Good things come to those who wait. 3 weeks always seems like 3 months when you have to wait, especially when it is a new pair of loudspeakers.
Finally, the call came – our new OePhi Ascendance 2.5 floor standing loudspeakers are here and ready to go.
To an Audiophile, there are few greater pleasures, than that new speaker smell as you carefully unbox and connect the cables for the first time.
We chose the Walnut finish, a lovely deep grain that changes in the light, from dark matt to gloss depending on the lighting and the angle you are looking from. Physically, they are a very easy speaker to manage, weighing in at 20kg, and not overbearing, they slotted easily into my room without dominating physically.
A couple of pointers: the base section is by design loose – this is the built-in decoupling system, a clever design to manage unwanted energy within the cabinets. The loudspeaker terminals are made of solid (soft) copper, so care is taken not to over tighten the connections or snag the cables. This is more important as the crossover components are directly coupled to the binding posts for ultimate performance. Spikes installed and cables connected, I positioned the speakers 80 cm from the side walls and the same from the rear wall. This is a good starting point in my room and fine for the first 20 hours of running in. Then it was time to be patient again – Time to run the speakers in correctly is required.
Listening
Starting at a gentle volume, It took all my willpower not to get stuck straight in. Fortunately, I was able to leave the system ticking over for 24 hours while I was mostly out. Coming back to the system, it was instantly apparent the Ascendance 2.5’s have serious potential.
I played a few of my test tracks to get my bearings, and wow, just wow. The vocals are so good, I mean genuinely excellent at any price point! Percussion is crisp, and the clarity with which you hear the instruments being played, not just the note but the plectrum on the string, the stick hitting the drum, and then the body of the instrument – it is all there, beautifully laid out, transporting you to the performance.
The 1966 recording by The Music Machine, ‘Talk Talk’, with its Naïve recording, really takes you back in time. What the recording lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in raw energy. The Bass and organ sit on the left, vocals and guitar sit on the right speaker, along with a High Hat, which ends up being played halfway down the right wall with startling clarity. Your foot taps, head nods and a big wide smile creeps onto your face.
Moving forward in time, Stone Sour’s live acoustic version of Wicked Game proves the speakers are only playing what the system feeds them – close-miked vocals dead centre, and superbly textured guitars make this an excellent listen. Back to the ’60s and The Beat Goes On sung by Cathy Rich, (age 12 ½ and drunk) is again a testament to the agility of the OePhi design. Buddy Rich on drums keeps time, with his band playing with a sense of fun. The emotion of the recordings is easily carried, Colours by Black Pumas is a prime example – a complex track, yet never sounding closed in. Last and left field is a Prince recording ‘Shy’ – Off the chart, Holographic, Dynamic, processed pop – Played beautifully, and detailed, but never harsh unless the recording dictates.
Set up and Positioning:
Tools required:
- Tape Measure
- Laser Measure (optional)
- Spirit Level
- Masking tape
- Sharpie Pen
- Ears
I started with the speakers 80cm from the rear wall and side walls – In other rooms, the speakers could start nearer the wall. Mark this with tape as a reference. I like to mark 25mm increments on the tape as a guide.
Gradually, I moved the speakers closer to the listening position, making sure to keep the speakers the same distance from the wall.
Then when reasonably happy, I moved the speakers wider apart in equal increments.
At this point, the increments were down to 1cm, zeroing in on the sweet spot between width of soundstage and focus. For the record, in my room, the best balance was with the outer side of the speaker’s rear corner at 76.5cm with a very slight toe-in, and the rear corner of the speaker being 82.5cm from the rear wall. These distances in my space offered the best combination overall and it was easy to achieve a really well-balanced sound. The last job was to make sure the speakers are level and all 4 spikes well grounded. Happy that both speakers are bang on, there is only one thing left to do, sit back and enjoy.
