Полочная акустика — ELAC Vela 2.0 VBS404.2

The ELAC Vela 2.0 VBS404.2 is the larger of the two bookshelf loudspeakers in the second-generation Vela line, designed by ELAC in Kiel, Germany. It combines the brand's JET 6 tweeter with a 180 mm bass and midrange unit in a passive two-way bass reflex enclosure. Three high gloss finishes are listed - black, white and walnut - and ELAC packs a bi-wiring set with each speaker.

Key specs that matter

ELAC specifies a frequency range from 38 Hz to 50,000 Hz, with sensitivity of 87 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. ELAC states a nominal impedance of 4 ohm and a minimum of 3.2 ohm at 240 Hz, and it declares the speaker suitable for amplifiers rated between 4 and 8 ohm. The crossover point sits at 2,400 Hz. Nominal power handling is 80 W and peak handling 120 W, with a recommended amplifier output of 40 to 200 W per channel. Each cabinet is 412 mm tall, 276 mm wide and 332 mm deep and weighs 9.7 kg.

Engineering and use context

The JET 6 is a folded diaphragm tweeter built on the Air Motion Transformer principle and handcrafted at the ELAC works in Kiel. ELAC credits it with a linear response extending past 50 kHz and an efficiency of 92 dB, and the same tweeter appears across the whole Vela 2.0 range. Below the crossover point the work passes to the AS-XR Crystal Membrane woofer, whose faceted aluminium sandwich cone is shaped for rigidity and control of large signals. The cabinet uses the trapezoidal outline with curved walls that defines the Vela family, a layout intended to limit unwanted resonance and diffraction inside and around the box. A lacquered or wood veneered high gloss surface covers the enclosure. The bass reflex port is directed downward out of the cabinet base, which ELAC says lowers port noise and gives more freedom when choosing a position for the speaker. The rest of the Vela 2.0 series includes the VFS407.2, VFS408.2 and VFS409.2 floorstanders and the VCC401.2 centre channel.

Pairing

Given how far its impedance falls in the upper bass, the VBS404.2 pairs best with an amp offering ample current. The supplied bi-wiring set, together with the double terminals, lets owners run separate cable runs to the woofer and tweeter sections, or connect a second stereo amplifier for bi-amping. The centre channel and floorstanders in the same series share the JET 6 tweeter for a matched home cinema front stage.

Alternatives

The ELAC Vela 2.0 BS403.2 is the compact stand-mount partner in the series, using a 150 mm woofer in a 362 mm tall, 7.1 kg cabinet.