AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Review

[dlaloum]

For the life in me, I don't understand why this is still such a big deal to so many people.

Back in the old days, speaker sensitivity was important because amplifier power was scarce.

This is no longer the issue. It is so ridiculously silly to be talking about speaker sensitivity and low impedance as some sort of hurdle.

Go get yourself a Buckeye Class D amp for cheap and your done.

In today world, speaker sensitivity and low impedance is the no brainier area to sacrifice if you need design trade off's.

External power amps such as the Buckeye, are still a tiny minority in the marketplace - the majority are out there with mass market AVR's and substantially more strenuous limitations as a result!

Having said that, with a minimum impedance a touch below 4ohm, most of the mass market AVR's should handle it without concern, and as you say, in this day and age, when even mass market AVR's have over 100W@8ohm - speaker sensitivity is much less of an issue.

 

[dlaloum]

In early 2010s, I had purchased a small Class-D "Digital Integrated Amplifier": It had 3.5mm, USB, S/PDIF (Optical+Coax) inputs and 20W/Ch output.
View attachment 455329 View attachment 455330
Firestone Audio BigJoe-III was a S. Korean product, and story I had heard at the time of purchase was that there was some sort of audio rivalry with Japan and the BigJoe line of audio products were supposed to proudly display S. Korea's miniaturization capabilities.

It served me very well for many years as a part of my desktop PC audio system... until this rivalry became moot and both got shellac'd by [what you call] Chi-fi.

Had you ever heard of this S. Korean company before they disappeared?

I liked these, still have one somewhere... at the time I paired it with some Gallo Nucleus Micro speakers and a Gallo sub as a secondary system.

They were nicely made, and great value.

 

[Mnyb]

I think its honesty in specs many manufacturers would just slap an 8 ohm sticker on a speaker with exactly the same impedance.

And just add an extra 3dB somehow or measure in a corner in a bathroom

 

[Marin]

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 for a pair.
View attachment 455079
This is an absolutely gorgeous design! It feels that way as well with a solid cabinet that is neither too light, nor too heavy. I didn't know if the grill over the woofer came off so left it alone. Back side shows that it is a sealed speaker:
View attachment 455080

Company uses Klippel Near-field scanner for testing which as you all know, is the same system I use. I reviewed my measurements with them and they concur with those results.

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Measurements
As usual, we start with our anechoic frequency response measurements:

View attachment 455081
Wow, that is one smooth response! Even when a speaker has a flat on axis response, Klippel NFS manages to tease out small variations. Here, there are not other than a gentle "bump" centered around 500 Hz. There is also a slight slope down to the on-axis response. Directivity is heavily managed/controlled as you will see in later graphs.

We can predict the early window reflections:
View attachment 455082

And as a result, predicted in-room:
View attachment 455083
Is that bump an issue or not? Will have to examine with listening tests. For now, the slope is somewhat aggressive which should result in a warmer tone.

Near-field measurements show that the woofer is responsible for that small bump:
View attachment 455084
Horizontal tweeter is exceptionally well controlled, courtesy of good design and that wide waveguide:
View attachment 455085
It is a bit narrow though as is typically the case so more of a sharp focused soundstage. Directivity shows the same:
View attachment 455086
This is what we see in well designed professional monitors! Even the vertical is well mannered for a 2-way:
View attachment 455087

I was worried that F6Bs wouldn't be able to handle the full 96 dBSLP. So went up to 91 initially. Hearing no distortion, I went to my standard 96 dBSPL and it still sounded clean!

View attachment 455088

View attachment 455089

Before I forget, sensitive is low as is the case for sealed enclosures. I estimate about 2 to 3 dB lower than average so better have good amplification.

Impedance shoots sky high as we get down to DC indicating a high pass filter:
View attachment 455091
So no worries about overdriving the speaker with too much bass.

Waterfall shows the expected time domain elongation due to 500 Hz bump:
View attachment 455092

Finally, here is the step response which is pretty clean:
View attachment 455093

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Listening Tests and EQ:
Initial impression was super positive with a warm "glow" to the music that was a bit apparent. Otherwise, the impression was that of neutrality. I almost stopped there in my analysis but thought I should dial out the bump and see what happens:
View attachment 455094
I preferred the eq as it lightened up the tonality some, bringing extra clarity. To be sure, I switched to my Revel Salon 2 speakers and they definitely had less of a bass tilt. It is a small change though and preference will likely vary especially if you have some room modes piling on as well.

Sub-bass output was essentially zero. Go up a bit though where techno bass lives and this little speaker puts out solid tones, even causing physical sensation of bass! I did not hear distortion even as I cranked up the volume. And crank I had to do with my 400 watt amplifier. Didn't have to go near max output but did push the volume up. So definitely get a mid to higher power amplifier to drive them.

