Напольная акустика — ELAC Concentro 2.0 S509.2

The Concentro 2.0 S509.2 is a four-way tower from ELAC Electroacustic of Kiel, Germany, where the Concentro S range is built by hand. ELAC groups it in the Concentro 2.0 family with the CBS503.2 bookshelf speaker, the CCS501.2 centre channel, the CFS507.2 tower and the M807. Its predecessor, the Concentro S 509, arrived in May 2020 at EUR 7,999, rising to EUR 8,499 from the end of June that year, and borrowed its outline from the big Concentro while adopting the simpler forms of the Vela models. Gloss black, gloss white and gloss walnut finishes are listed.

Key specs that matter

Drivers are four 180 mm woofers with AS cones, one 180 mm low-midrange driver with an AS-XR cone, a 50/130 mm aluminium high-midrange cone and a JET 5c folded ribbon tweeter, divided at 120, 400 and 2,600 Hz in a bass reflex enclosure. Frequency range is 22 Hz to 50 kHz per IEC 268-5, and sensitivity is 88 dB at 2.83 V/m. Nominal impedance is 4 ohm, with a minimum of 3.2 ohm at 360 Hz. Power handling is 280 W nominal and 340 W peak. With spikes and washers fitted, each cabinet stands 1,320 mm tall, 325 mm wide and 460 mm deep, and it weighs 42.8 kg.

Engineering and use context

The ribbon tweeter sits concentrically inside the aluminium high-midrange ring, an assembly ELAC calls stepX-JET, giving both drivers a common acoustic centre. Three exchangeable aluminium Directivity Control Rings fit around this unit and alter midrange dispersion, from a Direct version intended for nearfield listening to a Diffuse version for longer distances. The four long-throw woofers are side-firing and arranged in what ELAC names an Impulse Compensated Design, meant to keep mechanical vibration out of the bass range. Cabinet form comes from a wraparound baffle, gently angled walls, a trapezoid basic shape and a raised bottom assembly with a high-heel look.

Pairing

A recommended range of 60 to 600 W per channel and a rating for amplifiers specified into 4 to 8 ohm suggest a transistor amplifier able to hold steady when the load drops close to 3 ohm. The supplied bi-wiring set allows separate cable runs to the bass and upper sections, and gloves, spikes and washers also come in the box. Where the towers flank a screen, the CCS501.2 centre from the same family is the matching unit.

Alternatives

The Concentro 2.0 CFS507.2 is the second tower listed in the Concentro 2.0 range.