I've had an elac FS 407 for a long time, the most significant improvement I've had from setting up the Elac with AMT tweeters is putting a big rug in the room, bigger than the distance between the speakers, and under the rug I put a good layer of foam of 1 inch. The quality gain in defining the soundstage was absolutely incredible!!.., it became more realistic with more spatial location and at the same time even smoother, and best of all very cheap investment..
I walked into a hifi-store in Munich called “Rauch und Schall“ full of different speakers from different brands. I told one of the employees that I would like to listen to all of these but I guess I wouldn’t have that much time to do so. He pointed at the Vela 407 and said: “Listen to these. That’s all you need.“
Dude, first off, thank you for talking about the drivers. So few reviews include valuable information pertaining to the transducers it's infuriating. Second, I think I speak for all of us when I say, I would like to see the crossover and what the cabinet looks like on the inside as well. This is like popping the hood of a car before you buy it. Keep up the good work!
I have had these in my system now for about 1 1/2years and I am very happy with them. Thanks to your outstanding review of these speakers I bought them during covid and did not hear them first. I hoped that I did not need to return them but that was my back up plan. I power the Vela fs 407 with a Prima Luna evo 400i that has 8 el-35 tubes. When I go to listen to other peoples systems in my hifi club I am shocked just how good these compare to much more expensive speakers. Thanks for your detailed review. Hank
Yes, you are correct about his review. I'm in the market for speakers and these seem to be what I'm looking for. It seems these should be a good match for my Parasound A23s (mono).
Very well done, not that you usually give me a lot to critique in your videos, but this was easily the best I've seen....I love the detailed breakdown of the integrated amp pairings, as well as your detailed description of the driver components...Great job, and thank you, I will have to check these out.
Great review. I used to own the previous Elac 407 and they were a very good speaker which sounded exactly like you described. The only thing I would say is the Elac 407’s I had dug down to 30hz and the bass was something that was very surprising for a speaker of its size.
Great review sir!!! I think the best word for AMT tweeters is resolving. I love AMT tweeters- most speakers I’ve owned use AMT tweeters. However, I’ve primarily focused on the active studio monitor side- Adam, Eve, and HEDD. I’ve tried prior Elacs and Monitor Audio golds (folded ribbons) on the HiFi end. Adam, Eve, and HEDD share much of the same DNA but what’s consistent about most of these is the level of precision and room to discern details that the AMT tweeters provide. High frequency transients can be picked up so much more easily with these tweeters than other options. And you’re absolutely right- the advantages of AMT tweeters don’t at all need to be harsh or strained. My EVE SC208 monitors are very smooth yet extremely resolving.
Mo- great choices IF you insist on an AMT..you are actually because it means you can eliminate many other great monitors (Neumann, Event,Focal, Dyneaudio etc)
This may sound weird but I hooked them up to an almost 20 year old Kenwood AV receiver and they still sound great. I guess there's room for improvement but it already is already a leap to signicant soundstage.
Man, what a extremely professional review! I fully agree with all your statements as I do enjoy listening to my 5.1 Vela setup every day. 2nd, I instantly listened to the record you've mentioned from Anette Askvik which seems to be composed for the Vela. Again, great review!
Ich gehe mal davon aus, dass du Deutscher bist. Welche Elektronik nutzt du für dein 5.1 Set? Welchen Sub etc.? Hatte die Vela über einen 1000€-AVR Stereo gehört und war nicht überzeugt. Die Höhen waren mir auch etwas zu spitz. Würde mich über eine Antwort freuen.
Wonderful and informative review. Love the amplifier recommendations and how they will impact the speaker's sound. They really showed the depth of your knowledge and experience. Great job, want to see more.
1:40 Metals and metal coatings actually *increase* resonances, they help for increasing stiffness therefore reduce breakups which distorts the sound itself (=/= resonances on the driver).
Great review Jay! They are getting better and better as your work proceeds. One tip though, keep your notes just below or above the camera so you don't have look to the right😃
Jay great review and assessment on the 407s. I have them powered by a Hegel H390 and you were spot on with your review. These are amazing speakers that such a small footprint but with the right power they sound like they could easily be double their size. Thanks again for all that you do. Looking forward to more reviews.
Like the Hegel. I had the 95, not the 390 but still. I recently auditioned the McIntosh MAC7200 and 8900... dude.... Mic drop that's all she wrote. Its my next one... Hopefully this year. Just mentioned as it was on the 403 and 407.
So I have the Solano floor standers model of similar size and I find the amt tweeter to be VERY laid back compared to other speakers I've had including Dynaudio Confidence C1 Platinum. I love the full bodies sound of the solanos but I'm wondering if the Vela will be brighter than the solano?
These speakers are great. I have both the BS 403 and the FS 407. Thanks for the review. My ears agree with you! I have it paired with a PrimaLuna EVO 400 amp. I had these connected to a denon AVR x8500h - which is a beast, but something was missing. Switching to an external amp helped alot (first to a schiit vidar then to the PrimeLuna). It still does confuse my why the change was so large. The denon is still more powerful. (yes, power isn't everything, the musical flavor maters too.. but the changes were huge.)