Closing my eyes and listening to one speaker as I always do, the spatial halo around the speaker was not very large. This was predicted from the directivity plot. So if you are a fan of wide dispersion, then this speaker may not be quite for you. But the reverse is also true of people who want a focused soundstage.

Overall, the response was delightful. Every reference track sounded wonderful and belied the size and cost of this speaker.

Conclusions
Amazing what happens when you follow audio science and engineering to the max: you get a very reasonably priced, gorgeous speaker that is near perfect objectively. It does things that speaker many multiples of its cost can't. I don't know how AsciLab has managed to optimize so many factors all at once without having to sell the F6Bs for thousands of dollars.

Not only is this speaker excellent for surround duty -- with its screw holes in the back for wall mounting -- but it also makes an excellent monitor or desktop speaker.

It is my pleasure to recommend the AsciLab F6Bs speaker. Don't walk, run to purchase a pair!
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

The name of these speakers should be "the bump"

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 for a pair.
View attachment 455079
This is an absolutely gorgeous design! It feels that way as well with a solid cabinet that is neither too light, nor too heavy. I didn't know if the grill over the woofer came off so left it alone. Back side shows that it is a sealed speaker:
View attachment 455080

Company uses Klippel Near-field scanner for testing which as you all know, is the same system I use. I reviewed my measurements with them and they concur with those results.

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Measurements
As usual, we start with our anechoic frequency response measurements:

View attachment 455081
Wow, that is one smooth response! Even when a speaker has a flat on axis response, Klippel NFS manages to tease out small variations. Here, there are not other than a gentle "bump" centered around 500 Hz. There is also a slight slope down to the on-axis response. Directivity is heavily managed/controlled as you will see in later graphs.

We can predict the early window reflections:
View attachment 455082

And as a result, predicted in-room:
View attachment 455083
Is that bump an issue or not? Will have to examine with listening tests. For now, the slope is somewhat aggressive which should result in a warmer tone.

Near-field measurements show that the woofer is responsible for that small bump:
View attachment 455084
Horizontal tweeter is exceptionally well controlled, courtesy of good design and that wide waveguide:
View attachment 455085
It is a bit narrow though as is typically the case so more of a sharp focused soundstage. Directivity shows the same:
View attachment 455086
This is what we see in well designed professional monitors! Even the vertical is well mannered for a 2-way:
View attachment 455087

I was worried that F6Bs wouldn't be able to handle the full 96 dBSLP. So went up to 91 initially. Hearing no distortion, I went to my standard 96 dBSPL and it still sounded clean!

View attachment 455088

View attachment 455089

Before I forget, sensitive is low as is the case for sealed enclosures. I estimate about 2 to 3 dB lower than average so better have good amplification.

Impedance shoots sky high as we get down to DC indicating a high pass filter:
View attachment 455091
So no worries about overdriving the speaker with too much bass.

Waterfall shows the expected time domain elongation due to 500 Hz bump:
View attachment 455092

Finally, here is the step response which is pretty clean:
View attachment 455093

AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Listening Tests and EQ:
Initial impression was super positive with a warm "glow" to the music that was a bit apparent. Otherwise, the impression was that of neutrality. I almost stopped there in my analysis but thought I should dial out the bump and see what happens:
View attachment 455094
I preferred the eq as it lightened up the tonality some, bringing extra clarity. To be sure, I switched to my Revel Salon 2 speakers and they definitely had less of a bass tilt. It is a small change though and preference will likely vary especially if you have some room modes piling on as well.

Sub-bass output was essentially zero. Go up a bit though where techno bass lives and this little speaker puts out solid tones, even causing physical sensation of bass! I did not hear distortion even as I cranked up the volume. And crank I had to do with my 400 watt amplifier. Didn't have to go near max output but did push the volume up. So definitely get a mid to higher power amplifier to drive them.

Closing my eyes and listening to one speaker as I always do, the spatial halo around the speaker was not very large. This was predicted from the directivity plot. So if you are a fan of wide dispersion, then this speaker may not be quite for you. But the reverse is also true of people who want a focused soundstage.

Overall, the response was delightful. Every reference track sounded wonderful and belied the size and cost of this speaker.

Conclusions
Amazing what happens when you follow audio science and engineering to the max: you get a very reasonably priced, gorgeous speaker that is near perfect objectively. It does things that speaker many multiples of its cost can't. I don't know how AsciLab has managed to optimize so many factors all at once without having to sell the F6Bs for thousands of dollars.

Not only is this speaker excellent for surround duty -- with its screw holes in the back for wall mounting -- but it also makes an excellent monitor or desktop speaker.

