El Hefe HiFi Reviews: ASCENDO

Showing posts with label ASCENDO. Show all posts

Saturday, 15 February 2025

ASCENDO Infrasonic Multi Sub in AV Designs

I have been using ASCENDO subwoofer, surround and ATMOS speakers for a few years now. It blends well into my PMC LCR speakers and ARCAM AV. receiver. However, my 5.1.2 HT set up is not ideal to fully experience ASCENDO capabilities.

On 15th Feb, I spent a few hours with James Tan in AV Designs to explore the ASCENDO set up and really experience what it can do. The main HT room is equipped with a 24" infrasonic sub alongside the other ASCENDO speakers. Mind you, the AVR was a JBL but still the set up was amazing. James and his team have been tweaking the set up and it was a vast improvement compared to my previous visit many months ago.

Playing movies like A Quite Place and 13 Hours brought out the grunt and hard hiting bass from this set up without loosing any clarity from the LCR speakers. It provided a very engaging and enveloping, non-directional experience of bass extension. Can really experience how a bullet shot sounds like.

What really impresses me was when it was put on a 2 channel demo. In this drum video, the amount bass that comes out of this set up can make any drummers start to tap their feet. Deep, cohesive and fast sounding to keep up with the drummer playing pattern.

To have a room like AV Designs show room would be a dream. I may just settle with adding more subs to my set up 😬😬

Do visit Audio Visual Designs to experience what I experienced here. Ask for a demo today!

Friday, 24 December 2021

ARCAM, JBL, ASCENDO Galore in AV Designs

It has been more than 1 years since my last visit to AV Designs. So, when I had the day off on Xmas eve, I did not miss the chance to visit and get updated with their latest set up and offerings. In the past 1 year, AV Designs have brought in a number of new names under their belt - ARCAM, Lexicon, JBL, ASCENDO etc.

SET UP 1

In the smaller HT room, AV Designs have set up a 5.5.2 speaker configurations using JBL HDI-3800 fronts, HDI-4500 centre speakers, ASCENDO CCM5-P surround and ATMOS speakers and SV12 subs. All driven by ARCAM FMJ AVR.

I was entertained by 5.5.2 and 5.3.2 settings and I prefer the latter as it provided a more relaxing but still punchy experience. The ported ASCENDO SV12 subs provides a more extensive low frequency but hard hitting bass is not its forte. This is actually my preference as I get uncomfortable if the bass is a really hard hitting physically.

My main amazement came from the fronts HDI 3800 fronts. Looking at the top horns on them, I was worried that it would be too sharp on my ears especially during blasting of movie tracks. However, to my surprise, the speakers did not sound 'horny' at all. Very musical in fact when playing concert movies.

The second part is the ASCENDO surround speakers. The unique design disperse the effects in all direction, providing a more realistic surround ambient as oppose to a unidirectional sound form the unit itself.

All of these were driven by an ARCAM FMJ AVR (no longer in production but wait for my review of the AVR20).

SET UP 2

In the main room, a 7.7.4 set up was the main highlight of my visit there. With PMC remains as the LCR speakers, the subs were 4 units ASCENDO SMS G18, 1 unit of SMSG24 and 2 units of SMSG15 and the surround and ATMOS speakers are ASCENDO CCRM6P. All were driven by the JBL Synthesis SDP55 processor and PMC Active amps (LCR) and Bryston power amps.

I have seen the evolution of this room ever since AV Designs was in Rohas Perkasa. Many different speakers and AVR were installed previously but I must say, this is the best set up I have experience in this particular room thus far. With the calibration done properly, the ambient of any movies played through this set up is so natural that I felt like there live sounds around me and not coming from any speakers. (Refer to El Hefe HiFi Review Facebook for video samples)

SET UP 3

The open area hosts a number of new speakers and hifi equipment. I was particularly attracted to the newly opened, Limited Edition for Malaysia and Singapore only, Falcon Acoustics Maida Vale speakers. Only 10 units in the shop now with total 50 units only to be produced.

There was also the huge JBL Model 4349 Studio Monitor on static display and also ARCAM ST60 streamer being played through PMC Cor amp and PMC Fact 12. Of course, I cant resist but to take home the streamer for a review.