This channel is quickly becoming my favorite. Often the gear under review is not something I would buy now as I have sadly gone upmarket to the point I am courting bankruptcy, but for any sane audiophile, this channel's gear choices are spot on.
Here are some ideas Michael... you can still buy them for potty training your nieces or nephews. Without proper strategies, us audiophiles could extinct in 2-3 generations down :p
I remember seeing the Elipson Sphere speakers on a cover of "Son Hi-Fi Magazine " in the early 80's here in Canada. I was stunned at how creative and fun the hi-fi world could be. It was enough for me to walk inside hi-fi stores and the love of audio gear as never left since then. Thank you for reminding me the origin of my audiophile journey 🙂
Perfect description of difference between this type of speakers and bookshelf monitors. Have SABA 1300 professional monitor, and T+A xm. Exactly same impression of difference.
Those Elipson speakers look exactly like my very first pair of speakers I bought in '80/'81 with my own money when I was in high school. They were a pair of Criterions from LAFAYETTE Audio Store which was here in New York City back in the day. I really like that old-style box look. Great Video. Been watching your videos for about a year now. And Greetings from The States (Harlem/NYC, USA)
The closest match as to how my speakers sound, is a pair of Klipsch La Scala AL5 loudspeakers, but in my case, the base is stronger. Each speaker has one 15" woofer, two dome mid-range drivers, and four dome tweeters. The two speakers are mirror images of each other. They are 52 cm wide, 82 cm high, and of 41 cm depth, and the panels are of 19 mm MDF, with an internal panel stabilizer. They tend to bring whatever you are listening to, right into your room. I can't recall the exact cost, because I built them myself back in 1978, LOL.
Hi Tarun, I think this was your best speaker review so far. Through, honest and insanely knowledgeable as well. So likely means it is probably the best review on RUclips. Thanks! One subject I always have a hard time finding good videos about is the use of monoblocks. I’d love to see a video in that
Thank you Felipe, very kind of you to say. I am sure I will review some monoblocks at some time. It is the channel separation that is the main benefit 😊👍👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi Tarun, sure! I worked in high level science for many years, so I can recognize seriousness! You have plenty. I do believe in channel separation, but I’m sure you’ll be the one to make an honest and serious approach. Looking forward to it! You have the best hi-fi channel by far, have a great week!
Great review, Tarun. I miss those classic 3-way speaker designs; having that midrange does alleviate the tweeter and woofer, and really helps clarify the sound. Beautiful speaker indeed!
Great to see this speaker getting a positive review and your excellent explanation of the design choices with positives and negatives. I used to own the classic 1303 which even ended up in the New York Museum of Design.
Having JBL 4311b and Kef Concerto right now as main speakers, I can tell that non mirrored speakers are a nightmare from imaging perspective. You have to fiddle with different toe in angles and wall spacing for one speaker relatively to the other. That beeing said, I would never trade them with very precise thin colums (I had that in the past). It depends on what you can trade off : scale is more important to me than pinpoint imaging. However I really regret JBL and Kef in their time and now Elipson didn’t mirror them, it’s a non sense.
Another great video and I certainly appreciate the little flashback of the origin of the company with the photos. Vintage style is fashionable but I'm not sure if people will keep these 'monsters' for the long haul.
I continue to enjoy your channel and what you review. Somewhat different than many of the US guys. And I always enjoy your matter of fact presentation. Keep on sending these out for us!
@@abritishaudiophile7314 as a point of reference, I'm actually an older audiophile, in the business in the 70's and 80's. After about a 15 year hiatus I returned and I've been somewhat on a bucket list quest, since 2005. Sometimes new, sometimes vintage. Right now some vintage British and American electronics and modern British stand mounts and American Planars. It all goes in and out with the wind and mood. Living on the West coast (Seattle area) of the US, but being from Texas, and growing up with their kind of sound, I took to the Kaleo that I believe you recommended, right off. At my age, Blues, Blues Rock, folk, Americana, and of course Classic Rock spends a lot of time making time here. Along with jazz, bossa nova, classical and just about every other genre. Even have an old Victrola for the early 20th century 78s that have been given me over the years. Apparently because people figure I'm a record collector. LOL. Well yeah, I guess I am. But I'm totally modern with digital, mostly playing in the Raspberry Pi space, for now. But the reason for this post is to let you know that the Kaleo is great. I will be paying closer attention to your music selections. I get new music from several reviewers. Like Darko's affinity for Electronica. Anyway, keep it up! Really enjoy your channel.
@@dainawilburn2390 thank you Daina. I really enjoyed learning about your experiences. It sounds like music and hifi have been lifelong passions. I hope they will be for me too 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I imagine you will. Life can take you down roads. You might set it down for a time, but I'm pretty sure you'll return. I'm entering that time when I should be able to spend plenty of time with it. Kids are grown, couple of grandkids, one of which thinks my Victrola is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Just me and a dog now. Don't see anything changing that. Clear skies ahead. Be well.
Taron, (I hope I spelled your name right), this was an excellent verbal review of a set of speakers! Kudos to you my friend, it is quite refreshing to hear the opinions of someone that is well articulated and knowledgable in the subject matter at hand. I didn’t need to find any other reviews to get the full picture of what these speakers were about. Cheers!🥳
Thank you my friend. Very kind of you to say and very much appreciated. I thought they were a very well balanced speaker offering very good value for money for those who need or desire a larger speaker 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Sounds good Taron. I’ve been keeping an interest in the medium large floor speakers, but I get on OK with my 1969 Wharfedale W70E’s that my father gifted me after he had them 30 years. I was an Engineer (retired), so I recapped the 3-way crossover for the 15”/5”/1” mylar dome and have been quite happy. The speakers have been well cared for, and have reaped the benefits of a comfy environment, but you never know when time will be up. It’s starting to look like they may outlive the family😆. We usually listen at moderate to low volumes, but have the space and headroom to go loud, but not so young anymore.😉 I like how larger full range speaker systems have a low end that’s felt as well as heard when you turn up a bit. There’s an efficiency tradeoff for the benefits of an acoustic suspension system like mine, but not a problem for me. Thanks for sharing.. 👨🏻Gary.
@@shipsahoy1793 Hi Gary, I can imagine that they are fine sounding speakers. A large 3 ways acoustic suspension design. I think it is more for cosmetic reasons rather than sonic reasons that they are no so common these days. These things tend go around in cycles. I can see signs of a bit of retro revival. Thank you for sharing my friend 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you Tarun, for your efforts in public awareness on issues regarding sound equipment.😎Have a great summer friend! Cheers!🥳
My Saturdays - Come home from work, shower eat and turn on the computer and hope fora new video from Tarun. Does this make me a fan boy? Another interesting review sir. Clear, concise and informative. And for those of us whose listening rooms are also our living rooms, it's great to see a pair of speakers that look furniture. Thanks Tarun.
Hi Tarun, Really appreciate your reviews. I am subscribed to many others but yours are the most thoughtful and appear to be honest. That honesty combined with your technical knowledge are what I have been looking for. Very interested in your opinion of measurements vs subjective evaluations of speakers as well as comparisons of heritage/vintage speakers vs more modern designs. Bravo! Ron
Thank you Ron. I can’t see much point in doing this if I can’t be honest. In short, measurement are the foundation of a well engineered product. However, they can’t not tell you if it sounds good. That is where subjective listening comes in 😊👍
Another great review. Nice to see you sitting in front of some floor standers. Also interesting to hear your comment about stand mounts disappearing compared to floor standers. I suppose that is why you are a fan of stand mounts. Cheers again love your reviews.
