Remarkable floor-standing acoustics for small spaces – discussing two pairs of speakers from ELAC and Old School
Earlier we talked about turntables in the segment “up to 60 thousand rubles”, and today we are returning to floor-standing speakers. This time we are looking at the flagship models.
[157 225] Old school monitor two Is an acoustics designed with an eye to the image of audio equipment of the 70-80s of the last century. It will be of interest to those who strive for the most accurate sound of the system, balance of monitor capabilities, functional and thematic design solutions. These columns do just that – they are designed in the spirit of golden era hi-fi: here birch plywood is hidden under the textured veneer [24 мм]from which the offices are made. It is not the most common material in acoustics production, but it is great for indoor environments.
To minimize distortion, spacers are used inside the housing and a damping layer of bitumen is applied. Plus – special cavities have been prepared under the diffusers of 22 mm high-frequency drivers with a textile dome and a ventilated coil. A pair of 168 mm woofers for each speaker is made with paper cones and “sharpened” for the “closed cabinet” of the acoustics. A Balanced Drive magnet system, a ventilated coil, high-end components in crossovers and WBT terminals with Nextgen technology can all be found in Monitor Two.
However, as we said above, the manufacturer takes into account not only technological “chips”, but also the nuances of the appearance of the speakers. So, for this model, you can use protective “grills” that neatly cover the entire front side. There are other constructive aspects, such as special spikes, on which the acoustics are placed. All of them, the philosophy of the manufacturer, the pros and cons, the listening experience is in great review with photos.
The recommended amplifier power is 50-125 W. Monitor two suitable for small spaces ranging from 20 to 30 square meters.
[215 910] ELAC Solano FS 287 Is another flagship floorstanding speaker that stands out from the competition with its elegant appearance and interesting sound. Under the lacquered gloss of the cabinet, there are massive MDF boards, and the cabinets themselves are filled with remarkable functional and design solutions, such as a bass reflex port, built-in lower plane of the cabinets, and a shallow milled aluminum waveguide for the tweeter.
The “squeaker” of this acoustics is a ribbon JET 5 with “accordion»Hale and allows you to expand the frequency range and achieve the most accurate sound system. A pair of 150mm woofers here are equipped with paper-base and anodized aluminum cones. Used in conjunction with them, die-cast aluminum baskets give the structure the necessary rigidity and minimize the likelihood of spurious sounds and resonances.
If we talk about other auxiliary nuances, it is worth noting that the speakers stand on special “legs”, which are also used for installing spikes on cork washers. Importantly, FS 287 is often sold without acoustic protection, but this moment is easy to close with optional mesh overlays…
The recommended amplifier power is 40-300 watts per channel.
A couple of additional reviews of this acoustics are here and here…
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