ELAC Concentro S 503 review
High-end shelf units are strange beasts that combine size-related compromises with top-end technology
Usually there are no big queues at the doorstep in the High End. Although, it seems, everything is simple: you take the best that is at hand, you collect it in one case. Further, a little more difficult, because you need to make another of the same column, exactly the same. Then a label is printed with the inscription "Super High End Ultimate Speakers" - and that's it, we're going to conquer the masses. But in fact, in addition to enthusiasm and desire, there are many factors that should be considered even before taking a place in this queue.
Most well-known companies have been moving towards this milestone for years. From the outside, this may seem strange, because over the decades of work, each speaker manufacturer has its own arsenal of technologies and developments - and it doesn’t cost anything to make them a beautiful frame, add a strict name with a hint of the bourgeois and present it as a new, high-class product.
But no matter how beautiful the wrapper is, we are after the sound, the concept of which is different from the usual Hi-Fi. This is the cherished meaning: the sound itself will tell you what's what. And nothing else.
Concentro
This line appeared at the German company ELAC after 90 years from the date of foundation. More precisely, at first it was not a line, but the flagship acoustics - Elac Concentro, test of which is already on our website. Gigantic floorstanders, delicate design work of art; and, most importantly, with the appropriate sound. On that day, the ELAC fan club rejoiced: it's all for a reason, something interesting is clearly planned.
And they were right, as the flagship speakers gave a tangible impetus to the development of the company and now we have a whole line of Concentro acoustics available to us. Its flagship budgets were prudently reduced, but still remained at a level where the "Hi-Fi" nameplate already feels awkward and it's worth thinking about "High End".
Concentro M floorstanders stood apart as a self-sufficient, but compact version of the flagships. But the Concentro S have sold out in full: floor standing S 507 and S 509, bookshelf acoustics S 503 and the central channel of the Concentro Center mean that even a high-level cinema within the Elac brand is no longer a problem to assemble.
Wrong bookshelves
In this test, we are dealing with ELAC's flagship bookshelf acoustics - Concentro S 503, which just falls into the category "on the threshold of High End" noted above. It was easier for them to take this line than for the rest, because there, beyond the threshold, they already have connections. And yet, this is not an easy step, because it is much more difficult to put sound corresponding to the price tag into expensive bookshelf speakers than into expensive floorstanding speakers. From here begins a series of extraordinary decisions that made it possible to realize the idea.
Of the banal here, only MDF is used for the manufacture of cabinets. With colors, everything is also familiar: white lacquer, black lacquer and walnut veneer in lacquer. The quality of the finish is perfect, but we have already seen this in the more budget segment from ELAC. Now let's move on to innovation.
Probably, the world of geometry has not yet come up with a name for the polygon, according to the template of which the cabinet for the S 503 was created - it is all of the wrong proportions, from beginning to end. If you look from above, you can see a trapezoid, the basis of which is the front panel. The figure, which is viewed from the side, looks like a parallelepiped, but with different angles of inclination of the left and right faces.
If you approach this issue more carefully and with a ruler, you can find some more surrealistic distortions of space. It is clear that all of them are made deliberately and with only one obvious goal - to avoid the formation of standing waves inside the cabinet. But it is impressive that this asymmetry looks as aesthetically pleasing as possible and is even more pleasing to the eye than the established horizontal-vertical traditions.
All joints and corners are carefully rounded, the panels of the rear phase inverter and two pairs of screw terminals are flush, and there was not a single moment in the design that would seem inconsistent with the status of these bookshelves.
Speaker, module, waveguide
At the top of the case is the branded StepX-JET coaxial module - such a speaker gives the name to the Concentro line. At the center of its construction is the JET 5c AMT tweeter, which is a slightly smaller copy of the well-known branded JET 5 driver, which ELAC manages not only to use in its speakers, but also to sell to other manufacturers.
That part of the module, which at a cursory examination looks like a tweeter waveguide, is actually a mid-range driver on an elastic short-throw suspension: the S 503 has full-fledged three bands. But there is also a waveguide here - this is the outer ring that surrounds the entire structure. Moreover, this waveguide is interchangeable, and in the kit you will find three pairs of metal rings with different geometries at once. German engineers called this tricky trick with three letters - DSL, and successfully use it in the entire line of Concentro S speakers.
The principle of its operation is extremely clear, there is no esotericism here, only pure physics: three different waveguide geometries give different directions for the emitter. If you are an egoist, choose the deepest waveguide, and the MF / HF link will become more focused at one point. The second option is called neutral, and the third is the widest possible dispersion field: friends sitting next to each other will be satisfied.