Great review Tarun. I had a pair of IMF ALS40's back in the early 90s and these on the metal stands reminds me of them a little bit. I left those at my mums house when I moved into a pub to run and a family member sold them without me knowing. If I had room I'd like to back to this sort of design but I cant see that happening anytime soon. Those IMF speakers were amazing though, I've never forgiven him haha
Hi Tarun, another very informative video. I have just caught up with your iast few videos,all excellent, especially the PMC one. Keep up the excellent work.
Looks to be a fun speaker. Point taken on the narrow face as that is the big point of the Golden Ear Reference model: The width of the average human head with side subs.
Excellent videos I love french speakers as well as USSR speakers (RADIOTEHNIKA) . Now a days I am owning a focal chorus 726 driving with marantz pm4001 excellent sounding speakers but 10 years ago I owned a RAdiotehnika S90D ultimate speakers I never hear sound like that speakers drove with ITT amp even focals cant give sound like them
excellent review i enjoy your point of view regrading the hobby . I noticed a resurrection of retro speakers i just came from an audition of the JBL L82 great speakers. Very fun and entertaining speakers i think that this is the case with this Elipson .
Hi Tarun - thanks for another superb review. As an owner of the French-made Jean Marie Reynaud Offrande Supreme v.2 speakers I can be counted among those with a love of speakers made in France. Thanks to your skill at communicating what you heard I was able to get a good sense of how this speaker sounds. I've found that for myself, I tend to place more emphasis on an audio component's tone than its ability to produce a credible soundstage. That may have something to do with having a small listening area. Good imaging is certainly important but when listening to, for example, Thad Jones trumpet sound on "The Magnificent Thad Jones" it's tone on which I focus first. Best is, of course, components that do both well. Also, thanks for the comment on current. This is something that sometimes gets overlooked. When considering a speaker like a Magnepan 20.7, high current is really a must.
Thank you Gary. Much appreciated. The XLS15 have a very natural midrange presentation. Not the last word in detail but great tonality. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Cool speakers I didn't know exsisted. The non mirrored pair and port right next to midrange driver are no no things for me. But it's nice to see a European contender amid the sea of yanks 😀
Thank you for the great review. Hard for me to fall for a French version of a JBL L100. I'll stick with the original or the new L100 Classic. Thanks again.
I’d stick with original L100 or 43xx but the new ones are not the same price. The sound is not the same either. I haven’t listened to these Elipson but would be curious to compare them with my old californian studio monitors.
I've heard these speakers 2 months ago in an auditorium in the middle of Paris (France) .. These Elipsons XLS15 were hooked up to a Marantz PM-8005 amplifier, and the music was coming from a laptop using Qobuz, sending the digital audio signal to an external DAC, connected to the Marantz amp. I had the possibility to compare these speakers with a pair of TRIANGLE towers (Triangle Signature Alpha), FOCAL towers (Aria 926), and a pair of Wharfedale Linton Heritage .. First, I listened to the wharfedales .. smooth sounding, laid back, quite warm but engaging, fun to listen to .. nice ! .. then I listened to the towers .. Wow, that was different .. The Triangles have a very forward sound, with energy in the highs, they sound open, clear, and dynamic ! But maybe a bit fatiguing during long sessions .. The Focals were the most balanced speakers I've heard that day .. everything was nice, but they had less bass, sounded less open, with less treble too, than the Triangles .. and less fatiguing too, so yeah, nice and affordable speakers .. Finally, I tried the Elipson Heritage XLS15 ... holy cow ... I don't know what happened with them, but they sounded awful ... by awful, I mean .. I wouldn't buy them even at a tenth of their price ... they sounded blurred, super dark, muffled, like an old pair of 50$ crappy speakers from the 80's .. it was like listening to music through a 10 inch thick piece of foam !! So be careful with these .. listen to them before buying, compare to other speakers, that's very important ! I personnally don't recommend them, at all !!
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Maybe, I don't know .. There is a knob on the front of the speakers, that allows to set the high frequencies directly from the internal crossover .. maybe there was a problem with it, maybe it was kind of broken or something .. but I didn't like them at all .. I was very disappointed because Elipson is a pretty well known French brand (I'm French by the way), and the XLS15 have a quite nice vintage look that I like, so I was really ready to love them at the moment .. sadly, it didn't happen ..
My 2 cents, the wrong thing is partnering. A Marantz of that range is too laidback and can’t deliver the needed current. These speaker designs need a more neutral amp with a beefier power supply.
A lack of symmetry usually helps acoustics. You touch on that here. That’s why a room with identical dimensions, or a cube, is the worst possible. It makes logical sense as reduced symmetry minimises reinforcements and cancellations. It’s a kind of ‘averaging things out’ as much as possible.
Love seeing these big ol speaker coming back. Dont get me wrong a nice set of bookies and a sub can be awesome .... but I still prefer the sound of a big speaker of I had the choice. I listen loud as well so smaller speaker tend to fall a bit short when I'm having a good time.
Bookies and a sub is only a matter of less visual impact in the room. The crossover point is never as good as in large cabinets. I always ear it, more or less depending on the gear quality and number of subs. Then 2 subs and 2 bookshelf speakers on good stands is more space and money consuming.
It was nice to see a floor-standing speaker being reviewed. As good as your reviews are you seem to focus mostly, but not exclusively, on budget gear. Would love to see a review on Luxman L590AXii class A integrated amplifier and some highly efficient 3-way floor speakers around 7-10,000 pound range. That said, your reviews are always informative and relatable ie useful in a practical way. You can be proud of your efforts, they are greatly appreciated. Terry from Oz.
Hi Tarun, Interesting review and I appreciate the way and clarity you presenting it (from a non native english viewer) However, from an historical perspectiv, JBL was created in 1946 the same year that Klipsh entered business. His previous employer was Altec Lansing more based on Western Electric decay with help for manufacturing from the bankrupt Lansing manufacturing. On the other hand, Elipson was effectively created in 1938. The funny thing is that they never produce loudspeakers like XLS15 as Joseph Leon (and later is son Pierre-Etienne) where promoting more advanced designs. Tryphon
Hi Tarun Very interesting review thanks, I've always liked the way these large speakers effortlessly push the sound into the room, no strain just a wall of layered sound with height and depth and space. A lot of moons ago I had a pair of 15 inch Dual Concentric Tannoys that stood as tall as my shoulders and listening to Mars off the Planet Suite by Holst would leave you trembling with fear and yet with jazz you were in a small smoke filled club. A lot of todays speakers may be "accurate" but don't come close to giving you the atmosphere of a venue, but I haven't heard them all so I stand to be corrected. Sorry for going on a bit but your review bought back a few memories. Nice one again.
Thank you Donald. I had an email exchange with the designer and he confirmed that along with some of Elipson’s own speakers the L100 was another design they drew inspiration from 😊👍
Nice review Tarun, never heard of these speakers, sounds like a fun speaker for those who can't go to the jbl 100s, I think its cool, definitely with the exposure amp for some rock. Would love to see you review those Yamaha ns5000, or its smaller brother.
Looks like JBL L100 copycat except JBL are mirror imaged with a larger midrange driver, titanium tweeter and real wood veneer. I'd take the JBL's over these!
@@abritishaudiophile7314 you are not wrong😁 Interesting speakers, I think they are asymmetric for cost, the ‘didn’t want to spoil the aesthetic,’ is a reasonable excuse though.
Thank you for some awesome content. I did try Elipson prestige faced 24f along with Klipsch rp 8000f and Dynavoice classic 28. All 3 very different neither suited me perfect. But this was at a store only so who knows how it sounds in my home.
Hi Tarun, as usual great review... I pressed like before the play botton. I'm hopping one of these days you will review the famous British speakers Harbeth 40.2.
