System edited: Get rid of the mirror behind the speakers. replaced the audio agile clear 3f with the vibex + reference filter. Also added the Esp Essence power chord to the vibex filter. Never knew how much power connections could do, I like it !!
In short, the Shakti Hallograph Soundfield Optimizer focuses the soundstage and makes images more 3D, and more life-like. The rfa 78i devices have the effect of sucking the distortion out of the soundstage. Collectively they have the effect you get when you perfectly tune-in a radio station.
Before the forsell i had a ensemble combination (dichrono+dac). The forsell is much more like analog in combination with the jadis js2. No i never had problems with it, there's a cdm-9 pro in it.
I've seen that you are using Shakti Hallograph Soundfield Optimizer and the rfa 78i devices, can you tell me more about it ?
Congratulations on a great system. Could you please tell me how the Forsell Air Reference CD Transport compares to other transports that you have owned? Have you ever had any problems with it?
Sorry to chime in,at this point,but the Ascents were accused of not having deep bass,at the time they were being marketed.With careful attention to amp/pre,and a good room,using todays electronics(back then,even line conditions wasn't attended to all that much)the bass is absolutely superb.No it won't plumb to 20 hz,but you would'nt get their "magic",with such bass,in a one cabinet design.I added a REL Stentor,and cross over at 24 hz.Trust me(or don't),The staging and impact,with deep powerful bass,leaves NOTHING out.
The Cat has very much 'power' it mates well, Cat is neutral, strong point of the Avalons are their midrange. The combination works very well. Most speakers i heard are to much hi-fi, i'm looking for music, look at the comments of sir speedy (his english is better than mine ;-)
People say often that the Avalon Ascents lacks deep bass, i think it has to do with the combination from the amplifier, I don't need more bass.
Tweaking of a system i very important, you can get the last %, one thing i wan't to do is room acoustics (i overlooked it a little bit).
Your system is very nice! I had in the past also the Apogee Full Range, one of the best speakers i heard.
Once again, a cool system. I am intriugued by Avalon speakers. Do they mate well with the Cat? Do they go deep down in bass? How would you comapre your Ascents to Radians or Eidolons?
I don't have it,in digital form.It's a hard bound book,worthy of a coffee table,next to 200 dollar art books.It has VOLUMES of information,regarding different speaker designs,room placement,and differing bass designs,as well as room treatment.It verifies,with extensive scientific(and logical)documentation,how the design of the Ascent is more accurate,than other design types.Based upon the info supplied,this should be just as valid in today's market.I STRONGLY urge you to see if you can buy one from Avalon.It is a REAL eye opener,and will educate you,as well.I doubt they offer it with the newer designs,as they have moved to ported designs.Something the original manual stresses is totally inaccurate.I probably seem as though I'm some "NUT" who simply likes what I own.Not the case ,actually,as I ONLY hold onto these gems because they are one of the best speakers I've ever heard.I've heard about ALL competing designs,TOO!!(BTW--I've been at this hobby 38 years)
you can download manuals form the website of Avalon. There is no specific manual for the Ascendant, but you can download the manual for the Opus speaker. Might work for you!!. See: http://www.avalonacoustics.com/support.html regards/groeten,
Robertje,glad you responded,as I was beginning to think you didn't check your site.I don't want you to believe that I'm rationalizing how great a speaker these can be,when properly set up,but they are amazing.They have improved with age,and to my way of seeing things,are simply fantastic,regardless of price.They are EXTREMELY sensitive to set-up,though,and can sound "so-so" if not really tuned to the system,and room.If you are sitting just in front of a wall,it should not be reflective.However if you can manage another foot out into the room(moving speakers,further out),you will be rewarded with a deeper stage,and better detail.Even if you wind up sitting a bit closer,these are designed to sound superb in nearfield,as well as farfield,as long as you follow the wall to speaker settings,described in the owners manual.This is very important!!I have had my speakers out in three different distance positions,and the further out the better.I am out 8.5 feet from back wall(to front of speaker.The stage thrown is so good(I've previously owned many high end designs)that I would never sell these speakers,as long as I stay in the current room!!
You can't see it on the pictures but i removed the coverings of the speaker about a month ago, felt stayed in place (never remove this) a great improvement. This week i will try to remove them more from the wall (but i sit at the back of the wall about 8 feet from the speakers)
Last saturday i placed duende creature tube dampers on the jadis convertor. The last improvements over the last month seems to increase the resulution very much, becomes much more natural.
Regarding dynamics, the first time I had the avalons they seems to be dynamically not the best, but what i hear now they are very good, like you said it comes all from so few drivers.
Robertje,you can get a significant increase in detail and transparency by removing the coverings over the drivers.Not the felt,as this must be left in place.I sprayed my felt,very lightly,with black spray paint.Looks great.The drivers should definitely be exposed,with felt in place,for best results.You will be shocked,as to this improvement.
Robertje,as an extremely happy owner of the Ascent mk-2's,housing them in a dedicated room,I can guarantee you a far better soundstage,as well as detail retrieval,if you can manage to bring them out further into the room.Better bass too,if you can believe it.I have had my speakers in three different distance/locations,and they literally, "almost",sound like a omni design,as mine are 8.5 feet out,into a 22 foot room.Avalon,themselves,have told me they'd like to see them out another foot!!When I read about other(fine)designs staging better than anything the particular reviewer has heard,I always have a good laugh.My take is that the Ascents could not sell as well as the newer ported(yet fine,btw)product line,due to the huge external crossovers(WAF here),and the need to be tri-wired,for best results.BTW-I read the owner's manual yearly,as it's arguments,regarding other designer choices,and the "original Avalon" approach,really stands the test of time.Very informative stuff,in that manual!Anyone selling these speakers,IMO,for a competing design,so long as the room wasn't too large,really threw away money.I don't even have to tell you about old world cabinet making,as you surely know this.What a complete design,even in today's market.I assume these would sell for upwards of 35 thou,if currently made,and imagine if they were made in Europe.You'd then be able to add 50% more to that figure.I have heard the Eidolon(the Ascent is every bit as detailed,yet has a more natural timbral spectrum IMO),and felt the Ascents were/are a superior design.Just the fact that the design is an easy load on an amp,is enough to win this argument,as that aspect is HUGE,when equating performance.When you factor in massive construction(160 lbs more mass,than Eidolon),seperate crossover(huge advantage),and sealed enclosure(better bass pitch definition,than a port),along with a system that took 4 Avalon employees two weeks to make one pair(back then),by hand,you can see why it is NOT rationalizing for an owner to keep these HEIRLOOM quality built gems.I have heard almost all of Kharma's offerings,as well as JM Lab,and the other usual suspects(all fine stuff),yet I keep thinking that I'd be wasting time to move to another design,unless I changed to a very large listening space.
I would like to ask you if you play your set-up fairly loudly?I used to think these speakers were somewhat limited dynamically,yet have found that it was the partnering equipment.They now give a sense of rediculously good dynamics,as my partnering equipment has greatly improved.This really surprised me,in that I've been at this hobby a long time,and never would have believed so few drivers could move that much air.I guess this is where the manual's mention of room loading(as well as good electronics)comes into play.But I'm still impressed.
Robertjie, try the symposium rollerblocks (series 2+) under your components for isolation.
I have the goldmund cones, the isoclean teflon/steel cones and have replaced them all with symposium rollerblocks ... the difference is not small! ... the best isolation I've come across ... by far.
