Ascend Acoustics new Klippel optimized speaker

[alex-z]

Super high quality drivers + Klippel NFS, sounds like Ascend is lining up for a home run.

I just wish they would prioritize constant directivity rather than outright width, as a predictable radiation pattern makes a speaker easier to recommend for people who may not be treating their rooms much.

 

[jhaider]

That was an interesting read. He starts out by wondering if the market and consumers are becoming too obsessed with measurements, but then buys a Klippel and obsessively measures drivers for his next project. In any event, it all seems like progress.

Not quite…he seems to be musing (cogently, IMO) about people focusing too much on “perfect” in-room response. I agree that’s kind of dumb.

However, it also appears from his text this speaker will be yet another flat waveguide 2-way.

 

[TurtlePaul]

However, it also appears from his text this speaker will be yet another flat waveguide 2-way.

At least he appears to be going for ultra-wide waveguide rather than the deep scooped narrow variety. That should be somewhat different. I am hoping that the crossover is really low, like 1700 hz and it is a very wide smooth speaker.

 

[goldark]

Klippel measurements of his new speaker: http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sh...w-Something-A-Bit-Different&p=68008#post68008

Preference rating of 6.92 with no sub, and 8.62 with sub

 

[abdo123]

Klippel measurements of his new speaker: http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sh...w-Something-A-Bit-Different&p=68008#post68008

Preference rating of 6.92 with no sub, and 8.62 with sub

Can you post the pictures here? too lazy to make an account.

 

[MZKM]

Here's their spin for the Sierra Ribbon Tower with RAAL 70-20xram:

View attachment 193196View attachment 193197View attachment 193198

I’m not gonna trace it and do a comparison, but it for sure looks different than the one on his website, especially the bass:

 

[goldark]

Can you post the pictures here? too lazy to make an account.

 

[MZKM]

Klippel measurements of his new speaker: http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sh...w-Something-A-Bit-Different&p=68008#post68008

Preference rating of 6.92 with no sub, and 8.62 with sub

Hmm, wonder if he calculated that himself or not, as there are some nuances to it which can change the score (the bins for instance for the NBD, we still don’t know exactly which frequencies per bin are correct; Sean responded to me that he’d try and check his notes but no dice. Then you of course have the ”no sub” score which you can change slightly and the score changes greatly).

 

[mj30250]

That's some impressive bass extension for a smallish bookshelf. Looks fantastic overall!

 

[mj30250]

I’m not gonna trace it and do a comparison, but it for sure looks different than the one on his website, especially the bass:

The measurements below 300Hz are not accurate on that plot (green bars top and bottom).

 

[MZKM]

Woah, the Klippel can natively do the PIR/EIR at different levels of toe-in? Wonder if it can do that for the Spinoramas too. Cool (Assuming it actually is recomputing the vertical data and not just using the same vertical data from the on-axis computation, as even I can do that).

 

[RMW_NJ]

Wow, 6.92…and I’m guessing it will come in at under $2000. That blows up @sweetchaos Passive Speaker Recommendations.

 

[BoredErica]

Does anechoic chamber have any benefits over Klippel?

 

[abdo123]

Does anechoic chamber have any benefits over Klippel?

no not really.

 

[Shazb0t]

I’m not gonna trace it and do a comparison, but it for sure looks different than the one on his website, especially the bass:

Yea, those MLSSA style measurements appear to be pretty smoothed out. It doesn't help that the axis are different making the comparison visually harder. As stated above, the bass is not accurate as denoted by the green bar at the bottom of the graph.

The NFS measurements of the towers done by Ascend are pretty close to those done on the Horizon Center by Amir. Considering they have the same driver assortments, crossover, and cabinet volume that bodes well for the potential accuracy match between the two Klippel systems/users.

 

[jhaider]

At least he appears to be going for ultra-wide waveguide rather than the deep scooped narrow variety. That should be somewhat different. I am hoping that the crossover is really low, like 1700 hz and it is a very wide smooth speaker.

Nothing wrong with a wide WG, as long the combination of WG and crossover prevents midrange dispersion disruption in the horizontals. Is there a public picture?

 

[thewas]

@goldark, thank you for uploading them here.

Is it only me, somehow those plots don't look to me like a 6.9 without sub score? Hope some people can scan and verify them.

 

[RMW_NJ]

Is there a public picture?

 

[mmi]

I was set on some Neumanns but I’ve been watching that thread with interest the past few days as the 2ex were still on my shortlist. Part of me is super interested in the emphasis people like Dave and Dennis Murphy place on wide dispersion. I don’t really care about pinpoint imaging and I will never get into room treatment, besides sounding clear I’ve realised what I am after is speakers that sound the same or similar from as many places in my living space as possible. These look to do that, with more than enough bass in a small package. They might be it for me! Will eat a bunch of power tho.

 

[MZKM]

@goldark, thank you for uploading them here.

Is it only me, somehow those plots don't look to me like a 6.9 without sub score? Hope some people can scan and verify them.

Bass is decent and the fact the the response <200Hz is boosted means the PIR tilt (100Hz-16kHz off the top of my head) is very linear, which boosts the score a good deal; many speakers start becoming omni (or at least have a near 0dB ER/SP DI) around 200Hz and those that do and are flat on-axis thus won’t have a super linear PIR as it starts to become flat and not tilted in that region.