As do many slim tall towers. Spendor Audio does make a quality product, no doubt these would sound great! But as any thing you purchase, most of us want to obtain the best value (sound) for our hard earned $$$
However, over the Ascend Towers, not sure the D9's would have any sound quality advantages, especially for 4X the price!
According to specks (with RAAL tweeters), frequency response goes to the Ascends. The D9's are shown going down to 27hz (1\2 octave lower), however that could be with a 10db down point (spec not mentioned). The Ascend Towers have greater power handling capability, higher efficiency, smaller footprint, more compact dimensions, longer warranty, made in USA by Dave Fabricant and in MHO, better looks!!!
A direct A\B comparison would be interesting, but I'd bet that 75% overall savings on the AA Towers!
Ted