Planar Speaker Asylum

Welcome! Need support, you got it. Or share your ideas and experiences.

Return to Planar Speaker Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Not planars, but

73.147.174.227
Posted on November 11, 2015 at 10:58:44
neolith
Audiophile

Posts: 4842
Location: Virginia
Joined: February 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: December 2, 2004
 So I decided to get a pair of ELAC 5b for my vacation home - $229 from Amazon with free shipping. Thanks to all for the great suggestions.
First impression was where was the treble? The lower bass is good for small speakers but there is a slight bloat in the mid-bass. There is a downward tilt toward the treble which may be there to "strengthen" the impression of a full bass. I would not use a subwoofer with these as their weakness is the upper end and a subwoofer will only accentuate the imbalance. Obviously the speakers do not fill the room (20'x23') and the sound stage is constricted although imaging is not that bad. I think that as I listened the treble improved but, having lived with ribbon tweeters for the last 15 years, I don't think I will ever be satisfied.
I ran a fs with REW, and the results pretty much confirmed the ears. The speakers are tilted toward the bass. The green curve was with the speakers on the floor, 4' from the back wall (just inside the MG-3.7i) and the red curve has them on a shelf against the wall as shown in the picture. The curves are offset for better visibility.





"Our head is round in order to allow our thoughts to change direction." Francis Picabia

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Not planars, but, posted on November 11, 2015 at 11:58:57
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I went by the ELAC folks at T.H.E.Newport. Nice looking stuff but due to all the 'chatting' going on I was unable to evaluate the speakers.
My BROTHER had an ELAC / Benjamin Miracord TT about 40 years ago. So, the company has been around.
Too much is never enough

 

If the B5s are like my new B6s, the top end does get better., posted on November 11, 2015 at 12:47:33
Opus 33 1/3
Audiophile

Posts: 4184
Location: D.C. Area
Joined: February 19, 2014
 Although I doubt it could ever be called "bright" or anything like that. My B6s sounded almost muffled out of the box, but are opening up every hour.





Opus 33 1/3

 

RE: Not planars, but, posted on November 13, 2015 at 13:29:23
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 Appears to work better on the wall/shelf

Let them open up in break in, they may have more treble than they had at first. That said, it is looking too bottom heavy by quite a bit. Tweeter swap? Silver clad wires?

With all that bass is it at least tight? Or does it sound as bloated as it looks?

 

RE: Not planars, but, posted on November 13, 2015 at 19:44:13
neolith
Audiophile

Posts: 4842
Location: Virginia
Joined: February 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: December 2, 2004
 The bass has a slight bloat but then again my reference point is the MG-3.7i. The speakers unfortunately will end up on the floor (no chance of stands with the WAF). They will be on for most of the weekend and we will see if the tweeters emerge. The mid range is sweet with good rendition of both male amd female voices.
I took a peak inside and found two caps, two wire wrapped inductors on air cores plus another inductor wrapped on what appears to be a ferrite and two resistors. The pcb is very thick and it is impossible to follow the traces. I am guessing the filters are 2nd order with a tweeter attenuator and possibly a zobel. The construction is excellent.



"Our head is round in order to allow our thoughts to change direction." Francis Picabia

 

"On the floor"??? That's just wrong. Need a new WAF provider., posted on November 14, 2015 at 04:03:27
Opus 33 1/3
Audiophile

Posts: 4184
Location: D.C. Area
Joined: February 19, 2014
 As for my new B6s I never thought I could live long term with a $279 pair of speakers until I got these.






Opus 33 1/3

 

RE: "On the floor"??? That's just wrong. Need a new WAF provider., posted on November 14, 2015 at 05:30:18
neolith
Audiophile

Posts: 4842
Location: Virginia
Joined: February 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: December 2, 2004
 I put the speakers up on the mantle of the faux fireplace around midnight.
>

She got up at 6:15 am to take the dogs out and returned to the BR to say "We got to talk". I said "Put them back on the floor" and rolled over.

The solution, tilt the speakers




"Our head is round in order to allow our thoughts to change direction." Francis Picabia

 

Or get a couple of these. . . , posted on November 14, 2015 at 08:16:58
Opus 33 1/3
Audiophile

Posts: 4184
Location: D.C. Area
Joined: February 19, 2014
 They are made by AudioEngine, strangely enough, but should work on the B5s. They are made of a non-resonant composite material. The M-Audio AV40s on my desk are 4" 2-ways.












Opus 33 1/3

 

Camouflage , posted on November 14, 2015 at 13:35:43
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 You need to get them something to hide in at a higher level.

Perhaps stands mounted inside a pair of fake plants (bamboo) in tallish pots or urns?

Make them into fake Brancusi style column sculptures or stands?

http://www.moma.org/collection/works/81505?locale=en

 

Page processed in 0.026 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]