Soundstage / High End 2008 / Germany
Standout Room / Best Sound Of Show / Bester Klang der Messe

Another year, another Standout Demo for Ascendo and Behold. We can't remember how many times we've honored these companies, but it's been a few -- more than any others at High End......
This year, Behold and Ascendo were showing two systems (System MS, C8 Renaissance) in the same room -- and both were outstanding......
The second system coupled the Behold Gentle G 192 integrated amplifier with the smaller Ascendo C8 loudspeakers. As for the digital front-end, there was the same transport that was used in the big system, but the DAC and room correction were in the Gentle.
What the systems had in common (besides the digital front-end) was digital room correction that's a collaborative effort between Ascendo and Behold. Ascendo designed it and in years past had a standalone product, but now the company has integrated it with Behold's electronics.
Both systems exhibited great clarity and detail, but what was most impressive was that the bass in both systems was strong, tight, tuneful, and extended, and it displayed virtually none of the room artifacts that we heard in plenty of other displays (bass was more extended with the System M, of course). It sounded in many ways like it was coming from a well-set-up system in a home, which is not the way it usually is with show displays.....
In any case, another year, another Standout Demo for Behold and Ascendo.

http://www.soundstage2.com/avtour2008/he_stand_behold_ascendo.htm

Stereophile Show / Home Entertainment 2007 / New York / System M-S

Greg Petan
I have had heard the Ascendo System M speakers at least 20 times, I was none the less surprised by the level of sophistication and completeness to the sound. Sweet, delicate though impact full when called upon, ……  .As far as the high-end side of the spectrum goes, this was the best sound at the show.

Key Kim
The Laufer Teknik room proved sonically outstanding. Three words kept coming back: transparent, open and natural. The Ascendo M-S loudspeakers were driven by one of the super-advanced Behold BPA768 amplifier and the APU768 preamplifier with their own hi-tech room correction.

Stereophile Show / Home Entertainment 2007 / New York

enjoythemusic.com

System M-S

Must admit that in a show where there was some pretty amazing equipment, this room had my vote as one of the best sounding. Even with all the problems that the rooms had, the system seemed to overcome the issues and give a coherent and sonically pleasing performance.

Soundstage / Denver Show / USA

Standout Room / Best Sound At Show / Bester Klang der Messe

Two Behold BPA768 amps drove a pair of Ascendo System M speakers. Behold's CD-Player or the Nova Physics Memory Player was the source.
The sound was powerful and natural -- authoritative and edgeless -- even at very high volumes.

the absolute sound / 166 Nov. / Jonathan Valin

Von allen Lautsprechern die in den letzten 10 Jahren in meinem Hörraum standen – auch die MBL 101 Es und die MAGICO Minis –mein kleines Hör-Gremium, das alle gehört hat, bevorzugt die ASCENDO System M.
Die ASCENDO System M ist klingt, dynamischer,  detailreicher, naturgetreuer und einnehmender als alles was ich bisher gehört habe.

But of all the speakers that have come through my listening room over the past ten years—including the MBL 101 Es and the MAGICO Minis—my little listening panel, which has heard ’em all, preferred the Ascendo M-S’s.
The Ascendo M-S’s are capable of sounding as beautiful, dynamic, nuanced, lifelike, and engaging as anything I’ve heard.

http://www.theabsolutesound.com

the absolute sound /165 Oct.

"Als einzigartiger Lautsprecher seiner Klasse verbindet die ASCENDO M einen Bändchenhochtöner (der in einem separaten Gehäuse eingebaut ist und eine sinnvolle und präzise Einstellung des Time-Alignments auf Ihre Hörposition ermöglicht) mit einem akustisch bedämpften Mittel- und Tieftontreiber und einem Bandpass, der auf wirkliche 25 Hz hinabsteigt.
Das Aufregende ist, wie gut es gelingt diese verschiedenen Technologien zu vereinen. Die Entwickler konzipierten die Ms in Richtung des Klanges von Elektrostaten wie die Quads: und sie klingen wie Elektrostaten nur mit viel besserem Hochtonbereich, mit viel besserem Bass und mit viel besserer Dynamik."