But the logically obvious idea in fact gave more than expected. Because by changing the angle of the tweeter, you can control the amount of high frequencies that reach your ears. Yes, this is not a global process and not a radical change, but the result is audible.
The woofer is a familiar driver of the AS-XR in gem-cutting: a cellulose and aluminum sandwich is molded in such a way that its surface resembles the facets of a precious stone. But here, too, the matter is not so much in aesthetics as in technical interest, because each face is an additional stiffener, and there is no superfluous stiffness in speakers.
The game of microcontrast
During practical tests of the ELAC Concentro S 503, we did not limit ourselves to one path, but assembled two at once, and radically different ones. The first one is an ELAC Miracord 80 turntable (which we will test soon) with Ortofon 2M Black, Octave Phono EQ2 phono stage, Octave V 70 integrated amplifier (class A) and Octave Black Box power supply. The second system is no less curious: the T+A 2000 R universal source of digital content, the Plinius RM-10 preamplifier and the Plinius Reference A-150 power amplifier.
All attempts by Depeche Mode to convince us to enjoy the silence have passed by, because in the company of such components it is customary to spend time differently. From the very first track, the album on vinyl captures with an abundance of details - no one has canceled the characteristic handwriting of ELAC acoustics, even the tube Octave.
But it is worth listening more carefully, and under the lace details we find a characteristic, but moderate in the case of Octave, lamp-like splendor. And it turns out so curiously when the Concentro S 503 combines these two concepts: its character is easily read, but there is also a place for the rest of the components. Another point that I want to note here is the unity of sound. The coaxial module immediately makes itself felt, this effect is definitely not to be confused with anything. Without thinking twice, we go to the "figure", where the variety of tracks is much greater.
Carl Craig - "At Less" A penetrating start with a note of tragedy, which Octave skillfully emphasized. But the marketing department of ELAC should also use this album to get acquainted with the capabilities of the Concentro S 503. Flutes come to life, and trombones with violins compete for a place on an imaginary stage - but we never found a winner: there was enough space for everyone. A low piano has a real texture, and the point here is not only in the depth of the bass, but in its speed and relief.
JS Bach Orchestra - "Air On The G String" This is where three bands in acoustics are simply irreplaceable. In this track, the harpsichord attracts attention - it sounds clear, dense, with a characteristic ringing. A whole choir of cellos has gathered in the lower register, but the conclusions are already clear from the previous track: S 503 playfully parse the most complex bass parts.
We turn to the warmed-up set of Plinius and break the atmosphere of peace with the track "Amazonia" from Gojira. But here you should be careful and deliberately select the highest quality recordings, otherwise no waveguide rings will save your ears.
Next came Korn: who would have thought that in such music you can admire the high frequencies. Plate to plate, small and bigger - probably, this is how the love for high-quality recording is born.
The culmination was the soundtrack album for the film "Annihilation" ("Annihilation"). Here we have to resort to templates and say that we found a lot of new things in familiar compositions. But S 503 did not stop there, and went further: the track "Alien" sounded so menacing that even goosebumps of fear appeared on the skin, and the hair on the head completely hit Greek mythology. In the monotony and bursts of the track - a tragedy of cosmic proportions, no less. Perhaps this is the first time this track is heard like this - and it's great, because now we have a sample of how it should be.
Rejoice, ELAC Fan Club
Move over, turn into a compact High End. Because the reason for rejoicing is no less serious than the last time - ELAC Concentro S 503. Most likely, for prudent German engineers, this result was quite obvious. But in our case, this is a sound that exceeds expectations, which juggles the emotions of the listener, like a tweeter with waveguides.
The recognizable signature sound of ELAC has at its disposal the very subtle matters that make it possible to accurately rank the sound. And this is clearly not Hi, but High
Pros
sound; design; transparency for the rest of the system components
Cons
high demands on the quality of records; grills are not included in the design
OFFICIAL SITE
ELAC Concentro S 503 specifications
Type: three-way bookshelf speaker
Acoustic design: phase inverter
Woofer: 180 mm AS-XR cone
Midrange driver: 130 mm, AS-XR aluminum cone
HF section: JET 5c ribbon tweeter
Crossover Frequency: 400/2600Hz
Resistance: 4 ohm
Frequency range: 34 - 50000 Hz
Sensitivity: 87 dB
Recommended amplifier power: 120 - 200 W
Power input: 400 W (peak)
Dimensions (WxHxD): 225 x 400 x 372 mm
Weight: 13.4 kg
Body finish: black lacquer, white lacquer, walnut (lacquer)
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