Andrew's first AMT speaker is no ordinary speaker - Elac Carina bs243.4 Speaker review !
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- This is my Elac Carina Speaker review in comparison with the Elac Vela speakers. Both are great sounding audiophile speakers. Please check our website for more detailed written reviews: nbtsmedia.com
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We were blown away by the Carinas at C.E.S., then nothing else at that show sounded as good.
Have you heard the Navis? The vertical dispersion on these two is terrible and they are only two ways.
Jay, do you prefer the carinas over the ls 50/meta??
I wouldn't rule out any speaker model depending on principal differences. All my small, medium and large speaker pairs have front side port(s) and two pairs with a soft dome tweeter, one with a ribbon. Coaxial, AMT, port or passive radiator, metallic dome, horn, kevlar cone, it's all dependant on design, quality and entirity. And personal taste, too.
I owned the ELAC FS 407 (AMT5). It was a good speaker for certain types of music but lacked the "sparkle" of the Canton Reference series. If you enjoy that little extra decay of notes especially for piano I wouldn't recommend the AMT type tweeter..It also gives a shorter height sound stage wide yet short if standing vs. sitting it was noticeable..
It seems AMT drivers cant play mids... If you cross this tweeter at mids frequency then everything will sound thin. Over 5khz it could sound great!
I like the carina on my Isoacoustics Aperta's, decoupled...and having tested the vela as well i prefer the...CARINA.
How would these compare to the comparably priced Wharfedale EVO 4.2 speakers? Would like to see a review on those too.
i need a Bookshelf speaker that sounds great at low volume for tv but can still sound good at a decent volume . how are these at low volume compared to the UB5's?
Hi, thanks for this good review! How do you compare these 2 ELACs with the Harbeths? A critical comparison will be very helpful.
Elac Carina are so elegant😍
They indeed are. I dig the looks... Especially on my desk
Hey Jay. Great review as always. A few questions if I may.
- How are these Elac Carina bs243.4 for nearfield/desktop listening, how do they compare do the PMC DB1 Gold or other PMC models? I'm looking for a pair to use with my computer. Maybe you can do a video on top 3 or 5 bookshelf speakers for nearfield/desktop listening?
- Can they be placed near the wall?
- One problem you mentioned is that they cannot be raised because of the port on the bottom. Do you have a workaround to get them high up to my ear level for my computer use? I guess you cannot tilt them either?
Thanks! 谢谢 : )
Jay , just saw this review and a review of the quad s2. Have you heard the quad ? if not any chance of it getting reviewed ?
The wharefedale 4.2 sounds perfect for me also except for off axis response,[ small sweet spot.] Any thoughts ? Thanks soulsik for all the hard work!
hi, Jay, I bought 243.4. and i thank you to remind the speaker shall stand direct on platform withoit any buffer in below. without your suggestion i might never imaging a shock absorber will be roblem.
this speaker have to stand direct o the table.
Many thanks for the review. Was looking at both but Crutchfield had a deal for free stands so ended up going with Carina, can't wait to hear them!
Awesome ! Rock on
How do you like the Carinas? What are you using to run them?
@@faisalekram1519 I love them. Using a Schiit Audio Bifrost DAC, Saga + preamp, Vidar amp, and paired with dual JL Audio E110 subwoofers using their crossover, it sounds amazing. Very clean, no fatigue, just holographic sound. I highly recommend, especially if Crutchfield still has the deal where you get the $450 speaker stands included for free.
@@SDevante I bought them in black from Crutchfield and got the stands for free as well. Currently hooked to my Denon AVR but trying to decide on an integrated amp. Did you fill the stands up with Kitty litter/sand?
@@faisalekram1519 I did fill the stands - was gonna use play sand but ended up getting kitty litter as it was more convenient to pick up. Not sure if it made a difference as I didn't play the speakers before filling the stands. How are you liking the Carinas so far?
How does the Carina perform against a wall in a floating shelf situation? I would think the port setup might affect the bass with the rear wall being so close? A front porting speaker would probably be better, I'm assuming.
You mentioned that you listened near field. For desktop listening it's either the Kanto TUK or the Elac Carina bs243.4 - My amp can provide 45W RMS of clean power. Is this enough to drive them and how do they compare to the Kanto TUKs - both using ribbon tweeters? The active speakers use class D amps so it may be too bright? Your thoughts?
Hi Jay, how do you compare the sound of ADANTE AS-61 mountstanding to CARINA and VELA? Thanks.
Theoretical question , I am planning to try the carinas on top of Isoacoustics Aperta stands. If I found the sound to be lacking as you described , because of the bottom port, do you think a flat piece of wood or plexiglass, between the base of the speaker and the stand , would solve the "problem" ?