"The duckbilled platypus of loudspeakers, the ASCENDO M attempts to combine a ribbon tweeter (housed in a separate box that is ingeniously time-aligned to your exact listing position) with an acoustic-suspension mid/woof and a bandpass subwoofer that goes down to a legitimate 25 Hz. The amazing thing is how well it succeeds in mating these disparate technologies. Designer Jürgen Scheuring modelled his Ms on a sound of the Quads, and damned if they don’t sound like Quads, with much better high-end and low, and much better dynamics."

http://www.theabsolutesound.com

System M
Standout Room / Best Sound At Show

Germany's Behold (whose parent company is Ballman Electronica) used Ascendo speakers with their electronics, and the result was an ear-opening demo.
The sound was first-class -- bold, rich, and exquisitely detailed. We were also impressed with the expansive soundstage and hyper-precise imaging -- things we've heard often from systems using Ascendo's time-aligned speaker designs. All in all, this was a technical tour de force high-end system, but one in which all the technology contributed to the inherent emotion of the musical outcome.  

http://www.shows.soundstagelive.com/shows/avtour2006/he_standout_behold.html

Soundstage / High End 2006 München

Show Report

In terms of audio, the large Ascendo System M speakers sounded wonderful in the Ascendo/Audio Aero/CAT room, but down the hall they were also used in a system with the new Behold ADP192 speaker/room correction system, which utilizes an Analog Devices SHARC DSP chip. I can’t say for sure whether Behold’s ADP192 DSP had anything to do with it, but the Ascendo speakers sounded just as good with the Behold electronics as they did with the Audio Aero/CAT electronics, but in a much smaller room

http://www.shows.soundstagelive.com/shows/avtour2006/he_diary_roger.html

Stereo Times / International CES 2006 / System M 

Once again, the Avatar Acoustics room provided a transcendent musical experience. The sound was truly remarkable, especially considering the less than ideal show conditions. It was dynamic and had a three-dimensional soundstage, reproducing a realistic stage width and depth. It gave me this sense of a live concert experience, especially when listening to classical music. The digital front end, the Reimyo CDP777 and the Ascendo System M (with a Chrome stand and black piano lacquer finish) was powered by the CAT JL-3 signature MK II along with the CAT Ultimate Preamplifier. All cabling was Virtual Dynamic’s new remarkable Revelation Signature Series cables. Finally, the room was tuned by the man, himself, Franck Tchang with his magical resonators, tuning feet and component rack 4-tier platform.

http://www.stereotimes.com/CES2006ShowReportKeyKim.shtm

Stereo Times / Best Of Show / International CES 2006

This system was clean and powerful and served the music very well. It included the Ascendo System M-S speakers, the large Convergent Audio Technology JL3 tube monos, CAT SL1 Ultimate Mk-II preamp, and a Reimyo CDP-777 CD player.
This system was extremely gifted at belting out a powerful, full-range presentation. 

http://www.stereotimes.com/ShowReportCES2006Alles2.shtm

Ascendo's System Mmmmm   — By Wes Phillips/Jon Iverson    

Leave it to a bass player. John Atkinson sidled up to Jon Iverson and me last night and said, "Have you heard Ascendo's room yet? It has a bandpass woofer that doesn't sound like a bandpass woofer at all—it sounds good."  

So JI and I dutifully hied us Ascendo-ward first thing this morning and checked out the System M-S, a speaker that mates a decoupled ribbon tweeter that can be manually time-aligned with the bass cabinet, and a semi symmetrical bandpass cabinet sporting an 11" bass driver on the outside and an internal 8.25" driver. Designer Jurgen Scheuring says his SASN technology resolves the control issues of a sealed enclosure and the high group-delay problems of conventional bandpass designs.  