Nice would like to hear these next to the new Revel F226Be whichclocks in at $6K or about what the Elac FS409 does.For me the sweet spot should be at about a lines $6K price point
Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews - nbtsmedia.com/about-us/ Maybe I came off a little dry cuz I was trying to speak slower in this video and was focusing on that haha. Cheers guys
Slower? you were already slow :D. Please stay as you were, YT has speed adjustment if anyone is complaining. This video was weird and uneasy to watch because of how unnatural you were. The review is great as always tho!.
AV receiver Marantz SR7012 and above will work just fine with these speakers and will sound just as good as most standalone amps. - Marantz music magic is hard to beat. HDAMs, current feedback topology, high end capacitors, better signal path, etc... Not an average AVR.
This is probably your most technical & most organised & ultimate review you ever put.. Sometimes it looked liked it was sponsored by elac but even that's ok if this is the result. Great job keep it up & pls do more videos on audio excellence Canada channel i love that too..❤️ Ps: waiting to win the buchardt never won a giveaway 😔
That happens a lot where the 2 way is better than the 3 way or 2.5 way. It's all in the crossovers and 3 way's have a pressure build up that creates issues and harder to dial in. These are similar to my Monitor Gold 200's that I am getting rid of. I settled on YG Acoustics Carmel 2's and bit the bullet and stepping up to the next level and paying for it. I also got a used pair of 400 watt mono block mola mola Kaluga's and getting a Lampizator baltic.
Great review Jay! Hey you mentioned several times about how an AV receiver would not do it justice. Would be great to have your POV about better AV receivers... Rotel? NAD? Anthem? Emotive? Etc. Keep up the great reviews!
I took a listen to these in comparison to B&W's 702s and 703s in a hifi store the other day, and the difference between them was striking. It was not an ideal setup, or even close honestly, but the Elacs seemed to completely lack any sense of room presence. It was as if there were instruments playing from inside of a black hole, and only loud enough sounds escaped the gravity. Everything else simply didn't exist as far as they were concerned it seemed. The B&Ws on the other hand were very "live" sounding, particularly the 702s, and created a great sense of room presence. Some might call it a bright sound as mentioned in the review, but to me they simply sounded accurate. The Elacs also seemed much smaller in person than I would have thought, not even reaching my waist (6'0") and the drivers did not appear to be 6.5 inch. They looked to be 5.25s if I would have guessed. Coupled with the fact that they cost over 1000 Euro more per pair than even the 702s, I chose not to bother with a home demo on the Elacs, as the margin by which I preferred the B&W's sound was huge. Going to home demo the B&Ws this week and see if they can beat the Tekton Impact Monitors I have in for a tryout. The Tektons already beat out Buchardt S400s which are still here for the moment as well.
Yeah I have had the 702s for about a year and they are fantastic for the money, can't say they are better than these 407s as I have not demoed them in my setup, but the 702s are cheaper and the build quality is outstanding. I think the drawback with B&W speakers is really a function of their resolution and sound signature - if you play poor recordings and your components upstream are not up to snuff, they can sound bright/fatiguing, and the bass in particular can be thin or muddy. There are speaker manufacturers who design their speakers' sound signatures to be more forgiving, but if your tastes in music and sound match up with the B&W house sound, and you are willing to spend $$$, B&W is hard to beat. Btw I liked my 702s so much I just upgraded to the 804s!
@@michaelmityok1001 I am starting to wonder if there is some sort of unspoken agreement between all YouTibe hifi reviewers not to ever mention or review B&W due to their dominance on the scene and some sort of perception of an "evil empire" sort of vibe or what the deal is? Maybe B&W isn't reviewer friendly? I just know I can't find real reviews of the 702s on UA-cam. Just those stupid videos where someone plays their system for you and records it on their iPhone. (facepalm)
I still can't figure out quite why the Velas sounded so strange to me at the store. They didn't match my impressions from other reviews at all. To call them "dark" would be an understatement. The salesman referred to their sound as "fun", the sort of thing that is great for a party but not much else in his opinion. Lots of bass, and decent treble, but not much mid-range. I would have to agree with his assessment, but I don't know how much the setup of the store's listening environment affected things. Personally I use a Dirac Live Processor, which evens the field quite a bit once I have something here in my room, but I can't see how that huge of a lack of mid-range presence could be rectified by processing.
@@TheAlanFish that is big deal breaker for me. It sounds amazing in bass and highs, but mids left a lot to be desired. My HD800S have shitty mids and i dont want speaker with shitty mids.
Great and very informative review. I had the impression to listen myself to the speaker. Great work 👍 Btw. I have an all-in-one Naim Atom (streamer-DAC-Amp). It’s only rated 40w of class A/B power. So from what I understand from your review, it will need another amp 😭 to make justice to the speaker. I hope one day Elac will make an active powered Elac Vela line, like they did with the Navis. This would simplify a lot the matching.
Have you ever had a chance to compare these to the Elac Solanos? They use the same Jet5 tweeter but lack the crystalline structure on the woofers and also have a back vent in addition to the down-firing floor vent. My guess would be that bass is going to be a bit tighter on the Velas but you’d still get the full advantages of the Jet5 at a lower price.
