A short two weeks after the ASCENDO 28” Pro-Passive Squared Subwoofer’s launch event at AV DESIGNS (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD (article of the launch event available here), I was invited for a private listening session to it where it was coupled to a stereo system, consisted of the INNUOS ZENITH NG Server/ Streamer (just reviewed here), BRYSTON pre and power amp, a pair of mid sized PMC loudspeakers (yet to be launched), and wired entirely by WYWIRES DIAMOND series cables (all the said audio brands represented by AV DESIGNS).
In short, the ASCENDO 28” was an Infrasonic cum Kicker subwoofer that could go as low as Single Digit Frequencies and up to 600 Hz linear, and handles over 40,000W of power without compression. According to ASCENDO, they have “harnessed an immense amount of power in the motor structure, gave it the muscle needed to accelerate the cone, motor mass, and coupled air mass with lightning speed. It was a subwoofer that produced a perfect planar wave front, with high efficiency, ultra-high-power handling, and very low system Q“.
It was shared that the ASCENDO 28” Pro-Passive Squared subwoofer was instigated from a conversation with Trinnov CEO Mr.Arnaud Laborie, to push the ‘Boundaries of Performance‘ of the subwoofer within the ‘confinement of space‘. To answer that, the ASCENDO developed a 28” Composite Sandwich Cone (the cone area equivalent to a 32” round subwoofer), built from Multiple Layers of Rohacell.
Whether it was for Trinnov WaveForming, Dirac ART, Double Bass Arrays, or Single Bass Arrays (perfect coupling for bass array systems with control up to 120Hz), the ASCENDO 28” Pro-Passive Squared subwoofer was designed to deliver the Highest Output (from the lows of Single Digit Infrasonic frequencies to the upper frequencies of being the Ultimate Kicker subwoofer!) while occupying the Minimal Space, and within a Space-Conscious home theater setups,…only at the retail price of Ringgit Malaysia RM108,000 per unit subwoofer…excluding the necessary ASCENDO DSP4-10K2 amplifier (and/ or with the DSP-4D: AIA2-10K2 IS), for optimum performance (the above excerpt was taken from the ASCENDO 28” launch event article).
WHAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE?
The listening session was conducted by none other than, Mr.JoKi and Mr.James Tan. They spent some time explaining the audio system used, and the setting used for the ASCENDO 28“. In simple term, the main loudspeakers which were the said PMC were allowed to go its specified full bandwidth, and that the ASCENDO 28” was set to couple with the main loudspeakers at their lowest frequencies range (in room response around 35Hz).
In other words, the ASCENDO 28” only came in at the low(er) frequencies, therefore left the said PMC loudspeakers to handle their intended full bandwidth,…so the following descriptions of the aural presentation were partly contributed by the said PMC.
I preferred to start off the review with the simplest form of music (eventhough that listening session was not conducted in the following order…preferred to follow how my mind worketh). At the track ‘Crystal Ball‘, I was surprised and amazed that even with the addition of the ASCENDO 28” that Mrs.Carolin Obieglo‘s…
“unmistakably clear yet soft voice” was Unperturbed even in the Slightest.
In addition, both Mrs.Obieglo‘s vocalisation and Mr.Andreas Obieglo‘s instrumentation…
were given Density, Dimension, Palpability, Weight and thus Presence.
Here, at the first track ‘Introduction‘, the orchestra presentation started ‘Soft‘ (and unintrusive) but Articulated,…
with Clear Delineation, Distinction and Individuality of Instrumentation,
…behind an…
Eerily Dark/ Black Background of the recording venue,
…and then came…
the Distinct Vocalisation from the leading Soprano…
within that eerily dark/ black background.
At that moment, I did not sense or feel any ‘out of the norm’ or ‘supposedly voluptuous bass‘ from the ASCENDO 28“,…(how was that?)…then I requested to listen to the same track again but without the activation of the ASCENDO 28“,…that comparison made me realised that the ASCENDO 28” contributed to the above mentioned attributes of the total aural presentation.
Here, at the track ‘BIZET: CARMEN Ent’racte‘, the subtle lower frequencies backed by the ASCENDO 28” managed to maintain and sustain…
the Stability and the Anchorage of the orchestra presentation, in its Entirety.