A Raimyo CDP-777, CAT-SL-1 preamp, and CATJL-3SE monoblocks drove the System M-Ses. The bottom end was all that JA promised and the overall sound was full and vigorous. I found the ribbon a tad forward, but the M-S's adjustability means that the tweeter might actually have been a tad forward. Certainly, I had the impression that the M-S was a promising design. Spread the word—and give 'em a listen.

http://blog.stereophile.com/ces2006/010706asc/

Ascendo

One of Marc Mickelson's friends urged us to visit room 1614, which housed a system comprising Ascendo System M speakers, CAT JL-3 Signature mono amplifiers, a CAT Ultimate preamp, a Reimyo CDP-777 CD player, Virtual Dynamic cables, and an Acoustic System rack. We were immediately glad for the referral -- the sound was punchy, exciting and notably transparent. Marc's friend said he "would kill to have this sound at home." Marc reminded him that he could have this system if he cared to write the check.

http://www.shows.soundstagelive.com/shows/ces2006/standout_ascendo.shtml

Ascendo M-S en Vivid Audio K1 loudspeakers auditioned by Jo Mullers and Hans de Ligt 

This spring, at the High End in Münich, I heard both speaker systems that we talk about here. They both sounded promising. The Ascendo M-S could do more than was possible in the small room, but surely the system had potential.
 
The ASCENDO  M-S is really a big loudspeaker. However a big speaker must be able to deliver a big performance. This year I (Jo Mullers) visited the Stereophile show in New York. One of the most successfully demonstrations on this show came out of the room where the little brother of the tested ASCENDO’s (System Z-F3) were positioned. I listened to a “soundstage” that was much wider than i had known before and where the different musicians were playing with much credibility. Such a big ”stage” i know only from the Wilson Watt Puppy in their most ideal setup. The exhibitors in New York did not put up the big system M-S in the room. But we have done it:
 
Change of gear
That is why i changed equipment. We connected a two times 600 watt power amp (behold BPA768) and digital pre-amp (behold APU768) that is also discussed in a test on page 21. As the pre-amp is fully digital, we hooked up the source on the digital input. A high-end cd-transport was quickly found, and formed a perfect <i>match<i>. De Chord Blu was the transport chosen and the behold pre-amp performed an up sampling to 768 kHz. The resulting set combined a sea of detail with speed, power and ease of listening. The gates of the audio-walhalla opened itself for me at last. The bass roared and cracked with power and control. Details in the bass-riffs were revealed neatly and a wide  “soundstage” became my new panorama. The speaker appeared, despite is size, to just disappear and the music could run freely. Orchestra’s sounded through the room at live levels without any form of compression. And that you can never realise with a small system. The decay of tones was a pleasure to listen to and the high tones provided a constant discovery journey. And only now, my dear reader, I was left satisfied.
 
Note
This is a loudspeaker that wants to be spoiled. It can sound perfect, but you have to fullfill some conditions: a large room with good acoustics and a big amplifier. As regards to acoustics, as a conclusion it is interesting that the producer has its own software program to measure your room, and the importer can do this at your home.
 
Summary
Both the enormous Ascendo M-S and also the Vivid Audio K1 knew to charm us in the end. Immediately this is what we want to tell you: these are large systems that can not be connected like one-two-three and play.  You need to invest time to carefully install them, and also the connected electronics needs carefully attention. Above all its must be of the highest class, as both speaker systems are merciless. Also your listening room must be able to handle loudspeakers of this size. A room of 45 sq. meters that we used is a bit modest, for both speakers. If you can meet these requirements, and you don’t have the best yet, don’t hesitate to have these boys into your house and ask for a demonstration.   

Wonderful sounds were to be heard in the Ascendo/Convergent Audio Technology room as well. Ascendo makes some of my favorite speakers and they were in at least two other rooms that I counted (Zanden and Virtual Dynamics). Hearing their speakers being driven by the spectacular CAT JL-2 amplifiers was an awesome treat.

Ascendo's System M speakers put on quite a show in the room they shared with Convergent Audio Technology electronics. Driven by CAT JL-3 mono triode amplifiers and fed by a CAT Ultimate Mk II preamp and Reimyo CDP-777 CD player, the Ascendos slammed out deep bass and produced a wide, very deep soundstage at seriously loud levels, while remaining edge-free and relaxing. We listened to this system a few times -- it was an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the CES.