Hi! I want to replace my good old Canton Ergo 100 DC.I tried with Dali Rubicon 6 but I sounded too "polite" for me. I mean,when i listen to classic rock(prog rock,blues rock,jazz rock) I want to sound like it is,to move me,to give emotion. My amplifier is Plinius 9200 XLR with Audioquest cables.MOFI turntable with Hana SL cartridge. Do you think I should consider Elac Vela? Thanks, George
Nice And yes bright to me means forwardly cool and clean not nessarly being sibilant or fatiguing , Great job Jay ! I been on the bench with the bookshelf version of these towers but my Reference amp is a Yamaha AS-1100 overall Netural sounding with a tiny bit of warmth from the output stage Mosphetes , And it actually sounds amazing on brighter sounding speakers Kef Q- /Klispch RP/JBL studio But i'm a bit of a bass-head and the Polk audio lsim 703 have amazing BASS 🔊 😆 such an underated speaker that sounds great with powahaaaaa ! That Luxman though !
Hi Jay, thanks for finally reviewing these. Out of my budget at the moment but I am currently evaluating the bookshelf versions of these and was curious how you felt the 407's w/o a sub compared to the vela 403's with dual subs or any sub?
Hi great review putting price point aside how do these elac compair to the gershman advant ,are the elac as life as the gershman thanks for time and all you are doing for the hubby
Would the Vela FS 407 sound well with the Purifi NAD C298? I have the C298 with the Quad Z2 (true ribbon) and they sound great together (with Topping D70s). Since the 407 is also a "ribbon" tweeter, would it go well with the C298 as well?
I have old elac cl82, I like them very much with the sound that is punchy and controled and its other qualities. But they are not perfect, lacking in mids and while highs are very good, they are not so much refined. Wonder which ones should I buy next :D
Nicely done. Be yourself. Would the BS 403 be a more cost effective choice to compete against something like the Sonatto III or Aria 936? Or even a Special 40? Presuming you are referring to Focals or Wilsons that are higher up the food chain then the two models I mention. Would any pair nicely with a class D amp (Peachtree Nova 300 to be exact). Can't wait for the next review!!
Jay, I know this is an old video but was curious on your thoughts on the differences between the BS 403 and these FS 407's as I know that you've reviewed both. I currently have the BS 403's paired with an SVS SB200 sub. I would be using the FS 407's with the same sub. Thanks man!
Thank you for all your efforts! Excellent video review, precise delivery, great choices on your diction, and very smooth and logical flow. Some say that you may seem a little "stiff" compared to your usual snazzy self, but I think your presentation overall is more professional-looking, and I'm sure you will become more natural on your next one. Well done 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 not exactly what I had in mind, but that's precisely the point for a second opinion. I wouldn't have thought that Naim is more forward than Hegel, but yes to a more prat performance. Yikes, 😆😆😆 only good enough to compare with the budget gear 🤪🤪🤪 I'll take your word for it 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 , and I just found out the 407 my friend has the previous generation model. So I guess a smoother sounding amp such as the Hegel may be a better choice?🙏🏻🙏🏻
Very descriptive good review but can you please give the spelling or a link of the musicians you mentioned? Can not find: Annette Ascvich, liberty, probably because I have no idea of the spelling. Thanks
Used to have Elac BS 263, had to give them up as bass drew too much attention to itself. Seems like Vela series are the same in this regard. Too bad, I really loved the highs, those JET tweeters are magical
Hi Jay, did you listen to the previous BS 400's series? What's the main differences? I have the BS 403 (not the vela one) with Yamaha a-s2100 and i was thinking of going FS but i still prefer the aesthetics of the previous model. Thanks in advance.
Great review, I have a Luxman 505uXII and was wondering how you think this would pair with the Velas? They are on my short list but I will have to buy them in order to try them because there are not any dealers in my area with a sample pair. Thanks
The guy who designed these is most amazing guy in speaker business(acc to me) designing speakers that don't cost much but perform like they worth more.
Personally I think Andrew Jones is way overrated. He has designed a few decent speakers but there are far better speaker designers out there. Dennis Murphy is one of them. His Philharmonic BMR bookshelf speakers are sensational. Measured much better than any Andrew Jones bookshelf speakers. Plus away from measurements they also sound very very good. Definitely in the top 5 of bookshelf speakers ever made past or present.
Good review, your videos are getting better. For future reference, do you think these tower speakers would be too much for a small apartment (without bothering the neighbours too much)?
So how did they compare to the 403's that you liked so much ? Mostly similar with more low end it sounds like. I prefer the look of the 403 with sub myself so might go that way. Maybe Rel ?
i have the 403's with a rel t9i which is an amazing combo highly reccomend. If i ever upgrade speakers I would go with this becuase I love the sound signiature
@@luke.boxall I went and bought the Elac 403s and put a Rel t9 with it along with the naim amp. It doesn't have quite the open top end as my old Martin Logan's but a much bigger and more balanced sound. Liking them quite a bit.
@@luke.boxall Just the Naim 5si for about $1700 felt like a big enough upgrade to the blue sound power node I had. Also had the atom home first but didn't like all the lights on it calling attention to itself Didn't get to try it with in 403s but it also sounded real good with my old speakers.
