Ascilab C8C Active Speaker Review

[Defi]

If you’re using ART it will be able to use the extra low end from the BX8C if it is beneficial.

If it were between 4 subs and ART or the BX8C I would do the latter. But for myself I like the idea of the additional depth of cardioid for better crossover behaviour

 

[AudioJester]

In my experience C8C/BX8C, and an ART system with 5 full range speakers plus 5 subs, are equivalent in bass quality.
Different rooms though. The big disadvantage of ART compared to cardioid is it only works to 150Hz. Most room issues are upto 250-300Hz, where there is actually a lot more content then <150Hz. The upper bass and lower mids of the C8C/BX8C is unmatched for me.

I will try ART with my C8C/BX8C as well at some point. Have a spare 18inch sub in the garage.
This was the suggestion from Kal Rubinson on how to use subs purely as support speakers in a 2.0 ART setup

"Simply select "Stereo" in the custom channel configuration menu and, then, click on "Add subwoofer," one or more times. Do not select "2.1.""

Hopefuly this preserves the Ascilabs bass quality while still smoothing the curve and further reducing decay.

 

[Mort]

In my experience C8C/BX8C, and an ART system with 5 full range speakers plus 5 subs, are equivalent in bass quality.
Different rooms though. The big disadvantage of ART compared to cardioid is it only works to 150Hz. Most room issues are upto 250-300Hz, where there is actually a lot more content then <150Hz. The upper bass and lower mids of the C8C/BX8C is unmatched for me.

I will try ART with my C8C/BX8C as well at some point. Have a spare 18inch sub in the garage.
This was the suggestion from Kal Rubinson on how to use subs purely as support speakers in a 2.0 ART setup

"Simply select "Stereo" in the custom channel configuration menu and, then, click on "Add subwoofer," one or more times. Do not select "2.1.""

Hopefuly this preserves the Ascilabs bass quality while still smoothing the curve and further reducing decay.

Do you have other systems? What full range are you comparing to?

 

[a_ron]

If you’re using ART it will be able to use the extra low end from the BX8C if it is beneficial.

True.

If it were between 4 subs and ART or the BX8C I would do the latter. But for myself I like the idea of the additional depth of cardioid for better crossover behaviour

Yeah, like I said, different priorities and preferences. I've not experienced the C8C+BX8C, so maybe my mind would be changed. Have you experienced multiple subs + ART?

Also, maybe for many folks the BX8C extend low enough that they only need to add a sub or two to the rear of the room to get great results with ART.

 

[traind]

Imho, worrying about adc dac cycles on the c8c and then not getting bx8c is like stepping over 100 Euro note to pick up a little coin.
The bx8c is a bass management system that allows the c8c to perform even better. It crosses over higher.
Listening to the c8c vs. C8c + bx8c is a night and day experience. I highly doubt you could detect the extra adc dac cycle in a ABX test more than purely random guessing.

How would you describe that night and day experience of adding the bx8c? What is your listening room like where you have them?

 

[markstein]

Also, maybe for many folks the BX8C extend low enough that they only need to add a sub or two to the rear of the room to get great results with ART.

Exactly. In my room the BX8C & C8C extend to below 20Hz - adding two rear subs would be not to extend the bass but only to get smoother bass across a larger area.
I did a test with Dirac ART, and adding the two back subwoofers as support to the main speakers worked very well. Initially the audible effects were less apparent than the measurements suggested. However, with very bass heavy music, the difference in "tightness" (improved decay?) was noticeable.

 

[a_ron]

The big disadvantage of ART compared to cardioid is it only works to 150Hz. Most room issues are upto 250-300Hz

If so, doesn't ART + C8C cover that range all the way up to 300Hz? I never excluded the C8C when making my case, but I did say doing ART before adding the BX8C is likely better

I will try ART with my C8C/BX8C as well at some point.

Please do, I'm looking forward to hearing the results

 

[a_ron]

Exactly. In my room the BX8C & C8C extend to below 20Hz - adding two rear subs would be not to extend the bass but only to get smoother bass across a larger area.
I did a test with Dirac ART, and adding the two back subwoofers as support to the main speakers worked very well. Initially the audible effects were less apparent than the measurements suggested. However, with very bass heavy music, the difference in "tightness" (improved decay?) was noticeable.

