Short answer: the AsciLab C6B. It ranks #7 of 130 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1145; the Yamaha NS-800A ranks #56 and costs $4800, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the AsciLab C6B offers: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Unusual trait: horizontal radiation actually widens at higher frequencies instead of narrowing like most two-way designs, which keeps image focus and soundstage depth consistent whether you toe the speakers in or out (5-10° off-axis was the sweet spot in testing). Vertical radiation also stays wide straight through the 2kHz crossover region, so the sound doesn’t collapse when standing up - unusual at this price. CA2034 measurements show strong on-axis linearity, listening window, early reflections, and directivity. Midrange and tweeter distortion stay very low even at 96dB, holding up against a $5,900 Arendal speaker in that regard despite roughly a 5x price gap. At $935 (about $1,135 shipped to the US), the reviewer calls it the best-value bookshelf speaker he’s tested, rivaling speakers 2-5x the price. Watch for: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that. Low-frequency harmonic distortion increases substantially at 96dB versus 86dB, though it’s second-order and less audible than it looks on paper. Minimum impedance dips to 2.6 ohms (EPDR as low as 1.2 ohms), so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving 4-ohm loads, ideally 100W or more. At 102dB, compression noticeably eats into midrange, bass, and some treble output. Shipping to the US adds roughly $200 on top of the $935 price. Against the reviewer’s reference Audiofirst Fidelia at a similar price, has slightly less lower-midrange body (about 1dB difference) and a smaller perceived soundstage size.
What the Yamaha NS-800A offers: Exceptionally well-built cabinet with no internal resonance issues at all - confirmed clean in both burst decay and impedance measurements. Good, wide directivity (~75 degrees horizontal) that stays consistent enough to EQ successfully. Distortion is low, staying under 3% at 96dB, and dynamic range holds up well until right near its 102dB limit. A shallower, higher-frequency bass rolloff profile (F3 68Hz, F10 35Hz) means it can be placed closer to the wall (about a foot) without turning boomy, actually gaining bass presence rather than losing it. Watch for: A wide, roughly 2kHz-10kHz scoop in the upper-midrange/lower-treble gives it a laidback, soft, low-attack character - notably worse than the reviewer’s Audio First Fidelia reference in an A/B comparison. On top of that, treble breaks up badly above 10kHz, swinging up as much as 8dB - a significant, named flaw. Sounds inconsistently voiced as a result (bright on some material like cymbals and shakers, dull/laidback on vocals and instrument attack) until corrected with real parametric EQ (the reviewer needed a +2dB boost around 4.5kHz at Q0.5 plus taming the treble spike to bring it to life) combined with near-wall placement and 30-degree toe-out. Without that combination, it’s a tough sale for a $4,800 bookshelf speaker.
Buy the AsciLab C6B. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Yamaha NS-800A and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| AsciLab C6B | Yamaha NS-800A | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1145 per pair | $4800 per pair |
| Ranked | #7 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #56 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 68Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 10.4"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) | 16.5"H x 9.1"W x 14.1"D (419.1 x 231.8 x 358.8 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 4.3 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 84.9dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner; 86.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 6" Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1" Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter | 1.25" dome tweeter, 6.5" mid-woofer |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each | 28.7 lbs (13.0 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator | Bass reflex |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.66 | 3.99 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.60 | 5.76 |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 2600Hz |
| Power Handling | - | 40W nominal, 120W max |
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The Two Speakers In Full
AsciLab C6B: $1145 per pair Ascilab eBay
Pros: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Unusual trait: horizontal radiation actually widens at higher frequencies instead of narrowing like most two-way designs, which keeps image focus and soundstage depth consistent whether you toe the speakers in or out (5-10° off-axis was the sweet spot in testing). Vertical radiation also stays wide straight through the 2kHz crossover region, so the sound doesn’t collapse when standing up - unusual at this price. CA2034 measurements show strong on-axis linearity, listening window, early reflections, and directivity. Midrange and tweeter distortion stay very low even at 96dB, holding up against a $5,900 Arendal speaker in that regard despite roughly a 5x price gap. At $935 (about $1,135 shipped to the US), the reviewer calls it the best-value bookshelf speaker he’s tested, rivaling speakers 2-5x the price. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 85.6dB.
Cons: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that. Low-frequency harmonic distortion increases substantially at 96dB versus 86dB, though it’s second-order and less audible than it looks on paper. Minimum impedance dips to 2.6 ohms (EPDR as low as 1.2 ohms), so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving 4-ohm loads, ideally 100W or more. At 102dB, compression noticeably eats into midrange, bass, and some treble output. Shipping to the US adds roughly $200 on top of the $935 price. Against the reviewer’s reference Audiofirst Fidelia at a similar price, has slightly less lower-midrange body (about 1dB difference) and a smaller perceived soundstage size.
Full AsciLab C6B review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 10.4"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) |
| Drivers | 6" Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1" Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.66 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.60 |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Yamaha NS-800A: $4800 per pair The Music Room eBay
Pros: Exceptionally well-built cabinet with no internal resonance issues at all - confirmed clean in both burst decay and impedance measurements. Good, wide directivity (~75 degrees horizontal) that stays consistent enough to EQ successfully. Distortion is low, staying under 3% at 96dB, and dynamic range holds up well until right near its 102dB limit. A shallower, higher-frequency bass rolloff profile (F3 68Hz, F10 35Hz) means it can be placed closer to the wall (about a foot) without turning boomy, actually gaining bass presence rather than losing it. Measured bass extension of 68Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.9dB.
Cons: A wide, roughly 2kHz-10kHz scoop in the upper-midrange/lower-treble gives it a laidback, soft, low-attack character - notably worse than the reviewer’s Audio First Fidelia reference in an A/B comparison. On top of that, treble breaks up badly above 10kHz, swinging up as much as 8dB - a significant, named flaw. Sounds inconsistently voiced as a result (bright on some material like cymbals and shakers, dull/laidback on vocals and instrument attack) until corrected with real parametric EQ (the reviewer needed a +2dB boost around 4.5kHz at Q0.5 plus taming the treble spike to bring it to life) combined with near-wall placement and 30-degree toe-out. Without that combination, it’s a tough sale for a $4,800 bookshelf speaker.
Full Yamaha NS-800A review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2600Hz |
| Dimensions | 16.5"H x 9.1"W x 14.1"D (419.1 x 231.8 x 358.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.25" dome tweeter, 6.5" mid-woofer |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.3 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Power Handling | 40W nominal, 120W max |
| Sensitivity | 84.9dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner; 86.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.99 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.76 |
| Weight | 28.7 lbs (13.0 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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