Sounds like a LOT of speaker for the money. Lol must make the Wilson owners cringe hearing a Wilson fan like you suggest these Velas offer a lot of the same sonic attributes of the Wilsons!
Those are badass Jay ! If i wasn't buying the new TRIANGLE 40th edtion i would buy the elac vela 403 you reviewed its hard for me to believe these only go down to 50hz ??? Really ? I know you said there not bloated i get that but surely these can hit 40hz !!
I was expecting a lot from those speakers, I've listened to them with the Hegel h120, but I really didn't feel anything, no guts. Do you think it was a bad pairing?
Ryan Ling... i have 403 with Primaluna dialogue integrated (kt 120), its gorgeous... velas go perfect with tubes... I own also a XTZ A2-300 and with that one you lose a lot of stage and airiness compared to tubes
These look very similar to my Elac Fs 247 Black Edition with the upgraded wiring and crossover upgrades . I paid $4200 (CND) for them 6 years ago. Just wondering if you have ever heard them in comparison to the Vela 407's? I was very impressed with the sound when used with great amplifiers (mono blocks) and an all tube preamp. Still have them. Just not in the rotation presently. But I might hook them up again for a listening session. I enjoyed this review, subbed and liked!
The Carina speakers which include Jet tweeters are more in the price range that I would consider. There are few video reviews of the Carina series. :-(
My only problem with these are the others in the Vela FS range ! If i bought these and then heard the 408 or the 409, would I be saying i wished I had saved a bit more and waited ? I did hear the quite pricey 409's and they are great.
jay, nice review. however, i think the thing that's missing is you didn't say if the FS 407s lived up to your expectations as the BS 403's bigger brother. thanks.
@@21farms There are definite sonic similarities but it's more than just a bass extenstion, overall the highs are even more effortless and more gut in the midrange
I heard these twice at local dealers (incidentally one in the Hometown of elac) and sadly disliked the immediatly. Both times they sounded as if the sound was coming from the other room. It might have been positioning or amplification, but to my ears most similar priced speakers sounded a lot more engaging.
I have a new pair of 407 from less than a week. After 10hours of run the medium change alot in better. I have read that they need a long run-in period to show their best
I've had an elac FS 407 for a long time, the most significant improvement I've had from setting up the Elac with AMT tweeters is putting a big rug in the room, bigger than the distance between the speakers, and under the rug I put a good layer of foam of 1 inch. The quality gain in defining the soundstage was absolutely incredible!!.., it became more realistic with more spatial location and at the same time even smoother, and best of all very cheap investment..
I walked into a hifi-store in Munich called “Rauch und Schall“ full of different speakers from different brands. I told one of the employees that I would like to listen to all of these but I guess I wouldn’t have that much time to do so. He pointed at the Vela 407 and said: “Listen to these. That’s all you need.“
This is your best review, in my opinion. Very informative!
Dude, first off, thank you for talking about the drivers. So few reviews include valuable information pertaining to the transducers it's infuriating. Second, I think I speak for all of us when I say, I would like to see the crossover and what the cabinet looks like on the inside as well. This is like popping the hood of a car before you buy it. Keep up the good work!
I have had these in my system now for about 1 1/2years and I am very happy with them. Thanks to your outstanding review of these speakers I bought them during covid and did not hear them first. I hoped that I did not need to return them but that was my back up plan.
I power the Vela fs 407 with a Prima Luna evo 400i that has 8 el-35 tubes. When I go to listen to other peoples systems in my hifi club I am shocked just how good these compare to much more expensive speakers.
Thanks for your detailed review.
Hank
Yes, you are correct about his review. I'm in the market for speakers and these seem to be what I'm looking for. It seems these should be a good match for my Parasound A23s (mono).
A Really well done review. Very well done.
Very well done, not that you usually give me a lot to critique in your videos, but this was easily the best I've seen....I love the detailed breakdown of the integrated amp pairings, as well as your detailed description of the driver components...Great job, and thank you, I will have to check these out.
Great review. I used to own the previous Elac 407 and they were a very good speaker which sounded exactly like you described. The only thing I would say is the Elac 407’s I had dug down to 30hz and the bass was something that was very surprising for a speaker of its size.
Yeap. Start to roll off around 50hz or so but can go down to 30hz no problem
Great review sir!!!
I think the best word for AMT tweeters is resolving. I love AMT tweeters- most speakers I’ve owned use AMT tweeters. However, I’ve primarily focused on the active studio monitor side- Adam, Eve, and HEDD. I’ve tried prior Elacs and Monitor Audio golds (folded ribbons) on the HiFi end.
Adam, Eve, and HEDD share much of the same DNA but what’s consistent about most of these is the level of precision and room to discern details that the AMT tweeters provide. High frequency transients can be picked up so much more easily with these tweeters than other options.
And you’re absolutely right- the advantages of AMT tweeters don’t at all need to be harsh or strained. My EVE SC208 monitors are very smooth yet extremely resolving.
Mo- great choices IF you insist on an AMT..you are actually because it means you can eliminate many other great monitors (Neumann, Event,Focal, Dyneaudio etc)
Your speech has improved at least 10-fold. Keep it up!
Jay! Love the style of this video. It is smooth, dynamic with the scene changes, great b roll. You style is coming along! Keep it up!