It is my pleasure to recommend the AsciLab F6Bs speaker. Don't walk, run to purchase a pair!
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

The name of these speakers based on the article should be called "the bump"
I rated them as excellent, but the tweeter seems to go too low and the drop is some standard 12 second order crossover, and because of that horizontal dispersion suffer am afraid???

 

[JohnnyNG]

What class D amp do you have? Most of the cheaper ones don't have it and if they do it's typically an advertising point.

For sure!

 

[ThELiZ]

Are these suitable for near field listening?

Edit: Found the answer.

 

[PristineSound]

External power amps such as the Buckeye, are still a tiny minority in the marketplace - the majority are out there with mass market AVR's and substantially more strenuous limitations as a result!

Having said that, with a minimum impedance a touch below 4ohm, most of the mass market AVR's should handle it without concern, and as you say, in this day and age, when even mass market AVR's have over 100W@8ohm - speaker sensitivity is much less of an issue.

If one is powering these speakers with an AVR, then do they have a set of these speakers for the entire surround system? Say for a7.1, no Atmos, and they brought 6 of these that already $3k. I would hope they would spend accordingly on the electronics and get a decent AVR to match.

If they already have an AVR and is insufficient, then that is the only scenario, which I can see someone complain about the sensitivity.

But if you are building a home theater from scratch, then consider getting yourself a very affordable Monolith amplifier.

 

[prerich]

It's not so bad - they drop to 4ohm - but unlike many nominally 4ohm speakers, we don't see drops down well below 3ohm...

With their minimum at a touch under 4ohm, most (decent) amps will handle it without too much trouble.

My only beef, is my personal preference for wide dispersion designs... but for listening in near field - these really do look lovely.

Agreed, definitely an awesome speaker for listening in the near field!!!!!

 

[Audionaut]

But what if we've already run out to grab a pair of the AsciLabs C6B after seeing this new video from Erin

This makes no difference to the customer, because they are both good.
For AsciLabs, however, it will make a very big difference, because Amir alone has a very big influence on the market.
If Amir and Erin are both full of praise, AsciLabs will probably have nothing to worry about economically, apart from thinking about how they can work through the order situation and increase production.

 

[GWolfman]

@Amir How would you compare these to the Revels?

Thanks!

 

[Purité Audio]

This makes no difference to the customer, because they are both good.
For AsciLabs, however, it will make a very big difference, because Amir alone has a very big influence on the market.
If Amir and Erin are both full of praise, AsciLabs will probably have nothing to worry about economically, apart from thinking about how they can work through the order situation and increase production.

I am hopeful that Phil Ward will also review/measure the upcoming A6B’s for ‘SoundonSound’ magazine which has more of a ‘pro’ audio focus.
In the past we sent both the Kiis and D&D8Cs to Phil for review and he enjoyed both, the Manger C1 not so much!
Keith

 

[Audionaut]

Manger C1 not so much

Yes, some people feel that way.
For me, mangers are the equivalent of clear water when it comes to drinks.
Bourbon, scotch, cola, coffee, juices, smoothies and milkshakes taste better, depending on your own preferences, but clear water is the source and basis.

 

[Purité Audio]

They looked smart but even with the plastic ‘holophil’ wave guides they just weren’t that great.

 

[nongga]

How did they get that deep dip at 1.1 kHz in the woofer response? XO with a notch filter? Or the peak at 1.5 kHz which is only 15 dB down from the averaged passband level a cone mode? I don't think so because there is no corresponding distortion peak.

maybe f6b have notch filter

and this is ascilab’s measurement
with or without notchfilter

 

[Audionaut]

@Purité Audio
The Manger was available as a chassis for a certain time.
I once had it installed as a full-range transducer in one of these horns and am still annoyed that I sold it.

The Mangers were far from perfect, especially at the time, but they have an immediacy and consistency that is unmatched.

 

[Purité Audio]

Hmm not my experience but anyhoo way off-thread topic.
Keith

 

[Audionaut]

Hmm not my experience but anyhoo way off-thread topic.
Keith

Yeah, I totally didn't pay attention to the thread either.
Sorry AsciLab

 

[AsciLab]

maybe f6b have notch filter

View attachment 455631
and this is ascilab’s measurement
with or without notchfilter

Yes. F6B has series notch filter to reduce distortion. But the 1.1kHz dip in near field measurement of woofer is not related with the notch filter. It is came from surround reflection as someone said already. It won’t be seen in far field measurement. Some of radiation may be affected, but tweeter dispersion will hide it.

 

[DanielT]

Thanks for the test Amir. They were good speakers.Good price too.If I had needed a new pair, these would have been high on my list.

I'll leave the discussion about shipping costs, import duties, tariffs and so on aside.

AsciLab F6B together with a subwoofer or even better two good well-integrated stereo bass boxes (crossover around 300 Hz) would be great.

 

[MZKM]

Reserved