http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/500/
I draw your attention to the specifications page. This review was written by John Atkinson who, in my opinion, never met an advertiser whose products he didn't think were the best.
Based on John's specifications, the Ascends appear to be a more neutral and efficient speaker. Ascend also have customer service that's as good as it gets. I didn't see anything in the review that would make me want to consider these over the Ascends but my criteria isn't the same as everyone else's. A direct comparison, in home is the only real test. See if you can arrange it with the Focal dealer. A second option, although not near as good, is to take the Ascends to the dealer and do the audition there. This option has some drawbacks if you're not familiar with how the cards can be stacked by the dealer. Let us know what you decide.
David