I read the review from CNET that he sourced a different folded tweeter from the one the company typically uses to keep costs down, so it may not be exactly the same as the one in the Vela. What does that mean? Material/Sound are lower quality?
You need to try a set of original Hiel AMT's from yore. They have never been matched since.
Great video, though I think the biggest difference with a coaxial driver is the lack of vertical lobing. Ribbons are horrible, and two ways are bad for this. If you move your head up and down nearfield, you can hear the soundstsage and frequency response fall apart.
Also, the Navis has superior crossovers, and you can bump the lows, mids,or highs up or down a bit.
I'll have to listen to these, but for soundstage stability vertically and crossover wise, these have inherent disadvantages compared to an active coaxial speaker.
(I had the Navis and enjoyed it nearfield besides the port chuffing on some songs. Returned it and have a Genelec 8260 now that I'm happy with that can play flat from 18hz to 20khz+ in a room, and has incredible dispersion.)
Excellent explanation and review. What do you think about pairing the Elac Carina with Parasound 200Pre/275v2 power amplifier combo? I am moving from my Monitor Audio Silver 6 to bookshelf, because of my listening room, and I am considering the Elacs.
I wonder how these compare to Martin Logan Motion 35 speakers?
I'm looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers when I use my desktop computer and these get very good reviews. 2 important questions: a) how's its near-field performance? and b) most importantly, since you said these are bottom-ported and need to be placed directly on desktop without any stand/foam, my ears will be above the speakers when I sit in my chair. Would that be a problem? Thanks and great review as always!
helpful suggestion on placing it on the table.
I really enjoy your reviews! Have you had a chance to audition any Focal? I’m seriously thinking about some Sopra 2’s for my music.
The port design on the Vela is called fixed boundary loading fyi.
Thank you ! I couldn't recall the term 😁
@@Jayiyagi Glad to help amigo.
If you get a chance to hear the Wharfdale EVO line I would love to hear your view. Seems like it has the hardware to be a extremely transparent speaker line for the price. Thanks again for the uploads, keep it up!
I have the Wharfedale EVO 4.2's and they are magnificent. Easily compare to speakers 2-3 times more cost.
Looking at the specs and some videos of the woofer on the Vela, it seems that is superior for bass response.
Vela goes down to 41hz. Carina goes down to 46hz.
46 vs 41 makes makes one vastly superior to the other!!??
I can see if it was like 40 vs 60 or something like that
People on RUclips are so funnies
Hi. I wanted to let you know that the Solono in the Elam line is getting awesome reviews! I was wondering what you are hearing?
Hi. The interesting thing about that speaker is that the price about 2000 no one really had been reviewing it. I have actually spoke to a guy that has heard them and claims they are more balanced and detailed them many ofd the others. He was blown away but them. I think people really like them. But I think the Sonus Faber Lumina 3 is a much better deal at 1250 a pair. The problem is they are very hard to get. Look at the review Andrew Robinson did on them. Fun stuff. I am so speaker poor. I have to stop! Lol
@@shardie78239 but the lumina 3 is a floorstander so a bit different really.
@@slyfoxx8540 O sorry I said three but I meant 2. Sorry.
Nice comparison. What amp were you using? Are both speakers 6 ohms? thanks
Hey, thank you for your comment. I will go into more detail regarding the amplifications I was using in the written review. Watch for our community and facebook page for the written reviews. Also from their website:
Elac Vela: Nominal | Minimum impedance: 4 Ω | 3,2 Ω at 260 Hz.
Elac Carina: Nominal | Minimum impedance: 6 Ohm / 4.8 Ohm
cheers ! rock on
Just found a cracking offer on ebay / new in black for 380€!!! 440usd
How would you say the Carina pairs with class D amps?
Is the Vela twice as good ($$$) as the Carina?
So, is it somewhat holographic or some may say 3D as it has the new tweeter? If the carina is up a notch compare to UB5 on soundstage, but still have the warm signature of the UB5, then it’s a solid yes for me
I would not say that they have more soundstage. They are just more resolute. In terms of warmth, I would say ub5 is warmer
😄 he sabotaged his Carinas w/those pads
I jus want premium-ish bookshelfs that look good in my space & these in white are 😍
Hello wich one is better for soundstage and quality song elac vela or Carina ? I will have better song with one of them if i change my sonus faber sonetto 2 ?
Hey Jay, new subscriber here! So far you’re the only RUclipsr reviewing these more ‘expensive’ speakers. I can absolutely benefit from that because I’m thinking of upgrading to a more refined set of speakers. I currently own the UB5 UF5 2.0 (tower speakers). They sound absolutely lovely, but now I think it’s time for me to take it up a notch. I did consider the Vela’s but they are more expensive. Might just go with the Carina’s. Anyways, thank you and keep up the great work!
