April 2004, DVD Etc. - 5.1 System Review by Felix Martinez
"In my opinion, the Ascend-Hsu combo is simply the best multi-channel speaker package under $1300."
January 2004, CES - CBM-170 Awarded 2003 Year End Award
Consumer Electronics Show 2004, Las Vegas, NV, January 9, 2004 - Continuing in their tradition of rave reviews and numerous awards, factory direct loudspeaker manufacturer Ascend Acoustics, Inc. wins the Soundstage network's 2004 year end budget leader award for their renowned audiophile quality bookshelf speaker, the CBM-170.
November 2003, GoodSound - CBM-170 Awarded Goodsound's "Great Buy"
"... there are all too few, at any price, that can fully convey the emotion of a song. The Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 does that in spades. It represents, in my opinion, the state of the art of budget loudspeakers."
March 2003, Independent Long Time Audio Professional, Glenn Strauss
"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!"
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."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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."