Jay! This was a fantastic review! Keep it up, love the change up. Very articulate and well organized thoughts. You’re on fire, man!
Your reviews keep getting better and better... great job!
Good choice! I picked up the Elac Concentro S 507 with a Hegel H390 and am very happy
This may sound weird but I hooked them up to an almost 20 year old Kenwood AV receiver and they still sound great. I guess there's room for improvement but it already is already a leap to signicant soundstage.
Man, what a extremely professional review! I fully agree with all your statements as I do enjoy listening to my 5.1 Vela setup every day. 2nd, I instantly listened to the record you've mentioned from Anette Askvik which seems to be composed for the Vela. Again, great review!
Ich gehe mal davon aus, dass du Deutscher bist. Welche Elektronik nutzt du für dein 5.1 Set? Welchen Sub etc.? Hatte die Vela über einen 1000€-AVR Stereo gehört und war nicht überzeugt. Die Höhen waren mir auch etwas zu spitz. Würde mich über eine Antwort freuen.
Jay, I love your reviews, you keep it clean and to the point!
Wonderful and informative review. Love the amplifier recommendations and how they will impact the speaker's sound. They really showed the depth of your knowledge and experience. Great job, want to see more.
1:40
Metals and metal coatings actually *increase* resonances, they help for increasing stiffness therefore reduce breakups which distorts the sound itself (=/= resonances on the driver).
Great review Jay! They are getting better and better as your work proceeds. One tip though, keep your notes just below or above the camera so you don't have look to the right😃
first time i see a YT reviewer that takes its time to explain how a Heil tweeter works. Nice.
Jay great review and assessment on the 407s. I have them powered by a Hegel H390 and you were spot on with your review. These are amazing speakers that such a small footprint but with the right power they sound like they could easily be double their size. Thanks again for all that you do. Looking forward to more reviews.
Good to know. I have the Hegel H360 and was wondering how these speakers would pair with my Hegel. If it works with your H390, it should work for me
Like the Hegel. I had the 95, not the 390 but still. I recently auditioned the McIntosh MAC7200 and 8900... dude.... Mic drop that's all she wrote.
Its my next one... Hopefully this year. Just mentioned as it was on the 403 and 407.
Beautifull and really great sounding towers. I heard them at the Warsaw Audio Show 2018 and 2019.
these are absolutely gorgeous. ive never even heard them, but i want them for their looks.
I have the elac FS unifi which I like and I sure would like to own the Elac FS 407. Great review 👍
So I have the Solano floor standers model of similar size and I find the amt tweeter to be VERY laid back compared to other speakers I've had including Dynaudio Confidence C1 Platinum. I love the full bodies sound of the solanos but I'm wondering if the Vela will be brighter than the solano?
These speakers are great. I have both the BS 403 and the FS 407. Thanks for the review. My ears agree with you!
I have it paired with a PrimaLuna EVO 400 amp.
I had these connected to a denon AVR x8500h - which is a beast, but something was missing. Switching to an external amp helped alot (first to a schiit vidar then to the PrimeLuna). It still does confuse my why the change was so large. The denon is still more powerful. (yes, power isn't everything, the musical flavor maters too.. but the changes were huge.)
Quality of circuitry, power supply, quality of filtering caps etc.
Receivers have low quality power. Receivers= quantity over quality.
I have my 407s paired to Prima Luna 400 as well and have only beautiful music with everything that I want coming from that combination.
Down to 50 or 60 htz? My standmounts go down to 48htz. Are you sure this is right? Have I misunderstood?
Wow, Jay fantastic review!
How did they sound with your REL plugged in?
Nice would like to hear these next to the new Revel F226Be whichclocks in at $6K or about what the Elac FS409 does.For me the sweet spot should be at about a lines $6K price point
I'd like to see this compared to the new Wharfedale Evo 4.2 which is similar.
Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews - nbtsmedia.com/about-us/
Maybe I came off a little dry cuz I was trying to speak slower in this video and was focusing on that haha. Cheers guys
Slower? you were already slow :D.
Please stay as you were, YT has speed adjustment if anyone is complaining. This video was weird and uneasy to watch because of how unnatural you were. The review is great as always tho!.
You did hit every cliché with aplomb though 😉. Are they really that good?
@@chrisvinicombe9947 yeap, listen to it when you get a chance
@@NiSHAN256 fair criticism. Thank you
I usually watch your videos in 1.75 or 2x speed. lol
When and listened to the song Liberty , very intimate recording,I liked it on my Lrs
I wonder what speakers you'd reccomend if you were gonna go with an AV receiver?
What a nice review👍
Do you think the Willsenton R8 is a good amp for these speaker?
AV receiver Marantz SR7012 and above will work just fine with these speakers and will sound just as good as most standalone amps. - Marantz music magic is hard to beat. HDAMs, current feedback topology, high end capacitors, better signal path, etc... Not an average AVR.
I’d love to hear your opinion on the elac vela compared to arendal. Even though you don’t have them side by side.
This is probably your most technical & most organised & ultimate review you ever put.. Sometimes it looked liked it was sponsored by elac but even that's ok if this is the result. Great job keep it up & pls do more videos on audio excellence Canada channel i love that too..❤️
Ps: waiting to win the buchardt never won a giveaway 😔
Wasn't sponsored. I think it was cuz I was trying to speak slower for better delivery... Not used to it yet
Thomas should try this!