The Carina does Not use a Jet tweeter. Elac calls it Jet-like folded AMT. Only German Elac speakers use the original Jet 5 tweeter.
Da spricht der verlängerte Arm von Elac Germany
Content Control Elac Germany 🧐 😄
Interesting. They look identical to my eyes and even they were saying "jet tweeter. Jet tweeter"... Maybe I was mis informed. Anyways... Thank you for your informed comment
The Next Best Thing Studio Thank you for your appreciation!
?? what are you talking about jet tweeter was always an AMT and an AMT is always folded.. there is no "like" hahaha
Hello, near field good? Thank you.
This was reviewed (with measurements) in the latest edition of stereophile. Their sensitivity is almost as bad as MBL's speakers.
I don't think so. I was able to drive them successfully with most amplifiers.
The Next Best Thing Studio 82 dB sensitivity per latest Stereophile review.
@@JEG6919 well.. Again... I can only tell what I know...
The Next Best Thing Studio that’s my point. Without measurements, the story is incomplete.
ELAC MUITO bons produtos de alta fidelidade de qualidade e preços aconselho vivamente este produto muito bom mesmo espetacular incrível mesmo garantia absoluta de altíssima qualidade abraço
Hi where can i buy these elac bookshelf speakers in canada?
How would these work for a nearfield setup? Could I put this on my desk?
works excellent on a desktop. I used it this way for a while myself.
The Elac Navis would be better for nearfield. It's a three way with a more stable soundstsage due to the concentric driver, a superior active (not DSP) crossover, matched amps, and balanced inputs.
Price point?
So strange. I had the Carina home for 2 weeks. I found the sound very good, but my uni ub5 i still like more. Half the price. So in contrast to ub5 what im saying i guess is that i had an even higher hope for the Carina.
This was tested with a primaluna dialouge premium amp.
Ub5 is something really special.
Cool ! Thank you for your feedback and persepctive
Hey you forgot the link to the sound-absorbing material
you are right. will link them right now
@Fat Rat I agree. But from my understanding; sorbothane is actually a material for dampening and used even in cars while bluetac is intented for sticking stuff. Both may work just as well but I like to use something for what it was intended... Ease of mind... But thats just me
@Fat Rat I entirely agree ! Cheers
@Fat Rat Thanks, I always use Blu Tac on my Bookshelves to secure them to the stands but I never thought of it as also a vibration dampening treatment. Thanks for the heads up. BTW the Sorbothane pucks that were linked are not very expensive (24 for a set of four) and that's much cheaper than some of the other esoteric treatments out there which retail for hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Thanks again
Is the Carina floorstanders also designed by Andrew Jones?
Hey there,
Any idea about the Elac BS 243 old version. How good are those speakers ? A guy is selling the old version and I am thinking if its going to be a good buy or not : www.whathifi.com/elac/bs243/review
my worry about these 2 way system vs my 3 way speakers (kef r300) if the woofer is fast as hell...i like listen metal and that is very important, i can't hear this and the vela
Hi i was set on ACT SCM11 or Buschardt s400 , but then i saw your review on the ELAC Vela BS403 and that threw a spanner in the works 😂, now i'm leaning towards Elac Vela BS403, i run m&k v12 subwoofer don't really think i need the Buschardts s400 as i already have bass from the subwoofer.
I like to ask a few questions about Elac Vela BS403, do they need a lot of space behind them or can the be placed closer to a wall without affecting sound.
Do Elac BS403 work as nearfield speakers?
When you tested the ELAC vela BS403 did you use single wire or bi-wire?
Thanks for all the videos been relesed recently 👍, i will also be keeping eye out for the written reviews
Thank you for the questions. The elac vela works in ear field and yes you can put then towards the wall. This is the benefit of the bottom port design (also seen in sonus faber sonetto series)
Written reviews are gonna take some time... My terrible english has to go through our tough editor
Try out Elac BS-312!
You'll be alright if you what do you use foam or the pucks just place it on a inch thick piece of plywood make sure it's sticking out the back of a couple inches then you won't have your problem it might find just sticking it on some Blu-Tack flat that will help but not take away the bass
Thank you for the suggestions !
@@Jayiyagi one thing I should have said is a wide bullnose all the edges all the way round to minimise unwanted reflections you could use MDF if you want
Someone told me that the Elac Vela only perfom well with loud volumes and are overall extremly exhausting to listen to. Is this true? And are you planning to do a comparision between the Elac, Kef and Buchardt?
