Ascilab C8C Active Speaker Review

[da Choge]

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What stand is that? Looks like a Liedtke German speaker stand; I think they are great. The fit is perfect! Is the C8C fairly stable atop this stand? If it is Liedtke (or another German manufacturer), do you know if they can ship to the US? (Sorry for all the questions).

 

[AudioJester]

@AudioJester @AsciLab I got my BX8C, installed them, connected correctly in daisy-chain via SPDIF but I cannot set the one C8C as master and all the others as slaves, is it normal?
All are preset on P3. SPDIF is forced in the input section. What am I doing wrong?

Iam using AES daisy chained with all amps set to master and low power for auto on/off. I also have xlr analogue connected for my turntable/phono setup. All works perfectly.

The BX8C is firmware V1.1 while my C8C is V1.0.

 

[Paul7777x]

View attachment 536190

I must say I prefer the look with the grill on.

Must be a first in all the decades since my first speaker.

However, how much do they alter the FR?

 

[Grimoire]

I must say I prefer the look with the grill on.

Must be a first in all the decades since my first speaker.

However, how much do they alter the FR?

Not at all according to AsciLab.

 

[markstein]

What stand is that? Looks like a Liedtke German speaker stand; I think they are great. The fit is perfect! Is the C8C fairly stable atop this stand? If it is Liedtke (or another German manufacturer), do you know if they can ship to the US? (Sorry for all the questions).

Yes, that's a Liedtke X one, 80cm high, black powder coated, with the Liedtke D&D 8C top plate. Fits pretty good. The C8C are super stable on top and do not move a bit.

Liedtke also makes top plates per your own design for a relative low price, so your can order a version perfectly fitting your speaker base.

I propose you get in touch via the web site and ask for shipment options. Dirk Liedtke ist very supportive.

 

[da Choge]

Yes, that's a Liedtke X one, 80cm high, black powder coated, with the Liedtke D&D 8C top plate.

Thanks! Very nice result.

 

[Curvature]

Although the KH420 has more "authority" (less distortion).than the C8C

IMO, you are not hearing differences related to distortion. It is much more likely related to the wider directivity of the KH420 at lower frequencies, in the key range below 400Hz or so. Clean radiation sounds less loud, less present.

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

 

[Fletcher–Munson]

Yes, that's a Liedtke X one, 80cm high, black powder coated, with the Liedtke D&D 8C top plate. Fits pretty good. The C8C are super stable on top and do not move a bit.

Liedtke also makes top plates per your own design for a relative low price, so your can order a version perfectly fitting your speaker base.

I propose you get in touch via the web site and ask for shipment options. Dirk Liedtke ist very supportive.

Do you also own the DD 8C??

 

[muslhead]

Do you also own the DD 8C??

I did but sold them recently hoping to try the c8c + bx8c's ... maybe some time in 2028, when they are in stock

 

[markstein]

Do you also own the DD 8C??

No, bought these stands and top plates for my Neumann KH310 as they perfectly fit with them as well.

I indeed tested the D&D 8C as well but did not like and keep them.

 

[markstein]

View attachment 536326
IMO, you are not hearing differences related to distortion. It is much more likely related to the wider directivity of the KH420 at lower frequencies, in the key range below 400Hz or so. Clean radiation sounds less loud, less present.

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

Interesting to see how much lower distortion of KH420 is around 1kHz, but also to see that even the C8C without BX8C is comparable with KH420 below 400Hz - at least until 95dB/1m.

 

[AsciLab]

View attachment 536326
IMO, you are not hearing differences related to distortion. It is much more likely related to the wider directivity of the KH420 at lower frequencies, in the key range below 400Hz or so. Clean radiation sounds less loud, less present.

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

And I’d like to show how low the distortion our C8C has above 3rd order.

 

[Robocop]

Can you hear it????

 

[Morla]

Can you hear it????

we trust the numbers instead ;-)

 

[illusonic]

Can you hear it????

we trust the numbers instead ;-)

sarcasm?

 

[Robocop]

I was legit in asking the question. No one is prepared to write results of blind listening comparisons.

I mean between these speakers D&D 8c, C8C and KH420 would be a start.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

No one is prepared to write results of blind listening comparisons.

It's really expensive and onerous to perform scientifically valid listening tests, unfortunately. Otherwise I'm sure there'd be a lot more of them.

 

[amirm]

I mean between these speakers D&D 8c, C8C and KH420 would be a start.

I can make thar comparison but need the 8C and KH420. If someone wants to loan them to me, I will do the testing. Not blind but will stress test them to see what the dynamic capabilities are.

 

[illusonic]

I was legit in asking the question. No one is prepared to write results of blind listening comparisons.

I mean between these speakers D&D 8c, C8C and KH420 would be a start.

Of course audibility of differences in measured distortion is a legit question. Why care about inaudible improvements in measurement results? Especially when these cost extra. As long as we don't have any reliable metric for preference with regard to harmonic distortion, there are no numbers that we can trust blindly.

The answer you got seemed like a sarcastic comment on the way measurement data is put above listener experience at ASR on a regular basis. If measurements don't match experience, it's the former that become irrelevant to consumers. While blind tests are the gold standard, a high number of sighted tests also has value. If the majority of listeners likes sound from a speaker that shows high distortion, and often despite knowing the measurement results, it's time to question relevance or at least interpretation of the measurement. It makes no sense to constantly tell people what they hear is wrong based on half-baked interpretation of measurement results without scientific backup.

D&D 8C is one example of a speaker constantly getting high praise despite of high harmonic distortion in bass and even midrange. And lots of people who listen to small subs aren't nearly as annoyed by excessive harmonic distortion in lower bass as measurement plots seem to suggest. Obviously, most listeners prefer distorted bass over no bass. And because harmonic distortion adds to perceived loudness of bass, preference may actually be higher for distorted bass compared to clean bass at lower perceived level. As unlimited clean bass is a rare case for the lowest octave, some level of distortion may actually be the preferred solution.

 

[Scrutable]

We are all here because we believe objective testing has merit in evaluating audio gear. But to fault gear for eventually reaching its performance limits is IMO not constructive. Are people really listening to any of these excellent speakers at 96db SPL? I sure am not. Certainly the C8C sounds brilliant at any level I have tried but I I suspect I haven't gone over 90 db.

And of course there is no test that will demonstrate a speaker sounds pleasant for a given listener. It is the very definition of subjective. If anyone says "X speaker sounds awesome!" that is a valid data point that it sounds awesome to one person. (But at least one person likes it!)

I can make thar comparison but need the 8C and KH420. If someone wants to loan them to me, I will do the testing. Not blind but will stress test them to see what the dynamic capabilities are.

I for one would like to see an objective shoot-out with those three speakers, so 8C/KH420 guys pony up for @amirm!

"Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi