ELAC 4" Passive Wired Bookshelf Speakers

Update 2/2: A note for those of you out there that, like most people, have limited options for speaker placement… Yes, it’s important to be aware of how close the speakers are to the wall (or all six surfaces for that matter), but don’t forget about the space between them. My system is in a shared space, so either side of a TV in surrounding bookshelves was what it was gonna be. This ended up being about 6’ apart, 1’ from the back wall, >6’ from the nearest sidewall, and about 13’ to the listening position (a couch on the opposite wall). I was aware of the “isosceles” guidelines for a listening position, and I realized they were probably too close together for 13’ but it really felt like the only option at the time (mainly for aesthetic reasons in a shared space). Long story short, one Saturday, I decided to try moving them laterally to the opposite edge of their respective shelves (extending the distance to ~8’). It was like a different system. Toeing is important, but even before tuning that, the less direct sound leaves much more canvas for your brain to paint on and for the first time in 2 years, the speakers disappeared✨ It probably also doesn’t hurt getting a bit further from the reflective TV. Thankfully, “shareholders” of the space found it visually acceptable and I haven’t looked back 😅 Honestly, it’s making me rethink my goal of a 5.1 system - not sure I need it! I wanted to share this to underscore if these are your first speakers, they will grow with your system. Will better speakers sound better with upgraded components? Most likely. Do the BS41’s have a ceiling? Absolutely, and proportionately lower. But they’ve responded to everything I’ve added, and that support pushes them past the price I paid (in my experience/opinion). ✌️ 5/1/25 Update1/2: So, I’ve had these for over a year now and I’m here to report life is good - particularly as I’ve learned to tune the system and make some technical upgrades, the value of these speakers (to my ear) has increased. I generally subscribed to the philosophy that one “works their way in” from the speakers when building a system and when cycling through upgrades… But my experience lead me to question that. My living situation did not make it practical to upgrade my speakers, but the enduring interest had me upgrading components “ahead of schedule,” including a notable leap from a Schiit Modi3+ to a Denafrips Ares 12th 😅. A more modest change has been getting in early on Fosi V3 Monos and dropping some Sparkos SS3602's in their buffer stage [all seen in second photo]. That, combined with being a bit smarter with the sub, these Elac’s continue to come to life! As I said, I started to wonder if working my way in was the wrong idea, but I realized the lesson was if the perceived value of the speakers went up, I’d be within the same cycle :) All that to say, if your room is in moderate shape, you do your homework with gear, and take electrical interference seriously, you should not feel bad about paying more than $150 for these. The question rather, is where’s your line to save up? 7/10/24 Original review: The pic is what’s currently feeding the BS41’s (out of frame is also an Airmotiv SE8 subwoofer), but I started with just the Elac’s, an Aiyima A08 Pro, and my Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB (and it steadily grew from there since March of this year). It’s my first system, and my first set of speakers, so I don’t have a lot to compare it to (to say nothing of the odd room size) but I think they sound great! In retrospect, I probably should have saved up a for one of the front-ported models (my only options in my current living space is to have them fewer than 12in from the wall), but I don’t regret owning these. That said, if they go over $150, I recommend saving for the step-up. The rumors are true, these put out a surprising amount of bass, and there’s no “glistening” top end, but they’re not muffled by any means. Their focus is punch for their size and price, and they nail it in my opinion. Not the common scenario, but I have the high-pass filter on the sub set at 60, which I think helped tighten the woofers, and the upper mids definitely enjoyed the extra juice. I also have the Schiit Lokius adding some support for the highs. All in all, I think these are a great entry level speaker for the 2.1 listener that likes it on the warm side (as I do). BUT, truly consider something front-ported if you know these are going to be against the wall.

