Полочная акустика — ELAC Solano 2.0 BS283.2

The Solano 2.0 BS283.2 is the stand-mount model of ELAC's second Solano generation, a series intended for both music and home cinema that was announced for the second quarter of 2024 and reached buyers in early May 2024. The US price was USD 1,999 per pair, alongside the FS287.2 floorstander at USD 3,999 per pair and the CC281.2 centre speaker at USD 1,199 each. It replaces the first Solano BS 283, which sold for GBP 1,449 per pair in 2022 and used a JET 5 concertinaed foil tweeter, and the key change is the move to the newer JET 6.

Key specs that matter

Inside the bass reflex cabinet, one 150 mm woofer with an aluminium sandwich (AS) cone works with the JET 6 air motion transformer tweeter, and the two meet at 2,400 Hz. ELAC lists a frequency range of 41 Hz to 50,000 Hz and sensitivity of 85 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. Impedance is 4 ohm nominal and 3.2 ohm at its lowest point. Nominal and peak power handling are 70 W and 100 W, the recommended amplifier power is 40 to 200 W per channel, and the speaker works with amplifiers rated for 4 to 8 ohm. Each unit stands 331 mm high, 190 mm wide and 248 mm deep and weighs 8.0 kg, exactly the size and weight of the previous BS 283. Finishes are black high gloss and white high gloss paint.

Engineering and use context

The JET 6 is ELAC's own air motion transformer, engineered in Kiel, Germany, and ELAC credits it with high-frequency extension and fast transient response. The AS woofer cone is chosen for its mix of rigidity, speed and damping, and every model in the Solano 2.0 lineup uses aluminium sandwich woofers to keep unwanted cone resonances and distortion low. The enclosure starts as a rectangular box of solid MDF, then gets a gently bowed front panel and generous radii on its edges, and strategic internal bracing is added to limit panel movement. The first Solano generation already had its drivers made by hand and assembled in Kiel. With the crossover point, bandwidth, sensitivity and cabinet carried over from the BS 283, the update concentrates on the tweeter rather than on a new box or woofer.

Pairing

The modest sensitivity and the low impedance minimum call for an amplifier that delivers current comfortably into low loads, and ELAC's recommended lower power limit suggests leaving the smallest integrated amplifiers aside. For home cinema, the CC281.2 centre channel completes a front array with a pair of BS283.2 used as left and right speakers.

Alternatives

Within ELAC's bookshelf range, the Carina BS 243.4 from a different product line is the nearest alternative to this model.