Полочная акустика — Eltax MONITOR III

The Monitor III is a compact passive bookshelf speaker from the Eltax brand, which traces its origins to Denmark. It is a 2-way bass-reflex design intended for hi-fi as well as home cinema systems, and Eltax now lists it as discontinued, with its acoustic layout carried on in the active Monitor III BT.

Key specs that matter

The mid-bass unit is a 130 mm isolated driver, and the tweeter is a 25 mm soft dome with a powerful motor system. Eltax quotes a frequency response of 50 Hz to 22 kHz within plus or minus 4 dB, sensitivity of 89 dB and impedance of 4 to 8 ohm. Rated power is 90 W. Each speaker measures 195 mm across, 300 mm tall and 230 mm deep, and weighs 5 kg. The last list price on the Eltax site was EUR 199.

Engineering and use context

The reflex port is a tubular design that fires downward, which differs from the usual front or rear placement and keeps the port exit away from both the listening position and the wall behind the speaker. Decoupling spikes come in the box to lift the cabinet slightly and define the gap that the downward port needs. The rear panel carries terminals for bi-amplification, so the mid-bass driver and the tweeter can be fed by separate amplifier channels. Isolation of the woofer from the enclosure is intended to limit the transfer of vibration from the driver frame into the cabinet walls. Five finishes were offered - black, white, calvados, beech and walnut - which gave a choice between plain colours and wood effects for living room use. The light, compact Monitor III sits comfortably on shelving, low furniture or stands, and the compact size also suits surround or rear channel positions in a multichannel layout. The active Monitor III BT that replaced it keeps the same driver pair, width and depth, but grows 30 mm taller to hold its 2 x 25 W amplifier. Current Eltax ranges include the Monitor Neo and the Monitor 1959 series.

Pairing

Since the impedance can fall toward 4 ohm, any receiver or amplifier used with it should be specified for 4 ohm loads. Modest amplifier power is enough for a room of about 20 m2, and the power rating sets a sensible upper limit. Owners with two stereo amplifiers can use the bi-amp terminals, while a single amplifier works with the supplied links. Because the port fires down, the surface below each speaker should be firm and the spikes left in place.

Alternatives

Also in the Monitor range, the Eltax Monitor V bookshelf speaker steps up in size with an 8 inch mid-bass driver with 90 dB sensitivity and a 42 Hz lower limit.