I diagree. Elac vela sounds great at low volumes. One of the best actually in this regard.
And yes I may do a comparison. But heres a quick run down generalized version
If you want something that has a lot of bass and gives you the illusion of a floorstander - get the buchardts
If you want something that is a little bit more tighter with more resolution and air on the top end - get the elacs
If you want something with that coaxial midrange magic and great imaging - kef
sounds like an amplification problem
@@datAero it could very much be... this is why we make sure to mix and match amplifiers to ensure we are not getting inconsistent results... if so... we talk about it in the reviews
@@Jayiyagi thank you for this comparison, just what I wanted to see, I'm rocking the Kef R3s
@@Yalookin you are very welcome ! Thank you for your viewership and comments
Compare to Buchardt S400's.
already answered this question in a comment somewhere below but here you go:
If you want something that has a lot of bass and gives you the illusion of a floorstander - get the buchardts
If you want something that is a little bit more tighter with more resolution and air on the top end - get the elacs
@@Jayiyagi Thanks for all you put into these reviews. Well done.. never give up what you are passionate about.
@@jajessee thank you for you viewership and comments.
Hey man nice reviews, but we need more information. Like you barely talked about bass, soundstage width and depth. Carina reach 46db while Vela 40hz. Isnt that should be noticable? I never seen Bookshelf with such low reach like vela.
Hey Eternal. I agree and as I have mentioned in the description, I will make sure to go real deep in the written reviews. Thank you for your feedback
@@Jayiyagi Ok il wait for written reviews. These Speakers lines really caught My attention. From all Sound demos i have heard all these Vela and Carina speakers sound excellent. Would be nice to hear your impressions on Vela and carina flagship Towers.
Vela flagship in particular with 28hz deep bass looks amazing on paper and that depth sounds amazing. Elac really have so much advancements is amazing, i bet Concentro audition would be quite the experience.
"there was a lack of bass, especially in the bass region."
and if you want to seal it like the Vela, just add a small piece of plexi under the port on top of the pucks. Problem solved.
2:09 „It has a hole at the bottom with an opening.“ Well, did you ever see a hole without an opening? 😉
Please Elac vela vs buchardt 400 on The Way to bye one or The other
If you want something that has a lot of bass and gives you the illusion of a floorstander - get the buchardts
If you want something that is a little bit more tighter with more resolution and air on the top end - get the elacs
Thank you Jay for your time and your response
@@Maxiinti not a problem !
Buy
Count the really really,
Little bits 🤪
After listening and ready a lot of these Elac reviews, I’m becoming a little bit sceptical!
Andrew Jones speakers are over rated, I prefer the non AJ Elac better.
We all need a hole at the bottom 💨
Hahaha
Sorbotane
Jet=AMT. No operational difference, just marketing
Elac offers waaay to much. It turns me off intellectually.
hahaha what do you mean?
@@Jayiyagi Their website lists at least 50 different speakers, not including subs. Maybe they need 50 more. Just joking on that part. But seriously, too many offerings.
@@hifiman4562 I see why you may think this way and why it may be a turn off but let me put a company such as mcintosh, sonus faber, focal, bryston, etc into perspective... one can argue that they too have too many products and where do their focus lie? Well... in actuality they are able to do this because they have the economy of scale and are able to incorporate their designs into many application by means of tweaking them...(so for example; they can tweak the vela and make it into an on-wall or in-wall design) it is not that small companies choose not to do this... they can't afford to.
anyways... just my two cents on that matter (would make a pretty good video topic for the future !) Thanks !
haha ribbon? dam and me who thought you knew your stuff! this an AMT tweeter not a ribbon better fix your title.
You are absolutely right. In my defense, it was 4am when I finished uploading and titling this video. - Zerofidelity can attest to this as we were talking over facebook 😂
An "air motion transformer" is a folded ribbon.
What the heck!?!!!!..
What what ??!! What happened
@@Jayiyagi that downward firing port, that works differently depending on whether placed on a solid base or not!???!
Never of course dealt with a downward ported speaker though.. soooo. Um, yeah
Too many words, any music through these lovely speakers NONE.
If you have more $$ to spend better go elsewhere
How do these compare vs the Adante?
Adante are much bigger speakers and I never got to try them side by side so I would be hard pressed to inform you on this comparison
I have own the adantes. Thats why I was asking. They're massive but I have the space. You should try the adantes and see what you think.
@@jonberg469 I have tried the Adantes myself but not in my own space and side by side with the carina and/or vela so I did not want to give any information pulled out of my ass haha
@@Jayiyagi Did you like the adantes? I didn't like them too much at first. But they got much better as I lived with them.
@@jonberg469 honestly... I had hard time liking them... still hard time...