Soundstage / CES 2005 / Show Report / System M

Convergent Audio Technology JL3 monoblock amplifiers drove Ascendo's System M loudspeakers to extremely good effect. We loved the very liquid midrange and were surprised by the deep, energetic bass that made an Ani DiFranco cut positively jump to life.

Ultraaudio / CES 2005 / Show Report / System M

1) It was truly a pleasure to get another shot at listening to Ascendo speakers, as the loss of the System Z-f3s, which I reviewed on SoundStage! earlier this year, cut me to the bone. This year Ascendo was showing the System M, which is the System Z-f3's big brother. Powered by the 150Wpc CAT JL-3 triode monoblocks, a CAT Ultimate Mk II preamplifier and a Reimyo CDP-777 CD player, the System M trounced my memories of the System Z-f3. There's something about the Ascendo ribbon tweeter that makes extended listening at elevated levels an absolute treat. The tubed CAT electronics no doubt contributed to the stunning midrange, which was incredibly detailed and yet remained creamy and edge-free at the same time.
2) The System M loudspeakers sounded better each day I heard them. Driven by CAT amplification, the System M speakers were possessed of an organic integrity that I just loved. Although this system was housed in a fairly large room, it energized the space with a well-focused bottom end and a smooth top that imaged superbly.

6Moon / CES 2005 / Show Report / System M

Another room with large-scale sound was the combination of Reimyo/Harmonix CDP, the humongous CAT monos and the German Ascendo speakers now distributed by Darren Censullo of Avatar Acoustics. Long since a favorite with Yamada-San of Zanden Audio (whose own room used a smaller Ascendo speaker model), this German speaker line benefits from ribbon tweeters, proprietary bass loading and adjustable time alignment. In combination, these ingredients clearly operate at a very high level.

Stereo Times / CES 2005 / System M

The Ascendo System M flanked by a beautiful pair of CAT JL-3 monblocks was eye-catching to say the least. Centered on a Sistrum platform was the legendary CAT Ultimate pre and the up and coming Harmonix Reimyo CD Player.
The room proved to excel dynamically while never relinquishing its luscious midrange and wonderfully open soundstage (tubes? you bet!). Now the System M loudspeaker is a show-stopper based on its exotic stand and hovering tweeter section. I personally own a pair of System Ms and find their sound quite remarkable when paired with Schultz's new top-of-the line VD Revelation Series cables.

stereotimes / Mai 2004 / USA / System M (MKII)

The Ascendo System (M)agic Loudspeaker

1. Ma-gic. The art that purports to control or forecast natural events, effects, or forces by invoking the supernatural.
2. The practice of using Ascendo System M loudspeakers to attempt to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature.
3 The exercise of sleight of hand or conjuring for entertainment

….. Three dimensional bass is not some figment of imagination but one measure of what is possible when engineering and science are joined in a firm handshake. I think there was a lot of handshaking going on at Ascendo when you consider the integration of the crossover network and three drivers. This integration sounds flawless to my ears, and the TacT equipment is able to weave its magic completely in the digital realm, through both its room correction preamp and D/A conversion, before the signal is rendered analogue. In theoretical terms, this is supposed to be the best of what is possible via the digital approach. And to my ears it very well may be.

….. But this is the high-end, whose very name bespeaks grandeur, pomposity and very large piles of greenbacks. And the System M has been appointed high-end, in the truest sense of the word, by virtually everyone who has heard it.
….. In terms of performance the Ascendo System M resides as the most musically satisfying loudspeakers to have graced my listening room. It hasn’t skipped a beat no matter the musical venue, electronics or digital format. As a matter of fact, the Ascendo System M seems to crave high resolution devices. Case in point: Alex Paychev’s modified Philips 1000 SACD player is a case in point. Playing SACD’s through this machine opened greater possibilities for both SACD as well as what this very capable loudspeaker is MORE capable of. Certainly there’s going to be something to replace the Ascendos as technology continues to move forward. But I must state that this is one that may go down as an ageless classic, like the Infinity RS1B’s, the Maggie Tympanies’, and the Quad ESL’s have. The Ascendo System M certainly has earned my highest accolades.