That happens a lot where the 2 way is better than the 3 way or 2.5 way. It's all in the crossovers and 3 way's have a pressure build up that creates issues and harder to dial in. These are similar to my Monitor Gold 200's that I am getting rid of. I settled on YG Acoustics Carmel 2's and bit the bullet and stepping up to the next level and paying for it. I also got a used pair of 400 watt mono block mola mola Kaluga's and getting a Lampizator baltic.
Great review Jay! Hey you mentioned several times about how an AV receiver would not do it justice. Would be great to have your POV about better AV receivers... Rotel? NAD? Anthem? Emotive? Etc. Keep up the great reviews!
How is it compared to the ELAC BS312 Bookshelf Speakers ?
I took a listen to these in comparison to B&W's 702s and 703s in a hifi store the other day, and the difference between them was striking. It was not an ideal setup, or even close honestly, but the Elacs seemed to completely lack any sense of room presence. It was as if there were instruments playing from inside of a black hole, and only loud enough sounds escaped the gravity. Everything else simply didn't exist as far as they were concerned it seemed. The B&Ws on the other hand were very "live" sounding, particularly the 702s, and created a great sense of room presence. Some might call it a bright sound as mentioned in the review, but to me they simply sounded accurate. The Elacs also seemed much smaller in person than I would have thought, not even reaching my waist (6'0") and the drivers did not appear to be 6.5 inch. They looked to be 5.25s if I would have guessed. Coupled with the fact that they cost over 1000 Euro more per pair than even the 702s, I chose not to bother with a home demo on the Elacs, as the margin by which I preferred the B&W's sound was huge. Going to home demo the B&Ws this week and see if they can beat the Tekton Impact Monitors I have in for a tryout. The Tektons already beat out Buchardt S400s which are still here for the moment as well.
Yeah I have had the 702s for about a year and they are fantastic for the money, can't say they are better than these 407s as I have not demoed them in my setup, but the 702s are cheaper and the build quality is outstanding. I think the drawback with B&W speakers is really a function of their resolution and sound signature - if you play poor recordings and your components upstream are not up to snuff, they can sound bright/fatiguing, and the bass in particular can be thin or muddy. There are speaker manufacturers who design their speakers' sound signatures to be more forgiving, but if your tastes in music and sound match up with the B&W house sound, and you are willing to spend $$$, B&W is hard to beat. Btw I liked my 702s so much I just upgraded to the 804s!
@@michaelmityok1001 I am starting to wonder if there is some sort of unspoken agreement between all YouTibe hifi reviewers not to ever mention or review B&W due to their dominance on the scene and some sort of perception of an "evil empire" sort of vibe or what the deal is? Maybe B&W isn't reviewer friendly? I just know I can't find real reviews of the 702s on UA-cam. Just those stupid videos where someone plays their system for you and records it on their iPhone. (facepalm)
I have the 683 s2 and love them But 702 is intresting to me. Might upgrade to that one day
I still can't figure out quite why the Velas sounded so strange to me at the store. They didn't match my impressions from other reviews at all. To call them "dark" would be an understatement. The salesman referred to their sound as "fun", the sort of thing that is great for a party but not much else in his opinion. Lots of bass, and decent treble, but not much mid-range. I would have to agree with his assessment, but I don't know how much the setup of the store's listening environment affected things. Personally I use a Dirac Live Processor, which evens the field quite a bit once I have something here in my room, but I can't see how that huge of a lack of mid-range presence could be rectified by processing.
@@TheAlanFish that is big deal breaker for me. It sounds amazing in bass and highs, but mids left a lot to be desired.
My HD800S have shitty mids and i dont want speaker with shitty mids.
Great review as always 👏🏽
Have Focal Kanta 2 have you had much experience with them? What amplification would you recommend for them?
Great and very informative review. I had the impression to listen myself to the speaker. Great work 👍
Btw. I have an all-in-one Naim Atom (streamer-DAC-Amp). It’s only rated 40w of class A/B power. So from what I understand from your review, it will need another amp 😭 to make justice to the speaker. I hope one day Elac will make an active powered Elac Vela line, like they did with the Navis. This would simplify a lot the matching.
Have you ever had a chance to compare these to the Elac Solanos? They use the same Jet5 tweeter but lack the crystalline structure on the woofers and also have a back vent in addition to the down-firing floor vent. My guess would be that bass is going to be a bit tighter on the Velas but you’d still get the full advantages of the Jet5 at a lower price.
Those look amazing!
Is the basket of the bass driver made from metal or plastic?
jay: these are very close to the Martin Logan motions @ a lower price. same tweeter.
How does the Vela range compare to the active Navis range?
Hi!
I want to replace my good old Canton Ergo 100 DC.I tried with Dali Rubicon 6 but I sounded too "polite" for me.
I mean,when i listen to classic rock(prog rock,blues rock,jazz rock) I want to sound like it is,to move me,to give emotion.
My amplifier is Plinius 9200 XLR with Audioquest cables.MOFI turntable with Hana SL cartridge.