Tarun, the video I have been waiting for . I had been looking at the Klipsch Heritage 4 at £3500, when I came across these mentioned in HiFi Pig at £1800. Can you tell me where you got them from please, I live in Clitheroe, Lancs, so I can find a local dealer. Thank you for another quality presentation, Will
You should definitely check these out William. Different presentation to the house Klipsch sound. Warmer in tonality. I got them from the U.K. distributor. I know that Audio Affair are selling them... www.audioaffair.co.uk/elipson-heritage-xls15-speakers-pair
Klipsch Heritage is a different beast. It will kill off these XLS. Klipsch will grab you from your collars and force you to listen. My advice is to demo both. Even if you don’t choose to buy Klipsch, you will never forget them.
I enjoy the organization of your reviews. I also found your explanation of 'edge diffraction' to be elegantly simple to understand. I looked at the manufacturer's website. It is not clear whether 2000 quid is for one or a pair. They do say that they are "sold in pairs" but it is vague as to how many that price buys. It's academic for me, as the freight to the USA would sink the budget. How did you find the cabinet resonances?
Thank you Jim. I appreciate the kind words of support. In the U.K. they are £1790 for the pair. The XLS15 have two internal braces that keep the cabinet resonates in check. I couldn’t detect any significant resonance 😊👍
I hate to nitpick, but you aren't exactly right about JBL. The original Lansing Company was started by James Lansing in 1927 with his partner Ken Decker. James was a great engineer, but a poor businessman, and after Decker died in a plane crash in 1939, he began having financial troubles, and the company was sold to Altec in 1941, when it became Altec Lansing. Then, when his contract with them expired in 1946, he left and started the James B. Lansing company, or JBL. That company also had fincancial problems which resulted in Lansing commiting suicide in 1949 at the young age of 47. The company was then bought by Bill Thomas, vice president, and the company bounced around under several different owners until the sale to Harman. In 1955 they changed the logo to JBL to appease Altec Lansing, and perhaps preventing Altec from taking legal action against them. In 1969 the company was sold to Sidney Harman, and it was after that sale that most of the iconic speakers we know today, like the L100, and the studio monitor version the 4311, were developed. Kind of a very sad story of the life of one of the most famous pioneers of speaker design in the history of audio, as he designed a lot of iconic drivers, like the D series woofers and compression horn tweeters.
Great review and thanks for sharing Tarun. These speakers design limits them to where they can be placed. For example I need tall speaker's to place near a chair and the xls15's wouldn't be seen lol! I also don't like the ports being at the front, as when the bungs are in place they would look ugly. Iceland are pushing out some really great bands. I'm a fan of Of Monsters and Men. They are excellent and quite unique sounding. 😊
I really hope you will review rhe synthesis jbl line...rhe klipsch heritage line and especially the Tannoy legacy line. I also i'm curious how the Sugden amplifier would match with the elipson. Thank you.
sorry but the lack of mirror-imaged drivers is a must. if back in the mid to late 70s, Dahlquist mirrored their DQ10, and even today, JBL mirrors their speakers, then i would expect Elipson to move int the 21st century. i will say that it is encouraging that their price is half of the still unlistenable L100s of today. aftermarket stands are also a must-purchase item. even though i haven't heard the speaker in person. ...hifitommy
This might be a dumb question to most audiophiles but do you know if an amplifier is required? Or if I can just plug these into an audio mixer that's connected to turntables? Thanks so much!!
Hi Tarun, thanks for your videos, they're very helpful! Would it be possible for you to maybe review something a bit more affordable, meaning i.e. Audio Physic Classic 3? It's a bookshelf speaker from Audio Physic. I'm considering it. Btw., I got to know really a lot of great albums from the video about your CD's collection. Again, thanks for all knowledge you share! Take care.
Thank you Marcin. I most certainly would like to review more affordable gear. A lot of that stuff is made by large organisations. It can be difficult to get through the red tape and get someone to send you a product to review. It shouldn’t be a problem with smaller companies like Audio Physics. I will have to look into it 😊👍
Great review friend, I'm looking to purchase a pair of floorstanders £600-700, I was considering Fyne Audio F303 due to the rave Hifi media reviews, yet the RUclips reviewers haven't touched them, is this a hint not to buy??? For me this is a sizeable investment and at the age of 47 I'd like to think this will be the last set of speakers I will ever buy, famous last word's 😶, my amp is a Pioneer A-656Mark II, my musical tastes have now matured to Acid Jazz , acoustic Soul, my short list is Wharfedale diamond's 12.3, Kef-550, Q-Acoustics 3050i, ascetics are important, my wild card are the Warfedale Evo 3.3. I'm looking forward to the easing of the restrictions to get some serious auditions in and make some poor hifi sales assistant life a misery getting them to haul a load of speakers for me, as a consumer I do feel guilty putting them through this🤷♂️. Keep up the good work 🙂👍.
Hi Naresh, some manufacturers embrace the RUclips platform whilst others are still not sure about it. I actually have made contact with Fyne Audio and hope to review their speakers soon. The other brands you mention are also well respected. All will sound different. Advice is to pick your top 3 and get to listen to all 3 before deciding which one YOU prefer. Good luck 😊👍
I have two questions. Managed to get hold of a couple of these on the second hand market and am very happy with the exchange for my previous Cantons. Now I'm looking for a Hegel on the secondhand market to drive them but have had a hard time getting hold of one. So I've got my eyes on the Willsenton R8.
Will it be able to drive the XLS15?
I have understood that the R8 is base heavy. Do you think this combo would overdo it? I understand i gets better with new tubes. But still?
Thank you Andreas. The R8 wouldn’t be my first choice to try with the XLS15s. I think you will need something with better bass control. I would keep searching for a Hegel 😊
Love your channel. Please if you can make a video on speaker measurements and the pros and cons. I agree that well measured speakers do perform well. But I really would love to hear your opinion on this. Are well measured speakers what we should strive for? If not what are measurements not capturing? Thank you!
Thank you Dave. I forgot to mention it at the beginning but mentioned it in the “Technical insights” section. In the U.K. they are £1,790 for the pair 😊👍
You don't let us hear them ? Did you ever heard the Wharfedale Linton Heritage too ? I found them excellent and excellent price... I had expensive speakers both active and passive, some of them costs 5 times the price tag of the Linton's ! My favorite choice today is the Linton's, the Lunna and Cantabile from the french manufacturer Jean-Marie Reynaud. Regards.
