Dato Danon Han who is no stranger in the elite audiophile circle has graciously taken the time to host a rare private listening session. The event hosting various members of the local audiophile community were conducted in his personal abode, which showcases an already amazing collection of audiophile history. But the main purpose was to showcase something else, something really huge!
Ascendo’s most memorable claim to fame is its gargantuan subwoofers. On multiple instances I have covered their products, with each session seeing the woofer size increase steadily. This time, I finally bore witness to a subwoofer which is larger than I am. A 64-inch behemoth, which weighs in at a whopping 160Kg, and that’s just the driver. The total weight, cabinet included is a back breaking 300 kg! This is the first of its kind EVER, in South-East Asia. The AV Designs team which is responsible for bringing in this beast was also the ones who delivered it and setup the beast.
At first, I took a good 10 minutes to just process the sheer size and dimensionality of the sub. It takes time for most if not everyone to really accept that such a large woofer is even real. In fact, many that walked into the listening room mistook the cabinet for a cupboard. It was only after a fellow audiophile and photographer Felix placed a light at the foot of the cabinet that we could all really digest the beast.
Dato Danon then kickstarted the event with a selection of music to showcase the nuance and impact that the sub plays within each track. The list which was done in an A/B approach, A without the sub and B with it, was done with the same track. The switching allowed the audience to hear and feel for themselves the difference.
Interestingly, the word impact that I used, can be misleading. The sub didn’t introduce a weight or punch, but what it did was create an ambience or environment to the song. A feeling so to speak that was clearly missing with the sub turned off. Songs developed more character especially in finer details, like harmonics. Even when notes are struck, the immediate attack comes in with energy and drive, followed by the subsequent decay which was clean and clear all the way to the fade out. Even the environment details from the recording are introduced to a degree creating an “in the moment” feel.
This is a sub that creates a “complete” picture as pointed out by Felix who was listening along with all of us, and I couldn’t agree more. There was a sense of presence introduced which felt tangible through every track, one that vanishes the moment the sub is not in the chain. I was already convinced at this point, but then we moved on to AV experience.
Switching between a list of crowd pleasing favourites, the immediate difference felt was the sheer mass of impact which was not heard but felt. The sub added a new dimension to the movie watching experience, one you feel with your body. The even more amazing bit, is watching the pistonic action of the woofer, which is just like any sub. If you ignore its size, the driver movement looks like any fast and dynamic subs, which at this immense size, is astonishing.
It’s that speed that translates beautifully into the experience. Typically, as subs get larger, they tend to become sluggish and bloated in nature. The Ascendo The 64 Sub Pro Passive doesn’t suffer at all from this. This is something that Geoffrey from Ascendo explained, where the use of correct engineering is applied to solve real physics challenges. From scaling the size of the drivers, to use of specialised materials to the introduction of immense power needed to move and control these behemoths, no stone was left unturned in the pursuit of quality sound.
We even conducted a test tone frequency at 2 Hz to experience the sub’s ability to output these subterranean infrasonic numbers at levels which no sub I know off can achieve. The magic is not only in its ability to reach these depths, but to sustain it at high levels. These are subs that honestly can be measured in Richter scale at this point! But jokes aside, it was truly an amazing and memorable experience to be able to spend time with amazing people and equipment.
Granted equipment of this nature are exotic and out of reach for most common audiophiles, myself included. But this does also open the doors to a new frontier of sound. One that I am sure with the progression of time and engineering, will start to trickle down into different tiers. The most important bit, is bringing forward the importance of infrasonic information in the mix for both movies and music, as well as its importance in delivering a more accurate and enjoyable experience.
I would personally like to thank Dato Danon for hosting us and congratulate him on his new addition. Geoffrey Heinzel from Ascendo for personally taking the time to come down, explain and share the experience with us. Audiophile stalwart Jo Ki for walking us through some of the details of the listening session. And finally, James and Tony along with the AV Designs team for all the hard work put in to get the system setup and good to go.
For more on the Ascendo range of products or to experience it yourself, please call AV Designs at 03-62411237
