AsciLab A6B Review

[Grotti]

3790€ in Europe.

ASCILAB A6B Bookshelf Speakers White (Pair)

The AsciLab A6B are passive bookshelf speakers offering precise, powerful sound reproduction in a compact format.

www.audiophonics.fr

ASCILAB A6B Bookshelf Speakers Black (Pair)

The AsciLab A6B are passive bookshelf speakers offering precise, powerful sound reproduction in a compact format.

www.audiophonics.fr

About the price of a discounted pair of Neumann KH 310... and the S6B will probably be around 5500 then....and of course one has to add adequate amplification to the price. I am not questioning that they are worth it in comparison to other speakers in their price range and perhaps beyond. I am just not sure, what to buy: AsciLab or active speakers of the usual suspects....

 

[Mike_Trueman]

I would buy the Buchardt E50 for this price.

 

[Purité Audio]

About the price of a discounted pair of Neumann KH 310... and the S6B will probably be around 5500 then....and of course one has to add adequate amplification to the price. I am not questioning that they are worth it in comparison to other speakers in their price range and perhaps beyond. I am just not sure, what to buy: AsciLab or active speakers of the usual suspects....

$2950 on AsciLABs site.
Keith

 

[kharan]

Yep, that's expensive. The last time I calculated, it was around 3300€ if you directly bought from Ascilab, shipping and VAT included.

 

[Matias]

I would buy the Buchardt a50 for this price.

If you mean the E50, then you better like their "tailored" response as these speakers are not linear on purpose (link).

 

[Mike_Trueman]

If you mean the E50, then you better like their "tailored" response as these speakers are not linear on purpose.

I would demo them first which is possible.

 

[Grotti]

Yep, that's expensive. The last time I calculated, it was around 3300€ if you directly bought from Ascilab, shipping and VAT included.

It's a bit less now due to the relatively strong Euro.

 

[DearSX]

That Value added tax i.e. Tarriff is no joke.

 

[kharan]

That Value added tax i.e. Tarriff is no joke.

What? There's free trade agreement between EU and SK that covers about 99% of all goods. VAT isn't tariff, it's basically sales tax.

It's priced a fair bit above what it would cost to buy directly from SK, all tax included, hence I called it expensive. Let's not forget that Audiophonics gets wholesale prices and isn't paying the price for individual parcels. Now, I don't think the pricing is outrageous, but I expected a fair bit better.

 

[Matt_Holland]

If you mean the E50, then you better like their "tailored" response as these speakers are not linear on purpose.

First time I’ve seen a measurement for the E50. What’s the source of that graph please?

Shame they have gone so far from the accuracy of the S400mk2. Maybe they are designed to be listened to off axis and for those that like a bright shiny showroom sound.

 

[Matias]

First time I’ve seen a measurement for the E50. What’s the source of that graph please?

Shame they have gone so far from the accuracy of the S400mk2. Maybe they are designed to be listened to off axis and for those that like a bright shiny showroom sound.

Their website, I have added the link.

IMO they are not competitors to A6B, as they are aiming at different targets.

 

[staticV3]

Maybe they are designed to be listened to off axis and for those that like a bright shiny showroom sound.

Final tuning was made by ear in Buchardt's listening room.

They A/Bed various crossover designs and the one that won produces the anechoic response you see above.

More here:

Buchardt E50

Buchardt has now put up measurements of the E50 on its website.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[amirm]

They A/Bed various crossover designs and the one that won produces the anechoic response you see above.

Showroom sound is a strong temptation....

 

[Matt_Holland]

Showroom sound is a strong temptation....

And they only listened to 5 seconds at a time! That’s extreme showroom conditions!

 

[staticV3]

And they only listened to 5 seconds at a time! That’s extreme showroom conditions!

5 seconds was merely the dead time from what I understand. Not the listening duration.

 

[zonk]

$2950 on AsciLABs site.
Keith

$2950 are approx. 2510€

 

[Matt_Holland]

5 seconds was merely the dead time from what I understand. Not the listening duration.

You’re correct. Thanks.

I am intrigued that their consensus was for something that deviates quite a bit from a balanced response. I would have expected a bass lift to balance with the lifted HF.

I am also surprised the use of a 1st order electrical filter on the woofer. Directivity looks very poor in the vertical plane.

I wonder whether during their A/B tests they level matched? Leaving the tweeter hot would increase the overall average SPL compared to a flatter response’s, no? Is this part of the tactic for showroom sound? Higher average SPL from HF hyped speakers versus More linear designs.

 

[Sokel]

You’re correct. Thanks.

I am intrigued that their consensus was for something that deviates quite a bit from a balanced response. I would have expected a bass lift to balance with the lifted HF.

I am also surprised the use of a 1st order electrical filter on the woofer. Directivity looks very poor in the vertical plane.

I wonder whether during their A/B tests they level matched? Leaving the tweeter hot would increase the overall average SPL compared to a flatter response’s, no? Is this part of the tactic for showroom sound? Higher average SPL from HF hyped speakers versus More linear designs.

The 5kHz dip alone can get you away from many problems (and suits people like me fine, I prefer this flaw to something than would be even remotely opposite, on the hot side)
Get that with low distortion, decent off-axis and meaty midbass and you're there.

 

[sceptical1]

And the listening window follows the on axis almost exactly so no falling back on the irr being more accurate.

In all seriousness though, the E50 and A6B look like the same speaker. It would be very tough to tell the difference between the two listening with your eyes closed, the preference and accuracy choice would be a toss up. The $2k saved on the asci? Everyone can agree on that.

 

[Sokel]

And another, what we see at the Buchardt is NOT showroom sound, is the opposite.
Showroom sound boosts this area like this:

B&W 802D loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Sidebar 3: Measurements I estimated the B&W 802D's voltage sensitivity as 89dB(B)/2.83V/m, within experimental error of the specified 90dB figure and usefully higher than the average of the more than 500 speakers I have measured in the past 16 years. The B&W's impedance plot (fig.1) reveals the...

www.stereophile.com

(that's the start of B&W's "showroom" sound, later ones are even more boosted there)

B&W 802D loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Sidebar 3: Measurements I estimated the B&W 802D's voltage sensitivity as 89dB(B)/2.83V/m, within experimental error of the specified 90dB figure and usefully higher than the average of the more than 500 speakers I have measured in the past 16 years. The B&W's impedance plot (fig.1) reveals the...

www.stereophile.com