who started to call to bass reflex speakers ,bookshelf speakers ,my house is old it could fit well inside a bookshelf but most of the people now live in buildings with several floors ,i have space so can have a home built large in some areas i have a terrace but others a normal well isolated roof with wide air box, to avoid heat and cold but in sound wich is the best direct linear speakers or bass reflex and what are bookshelf speakers , if suposed to install in a book shelf, i have a friend who as some mission 761 as i do from late 80´s with 4ohms but mine sound much better he says. Well i have them in a room in it´s corners and use a pioneer sa-608 ,it sounds great ,he bought a Rotel and he´s frustrated how bad his system sounds and how perfect mine sounds and i didn´t spent money on a rotel from early 90´s ,i bought with the money a cassette deck from pioneer a ct-959 ,after owning two dragons this sounds and feels like a real good deck and for my surprise a guy making a test between my pioneer and the 1000ZXL ,he want to show how good was the nakamichi or nakashity as i call them, don´t get me wrong i do preserve a nakamichi from my father that it was from the year 76 ,that is good, the reason why i bought the dragons but how bad can a expensive deck be, the guy looked frightened after testing both and said the pioneer it´s better ,but with a scared face and maybe thinking how stupid he was , but at the time the highend of pioneer was much expensive and i choose poorly not well and buy other NAK ,allthough a friend owns a CR-7 and it´s great but not as good as the CT-959 or CT-979 or the CT-95 or the CT-939mkII and i do not refer more pioneer decks because a lot are better than any nakamichi after 76, but why those huge speakers are bookshelf i bought recentelly the magnat transpull the bigger ones with the hybrid amplifier, this ones do look good but it´s late i already invested ,i had at home some cheap pioneers and a modern receiver from pioneer but they sound bad but i put on top of the cs´s a pair of 79 cast iron sb-f3 and now sounds perfect the cs-997 ,the sx-404rds and the sb-f3 that no one likes but are the best with 70´s amplifiers any of them, this litle heavy speakers linear something direct listening ,they even have a tripod to be set at you ears level this from technics for this speakers that another friend burned the tweeters and when in 93 we want to order two tweeters we found they cost more than 450€ ,the highs are really perfect and are 8ohms, also have a ballroom that was just restored last setember where i can push hard for my spe-1 and spec-2 and some huge tanoys with several conections to diferent sound spectrums to ones taste, they are really huge, one can enter inside the speakers
Hello Tarun, I absolutely love your channel. Currently I use NAD C372 and B&W DM 604 S3 and I believe that it is time for me to change my speakers. I listen to my music in low volume level and my living room is about 15ft x 20ft. I have been thinking of buying BW 702 s2; do you think it is a wise choice? Or can you recommend another suitable pair of speakers? (At a later date I am also thinking of changing my amp to eHagel 95/160) Kind regards Dammika
Thank you Dammika. Very kind of you to say. It depends on what tonal balance you want to achieve. The 702S2 are reputed to have a cool tonal character. If that is what you are looking for then it is a good choice. You are right to focus on the speaker first. There are a lot of good choices. Try to use the information available to narrow it down to a choice of 3 speakers. Listen to all 3 if possible before deciding on a favourite. Good luck 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Can I bother you with one more questions which I forgot to include in my earlier text. Do you think my old NAD C372 would be able to drive 702S2 to get the desired outcome? Many thanks Damnika
Hello! Thank you for the review. There's not a lot of discussion online on this speaker so I could use your help! I have a Prima Luna EVO 100 42 W with Triangle Borea br03 speakers Sensivity 92 8ohm and the system rocks. But I'm thinking of upgrading (to rock even more :P) to the Elipson Heritage XLS15. It has Sensivity 92 but with 6ohm tap and a recommended power rating of 50-150w. Do you think the prima Luna would manage? Does it have the meat on the bone? :) I know 92 by itself is good, but on a 6ohm tap, is it enough? I think the Prima Luna has good output transformers, will I be exploring the full potential of the speakers? Thank you
Just wondering, with them saying they didn't want to mirror the speakers due to keeping them true to the original design, were the original's also made from MDF?
It takes inspiration from various speakers from the 60s and 70s. Particle board was more common in those days as a cabinet construction. I think they were referring more to the aesthetic of those speakers.
This channel is quickly becoming my favorite. Often the gear under review is not something I would buy now as I have sadly gone upmarket to the point I am courting bankruptcy, but for any sane audiophile, this channel's gear choices are spot on.
Thank you Michael. That is much appreciated 😊👍👍
Here are some ideas Michael... you can still buy them for potty training your nieces or nephews. Without proper strategies, us audiophiles could extinct in 2-3 generations down :p
Tarun makes educational videos , he’s such a nice well spoken gent with a well of knowledge and experience, that he gives us for FREE 👌👌👌👌
Thank you my friend. So kind of you to say 😊👍👍
I remember seeing the Elipson Sphere speakers on a cover of "Son Hi-Fi Magazine " in the early 80's here in Canada. I was stunned at how creative and fun the hi-fi world could be. It was enough for me to walk inside hi-fi stores and the love of audio gear as never left since then. Thank you for reminding me the origin of my audiophile journey 🙂
Thank you for sharing your memories AZ 😊👍
Perfect description of difference between this type of speakers and bookshelf monitors. Have SABA 1300 professional monitor, and T+A xm. Exactly same impression of difference.
Thank you Peter. Much appreciated 😊👍
Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago , always watch your videos.
Greetings to you too. Thank you for watching Randy 😊👍
Those Elipson speakers look exactly like my very first pair of speakers I bought in '80/'81 with my own money when I was in high school. They were a pair of Criterions from LAFAYETTE Audio Store which was here in New York City back in the day. I really like that old-style box look.
Great Video.
Been watching your videos for about a year now.
And Greetings from The States (Harlem/NYC, USA)
Thank you buddy. Much appreciated. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
The closest match as to how my speakers sound, is a pair of Klipsch La Scala AL5 loudspeakers, but in my case, the base is stronger. Each speaker has one 15" woofer, two dome mid-range drivers, and four dome tweeters. The two speakers are mirror images of each other. They are 52 cm wide, 82 cm high, and of 41 cm depth, and the panels are of 19 mm MDF, with an internal panel stabilizer. They tend to bring whatever you are listening to, right into your room. I can't recall the exact cost, because I built them myself back in 1978, LOL.
Cool 😎
Thanks for the explanation of edge diffraction and the consequent rationale for offset drivers.
You are most welcome 😊
Hi Tarun,
I think this was your best speaker review so far. Through, honest and insanely knowledgeable as well. So likely means it is probably the best review on RUclips.
Thanks!
One subject I always have a hard time finding good videos about is the use of monoblocks. I’d love to see a video in that
Thank you Felipe, very kind of you to say. I am sure I will review some monoblocks at some time. It is the channel separation that is the main benefit 😊👍👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi Tarun, sure! I worked in high level science for many years, so I can recognize seriousness! You have plenty. I do believe in channel separation, but I’m sure you’ll be the one to make an honest and serious approach. Looking forward to it! You have the best hi-fi channel by far, have a great week!
@@fts81 thank you my friend 😊👍👍
Great review, Tarun. I miss those classic 3-way speaker designs; having that midrange does alleviate the tweeter and woofer, and really helps clarify the sound. Beautiful speaker indeed!
Thank you Jose 😊👍
Great to see this speaker getting a positive review and your excellent explanation of the design choices with positives and negatives. I used to own the classic 1303 which even ended up in the New York Museum of Design.
Wow that is amazing Wouter. I appreciate you watching and thank you for sharing 😊👍👍
What a great review many thanks. I will seek these speakers out for a listen after lockdown finishes.
Thank you for watching and your support Paul 😊👍
Thanks for another great review tarun. Hope to see you again next Saturday with another review.
Thank you Paul 😊👍
Glad to see the classic box proportions are still hip.
They are very fashionable at the moment. Not that I have ever followed fashion 😉
Thanks. a nice thing to watch on a Sunday morning 👍 keep them coming
Thank you BW 😊👍
Another great review. Thank you for Kaleo!
Thank you for watching and your support JS 😊👍
Great review as usual. 👌🏾 Thank you, I’ve never fully understood the reasoning behind offset drivers, especially non-mirrored. Very informative!
Thank you Chris. Much appreciated 😊👍
Having JBL 4311b and Kef Concerto right now as main speakers, I can tell that non mirrored speakers are a nightmare from imaging perspective.
You have to fiddle with different toe in angles and wall spacing for one speaker relatively to the other.
That beeing said, I would never trade them with very precise thin colums (I had that in the past).
It depends on what you can trade off : scale is more important to me than pinpoint imaging.
However I really regret JBL and Kef in their time and now Elipson didn’t mirror them, it’s a non sense.
Taraun... You're the man. I didn't even know Elipson even existed until today. I hafta try one of these in the states. 'Preciate ya, brotha!
Thank you buddy. Much appreciated 😊👍👍
Another great video and I certainly appreciate the little flashback of the origin of the company with the photos. Vintage style is fashionable but I'm not sure if people will keep these 'monsters' for the long haul.
