Ascilab C8C Active Speaker Review

[Head_Unit]

Too bad they didn’t consider that actual humans in the demographics who can afford such speakers often have kids, pets, friends, cleaning people, etc.

That's what electric fences and barbed wire are for!!!
This thing is not something fitting me at the moment, but very cool. I'm glad to see another model/brand focused on good basic engineering.

 

[Chromatischism]

I’m honestly ecstatic. I lived with the Kii Three for about seven years and was very happy with them, but I wanted deeper bass extension without going down a crazy-expensive rabbit hole. The C8C + BX8C felt like a natural upgrade for me, and the BX8C should arrive in a few weeks.
First impressions: I couldn’t be happier. I’m not a die-hard audiophile and I don’t plan to endlessly tweak things, but I have to say I’m a bit blown away by what I’m hearing.
There are two reference tracks I’ve probably listened to a thousand times on the Kii Three over the years. This obviously isn’t an A/B comparison, but hearing those same tracks on the C8C brought them to an entirely new level of enjoyment. I can’t fully explain why, but even my wife noticed it immediately — something special is going on here.
If I had to put a word on it, maybe it’s clarity?

Are you toeing them out to relieve some of the high frequencies?

 

[pat355]

Are you toeing them out to relieve some of the high frequencies?

10° toe-out as per AsciLab's recommendation

 

[Purité Audio]

Pat when you state ‘toe-out do you mean not just firing straight ahead but actually 10° away from you?
I have tried mine toed-in so i can’t see the inside edges and firing straight ahead.
From the C8C manual,
4.2 Basic Placement


●


●


●


●


Equilateral triangle


– Place the left and right speakers and listener to approximate the


vertices of an equilateral triangle. The speakers should be the two vertices opposite the


listener.


Spacing and distance


– C8C recommends a minimum listening distance of 0.8 m and a


preferred distance of 1.5 m or more.


Toe‑in angle


– Adjust the angle of the speakers according to listener position and room


acoustics. If the center image is weak, toe the speakers in towards the listener; if you


prefer a wider stereo image, toe them out so they face straight ahead.


Wall reflections


– Position the front baffle within 0.8 m of the wall. The cardioid pattern


minimizes mid‑bass cancellation from rear reflections and can provide positive bass


reinforcement.

 

[pat355]

Pat when you state ‘toe-out do you mean not just firing straight ahead but actually 10° away from you?
I have tried mine toed-in so i can’t see the inside edges and firing straight ahead.
From the C8C manual,
4.2 Basic Placement


●


●


●


●


Equilateral triangle


– Place the left and right speakers and listener to approximate the


vertices of an equilateral triangle. The speakers should be the two vertices opposite the


listener.


Spacing and distance


– C8C recommends a minimum listening distance of 0.8 m and a


preferred distance of 1.5 m or more.


Toe‑in angle


– Adjust the angle of the speakers according to listener position and room


acoustics. If the center image is weak, toe the speakers in towards the listener; if you


prefer a wider stereo image, toe them out so they face straight ahead.


Wall reflections


– Position the front baffle within 0.8 m of the wall. The cardioid pattern


minimizes mid‑bass cancellation from rear reflections and can provide positive bass


reinforcement.

I assumed that it meant the following: I made an equilateral triangle so that 2 of the sides would be hitting my ears directly (not behind me). Then I estimated with 10° out, ie away from the initial configuration. Not scientific I know, but I don't have a way to measure 10° precisely - not that it matters for me anyways, I'm not crazy about this. Does this answer your Q?

 

[Purité Audio]

Yes it does thanks.
Keith

 

[Matt_Holland]

There are two reference tracks I’ve probably listened to a thousand times…

What are they please?

I can’t fully explain why, but even my wife noticed it immediately

The true test is wife in another room noticing. Can you confirm this was the case in your controlled test.

Glad you’re thrilled with them. Seems every new owner is blown away by the C8C.

 

[pat355]

What are they please?

The true test is wife in another room noticing. Can you confirm this was the case in your controlled test.

Glad you’re thrilled with them. Seems every new owner is blown away by the C8C.

blue in green, miles
I will survive, nils landgren version (don't ask me why or maybe I just love trumpet/trombone)

she was just sitting next to me and she is the one who gave me a high five

 

[pat355]

I do have one issue though. The left speaker behaves normally when it comes to going into standby mode. Right speaker doesn't - whatever I try. It goes into some kind of "deep sleep" mode where the LED goes completely off, and it doesn't even detect HFD if I plug my laptop's USB in. That said, it wakes up perfectly fine when music resumes. All parameters exactly the same for both speakers. I tried connecting them in analog, same. I then switched the right speaker to low power mode, then back to initial standby (<0.5W) mode. Doesn't help. Weird behavior --> I wrote to AsciLab's support.

 

[Mnyb]

I wish ASCILAB all the success , hopefully they can fill the demand ( they seems to always be short on stock ) .

Besides all the nitpicking by ASR members
I assume some it stems from high expectations knowing their competence ?

