AsciLab F6Bs Speaker Review

[kyuu]

Does anyone know if it's possible to only buy one?

I want to use one on its side as a center channel

My understanding is that Ascilab is currently only selling in pairs. As often happens with bookshelves, if you want only one you'll have to find someone to split a pair with. Or buy the pair and try to sell one you don't need. Or stash it in a closet for a rainy day.

 

[LF78]

I'm really considering a purchase even without a preliminary listening session (as I really don't know where I could listen to them), but I still have following doubts:

1. Narrow directivity (+/- 50°): will the sound be very different compared to speakers with a more "typical/standard" directivity? Please consider if relevant that I would attach them to a wall in a small/medium size room. Lot of listening would not be exactly on axis and within the listening window though.
2. Low sensitivity (83 dB): will this have an impact at medium/high (but not deafening) listening volume? I will cross them with a subwoofer at 100 Hz, and of course will use a capable amplifier (2x250W @4Ω). Should I worry about distortion or compression? Measurements seem very benign even at 96 dB, do I read them correctly?

Thanks for any insight and suggestion!

 

[Purité Audio]

50-60 degrees is pretty normal, Genelec, Dutch&Dutch are both around that, some may prefer more room interaction some less.
Keith

 

[staticV3]

will the sound be very different compared to speakers with a more "typical/standard" directivity?

If it helps, AsciLab speakers have the same directivity as:

KEF
Neumann
Genelec
Buchardt
Dutch&Dutch
Kii Audio
Modern JBL waveguides, e.g:
4305p, 4309, 4329p, 708p, HDI-1600

Should I worry about distortion or compression?

Not at all

 

[LF78]

50-60 degrees is pretty normal, Genelec, Dutch&Dutch are both around that, some may prefer more room interaction some less.
Keith

What is the subjective effect compared to speakers with a broader directivity? Can I expect to hear more stereo separation, i.e. better identify sound as coming clearly from the left and from the right? Or am I completely off track?

 

[Purité Audio]

Almost certainly a clearer more focused image as you turn the speakers out or increase the listening distance the room comes more into play.
Neither is ‘wrong’ just your preference.
Keith

 

[Deleted member 87496]

I'm not sure if this is the correct thread, but Amir's announcing US distribution has been closed. From what I gather from his previous posts, these speakers should become available for order sometime in mid-late August? This looks like such a great product, would love to know where I can find updates about availability. My apologies is this is not the right/ideal thread! Thank you in advance...it's appreciated.

 

[realign]

I bought mine direct from here in the UK. Very happy with them. I'm running them from a Wiim Amp Pro (hardly a powerhouse amp). I have Radio Paradise playing all day in my Kitchen. What used to be 15 out of 100 (with my QA Acoustics 3020i speakers) is now about 20 out of 100 on the Wiim volume for what I feel is equivalent on the F6Bs speakers. Plenty loud enough for me with loads of room for when we host a BBQ and need louder

 

[kwoody51]

@amirm - is the US store open yet for purchasing these?

 

[amirm]

Not yet. Speakers are still being manufactured.

 

[Jollac]

Hi guys,
everyone who own or has listened these speakers... can you please say do they truly sounds so much better than another speakers (for example ELAC DBR62) and their price difference (378€ in my case - almost 85% more expensive) is justified and they are worth buying?
Thank you very much for your opinion and experience

 

[jEDGEc0m]

Hi guys,
everyone who own or has listened these speakers... can you please say do they truly sounds so much better than another speakers (for example ELAC DBR62) and their price difference (378€ in my case - almost 85% more expensive) is justified and they are worth buying?
Thank you very much for your opinion and experience

is the hype train lacking steam pressure?

Story time,
I got F6B. Setup with room correction/eq, replacing a previous set of probably quite "ok" speakers, eq'd to similar room response, with subs doing low end - When i was talking to someone with whom i discuss hifi, not too long after I got F6B, they seemed to find that I was reporting insufficient enthusiasm for the new speakers, to which they said "oh, I'd be disappointed then". I guess my mind wasn't blown, but what I concluded was that to my ear, the tuned sound I had before was probably quite good. good enough that I was often more concerned with my preference or subjective criticism of certain recordings.