Thank you Yves 😊👍
I continue to enjoy your channel and what you review. Somewhat different than many of the US guys. And I always enjoy your matter of fact presentation. Keep on sending these out for us!
Thank you Daina. I very much appreciate your support 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 as a point of reference, I'm actually an older audiophile, in the business in the 70's and 80's. After about a 15 year hiatus I returned and I've been somewhat on a bucket list quest, since 2005. Sometimes new, sometimes vintage. Right now some vintage British and American electronics and modern British stand mounts and American Planars. It all goes in and out with the wind and mood. Living on the West coast (Seattle area) of the US, but being from Texas, and growing up with their kind of sound, I took to the Kaleo that I believe you recommended, right off. At my age, Blues, Blues Rock, folk, Americana, and of course Classic Rock spends a lot of time making time here. Along with jazz, bossa nova, classical and just about every other genre. Even have an old Victrola for the early 20th century 78s that have been given me over the years. Apparently because people figure I'm a record collector. LOL. Well yeah, I guess I am. But I'm totally modern with digital, mostly playing in the Raspberry Pi space, for now. But the reason for this post is to let you know that the Kaleo is great. I will be paying closer attention to your music selections. I get new music from several reviewers. Like Darko's affinity for Electronica. Anyway, keep it up! Really enjoy your channel.
@@dainawilburn2390 thank you Daina. I really enjoyed learning about your experiences. It sounds like music and hifi have been lifelong passions. I hope they will be for me too 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I imagine you will. Life can take you down roads. You might set it down for a time, but I'm pretty sure you'll return. I'm entering that time when I should be able to spend plenty of time with it. Kids are grown, couple of grandkids, one of which thinks my Victrola is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Just me and a dog now. Don't see anything changing that. Clear skies ahead. Be well.
@@dainawilburn2390 you to my friend 😊👍
Taron, (I hope I spelled your name right), this was an excellent verbal review of a set of speakers! Kudos to you my friend, it is quite refreshing to hear the opinions of someone that
is well articulated and knowledgable in the subject matter at hand. I didn’t need to find any other reviews to get the full picture of what these speakers were about. Cheers!🥳
Thank you my friend. Very kind of you to say and very much appreciated. I thought they were a very well balanced speaker offering very good value for money for those who need or desire a larger speaker 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Sounds good Taron. I’ve been keeping an interest
in the medium large floor speakers, but I get on OK with my 1969 Wharfedale W70E’s that my father gifted me after he had them 30 years. I was an Engineer (retired), so I recapped the 3-way crossover for the 15”/5”/1” mylar dome and have been quite happy. The speakers have been well cared for, and have reaped the benefits of a comfy environment, but you never know when time will be up. It’s starting to look like they may outlive the family😆. We usually listen at moderate to low volumes, but have the space and headroom to go loud, but not so young anymore.😉
I like how larger full range speaker systems have a low end that’s felt as well as heard when you turn up a bit. There’s an efficiency tradeoff for the benefits of an acoustic suspension system like mine, but not a problem for me.
Thanks for sharing..
👨🏻Gary.
@@shipsahoy1793 Hi Gary, I can imagine that they are fine sounding speakers. A large 3 ways acoustic suspension design. I think it is more for cosmetic reasons rather than sonic reasons that they are no so common these days. These things tend go around in cycles. I can see signs of a bit of retro revival. Thank you for sharing my friend 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you Tarun, for your efforts in public awareness on issues regarding sound equipment.😎Have a great summer friend! Cheers!🥳
As usual, comprehensive review and great explanation of speaker technology.
Thank you B Shah 😊👍
Another fantastic review Tarun!!! 👌🏻👍🏻
Thank you Sandeep. Thank for watching and your support 😊👍
My Saturdays - Come home from work, shower eat and turn on the computer and hope fora new video from Tarun. Does this make me a fan boy?
Another interesting review sir. Clear, concise and informative. And for those of us whose listening rooms are also our living rooms, it's great to see a pair of speakers that look furniture. Thanks Tarun.
Thank you buddy. I greatly appreciate all the support you have given me since I started this channel 😊👍👍
Hi Tarun,
Really appreciate your reviews. I am subscribed to many others but yours are the most thoughtful and appear to be honest. That honesty combined with your technical knowledge are what I have been looking for. Very interested in your opinion of measurements vs subjective evaluations of speakers as well as comparisons of heritage/vintage speakers vs more modern designs.
Bravo!
Ron
Thank you Ron. I can’t see much point in doing this if I can’t be honest. In short, measurement are the foundation of a well engineered product. However, they can’t not tell you if it sounds good. That is where subjective listening comes in 😊👍
Another great review. Nice to see you sitting in front of some floor standers.
Also interesting to hear your comment about stand mounts disappearing compared to floor standers.
I suppose that is why you are a fan of stand mounts. Cheers again love your reviews.
Thank you Earl. I appreciate your support. I would love to review more floorstanders but the practicality imposes a limiting factor 😊👍
Great review Tarun. I had a pair of IMF ALS40's back in the early 90s and these on the metal stands reminds me of them a little bit. I left those at my mums house when I moved into a pub to run and a family member sold them without me knowing. If I had room I'd like to back to this sort of design but I cant see that happening anytime soon. Those IMF speakers were amazing though, I've never forgiven him haha
Thank you James. One day, I am sure you will have them or something similar in your listening space 😊👍
Another fine review Tarun. Mirrored speakers would have been nice despite the heritage reference.
Thank you. I agree 😊👍
Hi Tarun, another very informative video. I have just caught up with your iast few videos,all excellent, especially the PMC one.
Keep up the excellent work.
Thank you Richard. Very much appreciated 😊👍
Looks to be a fun speaker. Point taken on the narrow face as that is the big point of the Golden Ear Reference model: The width of the average human head with side subs.
Thank you Lonnie 😊
Enjoy your reviews. I remember, in the days before towers and subs, we all saw the 12” 3-way as the destination.
Thank you Michael 😊👍
Excellent videos I love french speakers as well as USSR speakers (RADIOTEHNIKA) . Now a days I am owning a focal chorus 726 driving with marantz pm4001 excellent sounding speakers but 10 years ago I owned a RAdiotehnika S90D ultimate speakers I never hear sound like that speakers drove with ITT amp even focals cant give sound like them
Thank you for watching and your experiences Kuldeep 😊👍
Great review evaluation as usual. It always seems like I'm listening to a professor giving a lecture at Cambridge University! A good thing!😉🤗😇
Thank you Big Jay. Hopefully, I don’t come across as too serious 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314
Nope, just an individual who knows what they are talking about in a clear and easy to understand format.😇
I always learn from your videos. Thanks for the extra explanation
Thank you for watching and the support Tom 😊👍
Good review Tarun, I don`t think I`ve ever come across the brand before
Thank you JD. I am keen to review products from companies less well known 😉👍
I still remember the Elipson 1303 of the early seventies, I briefly listened to it at an audio place in the Marais, Paris.
Thank you for watching and sharing Vladimir 😊
excellent review i enjoy your point of view regrading the hobby . I noticed a resurrection of retro speakers i just came from an audition of the JBL L82 great speakers. Very fun and entertaining speakers i think that this is the case with this Elipson .
Thank you Leonidas. I am in the process of reviewing the new JBL L52s. Review not too too far away 😊👍
Hi Tarun - thanks for another superb review. As an owner of the French-made Jean Marie Reynaud Offrande Supreme v.2 speakers I can be counted among those with a love of speakers made in France. Thanks to your skill at communicating what you heard I was able to get a good sense of how this speaker sounds. I've found that for myself, I tend to place more emphasis on an audio component's tone than its ability to produce a credible soundstage. That may have something to do with having a small listening area. Good imaging is certainly important but when listening to, for example, Thad Jones trumpet sound on "The Magnificent Thad Jones" it's tone on which I focus first. Best is, of course, components that do both well. Also, thanks for the comment on current. This is something that sometimes gets overlooked. When considering a speaker like a Magnepan 20.7, high current is really a must.
