AsciLab F6B Bookshelf Speaker Review

[The_Lone_Funman]

Thank you again and always amirm -- your reviews and site continue to set a high watermark and it looks like you are deservedly even more widely loved than the last time I posted here! The AsciLab does look outstanding objectively and empirically and it's about time someone stepped up and just did it! It's also very cool to see passive radiators used again for all the engineering problems they can solve and with good execution as they're not cheap. But I haven't been able to find anything revealing if the grilles are in fact designed to be removable, or if there is or will be a grilleless option for the F6B like the is for the C6B -- perhaps someone knows or Mr. AsciLab can chime in?

 

[AsciLab]

Thank you again and always amirm -- your reviews and site continue to set a high watermark and it looks like you are deservedly even more widely loved than the last time I posted here! The AsciLab does look outstanding objectively and empirically and it's about time someone stepped up and just did it! It's also very cool to see passive radiators used again for all the engineering problems they can solve and with good execution as they're not cheap. But I haven't been able to find anything revealing if the grilles are in fact designed to be removable, or if there is or will be a grilleless option for the F6B like the is for the C6B -- perhaps someone knows or Mr. AsciLab can chime in?

Thank you for kind words.

Our C6B has trim ring as a default option, and it can be changed to grill.

F6B has grill as a default option, and there is no trim ring option. The grill can be detached but it is designed for maintenance only. So we recommend not to detach them.

 

[Todd68]

These are selling really well, expect to wait longer for shipment, Not a problem for me though.

 

[The_Lone_Funman]

Thank you for kind reply AsciLab -- to see a manufacture respond to prospective customer questions on a third party forum, show pictures of construction details really speaks well to you and your company, and what you make. Of course to have a glowing review from amirm is also testament to quite an accomplishment.

 

[Robbo99999]

I really cannot imagine that as anything other than an extreme corner case. Most rooms are less than 30ft in maximum dimension, the majority significantly less. Why would you have speakers so far from a wall, you just create dead (valuable) space behind them?

Could be a large open plan space where speakers maybe be either side of a chimney stack for a woodburner that might be kind of more centrally located in the room, the speakers might be next to the chimney stack, you might route the wires along the ceiling and down the chimney stack to the speakers so that there's no wire looping on the floor and also depending on where your amplifier and playback system is located. But let's just wait to here from the guy you asked, he'd be able to explain why he needs the length of wire in his case.

 

[daniboun]

Hi team

After a little insistence, the good news came @Audiophonics yeahhhhh +1

ASCILAB F6BS Enceintes Bibliothèque Noir (La paire)

Les AsciLab F6Bs sont des enceintes passives de type bibliothèque, offrant une restitution sonore précise et puissante dans un format compact.

www.audiophonics.fr

 

[amper42]

84dB sensitivity.... ugh

Higher sensitivity speakers feel more “lively” and “responsive” at lower listening levels. This is a natural advantage of higher-sensitivity designs—they reach impactful dynamics with less amplifier effort, which will be noticeable in systems with less powerful amps, yet still perceptible even with high-power amplification.
Speaker sensitivity affects how “easily” a speaker comes alive, even when amplifier power is not a limiting factor.

What causes the F6B design to offer such limited sensitivity?

Is there a chance AsciLab will release a 90dB sensitivity speaker option at some point?

​

 

[staticV3]

Higher sensitivity speakers feel more “lively” and “responsive” at lower listening levels.

Speaker sensitivity affects how “easily” a speaker comes alive, even when amplifier power is not a limiting factor.

Citation needed

 

[Esprit]

After a little insistence, the good news came @Audiophonics yeahhhhh +1

Is this (F6Bs):

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Review

This is a review, detailed measurements, EQ and listening test of AsciLab F6Bs bookshelf/surround speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $575 [now $725 with shipping included] for a pair. This is an absolutely gorgeous design! It feels that way as well with a solid cabinet that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[SMen]

Citation needed

I am not sure how you would prove this ... but it is certainly my experience.

84dB sensitivity.... ugh

Higher sensitivity speakers feel more “lively” and “responsive” at lower listening levels. This is a natural advantage of higher-sensitivity designs—they reach impactful dynamics with less amplifier effort, which will be noticeable in systems with less powerful amps, yet still perceptible even with high-power amplification.
Speaker sensitivity affects how “easily” a speaker comes alive, even when amplifier power is not a limiting factor.