Then at the track ‘STRAVINSKY: The Royal March‘, where the ASCENDO 28” has given each instrument…
the necessary Reinforcement at its Fundamental and Weight…
(especially at the Lower Frequencies), thus contributed to…
the entire music’s Energy, Vitality, Liveliness and ultimately its Rhythm.
At the track ‘Crown Imperial‘, the addition of ASCENDO 28” with the said PMC managed to present…
the Scale, Granduer, Height, Depth and Weight of an Orchestra,…
that I exclaimed there and then that the aural presentation reminiscented the PMC‘s Flagship and Tallish FENESTRIA loudspeakers.
In addition, I was pretty sure that the said PMC loudspeakers, ‘good as they were‘, were not able (or even designed) to deliver…
that amount of Articulated Dynamic, Power and Transient…
especially at the volume that I was listening then,…without the addition of the ASCENDO 28” (in all fairness, we were playing at almost extreme level, beyond the expected/ intended specification of the said PMC).
The same could be said that without the addition of the ASCENDO 28” to the said PMC loudspeakers, the low notes from the Church Organ, ‘infamously difficult to reproduce‘, could not be reproduced.
Here, the addition of the ASCENDO 28” not only able to reproduce those Church Organ’s infamous low(est) notes…
but with Accuracy, Articulation, Sustainability and in Fullness.
Here, they played one of my favorite test track ‘HAWAII 5-O‘, I confessed that I was ‘dumbfounded‘ and more so when I looked at the said PMC loudspeakers, in front of me…
(‘forgotten‘ that there was the ASCENDO 28” behind me!)
The aural presentation was Clean, Articulated, Fast with Good PRaT, Tangible, Weighted, Anchored, Expressive, Dynamic, Energetic, Exciting…
and (most importantly) Entertaining.
UNDENIABLY WANTING!
I need to clarify the above heading, “‘forgotten‘ that there was the ASCENDO 28” behind me”,…the coupling between the said PMC loudspeakers with the ASCENDO 28” was calibrated accurately and worked seemlessly,…by the team at AV DESIGNS,…that I was not conscious of the audible presence of the ASCENDO 28” (though ‘sizable’ behind me).
However, its Attributes and Contribution to the total aural presentation of the said PMC loudspeakers were Undeniably Obvious and Unmistakable!
That listening session reinforced my belief in the importance of including the Infrasonic Subwoofer(s) to ‘support‘ and ‘reinforce‘ the ‘audio performance‘ of even the Most Expensive and Capable Ultra-End Behemoth Loudspeakers.
TECHNICAL DATA.
| Speaker type | 28″ forward-firing, advanced carbon rohacell composite sandwich flat panel cone, neodymium motors with quad 4” ultra-high-temperature voice-coil |
| Xmax | 22mm Xmax excursion each direction (44 mm linear), voice coil remaining in homogeneous magnetic field |
| Passive | Active | Passive |
| Recommended amplifiers | 1Ch Amplifier is required. Min. recommended amplifier: 141 Vrms, 200 Vpk, 17.7 A; equivalent to 2500W@8 Ohm, up to 450V Peak. Other configuration can be 2 x 4 Ohms with 2 x 250V Peak (2 x 178V RMS) |
| Recommended ASCENDO amplifiers | (With DSP-4D: AIA2-10K2 IS), DSP4-10K2 |
| Principle | Sealed |
| SPL (Peak / half space 2pi) | Measurement data 140 dB @80 Hz and up 123 dB @ 20Hz 100 dB @ 11Hz Please refer to our measurement report for more details |
| Frequency range | Measurement data (without DSP) 38 Hz – 640 Hz / -10 dB |
| Efficiency | 91.8 dB / 1W/m 4 pi, 97.8 dB / 1W/m 2 |
| Power handling | 30kW Peak |
| Impedance | 4 Ω |
| Air volume displacement | 11.7 L / 713 cu in comparison 18″ standard cinema subwoofer 1,1 L |
| Directivity horizontal x vertical in Deg° | 360° |
| Input terminal | 4-conductor Phoenix 10 AWG (5,26 mm²) |
| Enclosure | Internally braced MDF |
| Width | 37,80 ” | 800 mm |
| Height | 39,37 ” | 1000 mm |
| Height with feet | 39,96 ” | 1015 mm |
| Depth without grill | 11,81 ” | 300 mm |
| Weight | 308,65 lbs | 140 kg |
| Finish | Satin matte black |
Technical modifications subject to change without further notice