Thank you Gary. Much appreciated. The XLS15 have a very natural midrange presentation. Not the last word in detail but great tonality. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
amazing review. thanks so much
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
Kaleo are a great band! Looks like they have a new album coming soon too😁
That would be nice 😊👍
Another very entertaining and educational review, I was unaware of the history of Elipson
until now, thanks for that!
Thank you for watching Terry 😊👍
they looks super, its like vintage one, there are much better then mini speakers. i love them.
Thank you for watching Johny 😊
Cool speakers I didn't know exsisted. The non mirrored pair and port right next to midrange driver are no no things for me. But it's nice to see a European contender amid the sea of yanks 😀
Yeah.. They'd drive my symmetry-sensitive brain crazy, Even with the grill, now that we know what's inside 😂😂😂
Well said. Hilarious 😂😂😂
Thanks Chris 😊
Hey Tarun , once again a brilliant way to explain how good these speakers are.
Thank you Atri 😊👍
Thank you for the great review. Hard for me to fall for a French version of a JBL L100. I'll stick with the original or the new L100 Classic. Thanks again.
Thank you Mark 😊👍
I’d stick with original L100 or 43xx but the new ones are not the same price.
The sound is not the same either.
I haven’t listened to these Elipson but would be curious to compare them with my old californian studio monitors.
I've heard these speakers 2 months ago in an auditorium in the middle of Paris (France) .. These Elipsons XLS15 were hooked up to a Marantz PM-8005 amplifier, and the music was coming from a laptop using Qobuz, sending the digital audio signal to an external DAC, connected to the Marantz amp. I had the possibility to compare these speakers with a pair of TRIANGLE towers (Triangle Signature Alpha), FOCAL towers (Aria 926), and a pair of Wharfedale Linton Heritage ..
First, I listened to the wharfedales .. smooth sounding, laid back, quite warm but engaging, fun to listen to .. nice ! .. then I listened to the towers .. Wow, that was different .. The Triangles have a very forward sound, with energy in the highs, they sound open, clear, and dynamic ! But maybe a bit fatiguing during long sessions .. The Focals were the most balanced speakers I've heard that day .. everything was nice, but they had less bass, sounded less open, with less treble too, than the Triangles .. and less fatiguing too, so yeah, nice and affordable speakers ..
Finally, I tried the Elipson Heritage XLS15 ... holy cow ... I don't know what happened with them, but they sounded awful ... by awful, I mean .. I wouldn't buy them even at a tenth of their price ... they sounded blurred, super dark, muffled, like an old pair of 50$ crappy speakers from the 80's .. it was like listening to music through a 10 inch thick piece of foam !! So be careful with these .. listen to them before buying, compare to other speakers, that's very important ! I personnally don't recommend them, at all !!
That is a bit odd. I wonder if they had something wrong with them 🤔
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Maybe, I don't know .. There is a knob on the front of the speakers, that allows to set the high frequencies directly from the internal crossover .. maybe there was a problem with it, maybe it was kind of broken or something .. but I didn't like them at all .. I was very disappointed because Elipson is a pretty well known French brand (I'm French by the way), and the XLS15 have a quite nice vintage look that I like, so I was really ready to love them at the moment .. sadly, it didn't happen ..
@@michelrichert9052 if you get a chance, I would have another listen Michel. There was probably something wrong with that particular speaker 😊
Vielleicht den franzwein vorher aus dem Kopf lassen🍷🍷🍷
My 2 cents, the wrong thing is partnering.
A Marantz of that range is too laidback and can’t deliver the needed current.
These speaker designs need a more neutral amp with a beefier power supply.
A lack of symmetry usually helps acoustics. You touch on that here. That’s why a room with identical dimensions, or a cube, is the worst possible. It makes logical sense as reduced symmetry minimises reinforcements and cancellations. It’s a kind of ‘averaging things out’ as much as possible.
Thank you for watching and sharing buddy 😊
Taran finally you have realised and admitted the necessity of size in drivers to accomodate bass. Now if we can only change your taste in music.
Good luck 😂
Locked like my old goodman magnums, when Goodman’s made good speakers even down to the tuneable speaker pots.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Malcolm 😊
Love seeing these big ol speaker coming back. Dont get me wrong a nice set of bookies and a sub can be awesome .... but I still prefer the sound of a big speaker of I had the choice. I listen loud as well so smaller speaker tend to fall a bit short when I'm having a good time.
Thank you for watching and sharing 😊
Bookies and a sub is only a matter of less visual impact in the room.
The crossover point is never as good as in large cabinets.
I always ear it, more or less depending on the gear quality and number of subs.
Then 2 subs and 2 bookshelf speakers on good stands is more space and money consuming.
It was nice to see a floor-standing speaker being reviewed. As good as your reviews are you seem to focus mostly, but not exclusively, on budget gear. Would love to see a review on Luxman L590AXii class A integrated amplifier and some highly efficient 3-way floor speakers around 7-10,000 pound range. That said, your reviews are always informative and relatable ie useful in a practical way. You can be proud of your efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
Terry from Oz.
Thank you Terry. I do hope to review equipment at various price levels going forward 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I look forward with anticipation.
Hi Tarun,
Interesting review and I appreciate the way and clarity you presenting it (from a non native english viewer)
However, from an historical perspectiv, JBL was created in 1946 the same year that Klipsh entered business. His previous employer was Altec Lansing more based on Western Electric decay with help for manufacturing from the bankrupt Lansing manufacturing.
On the other hand, Elipson was effectively created in 1938. The funny thing is that they never produce loudspeakers like XLS15 as Joseph Leon (and later is son Pierre-Etienne) where promoting more advanced designs.
Tryphon
Thank you TT 😊👍
I have the Heresy IVs and man.. I’m having fun in this hobby again. They will be passed down.
I hope to review them at some point 😉
Hi Tarun
Very interesting review thanks, I've always liked the way these large speakers
effortlessly push the sound into the room, no strain just a wall of layered sound
with height and depth and space.
A lot of moons ago I had a pair of 15 inch Dual Concentric Tannoys that stood
as tall as my shoulders and listening to Mars off the Planet Suite by Holst would
leave you trembling with fear and yet with jazz you were in a small smoke filled club.
A lot of todays speakers may be "accurate" but don't come close to giving you the
atmosphere of a venue, but I haven't heard them all so I stand to be corrected.
Sorry for going on a bit but your review bought back a few memories. Nice one again.
Hi Ray, thank you for watching. I really enjoyed learning about your experiences 😊👍
Interesting speaker...hope u can compare it to the KLH Model 5, thks
Thank you for watching Gilbert. I haven’t heard the KLH model 5 but that is a much bigger speaker.
Great video. I wonder what the xls11's are like?
I'm sure you've heard that they look like the JBL L100, they are also half the price of the JBLs nice looking speaker.
Thank you Donald. I had an email exchange with the designer and he confirmed that along with some of Elipson’s own speakers the L100 was another design they drew inspiration from 😊👍
Nice review Tarun, never heard of these speakers, sounds like a fun speaker for those who can't go to the jbl 100s, I think its cool, definitely with the exposure amp for some rock. Would love to see you review those Yamaha ns5000, or its smaller brother.
Thank you BP. I haven’t got a contact with Yamaha as yet. Hope to change that if I can 😊👍
Wer will schon zu überteuerten alten amerikanischen Kisten?
The 80’s called, they want their speakers back.
Good one 😂
During the 90's speakers like these were laughed at. What's old is new again. Glad to see these older designs receiving respect again.
