Elac Uni-Fi Series Speakers with Concentric Drivers Steals the Show CES 2016!

[gene]

A line of speakers sporting concentric driver designed with the technology and performance of speakers costing significantly more? Sounds like every audiophiles dream come true, right?

The Elac Un-Fi series from Andrew Jones was unveiled last week at CES Las Vegas and the whole show was abuzz with how great they sounded regardless of the price. With bookshelf, center channel and floor standing models available, the Elac Uni-Fi's might just have the right combination of speakers for you.

Read: Elac Uni-Fi Series Speaker Preview

 

[gene]

 

[nhpm510]

Sounds like he has taken the old Kef uni-q design (probably not their invention either) he was so familiar with and made it his. Not bashing Andrew, just bashing the audio press that gets us hyped up on the "latest" and greatest.

I do like his new name for the design better than uni-q.

So folks argue that the concentric design has specific limitation.

Disclosure: owner of Jones' designed Pioneers and many Kefs

 

[highfigh]

Sounds like he has taken the old Kef uni-q design (probably not their invention either) he was so familiar with and made it his. Not bashing Andrew, just bashing the audio press that gets us hyped up on the "latest" and greatest.

I do like his new name for the design better than uni-q.

So folks argue that the concentric design has specific limitation.

Disclosure: owner of Jones' designed Pioneers and many Kefs

Did you know that Andrew Jones worked ON the Uni-Q when he was employed by KEF?

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue30/andrew_jones.htm

 

[Steve81]

Sounds like he has taken the old Kef uni-q design (probably not their invention either) he was so familiar with and made it his.

IIRC, Tannoy had the first concentric drivers. Of course, AJ was involved with the development of the first few iterations of the UniQ, and in his stays at TAD and Pioneer, he also utilized concentric drivers. No surprise that he's going that route at Elac as well.

So folks argue that the concentric design has specific limitation.

Depends on what you're trying to do with them I suppose.

 

[zieglj01]

It does look interesting - I would like to hear the bookshelf.

 

[j_garcia]

WANT TO HEAR

 

[bommai]

I noticed they are up for pre-order.

 

[KEW]

Anybody heard specifics on when these are available?
Seems like April or May?

Update - Amazon says April 30th.

The UF5 Floorstander ($1000/pr) has the same date.

 

[Snausy]

After trying out the Debut B5 in my bedroom HT I sent them back and am patiently waiting for the Uni-Fi series to come out.

I have two questions before my purchase. I plan on trying to use three UC5(center MTM) on end across the front. Do you see any problems with this? Concentric drivers seem perfect for this application to me. The soundstage should be very large. Is there any reason why you wouldn't want centers on end as your R/L making three matching across the front instead of the bookshelves?

Also, I wonder how they would stack up vs. the Dana 630i LCR that are currently available at a pretty nice discount.

Thoughts? ...will the sound quality difference be huge? Am I asking the impossible?

 

[TLS Guy]

A line of speakers sporting concentric driver designed with the technology and performance of speakers costing significantly more? Sounds like every audiophiles dream come true, right?

The Elac Un-Fi series from Andrew Jones was unveiled last week at CES Las Vegas and the whole show was abuzz with how great they sounded regardless of the price. With bookshelf, center channel and floor standing models available, the Elac Uni-Fi's might just have the right combination of speakers for you.

Read: Elac Uni-Fi Series Speaker Preview

That is a very interesting coaxial driver.

To it looks like the first modern resurrection of the Jordan Watts Mk III module. It has a 4" aluminum cone that looks to have the similar if not identical tractrix shape.

Here is a closer look at one of my MK III cones.

Coming from the UK Andrew Jones is bound to be aware of these drivers. The MK I appeared in 1959! In my view they are the most remarkable driver ever to see the light of day. They have been waiting patiently for modern manufacture to really get them consistent.

Unlike other full rangers these do not peak and have a rising response. They have a slight roll off stating around 6 KHz. So when you do add a tweeter to these driver, the crossover is 1 cap and two resistors. So if that mid cone behaves like the JW then the crossover may well be three elements and no inductor.

The other interesting angle is that Ted Jordan was a consultant to Elac for a while some years ago.

I would love to get my hands on a couple of those drivers.

 

[noaudiophile]

Finished some measurements of the UB5's over here. Turned out to have pretty good off axis response, but a little light on the bass considering the hype.

http://noaudiophile.com/ELAC_UB5/