stereotimes / April 2004 / USA

Publisher’s Choice! Award ASCENDO System M (MKII) "Most Wanted" Component 2004

Soundstage Juli 2003 / USA / Test System M (MKII)

Sound
"Luscious, sleek, and pleasing to the ear," yet "communicates the smallest of details with less intrusion than any other loudspeaker [John has heard]"; "the highs were always in character with the mids -- detailed, nuanced and delicate, but never offensive, steely, or harsh"; "take it from a bass lover -- the Ascendo System M’s invisible woofers delivered wonderful bass."
The System M is discreet enough with its virtues that I didn’t fully appreciate them until the speakers became a part of my daily regimen. By setting a new standard for spatial resolution and musical insight, they are the most genuine and refined loudspeakers to ever inhabit my room. I will hate to see them go.

When Jeff "I need a subwoofer with a driver 18" or larger" Fritz is impressed with low-end response from a speaker system, you have to take notice. Doug Schneider did, and both concurred that this system, based on Ascendo's top-of-the-line System M loudspeakers and their DASK-V room-correction processor, was a real standout. The bass was jaw-droppingly deep and had impact that could be felt. The midrange and high frequencies were clear and exceedingly well defined.

Audiophile 3/99 Test System M (MKI) + DASK (MKI)

Zuerst aber musste die System M ohne digitale Hilfe zeigen, was in ihm steckt. Und das war von den ersten Tönen schlichtweg so umwerfend, dass es mir den Atem verschlug. Die ASCEDO spielte von Anfang an so homogen, dass ich zunächst glaubte, einen reinrassigen Zwei-Wege-Lautprecher, wie er von vielen Audiophilen bevorzugt wird , vor mir zu haben. Erst die Mühelosigkeit, mit der die ASCENDO auch bei gewaltigen Crescendo-Einsätzen eines Orchesters noch feinste dynamische Änderungen nachvollzog, ließ mich im Verlauf dieser ersten Hörsession immer mehr an Augen und Ohren zweifeln und machte mich so auf die Existenz des im Gehäuse –Inneren arbeitenden Tieftöners aufmerksam. .... Diese Lebendigkeit,mit der das System M in jedem Frequenz- und Lautstärkebereich feinste Details der Musik offenbarte, erzeugte nicht nur bei mir eine Gänsehaut. Auch Joachim Pfeiffer, der nun wirklich an allen High-End-Zuckerln dieser Welt naschen durfte und somit als Prototyp des abgebrühten HiFi-Journalisten gelten mag, verlor während der ersten Hörsession kurzfristig seine Sprache. Um solches zu bewirken , mussten sich natürlich auch Räumlichkeit, Musikalität und Homogenität auf absolut standesgemäßen Niveau befinden, denn jeder kleiner Fehler hätte die vom System M geschaffene Illusion wie ein Kartenhaus in sich zusammenfallen lassen.
Was sollte da noch zu verbessern sein, war die Frage, die sich mir unwillkürlich aufdrängte.
Die war mit DASK in Stellung „ASCENDO-Optimierung“ schnell beantwortet. Trugen schon ohne DASK Korpus und Saiten eines akustischen Basses zum Gesamtklangbild bei, bewirkte die Entzerrung eine zusätzliche Fokusierung, vergleichbar den letzten Graden beim Scharfstellen eines Teleobjektivs. ....Auch Stimmen profitierten klar nachvollziehbar von der Entzerrung.
Was der ASCENDO DASK unter ungünstigeren Bedingungen als im optimierten AUDIO-Hörraum oder an weniger guten Schallwandlern zu leisten vermag, kann ich an dieser Stelle nur vermuten.
"Lautsprecher und Raumkorrektur-Prozessor sind auch getrennt einsetzbar und markieren für ihren Preis das klanglich und technisch Machbare. Zusammen sind sie ein Traum."

The British Audio Jounal 7/8 1999 (show report)

" of why this hugely over-engineered Ascendo loudspeaker had a structure that resembled part of the Forth Road Bridge acting as the gantry that supports the Philips tweeter enclosure. Clearly, that's a very energetic high-frequency drive unit they're using."