Technology

CONSERVATIVE VALUES, REVOLUTIONARY PRODUCTS.

ELAC is a company whose reach is international, with headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Kiel, Germany, and research and development laboratories in Southern California. Our traditional values ensure that “finest engineering and manufacturing” are more than just catchphrases. Call us conservative, but quality is our passion—as it has been for nearly a century.

Demonstrating ELAC’s technology leadership is as simple as playing the music. Once you hear an ELAC product, you’ll understand our commitment to state-of-the-art sound. That is why ELAC products continue to win awards worldwide. Whether it is one of our many loudspeakers, the ELAC subwoofer app or one of the latest ELAC electronics, every ELAC product combines brilliant engineering, superior parts and dedicated skill in manufacturing.

ELAC’s new facilities in Southern California further expand our technology reach, and allow us to engage some of the industry’s best engineering talent. Together, these resources bring our customers the most innovative speakers and electronics in the industry.

ELAC LOUDSPEAKER TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

The inimitable JET 5 tweeter.

Delivering true high-definition sound, ELAC’s JET 5 tweeter is used in many models in the ELAC loudspeaker range. This high-frequency driver enthralls with its lightning-fast response and wide dynamic range, offering minimal distortion, lots of headroom and a distinctly wider frequency range than conventional dome tweeters. The ELAC JET tweeter is one of the most legendary tweeters in the industry and has won international praise with its transparent and effortless sound image.

A custom-designed concentric driver.

Aluminum woofers; a fundamental advancement.

Andrew Jones applies a master’s hand at the design of a innovative midrange/high-frequency transducer for the new Uni-Fi series. By positioning the 1-inch soft-dome tweeter concentrically within the 4-inch aluminum midrange driver’s voice coil, a uniform directivity pattern is achieved that complements flat frequency response and formidable power handling. Primary benefits are enhanced imaging for both on- and off-axis listening positions, allowing more listeners—in more positions—to enjoy the exceptional linearity and resolution of ELAC’s special driver.

The use of aluminum in many ELAC loudspeaker drivers offers advantages that go beyond structural stiffness and precision in manufacture. Due to the composition of the aluminum speaker cones, typical cone resonances that affect the linearity of common paper cones can be placed well beyond the operating frequency range of their respective drivers. An extended size magnet with vented pole piece increases power handling and assures the accurate reproduction of bass frequencies that are clean, clear and powerful.

Unique crystal membrane midrange and bass drivers.

The eye-catching surface of the crystal membrane is more than just an attractive design feature. Woofers and midrange drivers of the Line 500, for instance, employ the Crystal Membrane and their design is based on ELAC’s Aluminum-Sandwich AS Technology. The crystal-shaped inverse aluminum dome is joined to the paper cone in a special gluing process to result in the desired sandwich construction. Resembling the surface of a large crystal, the aluminum-foil stamping stiffens the aluminum dome, diminishing resonances and minimizing coloration, while improving power handling and dynamics. The voice coil design of the midrange and bass drivers results in an expanded range of the respective drivers by nearly an octave.

ELAC ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

Powerful, elegant electronics.

When ELAC developed the groundbreaking Debut and Uni-Fi range of speakers, it was clear that their next task would be to set about designing the perfect electronics to power them. The latest integrated amplifiers mark ELAC’s return to the electronics category, and solve two of the biggest problems with two-channel audio: proper blending of a subwoofer with the main speakers, along with providing room EQ.

The Discovery Music Server solves one of the biggest hurdles in computer audio: the computer. And it offers the power of Roon®—the most innovative music playback software available—without the need for a laptop or desktop computer.

The BASH® amplification solution.

These breakthrough amplifiers are the basis for every ELAC integrated amplifier and the family of Debut and Line 2000 subwoofers. Traditional Class AB amplifiers, which account for about 90 percent of all amplifiers made, are capable of producing prodigious power and excellent sound, but do so at the expense of efficiency. In fact, up to 50 percent of these amplifiers’ energy is wasted, dissipated as heat. Class D switching amplifiers, on the other hand, run cool and occupy relatively little space. Compact, lightweight and efficient, they are a sensible choice for many applications. Only recently has the sound quality achieved by typical Class D designs improved to the extent that these designs can compete with the best traditional amplifier topologies.

ELAC APP-BASED TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

Advanced Bluetooth® control.

How smart can a subwoofer be? Thanks to the ELAC SubEQ app and the Advanced Bluetooth® control interface, listeners can simply pair an iPhone®, iPad® or Android® device with the new ELAC subwoofers and adjust the sound to their preferences. Intuitive, comprehensive and downloadable, free of charge, this clever app means there are no complicated network connections, as the subwoofer and mobile device communicate directly via BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy).

Doing away with traditional analog controls means no fiddly adjustments at the rear of the subwoofer. Four preset modes can be selected at the touch of a finger: Normal, Music, Cinema, and Night. Those who want to explore the possibilities of the app-control system further will discover genuine pro-audio options such as a parametric equalizer, a low-pass filter, and individual settings for power-saving auto-on function. The the most exciting option is the calibration function, which uses the microphone on your smart-phone to listen to the volume, frequency response and sound reflections in the room before automatically optimizing the sound of your ELAC subwoofer.

Auto Blend and Remote EQ dial it in.

A range of apps developed for ELAC integrated amplifiers allow users to fully control and set up their sound systems. The companion IOS and Android app measures the near-field response of main speakers and subwoofer, then pinpoints the subwoofer’s optimal crossover frequency and correct phase. Auto Blend results in the perfect integration of clean, articulate bass. Remote EQ precisely tailors your system for flattest frequency response across the audio spectrum, optimized for your listening position and environment.

Additionally, ELAC engineers have added some very innovative features not found on any other products—anywhere, such as monitoring BASH amplifier output and device health, input rename and loudness curve customization.