Ascendo C8 Renaissance

"...The C8 has what I consider perfect mid frequency delicacy. With time, as the midrange just kept getting better and better, the highs blended with the midrange in that seldom understood time/phase/coherency manner often written about. This sonic invisible blend resulted in a very wide and holographic three-dimensional soundstage with an incredibly natural feel..." - StereoTimes.com

Sixmoons Review
Stereo Times Review

The Ascendo Model C8 is a minimalist looking loudspeaker that houses brilliant, innovative design and understated European craftsmanship. You wouldn't know at first glance that there are 4 drivers incorporated into each loudspeaker. The C8 Renaissance brings the benefits of an omnidirectional point-source loudspeaker together with the extended bandwidth fidelity of Ascendo's patented SASB Technology.

The result is a impeccable, homogenous tonality that doesn't draw attention to itself, but to the music. So astounding is the soundstaging of the C8 that Fairaudio.de reviewer (as translated by Sixmoons.com ) said:

" ...there is one aspect that's spectacular. Soundstaging. How the Ascendo C8 beams the performance stage into my living room is among the very best I've yet experienced..."

C8 Bass
Bass is extremely low and tuneful. This is accomplished using an internally mounted 21cm Kevlar woofer in bandpass design. It communicates with the outside world via the port centered on the front baffle.

The Rear Firing Tweeter
The conception of C8 Renaissance utilizes a switchable rear firing TOS-Unit that operates above 2200 Hz. This unit optimises spectral inhomogeneous decay times: The system offers two complementary modes of operation: a hemisphere mode and a dipole-mode. With these features C8 Renaissance realises a wider scope of applications than other systems. The reproduction is outstanding in any case.

The C8 Stand
The C8's 18cm high stand terminates in slightly rounded-over spikes to couple to the floor without damaging it. The contact surface between the speaker and stand sports five circular indents which receive heavy rubber pucks that fit into corresponding recesses on the speaker's bottom. This does 2 things, 1.) aligns the speaker perfectly and solidly with the stand, and 2.) decouples the speaker from stand while remaining vibrations making it past the rubber pucks are grounded into the floor. The interface tolerances are tight, and if you look closely, kneeling to make it out, the speaker actually floats above its footer.

"...As monitor, she eschews showiness in favor of correctness. Extremely transparent and unassailably certain, she performs her job without fuss, on the money and without self importance. I quite believe that the Ascendo C8 is bound for classic status. ..."

Features:

• Authentic music reproduction and three dimensional spaciousness due to perfect impulse response.
• Extremely fast and deep bass reproduction with high dynamic due to patented SASB Technology.
• Efficient cutt-off with high phase neutrality due to complex filter design.
• Switchable diversity:
  • A Hemisphere: One-Point-Source with homogenous hemisphere diversity.
  • B Dipole: 4-way dipole diversity with TOS-unit
• Superior isolation from floor with stands that decouple the speaker and ground remaining vibrations to the floor.

Ascendo web site