Best of both worlds!

Yup, the benefit of ART becomes much more apparent when you have lots of LF content and when playing louder (which seems pretty obvious once I say it out loud). I suppose there are some that don't listen to content with much LF or don't listen very loud.

 

[AudioJester]

@Mort my HT setup uses Krix speakers for bed layer - local Aus commercial and home theatre speaker company. Subs are a mix of Krix, Seaton and bass cabs from Lx521.

@a_ron I would say BX8C over ART. Adding the BX8C to my C8C was immense - and not just bass. @AsciLab can explain how it works, its more complicated than just bass bins.
Its one of those things that needs to be experienced to get an understading. Hopefully Amir will measure C8C/BX8C at some point. I found the addition of BX8C made a bigger difference than adding Genelec W371 to 8361a (that was only an in store demo though).

 

[Luvchampagne]

How would you describe that night and day experience of adding the bx8c? What is your listening room like where you have them?

Ascilab treated listening room. From a excellent monitor to a speaker that can engage and control any and all test songs I threw at it. In a non treated room my educated guess is that subs would be necessary to control room modes as explained by a few other people above.

 

[AsciLab]

It’s easy to overlook the other advantage of BX8C.

BX8X is not an additional subwoofer as you guys already know, and neither only extension cardioid band. When BX8C is aligned with C8C. Their crossovers are redefined from C8C midrange. So the front drivers work like a line array source. And the midrange non linearity is eliminated by cut its bass range. So the multi-tone distortion becomes to another league.
Notice they have different level.

Bass with authority can be achieved by additional subwoofer or less dip also by multiple subwoofers with Dirac ART. But narrow vertical beam to prevent the floor and ceiling bounce(reflection from vertical direction is harmful in stereo image, reduced vertical reflection leads to get much clear image in far-field listening) and improved midrange distortion are can’t be achieved by just adding subwoofers.

That’s what I think about the overlooked advantages of BX8C.

 

[829]

[...] But narrow vertical beam to prevent the floor and ceiling bounce(reflection from vertical direction is harmful in stereo image, reduced vertical reflection leads to get much clear image in far-field listening) [...]

That’s what I think about the overlooked advantages of BX8C.

Reflections which would harm imaging in any case conventional subwoofers are being added - with or without Dirac ART.

Only suitable (in this context ceiling-) absorbers would provide a similar or likely better outcome (maybe 10+ cm thick rigid fiberglass mounted with a 5 cm air gap; in the areas of early reflections) but on the floor that's going to be even more challenging.

 

[Defi]

Is there any update on expected stock of C8C/BX8C? Evidently the website hasn't been updated as it still shows April/May.

 

[amirm]

We are on hold for North America market for 2 to 3 months. There was an importation ban on a component used in the Hypex amplifier. The part is being designed out but naturally, we have to wait until that gets done. We actually had a shipment ready to go that we had to pull back. This worldwide uncertainty regarding trade is a killer.

 

[Reddoc]

We are on hold for North America market for 2 to 3 months. There was an importation ban on a component used in the Hypex amplifier. The part is being designed out but naturally, we have to wait until that gets done. We actually had a shipment ready to go that we had to pull back. This worldwide uncertainty regarding trade is a killer.

@AsciLab, Does that mean that some will be available for non-North American markets?

 

[Defi]

I was hoping to purchase direct as I’m in Canada and don’t expect tariffs to be gone by the time I want to purchase

 

[Nightfly]

We are on hold for North America market for 2 to 3 months. There was an importation ban on a component used in the Hypex amplifier. The part is being designed out but naturally, we have to wait until that gets done. We actually had a shipment ready to go that we had to pull back. This worldwide uncertainty regarding trade is a killer.

Will there be a similar delay for the passive models also?

 

[amirm]

Will there be a similar delay for the passive models also?

No. It is hypex amp that had the problem. We just got our stock of s6b and a6b with more to come.

 

[amirm]

I was hoping to purchase direct as I’m in Canada and don’t expect tariffs to be gone by the time I want to purchase

Canada falls in our territory. You get local support for that bit of tarrif. Paying your local taxes though is something else. Didn't realize all the taxes you pay!

 

[amirm]

@AsciLab, Does that mean that some will be available for non-North American markets?

I imagine this has already happened as the issue came up a few weeks ago.