Maybe it's fair to say that once equipment is on the good side of "crap", and can reproduce good bass, and is eq'd to similar tonality in room, the differences preceived might not massive. (Assuming you're not pushing beyond volume the system can sensibly do). but you and others absolutely may have more discerning perception than me.

But I still really like the F6B, and really like that they need no eq above ~700hz. and haven't had as many occasions where certain frequencies sometimes seem to jump out. (which I suspect are room related things - small room). The very well controlled, and fairly narrow directivity of F6B is surely a benefit in many listening environments.

I'd suggest if you haven't already, get some eq and measurement mic in on your audio action, as well as subwoofer(s). I reckon those two things would make more fun difference than changing from good speakers to better speakers of similar output (again, assuming you're not after more volume, which the 6" AsciLab's probably wouldn't deliver over the DBR62).

The DBR62 were on my list of interest. They seem pretty great. and likely very great to listen to, with eq to help them meet your preferences (or adjust for your preference of certain recordings).

I still feel the F6B were/are great value for what they are. And it's nice to have a speaker that is objectively so damn good.

This probably tells a fair bit of what you might hear.

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

You shouldn't listen to me much though. It is a shame it's quite hard to get speakers to demo in one's own space. That's perhaps the only relevant thing. Some 20+ years ago, i did take my existing speakers into a hifi store to demo against others. honestly, it was pretty pointless. and now we have spinorama data for a lot of models.

The Elac's likely be brighter, but otherwise look very good. That decrease in brightness might even seem like a disappointment at first if you had AsciLab, but I have grown to generally preferring that response.

TL;DR Love the sound you're with. only spend money you definitely can afford to.

 

[CedarX]

Maybe it's fair to say that once equipment is on the good side of "crap", and can reproduce good bass, and is eq'd to similar tonality in room, the differences preceived might not massive. (Assuming you're not pushing beyond volume the system can sensibly do).

Like many things in this hobby, differences are often overblown. If I were in the market for a bookshelf speaker, the AsciLab would be on my list as one of the better starting points—a simpler path to achieve great sound in a room, but not necessarily the only path.

 

[totti1965]

Hi guys,
everyone who own or has listened these speakers... can you please say do they truly sounds so much better than another speakers (for example ELAC DBR62) and their price difference (378€ in my case - almost 85% more expensive) is justified and they are worth buying?
Thank you very much for your opinion and experience

Preference Score

Elac Debut Reference DBR-62

• Tonality (Preference) Score is 5.56 and would be 7.76with a perfect subwoofer.
  • Details: NBD: ON 0.379, LW 0.326, SP 0.352, PIR 0.314; SM: SP0.911, PIR0.845; LFQ 0.692, LFX 46Hz
• Tonality (Preference) Score is 5.82 with an EQ and would be 7.89with a perfect subwoofer and the same EQ.
  • Details: NBD: ON 0.371, LW 0.327, SP 0.353, PIR 0.305; SM: SP0.923, PIR0.883; LFQ 0.692, LFX 43Hz
    
    
    
    AsciLab F6Bs
    
    
  • Tonality (Preference) Score
    • Tonality (Preference) Score is 5.55 and would be 8.21with a perfect subwoofer.
      • Details: NBD: ON 0.3, LW 0.293, SP 0.303, PIR 0.274; SM: SP0.934, PIR0.907; LFQ 0.661, LFX 60Hz
    • Tonality (Preference) Score is 6.48 with an EQ and would be 8.84with a perfect subwoofer and the same EQ.
      • Details: NBD: ON 0.211, LW 0.202, SP 0.233, PIR 0.195; SM: SP0.974, PIR0.979; LFQ 0.661, LFX 51Hz
  • 
    
    First: the AsciLab is much better "equalizationable", due to its homogenious spinorama.
    The Equalization brings you a good bit of even better sound, not so much at the Elac, which winns only 0.26 ponts with a good parametric equalization!
    
    
    Second: Here is a spinorama.org plot with the directivity for both speakers after an equalization:
    Much better directivity for the AsciLab.
    So, afaik it will be able to give more an illusion as the musicians are really in your room. It is a very very good spinorama.
    