Do you think I should consider Elac Vela?
Thanks,
George
Nice And yes bright to me means forwardly cool and clean not nessarly being sibilant or fatiguing , Great job Jay ! I been on the bench with the bookshelf version of these towers but my Reference amp is a Yamaha AS-1100 overall Netural sounding with a tiny bit of warmth from the output stage Mosphetes , And it actually sounds amazing on brighter sounding speakers
Kef Q- /Klispch RP/JBL studio
But i'm a bit of a bass-head and the
Polk audio lsim 703 have amazing BASS 🔊 😆 such an underated speaker that sounds great with powahaaaaa ! That Luxman though !
Tee-Jay The Stereo-Bargain-File I’m with you on the Luxman... what a beautiful piece of kit!
Hi Jay, thanks for finally reviewing these. Out of my budget at the moment but I am currently evaluating the bookshelf versions of these and was curious how you felt the 407's w/o a sub compared to the vela 403's with dual subs or any sub?
Adding a sub or dual sub to the vela 403 will get you closer to the 407 but the differences are more than just the lower bass.
@@Jayiyagi Thanks for the reply. Can you elaborate further on the other differences? Is this generally a bookshelf vs full tower sort of differences?
Your amp comparison wasn't very clear. How does the Jungson amp with a good preamp (not the Jungson) compare to the Hagel or other high end amps?
"Jet" is a marketing gimmick. It's an AMT. An outstanding hf transducer.
Hi great review putting price point aside how do these elac compair to the gershman advant ,are the elac as life as the gershman thanks for time and all you are doing for the hubby
Elac Vela or Dynaudio Special 40?
Hi,
This or the KEF R5 / R7?
Which is more quality? Or it is just sound signature differnces?
Thnaks
Hi Jay, do u think the Kinki Audio Int Amp EX M1 a good match for Vela 407?
Superb review , thanks dear
what would u recommend this tor the KEF R7's
Would the Vela FS 407 sound well with the Purifi NAD C298? I have the C298 with the Quad Z2 (true ribbon) and they sound great together (with Topping D70s). Since the 407 is also a "ribbon" tweeter, would it go well with the C298 as well?
I have old elac cl82, I like them very much with the sound that is punchy and controled and its other qualities.
But they are not perfect, lacking in mids and while highs are very good, they are not so much refined. Wonder which ones should I buy next :D
How do Elac Vela pair with Parasound amps? I'm buying a Parasound A 51(For HT) and think of going full Elac Vela.
what do u recommend these or KEF R7
What are your thoughts on the rotel rap 1580? Class A&B receiver 100w per channel
Nicely done. Be yourself. Would the BS 403 be a more cost effective choice to compete against something like the Sonatto III or Aria 936? Or even a Special 40? Presuming you are referring to Focals or Wilsons that are higher up the food chain then the two models I mention. Would any pair nicely with a class D amp (Peachtree Nova 300 to be exact). Can't wait for the next review!!
Were is the SoundArtist Amp?
Great review. Thanks.
Jay, I know this is an old video but was curious on your thoughts on the differences between the BS 403 and these FS 407's as I know that you've reviewed both. I currently have the BS 403's paired with an SVS SB200 sub. I would be using the FS 407's with the same sub. Thanks man!
Thank you for all your efforts! Excellent video review, precise delivery, great choices on your diction, and very smooth and logical flow. Some say that you may seem a little "stiff" compared to your usual snazzy self, but I think your presentation overall is more professional-looking, and I'm sure you will become more natural on your next one. Well done 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
not exactly what I had in mind, but that's precisely the point for a second opinion. I wouldn't have thought that Naim is more forward than Hegel, but yes to a more prat performance. Yikes, 😆😆😆 only good enough to compare with the budget gear 🤪🤪🤪 I'll take your word for it 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 , and I just found out the 407 my friend has the previous generation model. So I guess a smoother sounding amp such as the Hegel may be a better choice?🙏🏻🙏🏻
Very descriptive good review but can you please give the spelling or a link of the musicians you mentioned? Can not find: Annette Ascvich, liberty, probably because I have no idea of the spelling. Thanks
Liberty - Annette Askvik
this track is in memory of the victims of the terror attacks in Norway
So with the advantages of the AMT, the highs and mids, and the bass definition, would you say this is better than the DI all the way around?
Used to have Elac BS 263, had to give them up as bass drew too much attention to itself. Seems like Vela series are the same in this regard. Too bad, I really loved the highs, those JET tweeters are magical
The Vela are not the same at all. Completely different tuning compared to the 26 series.
Hi Jay, did you listen to the previous BS 400's series? What's the main differences? I have the BS 403 (not the vela one) with Yamaha a-s2100 and i was thinking of going FS but i still prefer the aesthetics of the previous model. Thanks in advance.
Great review, I have a Luxman 505uXII and was wondering how you think this would pair with the Velas? They are on my short list but I will have to buy them in order to try them because there are not any dealers in my area with a sample pair. Thanks
You can still use this with an av receiver with a preamp option, I don't see the problem here
The guy who designed these is most amazing guy in speaker business(acc to me) designing speakers that don't cost much but perform like they worth more.
