Short answer: the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality matters most, the AsciLab F6Bs if price matters most. The Audio First Cadentia 3 ranks #8 of 130 bookshelf speakers at $7199. The AsciLab F6Bs ranks #20 at $799, $6400 cheaper.
What the Audio First Cadentia 3 offers: Near-textbook measurements - excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Watch for: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants - fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
What the AsciLab F6Bs offers: A slimmer, sealed, VESA 100 wall mountable variant of AsciLab’s F6B, trading the F6B’s passive radiator for a shallower 15.4cm deep cabinet that can go straight on a wall bracket. The sound power directivity index has the tightest standard deviation, 3.32, of anything in this batch of new additions, meaning off axis energy tracks the on axis response unusually consistently for a sealed 2-way this size, and on axis deviation measures a clean 0.25dB average. Watch for: AsciLab’s own site shows the F6Bs sold out, though it remains in stock through resellers like Audiophonics and Tested Audio. Bass extension is measured at 82.0Hz at -3dB, noticeably less than the passive radiator equipped F6B, and listening window smoothness measures only a moderate 0.39. The 4 ohm nominal impedance calls for a reasonably capable amplifier.
Buy the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the AsciLab F6Bs if the price matters more than sound quality.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audio First Cadentia 3 | AsciLab F6Bs | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7199 per pair | €799 per pair |
| Ranked | #8 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #20 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 50.1Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 82.0Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 23.2" x 11.8" x 17" (590 x 300 x 433 mm) | 14.5"H x 8"W x 6.1"D (368 x 203 x 154 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 3.7 ohms minimum |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 85.2dB @ 2.83V/1m (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 1.1" tweeter, 4.5" midrange, 9" woofer | 1" aluminum dome tweeter with waveguide and phase plug, 6" fiber cone woofer |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each | 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex | - |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) | South Korea |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 | 4.35 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 | 7.01 |
| Enclosure | - | sealed |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1kHz |
| Mounting | - | VESA 100 wall mount compatible |
| Warranty | - | 2 years |
| Maximum SPL | - | 100dB full bandwidth, 102dB above 100Hz (manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Audio First Cadentia 3 compares with other leading options:
- Perlisten S4b vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- March Audio Sointuva vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Audio First Cadentia 3: $7199 per pair Audio First Designs eBay
Pros: Near-textbook measurements - excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.4dB.
Cons: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants - fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
Full Audio First Cadentia 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) |
| Dimensions | 23.2" x 11.8" x 17" (590 x 300 x 433 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.1" tweeter, 4.5" midrange, 9" woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs AsciLab C6B
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs March Audio Sointuva
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Perlisten S4b
- See all 45 comparisons
AsciLab F6Bs: €799 per pair Audiophonics eBay
Pros: A slimmer, sealed, VESA 100 wall mountable variant of AsciLab’s F6B, trading the F6B’s passive radiator for a shallower 15.4cm deep cabinet that can go straight on a wall bracket. The sound power directivity index has the tightest standard deviation, 3.32, of anything in this batch of new additions, meaning off axis energy tracks the on axis response unusually consistently for a sealed 2-way this size, and on axis deviation measures a clean 0.25dB average. Measured bass extension of 82.0Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 85.2dB.
Cons: AsciLab’s own site shows the F6Bs sold out, though it remains in stock through resellers like Audiophonics and Tested Audio. Bass extension is measured at 82.0Hz at -3dB, noticeably less than the passive radiator equipped F6B, and listening window smoothness measures only a moderate 0.39. The 4 ohm nominal impedance calls for a reasonably capable amplifier.
Full AsciLab F6Bs review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50.1Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 82.0Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Country | South Korea |
| Crossover Frequency | 1kHz |
| Dimensions | 14.5"H x 8"W x 6.1"D (368 x 203 x 154 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" aluminum dome tweeter with waveguide and phase plug, 6" fiber cone woofer |
| Enclosure | sealed |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.7 ohms minimum |
| Maximum SPL | 100dB full bandwidth, 102dB above 100Hz (manufacturer specified) |
| Mounting | VESA 100 wall mount compatible |
| Sensitivity | 85.2dB @ 2.83V/1m (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.35 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.01 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Weight | 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- AsciLab F6Bs vs Epos ES14N
- AsciLab F6Bs vs Arendal 1528 Monitor 8
- AsciLab F6Bs vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- AsciLab F6Bs vs Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE2
- AsciLab F6Bs vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- AsciLab F6Bs vs Buchardt Audio E50
- AsciLab F6Bs vs KEF R3
- AsciLab F6Bs vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- See all 45 comparisons