@@bpalpha thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊
Actually, the 70s called with the original JBL L100. The Klipsch Hersey dates back to the 50s.
kaleo great young band,had theyre LP for ages,but dont recommend it on vinyl, press isnt to good imo havent tried CD yet,another great vid Tarun
Thank you Glen 😊👍
I want them !
Cool 😉👍
The price is outrageous!
Compared to what?
I don’t think those JBL deserves highly recommend; but any ways, I respect your evaluation.
It is a very good speaker for those who want or need a larger speaker 😊
Looks like JBL L100 copycat except JBL are mirror imaged with a larger midrange driver, titanium tweeter and real wood veneer. I'd take the JBL's over these!
@@davidlima8194 Understood. They are a lot more money though 😉
Imaging is not the strogest suit of these speakers. Or you camera this week! Interesting review as always.
Yeh, tried something different with the lighting and it didn’t work 😢
@@abritishaudiophile7314 you are not wrong😁
Interesting speakers, I think they are asymmetric for cost, the ‘didn’t want to spoil the aesthetic,’ is a reasonable excuse though.
@@billywindsock9597 There is definitely a cost saving in having both speakers identical 😊
Any chance the prestige facet series from Elipson will be reviewed?
Great review and video. 👍
Thank you Madrigalen. I haven’t looked into those as yet 😊👍
Thank you for some awesome content. I did try Elipson prestige faced 24f along with Klipsch rp 8000f and Dynavoice classic 28. All 3 very different neither suited me perfect. But this was at a store only so who knows how it sounds in my home.
@@Madrigalen thank you for watching and sharing your experiences my friend 😊👍
Vos présentation, sont toujours très agréable à regarder, bravo!
Thank you very much 👍
Your reviews are great. Can you please review the Ohm Walsh Tall 2000 speakers?
Thank you Peter. These omni speakers normally need to be quite far from walls. It would be interesting to see if they work in my room 🤔😊👍
Hi Tarun, as usual great review... I pressed like before the play botton.
I'm hopping one of these days you will review the famous British speakers Harbeth 40.2.
Thank you Farid. Very much appreciated. I hope to get hold of Alan Shaw and get some Harbeth’s in soon 😊👍
Nice build
They are very nicely put together 😉
Tarun, the video I have been waiting for . I had been looking at the Klipsch Heritage 4 at £3500, when I came across these mentioned in HiFi Pig at £1800.
Can you tell me where you got them from please, I live in Clitheroe, Lancs, so I can find a local dealer.
Thank you for another quality presentation, Will
You should definitely check these out William. Different presentation to the house Klipsch sound. Warmer in tonality. I got them from the U.K. distributor. I know that Audio Affair are selling them...
www.audioaffair.co.uk/elipson-heritage-xls15-speakers-pair
Klipsch Heritage is a different beast. It will kill off these XLS. Klipsch will grab you from your collars and force you to listen. My advice is to demo both. Even if you don’t choose to buy Klipsch, you will never forget them.
I enjoy the organization of your reviews. I also found your explanation of 'edge diffraction' to be elegantly simple to understand. I looked at the manufacturer's website. It is not clear whether 2000 quid is for one or a pair. They do say that they are "sold in pairs" but it is vague as to how many that price buys. It's academic for me, as the freight to the USA would sink the budget.
How did you find the cabinet resonances?
Thank you Jim. I appreciate the kind words of support. In the U.K. they are £1790 for the pair. The XLS15 have two internal braces that keep the cabinet resonates in check. I couldn’t detect any significant resonance 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Not a bad price at all for a pair of this capability.
To me that’s what a HIFi speaker should look like. Nice
They do look great don’t they 😊
I hate to nitpick, but you aren't exactly right about JBL. The original Lansing Company was started by James Lansing in 1927 with his partner Ken Decker. James was a great engineer, but a poor businessman, and after Decker died in a plane crash in 1939, he began having financial troubles, and the company was sold to Altec in 1941, when it became Altec Lansing. Then, when his contract with them expired in 1946, he left and started the James B. Lansing company, or JBL. That company also had fincancial problems which resulted in Lansing commiting suicide in 1949 at the young age of 47. The company was then bought by Bill Thomas, vice president, and the company bounced around under several different owners until the sale to Harman. In 1955 they changed the logo to JBL to appease Altec Lansing, and perhaps preventing Altec from taking legal action against them. In 1969 the company was sold to Sidney Harman, and it was after that sale that most of the iconic speakers we know today, like the L100, and the studio monitor version the 4311, were developed. Kind of a very sad story of the life of one of the most famous pioneers of speaker design in the history of audio, as he designed a lot of iconic drivers, like the D series woofers and compression horn tweeters.
Thank you DM 😊
Great review and thanks for sharing Tarun. These speakers design limits them to where they can be placed. For example I need tall speaker's to place near a chair and the xls15's wouldn't be seen lol! I also don't like the ports being at the front, as when the bungs are in place they would look ugly. Iceland are pushing out some really great bands. I'm a fan of Of Monsters and Men. They are excellent and quite unique sounding. 😊
Thank you Steve. These speakers suit modern minimalist living when you want some retro chic statement piece. Just my opinion of course 😊👍
It would be interesting to compare the Elipson with the Eltax Monitor PWR 1959
Thank you for the suggestion David 😊
I really hope you will review rhe synthesis jbl line...rhe klipsch heritage line and especially the Tannoy legacy line. I also i'm curious how the Sugden amplifier would match with the elipson. Thank you.
I would like to in time. Thank you for watching Markus 😊😊
Looks like a Klipsch Heresy III and a JBL L100 had a baby.
Indeed 😊
Thanks for great review. Do you think it will suit if like reggae and Hip hop was thinking about the bass, if it is deep and have good punch?
They have great bass performance 😊
sorry but the lack of mirror-imaged drivers is a must. if back in the mid to late 70s, Dahlquist mirrored their DQ10, and even today, JBL mirrors their speakers, then i would expect Elipson to move int the 21st century.
i will say that it is encouraging that their price is half of the still unlistenable L100s of today. aftermarket stands are also a must-purchase item. even though i haven't heard the speaker in person.
...hifitommy
Thank you for watching and sharing Thomas 😊
This might be a dumb question to most audiophiles but do you know if an amplifier is required? Or if I can just plug these into an audio mixer that's connected to turntables? Thanks so much!!
You are going to need an amplifier between the mixer and the speakers 😊
Hi Tarun, thanks for your videos, they're very helpful! Would it be possible for you to maybe review something a bit more affordable, meaning i.e. Audio Physic Classic 3? It's a bookshelf speaker from Audio Physic. I'm considering it. Btw., I got to know really a lot of great albums from the video about your CD's collection. Again, thanks for all knowledge you share! Take care.
Thank you Marcin. I most certainly would like to review more affordable gear. A lot of that stuff is made by large organisations. It can be difficult to get through the red tape and get someone to send you a product to review. It shouldn’t be a problem with smaller companies like Audio Physics. I will have to look into it 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for reply Tarun, I will keep my fingers crossed then ;) Greetings from Poland!
Will the iotavx sa3/pa3 combo in bridged mode have the current needed to drive these speakers good?
They would do 😊
Great review friend, I'm looking to purchase a pair of floorstanders £600-700, I was considering Fyne Audio F303 due to the rave Hifi media reviews, yet the RUclips reviewers haven't touched them, is this a hint not to buy??? For me this is a sizeable investment and at the age of 47 I'd like to think this will be the last set of speakers I will ever buy, famous last word's 😶, my amp is a Pioneer A-656Mark II, my musical tastes have now matured to Acid Jazz , acoustic Soul, my short list is Wharfedale diamond's 12.3, Kef-550, Q-Acoustics 3050i, ascetics are important, my wild card are the Warfedale Evo 3.3. I'm looking forward to the easing of the restrictions to get some serious auditions in and make some poor hifi sales assistant life a misery getting them to haul a load of speakers for me, as a consumer I do feel guilty putting them through this🤷♂️. Keep up the good work 🙂👍.