Look at what audiophile brands like Devore or Börresen or Audio Note are trying to sell you for multiples of this kind of money .

 

[daniboun]

To conclude this discussion on the obsolescence of this product, let's ask @AsciLab ...
if the Hypex FusionAMP FA253 module used on the C8C is no longer manufactured in the event of a future failure and if the monitor is no longer under warranty:
-> are you able to provide software support to configure the DSP to make the C8C functional with another Hypex FusionAMP model ?
-> Will this change be feasible for a novice ?

If so, we will face the same problems as with a pair of passive speakers and separate electronic components.

Are you sure ?
Most of the best audio shops have stock...

Hypex FusionAMP FA253

The Hypex FusionAMP FA253 plate amplifier can be used to design a two- or three-way active speaker. It is based on three NCore modules capable of developing 2x250W + 1x100W RMS.

www.audiophonics.fr

Order Hypex FA253 FusionAmp Plate Amplifier

Buy the FA253 online at SoundImports ✓ Same day shipping ✓ Low shipping rates

www.soundimports.eu

 

[formdissolve]

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has a pair of these and noticed any audio dropouts using SPDIF (from SPDIF source > left speaker > right speaker). Or AES using the same setup.

 

[AudioJester]

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has a pair of these and noticed any audio dropouts using SPDIF (from SPDIF source > left speaker > right speaker). Or AES using the same setup.

No issues for me with all AES connections

 

[sqrl]

No issues for me with all AES connections

ADI 2/4 D-SUB - AES - daisy chain. No droputs, except play a sound to trigger the slave to kick in before the start of music.

 

[sqrl]

I had to plonk them on an Ikea 6x4' table next to a monitor for now - will rearrange the living room when I can put them on the B8XCs.

Plaster walls, tile floor, windows.

This is the only soft furnishing ...

Sounding good for the space.

I set the sound on start and main sound at -24 dB and the windows sound is at 57. The first thing (for me as a neophyte with active speakers) is to reduce the sound on start and master volume; you can always put them up again later once you've worked out how to set them up.

 

[jEDGEc0m]

I've had the idea (without experience) that a pair of speakers with cardioid pattern and that can reproduce low bass might not necessarily sound obviously superior to a pair of speakers with equivalent directivity and frequency response + sub(s) placed and tuned at locations that work well with the room and main speakers.

Frequency response graphs/measurements don't tell the whole story, but I'd be interested to see more in-room measurements of cardioid full range speakers, and ideally also FR graph of a pair of non-cardioid speakers in the same space, ideally located in much the same location.

Thanks to those providing their reports of their experiences with these C8C.

There's in-room measurements of Dutch & Dutch 8C here

Dutch & Dutch 8c Speakers Review at Audio Nostalgia

Review of Dutch & Dutch 8c speakers. Author’s subjective opinion on their sound supported with technical specs, photos and a video.

audionostalgia.co.uk

and Erin of the audio corner also posted in-room measurements of them, as well as Kii Three. Without eq correction, these certainly do still look like mighty tonality and bass extension.

Dutch & Dutch 8c Speaker Review

Dutch & Dutch 8c Speaker Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

Kii Audio THREE Review

Kii Audio THREE 2-Way Studio Monitor Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

FR still gets fairly chopped up by the room under ~700hz. Pretty epic low bass response though.

Looked for other in-rooms by Erin - found the JBL HDI-3800 were graphed FR in his space.
Certainly quite different in the low end (and disappointing in comparison). But add subs/tune, and the low end deficiencies would probably pretty easily be eradicated.

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

Erins site has some others with in-room graphs - eg Kef R3, Klipsch Forte IV, Klipsch Herecy IV.

Here's some measurements from my 3.5x3.5x2.4m room with eq on AsciLab F6b (up against the wall) + 2 make shift "subs" (in the form of old 2x8" tower speakers that do well down to about 30hz). xover to subs is ~85hz. Green is moving mic measurement, no smoothing, all speakers playing. pale pink is same measurement, psychoacoustic smoother. Grey is a generic indicative Harman curve.

What benefits cardioid might bring, maybe it isn't just be in the frequency response..?

 

[Rick63]

@sqrl : Beautiful cat!!

 

[RexrothPigeon]

I've had the idea (without experience) that a pair of speakers with cardioid pattern and that can reproduce low bass might not necessarily sound obviously superior to a pair of speakers with equivalent directivity and frequency response + sub(s) placed and tuned at locations that work well with the room and main speakers.

I agree. I wound up with cardioids because I didn't want to treat my room and my room's volume is a little problematic. In a better room I might have gone a different way.

 

[sqrl]

@sqrl : Beautiful cat!!

I'll let him know. He loves the attention.

 

[PJR918BMW]

I know I'm over simplifying and not trying to wind people up....but if the speaker falls short in measurements in one area surely the manufacturer can just tune it out with the DSP? Subject to distortion physical parameters.
In other words you can polish the performance. Improve the graphs?