    But: You are a bit comparing apples with oranges - The Ascilab FS 6 Bs is a sealed speaker. So, one or better two subwoofers are highly recommendet.
    The ELAC Debut Reference DBR-62 is afaik a bassreflex construction.
  • 
    So: Better invest even a few dollars more and go for the Ascilab FS 6 B - without the "s" which stands for "sealed".
    
    Summary: In this case you get what you pay for (other thing with IEM´s or headphones, where you often find your surprisings with stuff which is much better than other stuff for 1/10 th of the price).
    The AsciLab may sound a bit better in the same room.
    
    But: Any change in room treatment and Loudspeaker-positioning is much, much more important than the switch from a (with equalization!) 5.82 points to a 6.48 points speaker!
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

 

[totti1965]

Like many things in this hobby, differences are often overblown. If I were in the market for a bookshelf speaker, the AsciLab would be on my list as one of the better starting points—a simpler path to achieve great sound in a room, but not necessarily the only path.

An other very good starting point with extremely low sound coloration would be one of the beautifull Audio First Design speakers that @Audiofirstdesigns_Harry has constructed (if you want to go the passive-speaker-way):

Audio First Fidelia on Erin’s Audio Corner

This looks to be an excellent speaker design. Similar to the Ascilab C5B although DIY construction. Audio First are local to me so I am tempted to try and get a demo…

www.audiosciencereview.com

Cadentia 3 Product Development thread / Audio First Designs

Hi everyone, some of you might have seen my replies in the Fidelia DIY kit thread about a new 3-way product Cadentia 3. I reckon it would be better to move the topic over here, put in a post specifically about it. Here is the very first prototype that went up to my Klippel NFS for the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[nathan]

Hi guys,
everyone who own or has listened these speakers... can you please say do they truly sounds so much better than another speakers (for example ELAC DBR62) and their price difference (378€ in my case - almost 85% more expensive) is justified and they are worth buying?
Thank you very much for your opinion and experience

It is not 85% better sound, if that is what you are asking.

If you have a perfect subwoofer setup, and use EQ properly, then it is about 10% better. For some people, that 10% is worth a doubling of price. For other people, the increase in price can be better spent elsewhere.

 

[DearSX]

I see it like fingers on my hands

It is not 85% better sound, if that is what you are asking.

If you have a perfect subwoofer setup, and use EQ properly, then it is about 10% better. For some people, that 10% is worth a doubling of price. For other people, the increase in price can be better spent elsewhere.

I see it as the 10 fingers on my hands. If I only had 90% of my fingers I would still be in great shape and able to do lots of things well. Still how much is the 10th finger worth to me? Especially my thumbs

 

[nathan]

I see it like fingers on my hands


I see it as the 10 fingers on my hands. If I only had 90% of my fingers I would still be in great shape and able to do lots of things well. Still how much is the 10th finger worth to me? Especially my thumbs

In that analogy it would be more like "if my fingers were each 10% longer, how much is that worth to me?" It's non trivial, but the price of those 10% longer fingers is an increase in price of 85%, so for some people, that's not a great return on a substantially larger investment.

The thumb analogy makes it seem like the less expensive speaker is missing something fundamental. It is not. The less expensive speaker is still a five star dinner, but it is missing (at most) dessert.

 

[totti1965]

It is not 85% better sound, if that is what you are asking.

If you have a perfect subwoofer setup, and use EQ properly, then it is about 10% better. For some people, that 10% is worth a doubling of price. For other people, the increase in price can be better spent elsewhere.

E. g. room treatment. For most people a new, an additional carpet and/or a tapestry would work wonders.

 

[DearSX]

In that analogy it would be more like "if my fingers were each 10% longer, how much is that worth to me?" It's non trivial, but the price of those 10% longer fingers is an increase in price of 85%, so for some people, that's not a great return on a substantially larger investment.

The thumb analogy makes it seem like the less expensive speaker is missing something fundamental. It is not. The less expensive speaker is still a five star dinner, but it is missing (at most) dessert.

To that analogy I would add, do you play sports? Cause 10% longer fingers in basketball can be game changing