Personally I think Andrew Jones is way overrated. He has designed a few decent speakers but there are far better speaker designers out there.
Dennis Murphy is one of them. His Philharmonic BMR bookshelf speakers are sensational. Measured much better than any Andrew Jones bookshelf speakers.
Plus away from measurements they also sound very very good. Definitely in the top 5 of bookshelf speakers ever made past or present.
I don’t think Andrew Jones designed the vela line
the more i hear amount motion tweeters the more i think that's the way to go.
Fragile...gotta be very careful
Good review, your videos are getting better. For future reference, do you think these tower speakers would be too much for a small apartment (without bothering the neighbours too much)?
So how did they compare to the 403's that you liked so much ? Mostly similar with more low end it sounds like. I prefer the look of the 403 with sub myself so might go that way. Maybe Rel ?
i have the 403's with a rel t9i which is an amazing combo highly reccomend. If i ever upgrade speakers I would go with this becuase I love the sound signiature
@@luke.boxall I went and bought the Elac 403s and put a Rel t9 with it along with the naim amp. It doesn't have quite the open top end as my old Martin Logan's but a much bigger and more balanced sound. Liking them quite a bit.
@@jimji2774 oh that’s funny I’m hoping to make the move to the supernait 3, what did you choose to go with?
@@luke.boxall Just the Naim 5si for about $1700 felt like a big enough upgrade to the blue sound power node I had. Also had the atom home first but didn't like all the lights on it calling attention to itself
Didn't get to try it with in 403s but it also sounded real good with my old speakers.
Congrats on being the new host of Blue’s Clues!!
Sounds like a LOT of speaker for the money. Lol must make the Wilson owners cringe hearing a Wilson fan like you suggest these Velas offer a lot of the same sonic attributes of the Wilsons!
Those are badass Jay ! If i wasn't buying the new TRIANGLE 40th edtion i would buy the elac vela 403 you reviewed its hard for me to believe these only go down to 50hz ??? Really ? I know you said there not bloated i get that but surely these can hit 40hz !!
Ribbon tweeters do tend to be SIBILANT, hopefully ELAC has circumvented that.
This time they did it 🤩
I was expecting a lot from those speakers, I've listened to them with the Hegel h120, but I really didn't feel anything, no guts. Do you think it was a bad pairing?
Not enough power.
@@20puskinas1992 a $3000 highly regarded amp not enough power?
Csn xtz edge a2-300 power amp goes well with this speaker?
Ryan Ling... i have 403 with Primaluna dialogue integrated (kt 120), its gorgeous... velas go perfect with tubes...
I own also a XTZ A2-300 and with that one you lose a lot of stage and airiness compared to tubes
I have a pair of Vela 407s and absolutely love them. Thanks for the great review.
What amp are you using? Looking at getting a pair in place of my ls50's.
@@hurcorh It was a Crown 1502; now VTV W/Purifi modules.
Are they bright or fatiguing? I am sensitive to forward treble. B&w give me an ear ache, but dynaudio , monitor, and revel don’t
I upgraded to the 409s and there is a big improvement in sound quality, especially in the midrange. "She's real fine..."
These look very similar to my Elac Fs 247 Black Edition with the upgraded wiring and crossover upgrades . I paid $4200 (CND) for them 6 years ago. Just wondering if you have ever heard them in comparison to the Vela 407's? I was very impressed with the sound when used with great amplifiers (mono blocks) and an all tube preamp. Still have them. Just not in the rotation presently. But I might hook them up again for a listening session. I enjoyed this review, subbed and liked!
The Carina speakers which include Jet tweeters are more in the price range that I would consider. There are few video reviews of the Carina series. :-(
Theres one on this channel and I compare it to the bookshelf vela
@@Jayiyagi Thanks - I will check it out when I get off work. You are a great resource.
My only problem with these are the others in the Vela FS range ! If i bought these and then heard the 408 or the 409, would I be saying i wished I had saved a bit more and waited ? I did hear the quite pricey 409's and they are great.
The 409 seems designed for larger rooms though? Whereas maybe the 407 is better for a small room?
Has anyone heard the 409’s?
jay, nice review. however, i think the thing that's missing is you didn't say if the FS 407s lived up to your expectations as the BS 403's bigger brother. thanks.
It certainly did !
Would you say, then, that the FS 407 has all the same sonic qualities you liked in the BS 403s but just with more bass extension?
@@21farms There are definite sonic similarities but it's more than just a bass extenstion, overall the highs are even more effortless and more gut in the midrange
I heard these twice at local dealers (incidentally one in the Hometown of elac) and sadly disliked the immediatly.
Both times they sounded as if the sound was coming from the other room. It might have been positioning or amplification, but to my ears most similar priced speakers sounded a lot more engaging.
Thats because all Elac speakers have terrible mids.
If mids are lacking then highs and phenomenal bass doesn't matter.
@@20puskinas1992 so mids suck yet jay loves the speakers ?
I want some now.
6200 USD and extra for speaker grills!!
Why would you want to hide those beautiful drivers anyway?
I have a new pair of 407 from less than a week. After 10hours of run the medium change alot in better. I have read that they need a long run-in period to show their best
Yeah, it was a little weird dude, but I did listen to the entire vid. So maybe you could be on to something here