I was looking for a pair of speakers to fill in the surrounds for my home theater system. These, and two other MouKey speakers, were priced at $68. I decided to give them all a go because hey, they're all the same price. The MouKeys have much worse build quality, came slightly damaged even though they were listed as new, and listening to one of the pairs (M20-3) in my office where I normally run a pair of Sony SSCS5s left me unimpressed. I hooked these Elacs up after a long listen on my Sonys and WOW. WOW!! These kick some serious butt!!! Sound is full and vibrant, plenty of bass and punch. No sub needed in a smaller room for sure for music listening. Some call this veiled in the high end, but I haven't noticed it. Highs are what I look for the most in my speakers as I've got a sub on all my systems and this is not lacking in any way in that department. The whole musical spectrum sounds amazing on these. Clarity is plenty enough for the majority of the population. Imaging isn't perfect, but neither is my equipment. Even serious audiophiles would likely have a hard time knocking these at the sale price of $68, or even at the MSRP of $150. Normally I would not write a review until I've thoroughly tested a product, but this is one of those exceptions. I started my critical listening and promptly stopped as I was just whisked away by the beauty these speakers presented me with. These will not be relegated to surround duty. These are my new office buddies. Now to get them tuned in with my sub in here to really bring out some magic. And now to figure out what to do with the Sonys. Anyone looking for a pair of lightly loved bookshelf speakers?

Excellent excellent speakers. Too good. They are my mains now for my gaming PC rig, with Polk T15s being my secondary speakers for my CWGTV, both systems sharing the same HDR gaming monitor. Driven by Aiyima Tube A3 Pro tube pre & Aiyima A03 amp. (I discovered that you should pair the same number of preamp w amp for Aiyima products). The BS41s handle my games exceedingly well. Music sounds great too. Movie dialogue good too. Cheapaudioman commented that they sound like a blend between the 1st & 2nd generation Debuts. I wouldn't know cos I never heard an Elac speaker before this one lols. Actually, I auditioned the DB52 center channel (Debut 2.0) and it really, really sucked. Maybe it hadn't been burnt it yet. But it lacked a lot of things. Coming back, for the so-called "bloated bass" for this BS41, it goes away after 10-20 hours of usage. What's left is a pretty meaty yet not boomy bass. Just don't shove these against the wall. The sound is just so full and nothing like I heard of. I even closed my eyes during the initial testing as the speakers were truly disappearing and all I wanted to feel was the music. They are brilliant and worth the extra I paid for to ship them to Singapore.

Not an "Andrew Jones", Speaker but still a nice package, first impressions out of the box. However these bookshelf Speakers are a little over Priced for what you are getting here, £191.00 seems a little bit pricey. Around £150.00 would be more acceptable. Build quality is not to the usual standard of simular priced speakers made by ELAC. A bit rough on the edges of the cabinet. Highs are neutral with strong bass, but not too well balanced, in my opinion, a bit bass heavy, but it's early days. I have not run them in yet. However these do pack a punch, they are impressive, and may offer the excitement and fun missing from many run of the mill desk top speakers. Couple them with a clear, or slightly bright quality class D amplifier, and you may find Synergy of sound you will fall in love with.

I was looking for a pair of affordable desk speakers that would not take a lot of real estate from my desk, but which would give me presence. I have the Elac B5.2 in my living room, and I was hoping these 4” would give me a similar feeling. I am happy to report that I was right. I am joining the chorus : you cannot go wrong with Elac.

Lo mejor de estas bocinas es que puedes escucharlas sin subwoofer, en especial si las tienes en una habitación pequeña o mediana. Los bajos no son tan precisos, pero tienen buena presencia y están bien balanceados con medios y agudos. La tonalidad general es más bien cálida, por lo que son excelentes para rock y grabaciones brillantes (algo muy característico de los 80s). Puedes obtener un sonido más detallado y analítico dependiendo de la combinación de DAC, amplificador y ecualización que utilices. En mi opinión suenan mucho mejor que las Dayton Audio B652-AIR, que tienen un precio similar (las Dayton no suenan bien sin subwoofer). Además, los materiales y acabados se ven de mejor calidad en las Elac. Hablando de precio, creo que $3 mil es un precio justo por estas bocinas.

I bought these on a recommendation from cheapaudioman, from YouTube. Paired them with a Fosi Audio amp and love the flat sound they produce. Really enhanced my experience listening to my favourite music. For a relatively small speaker they do a great job without dominating the room, which was essential for the decor of the room and the whole experience. These do like a reasonably powerful amp and I did find that positioning them a little away from the wall with a little toe in helped optimise the listening experience. Overall, I love these and my setup. I've never enjoyed my music more, and of course the price is good too.

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