Hi Naresh, some manufacturers embrace the RUclips platform whilst others are still not sure about it. I actually have made contact with Fyne Audio and hope to review their speakers soon. The other brands you mention are also well respected. All will sound different. Advice is to pick your top 3 and get to listen to all 3 before deciding which one YOU prefer. Good luck 😊👍
IDK: Maybe a good set of bookshelves with a quality sub would be a better buy - modern tech; with lets say a 60 hz crossover 3rd order.
Could be Todd. Depends on what you are trying to achieve 😉
Hi Tarun
Fantastic channel!
I have two questions. Managed to get hold of a couple of these on the second hand market and am very happy with the exchange for my previous Cantons.
Now I'm looking for a Hegel on the secondhand market to drive them but have had a hard time getting hold of one.
So I've got my eyes on the Willsenton R8.
Will it be able to drive the XLS15?
I have understood that the R8 is base heavy. Do you think this combo would overdo it? I understand i gets better with new tubes. But still?
Thank you Andreas. The R8 wouldn’t be my first choice to try with the XLS15s. I think you will need something with better bass control. I would keep searching for a Hegel 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you so much for the reply! I suspected that it might be better to look further for a Hegel :)
much higher less bass in the room ,if you are directelly in front of the woofer ,no problem but one isn´t suposed to be in the direction of the woofer
Love your channel. Please if you can make a video on speaker measurements and the pros and cons. I agree that well measured speakers do perform well. But I really would love to hear your opinion on this. Are well measured speakers what we should strive for? If not what are measurements not capturing?
Thank you!
Thank you Nightjar. Funny enough, I am planning to do a video on that topic 😊👍
Given 87 iu7
Great review- did you mention the price though Tarun?
Thank you Dave. I forgot to mention it at the beginning but mentioned it in the “Technical insights” section. In the U.K. they are £1,790 for the pair 😊👍
1800 pounds
@@abritishaudiophile7314 thanks seems very reasonable for what you get 👍
You don't let us hear them ? Did you ever heard the Wharfedale Linton Heritage too ? I found them excellent and excellent price... I had expensive speakers both active and passive, some of them costs 5 times the price tag of the Linton's ! My favorite choice today is the Linton's, the Lunna and Cantabile from the french manufacturer Jean-Marie Reynaud. Regards.
I have heard the Linton’s and they sounded very good 😊
A French JBL! Sacre Bleu! (I can say that because I'm of French descent)
Very funny 😊
try these instead: "saperlipopette", or "bon sang de bois" :) I'm sure your elders said it once ;)
who started to call to bass reflex speakers ,bookshelf speakers ,my house is old it could fit well inside a bookshelf but most of the people now live in buildings with several floors ,i have space so can have a home built large in some areas i have a terrace but others a normal well isolated roof with wide air box, to avoid heat and cold but in sound wich is the best direct linear speakers or bass reflex and what are bookshelf speakers , if suposed to install in a book shelf, i have a friend who as some mission 761 as i do from late 80´s with 4ohms but mine sound much better he says. Well i have them in a room in it´s corners and use a pioneer sa-608 ,it sounds great ,he bought a Rotel and he´s frustrated how bad his system sounds and how perfect mine sounds and i didn´t spent money on a rotel from early 90´s ,i bought with the money a cassette deck from pioneer a ct-959 ,after owning two dragons this sounds and feels like a real good deck and for my surprise a guy making a test between my pioneer and the 1000ZXL ,he want to show how good was the nakamichi or nakashity as i call them, don´t get me wrong i do preserve a nakamichi from my father that it was from the year 76 ,that is good, the reason why i bought the dragons but how bad can a expensive deck be, the guy looked frightened after testing both and said the pioneer it´s better ,but with a scared face and maybe thinking how stupid he was , but at the time the highend of pioneer was much expensive and i choose poorly not well and buy other NAK ,allthough a friend owns a CR-7 and it´s great but not as good as the CT-959 or CT-979 or the CT-95 or the CT-939mkII and i do not refer more pioneer decks because a lot are better than any nakamichi after 76, but why those huge speakers are bookshelf i bought recentelly the magnat transpull the bigger ones with the hybrid amplifier, this ones do look good but it´s late i already invested ,i had at home some cheap pioneers and a modern receiver from pioneer but they sound bad but i put on top of the cs´s a pair of 79 cast iron sb-f3 and now sounds perfect the cs-997 ,the sx-404rds and the sb-f3 that no one likes but are the best with 70´s amplifiers any of them, this litle heavy speakers linear something direct listening ,they even have a tripod to be set at you ears level this from technics for this speakers that another friend burned the tweeters and when in 93 we want to order two tweeters we found they cost more than 450€ ,the highs are really perfect and are 8ohms, also have a ballroom that was just restored last setember where i can push hard for my spe-1 and spec-2 and some huge tanoys with several conections to diferent sound spectrums to ones taste, they are really huge, one can enter inside the speakers
Hello Tarun. Would these speakers work well with cambridge cxa81? Thanks
On paper yes but I haven’t tried them with that amp 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you.
Hello Tarun,
I absolutely love your channel.
Currently I use NAD C372 and B&W DM 604 S3 and I believe that it is time for me to change my speakers. I listen to my music in low volume level and my living room is about 15ft x 20ft. I have been thinking of buying BW 702 s2; do you think it is a wise choice? Or can you recommend another suitable pair of speakers? (At a later date I am also thinking of changing my amp to eHagel 95/160)
Kind regards
Dammika
Thank you Dammika. Very kind of you to say. It depends on what tonal balance you want to achieve. The 702S2 are reputed to have a cool tonal character. If that is what you are looking for then it is a good choice. You are right to focus on the speaker first. There are a lot of good choices. Try to use the information available to narrow it down to a choice of 3 speakers. Listen to all 3 if possible before deciding on a favourite. Good luck 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you so much for your prompt reply.
Can I bother you with one more questions which I forgot to include in my earlier text. Do you think my old NAD C372 would be able to drive 702S2 to get the desired outcome?
Many thanks
Damnika
It will certainly drive them. Worth trying to see how it sounds 😉
Bellissime..
Merci 😊👍
Hi have you compared the new model 5 to these? Great review. Model 5 is outstanding. Cheers.
I haven’t as yet 😊
Hello! Thank you for the review. There's not a lot of discussion online on this speaker so I could use your help! I have a Prima Luna EVO 100 42 W with Triangle Borea br03 speakers Sensivity 92 8ohm and the system rocks. But I'm thinking of upgrading (to rock even more :P) to the Elipson Heritage XLS15. It has Sensivity 92 but with 6ohm tap and a recommended power rating of 50-150w. Do you think the prima Luna would manage? Does it have the meat on the bone? :) I know 92 by itself is good, but on a 6ohm tap, is it enough? I think the Prima Luna has good output transformers, will I be exploring the full potential of the speakers? Thank you
I haven’t tried that combo but the EVO 100 should be able to drive them well 😊
Just wondering, with them saying they didn't want to mirror the speakers due to keeping them true to the original design, were the original's also made from MDF?
It takes inspiration from various speakers from the 60s and 70s. Particle board was more common in those days as a cabinet construction. I think they were referring more to the aesthetic of those speakers.
sure would like an a/b : quetest vs pontus.
Me too 😉
How is this speakers compared to Wharfedale Linton Heritage and JBL Classic 100?
I haven’t compared them 😊
Good job and lot of useful info, how to compare jbl L100. 🤔
Thank you. I have done a direct comparison as yet 😉