Ascend Acoustics new Klippel optimized speaker

[ROOSKIE]

That is crazy. Have you had a hearing test recently? . Makes me want to wait for Ascend’s tower update.

No it is not crazy.
Amp power goes very fast once you need a lot.
Every 3db is double the power so you can do the math.
Same goes for distance, although the room affects this, 17feet is fairly far and implies a large space which will have less room gain.
With low sensitivity/ yet high power handling speakers, if you like it loud and dynamic - 300 watts is a good place to land for peaks and sustained SPL.
But even there just 1.5db more would require 450watts.
100watts is not enough for this speaker in many situations.
Unless you like the up to 6db of clipping that supposedly many people don't notice at all.

 

[bkdc]

That’s why I suggested the NC2k. You get another 10dB. If the NC252MP is underpowered, the NC502MP won’t get you much. 3dB is only a subtle difference. But I don’t think anyone has experience feeding the LX with too much power.

 

[abdo123]

That’s why I suggested the NC2k. You get another 10dB. If the NC252MP is underpowered, the NC502MP won’t get you much. 3dB is only a subtle difference. But I don’t think anyone has experience feeding the LX with too much power.

There is no woofer on earth of this size that can take 2000W instaneous or peak.

 

[Head_Unit]

What's crazy is that the big audio magazines don't use the NFS. You and Amir have this ridiculous CNC acoustic platform in your garage. Meanwhile Stereophile relies on John Atkinson, some burning sage, a twenty year old copy of CLIO and some excel spreadsheets.

In some defense of that, Atkinson aims for consistentcy over time. Hence how all the graphs still show a midbass bump which is a measurement artifact. Should Stereophile move up to showing whole Spinorama data? Uh sure but maybe not really. I suspect most readers are not so into measurements to that extent, and space to show measurements costs money. I'm just glad they still measure stuff at all.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

In some defense of that, Atkinson aims for consistentcy over time. Hence how all the graphs still show a midbass bump which is a measurement artifact. Should Stereophile move up to showing whole Spinorama data? Uh sure but maybe not really. I suspect most readers are not so into measurements to that extent, and space to show measurements costs money. I'm just glad they still measure stuff at all.

No, they should move up to the Klippel. Reaching a larger audience with quality measurements, particularly if they are well explained (something Atkinson has a facility for) will raise the performance bar for the entire market. It definitely should be done.

 

[bkdc]

There is no woofer on earth of this size that can take 2000W instaneous or peak.

Touche! . Everyone needs an electrician to wire multiple dedicated 20 amp outlets to their listening area.

 

[Sancus]

That’s why I suggested the NC2k. You get another 10dB. If the NC252MP is underpowered, the NC502MP won’t get you much. 3dB is only a subtle difference. But I don’t think anyone has experience feeding the LX with too much power.

The speaker is rated according to Ascend for 350W continuous and 500W peak. If that's legit, it's already very insane for a woofer that size.

If you're already feeding it 200W and unhappy with the output, I think you just need a bigger/more sensitive speaker. All you'll get feeding it more power is a smidge more head room.

 

[617]

In some defense of that, Atkinson aims for consistentcy over time. Hence how all the graphs still show a midbass bump which is a measurement artifact. Should Stereophile move up to showing whole Spinorama data? Uh sure but maybe not really. I suspect most readers are not so into measurements to that extent, and space to show measurements costs money. I'm just glad they still measure stuff at all.

Either make accurate and meaningful measurements or do not measure. I can't respect any other approach.

 

[ta240]

They sell a single of this as a center channel to be used on its side. It looks like from their vertical dispersion measurements it would do a pretty decent job like that. Am I reading the info correctly?

 

[HooStat]

They sell a single of this as a center channel to be used on its side. It looks like from their vertical dispersion measurements it would do a pretty decent job like that. Am I reading the info correctly?

It probably shouldn't be used on its side. You can do it, but the vertical dispersion (which becomes the horizontal dispersion when rotated) isn't that great for a home theater center channel.

 

[ta240]

I thought it looked pretty good, is it the little light areas in the 2K-4K range that are the problem? Or the different shades of red throughout it? Or something else? I appreciate the help.

 

[Beave]

It probably shouldn't be used on its side. You can do it, but the vertical dispersion (which becomes the horizontal dispersion when rotated) isn't that great for a home theater center channel.

It's still better (in terms of dispersion) than just about any MTM center speaker. And in some ways it's better than a lot of MTWM three-way centers (although, yes, those have their advantages over it too).

 

[phoenixdogfan]

It's still better (in terms of dispersion) than just about any MTM center speaker. And in some ways it's better than a lot of MTWM three-way centers (although, yes, those have their advantages over it too).

Better still would be to turn an LS 50 Meta on its side and use it as a center.

 

[Beave]

Yes, the LS50 has very well-controlled dispersion whether vertical or horizontal. But I doubt it can compete with the Sierra LX for bass extension or dynamics, especially if one's system doesn't utilize a subwoofer.

As always, it's about tradeoffs.

 

[tw 2022]

It probably shouldn't be used on its side. You can do it, but the vertical dispersion (which becomes the horizontal dispersion when rotated) isn't that great for a home theater center channel.

They rotate the tweeter , thus helping nullify the negative effect ...

 

[Beave]

They rotate the tweeter , thus helping nullify the negative effect ...

They do on the Sierra 1 and Sierra 2 and Sierra 2-EX, which all have tweeters that aren't rotationally symmetric (due to small waveguide around Sierra 1 tweeter and due to nature of the ribbon's dispersion in the 2 and 2-EX models).

But the tweeter on the LX is the same horizontally and vertically, so no rotation is necessary.

 

[tw 2022]

They do on the Sierra 1 and Sierra 2 and Sierra 2-EX, which all have tweeters that aren't rotationally symmetric (due to small waveguide around Sierra 1 tweeter and due to nature of the ribbon's dispersion in the 2 and 2-EX models).

But the tweeter on the LX is the same horizontally and vertically, so no rotation is necessary.

Ok, i was going off of previous models( I've seen the 2ex)...so theoretically the lx will perform similarly with regard to dispersion as a kef ls 50 or q / r series?....

 

[Beave]

No, it won't match the KEF coaxials in terms of dispersion evenness in horizontal and vertical axes. That's an advantage of coax that can't be replicated. Just how big of an advantage - ie, how important it really is - is up for debate.

But the LX is more even horizontally/vertically than the other Sierra models.

 

[mj30250]

The LX used as a center should be largely fine. Its vertical dispersion isn't perfect but broad enough to fit most typical positions / seating arrangements if you needed to lay the speaker sideways. Just try to stay close to the tweeter axis.

If you're looking for a center for the LX, this would be my order of preference, depending on space and / or budget constraints:

• Horizon
• LX placed vertically
• LX placed horizontally
• Duo V2

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Yes, the LS50 has very well-controlled dispersion whether vertical or horizontal. But I doubt it can compete with the Sierra LX for bass extension or dynamics, especially if one's system doesn't utilize a subwoofer.

As always, it's about tradeoffs.

But if you're using a center, wouldn't you most likely be using a sub as well. And then how important is the LX's ability to play below 100 hz when you're high passing all 5 of your non-subs at 80hz?