Ascilab C8C Active Speaker Review

[goat76]

I clicked
Order placed...
This is definitely the first time I've made such a purchase without even listening to it once!! (Usually my indecision forces me to listen to it at least two or three times...)
Thanks to the community and Ascilab for answering all my questions...
I’ll be sure to let you know how accurate your answers were!!

Thank you for buying those last white ones that were available for a week or two on Audiophonics. I had this crazy, half-baked idea to buy them, but mostly out of curiosity, as I definitely don't need any new loudspeakers.

 

[AudioJester]

I clicked
Order placed...
This is definitely the first time I've made such a purchase without even listening to it once!! (Usually my indecision forces me to listen to it at least two or three times...)
Thanks to the community and Ascilab for answering all my questions...
I’ll be sure to let you know how accurate your answers were!!

Nice one!
What are you currently using?
Getting the BX8C as well?

 

[Aldo]

At the moment, I have a pair of Harbeth SHL5+ powered by a Purifi 1et400.
So this is my first pair of active speakers!

And no, my listening room isn’t big enough to accommodate the imposing BX8.

 

[goat76]

I’m surprised that Audiophonics have had the C8C in stock as last units for a pair of white ones (sold yesterday), and a pair of black ones that they still have in stock since about 2 weeks.

Yes, €5799 is quite a lot of money, but I thought these speakers would sell like hot cakes with all the hype surrounding them. I find it even more surprising that these last pair of units are not sold when Audiophonics are the only dealer in the whole EU region. What are people waiting for?

 

[Mnyb]

I’m surprised that Audiophonics have had the C8C in stock as last units for a pair of white ones (sold yesterday), and a pair of black ones that they still have in stock since about 2 weeks.

Yes, €5799 is quite a lot of money, but I thought these speakers would sell like hot cakes with all the hype surrounding them. I find it even more surprising that these last pair of units are not sold when Audiophonics are the only dealer in the whole EU region. What are people waiting for?

I already bought a pair of KEF LS60 recently

 

[Rick63]

I’m surprised that Audiophonics have had the C8C in stock as last units for a pair of white ones (sold yesterday), and a pair of black ones that they still have in stock since about 2 weeks.

Yes, €5799 is quite a lot of money, but I thought these speakers would sell like hot cakes with all the hype surrounding them. I find it even more surprising that these last pair of units are not sold when Audiophonics are the only dealer in the whole EU region. What are people waiting for?

Paging @Grimoire

 

[Paffi]

I already bought a pair of KEF LS60 recently

And I bought the Orbit 11

 

[Purité Audio]

I’m surprised that Audiophonics have had the C8C in stock as last units for a pair of white ones (sold yesterday), and a pair of black ones that they still have in stock since about 2 weeks.

Yes, €5799 is quite a lot of money, but I thought these speakers would sell like hot cakes with all the hype surrounding them. I find it even more surprising that these last pair of units are not sold when Audiophonics are the only dealer in the whole EU region. What are people waiting for?

I am not sure, AsciLab being a relatively new company perhaps puts people off, many still have no clue what measurements mean or how they correlate to actual sound quality.
Possibly as more reviews percolate through, ( see Phil Ward’s recent effusive review oof the A6B for example) the C8Cs are truly awesome speakers on their own I can only imagine how the C8C/BX8C combination will sound.
Keith

 

[AsciLab]

I’m surprised that Audiophonics have had the C8C in stock as last units for a pair of white ones (sold yesterday), and a pair of black ones that they still have in stock since about 2 weeks.

Yes, €5799 is quite a lot of money, but I thought these speakers would sell like hot cakes with all the hype surrounding them. I find it even more surprising that these last pair of units are not sold when Audiophonics are the only dealer in the whole EU region. What are people waiting for?

It means there is still a lucky left.

 

[Sharky808]

Looks like someone in Korea was "inspired" by someone elses design.

Prometheus Acoustics

The description should optimally be between 150-160 characters.

prometheusacoustics.com

 

[AsciLab]

Looks like someone in Korea was "inspired" by someone elses design.

Prometheus Acoustics

The description should optimally be between 150-160 characters.

prometheusacoustics.com

Damian Demendecki is the designer of this speaker. He is one of the greatest speaker designers. I was greatly inspired by his designs, and we have had many discussions about what makes a good speaker for years.

Although the overall form is quite similar, his crossover approach and our design are quite different; in a way, it is a kind of convergent evolution.

Jinsung

 

[Puddingbuks]

I already bought a pair of KEF LS60 recently

How do you like them?

 

[Sharky808]

Damian Demendecki is the designer of this speaker. He is one of the greatest speaker designers. I was greatly inspired by his designs, and we have had many discussions about what makes a good speaker for years.

Although the overall form is quite similar, his crossover approach and our design are quite different; in a way, it is a kind of convergent evolution.

Jinsung

Yes, it's obviously very much inspired by the Prometheus speakers.

 

[illusonic]

Damian Demendecki is the designer of this speaker. He is one of the greatest speaker designers. I was greatly inspired by his designs, and we have had many discussions about what makes a good speaker for years.

Although the overall form is quite similar, his crossover approach and our design are quite different; in a way, it is a kind of convergent evolution.

Jinsung

Seems like he's working for Purifi now:

 

[kharan]

Damian Demendecki is the designer of this speaker. He is one of the greatest speaker designers. I was greatly inspired by his designs, and we have had many discussions about what makes a good speaker for years.

Although the overall form is quite similar, his crossover approach and our design are quite different; in a way, it is a kind of convergent evolution.

Jinsung

Has their speaker ever been released, I can't find anything.

I also saw this for the Prometheus speaker, is that how the C8C is braced inside too?

 

[AsciLab]

Has their speaker ever been released, I can't find anything.

I also saw this for the Prometheus speaker, is that how the C8C is braced inside too?

We don’t use the bar inside the enclosure.
Two subs are connected with damping sheet.

 

[Mnyb]

How do you like them?

There good for medium sized rooms at not super loud volume, I use dual subwoofers too.
And some room EQ on top and sometimes I tweak the EQ to taste in other way .

They work for me

the whole ASCILAB lineup burts into the scene after i purchased the kef’s , there is nothing particularly wrong with the kef’s that would make me change speakers already.

But ASCILAB would have been on my short list if they where available back then, I still would have used a dual subwoofers setup anyway.

 

[goat76]

There good for medium sized rooms at not super loud volume, I use dual subwoofers too.
And some room EQ on top and sometimes I tweak the EQ to taste in other way .

They work for me

the whole ASCILAB lineup burts into the scene after i purchased the kef’s , there is nothing particularly wrong with the kef’s that would make me change speakers already.

But ASCILAB would have been on my short list if they where available back then, I still would have used a dual subwoofers setup anyway.

I was surprised by the size of the KEF LS60s when I saw them for the first time at my local HiFi store. I thought they would be way larger, but they are really small. The UNI-Q driver is much smaller in the LS60 than in the one in the LS50.

 

[Sharky808]

Seems like he's working for Purifi now:

View attachment 519261

That's actually pretty awesome!

 

[illusonic]

Depends on what he's doing there. If he develops a great DIY kit along the lines of the Prometheus speaker that might be something. Although even kit prices with Purifi speakers are quite high. If he does commercial designs I'm not the target customer.