What causes the F6B design to offer such limited sensitivity?

Is there a chance AsciLab will release a 90dB sensitivity speaker option at some point?

​

This is a welcome point ... and it makes me ask anyone here who knows: "what is the measurement that is used in speaker measurements to measure liveliness at lower listening levels" etc.? I have gravitated towards 90db + Triangles for precisely this reason.

I'm tempted by these F6B's though because of the dispersion ... it is how I like to listen to music, namely anywhere around the room and I am curious about what Erin in his review describes about pianos or other instruments staying in the same place in the sound field as their frequency changes.

 

[SMen]

Hi team

After a little insistence, the good news came @Audiophonics yeahhhhh +1

ASCILAB F6BS Enceintes Bibliothèque Noir (La paire)

Les AsciLab F6Bs sont des enceintes passives de type bibliothèque, offrant une restitution sonore précise et puissante dans un format compact.

www.audiophonics.fr

Well done! ... can we deduce the F6B model's price from this, because it looks on the right track...

 

[AsciLab]

84dB sensitivity.... ugh

Higher sensitivity speakers feel more “lively” and “responsive” at lower listening levels. This is a natural advantage of higher-sensitivity designs—they reach impactful dynamics with less amplifier effort, which will be noticeable in systems with less powerful amps, yet still perceptible even with high-power amplification.
Speaker sensitivity affects how “easily” a speaker comes alive, even when amplifier power is not a limiting factor.

What causes the F6B design to offer such limited sensitivity?

Is there a chance AsciLab will release a 90dB sensitivity speaker option at some point?

​

Sensitivity is a total of t/s parameters.
It is all about Iron Law. There is no free lunch.

And 84dB is not terribly low. You can find many speakers around 84~85dB sensitivity in bass range(below baffle step) as single 6" woofer box.
Additionally, The liveliness and responsive is more related with Qms. High Qms and Low sensitivity can exist at once. Low sensitivity doesn't always mean low Qms.

 

[SMen]

Sensitivity is a total of t/s parameters.
It is all about Iron Law. There is no free lunch.

Please can you explain this more?

 

[AsciLab]

Please can you explain this more?

You can find Hoffman's Iron Law.
It'd be better you search about than I explain.

 

[SMen]

You can find Hoffman's Iron Law.
It'd be better you search about than I explain.

Ah yes, thank you ... I understand this ... I just did not know that it was called Hoffman's Iron Law! ... still the design choice raises interesting questions, and if the F6B followed your design, but rolled off higher I'd still be interested. I wonder if there is a calculation ... so roll off 70hz = sensitivity 'x' ... roll off 60hz = sensitivity 'y'. I am just curious. I love the use of the rear passive driver in the design (and the dispersion as a primary design goal). Really impressive.

 

[AsciLab]

I searched every 6” woofer speaker’s spinorama in EAC.
Look at the bass sensitivity around 100~300Hz(below baffle step, above bass tuning frequency, 100Hz can be affected though).
If some of them look higher sensitivity than the others, then look at the bass extension.

Edited : There are many of 6” 2-way speakers in EAC. You can find the sensitivity of them.

 

[BeeKay]

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I searched every 6” woofer speaker’s spinorama in EAC.
Look at the bass sensitivity around 100~300Hz(below baffle step, above bass tuning frequency, 100Hz can be affected though).
If some of them look higher sensitivity than the others, then look at the bass extension.

Quite revealing how similar the S400 and the C6B perform. Sharing many design characteristics. Others are off often weirdly

 

[SMen]

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I searched every 6” woofer speaker’s spinorama in EAC.
Look at the bass sensitivity around 100~300Hz(below baffle step, above bass tuning frequency, 100Hz can be affected though).
If some of them look higher sensitivity than the others, then look at the bass extension.

Actually a like is not enough ... duly bookmarked!

 

[daniboun]

Well done! ... can we deduce the F6B model's price from this, because it looks on the right track...

I think it's a matter of time before we have the extended ranges....
The next models should appear soon I imagine)

 

[thewas]

Quite revealing how similar the S400 and the C6B perform. Sharing many design characteristics. Others are off often weirdly

Despite the similar drivers and waveguide sizes quite different bass tuning and midrange directivities due to the lower crossover frequency of the Ascilab: