ELAC Navis ARF-51 are active three-way floor-standing acoustic systems that can become the basis of a high-level Hi-Fi set. ELAC Navis ARF-51 are made in small-width cases, which simplifies their placement in the interior, and have a first-class finish. It can be made of black or white piano lacquer, or natural wood veneer. The acoustic systems develop high sound pressure and reproduce deep bass, due to which they can be used even in large rooms.
The ELAC Navis ARF-51 speakers are equipped with branded speakers that were developed specifically for this acoustics and have precisely specified parameters. They have a combined emitter, which consists of a 4-inch midrange speaker with an aluminum diaphragm and a tweeter with a 1-inch soft dome installed in its center. This solution not only reduced the area of the front panel of the speaker, making it more compact, but also achieved high uniformity and focus of sound in the midrange / high-frequency range.
In order to provide deep and rich bass without increasing the width of the speaker body, ELAC Navis ARF-51 was equipped with three low-frequency speakers with a diameter of 5.25 inches. Their diffusers are also made of aluminum, and the elastic suspension provides their movement with a large amplitude and dampens unwanted vibrations.
Each frequency section in the speaker systems is connected to its own amplifier, which improves the sound by eliminating elements of the passive crossover filter. The low-frequency section is powered by a 160-watt amplifier, and the midrange section is powered by a 100-watt amplifier. At the same time, ELAC Navis ARF-51 uses BASH amplifiers, which have a better sound than traditional Class D circuits, with the same efficiency. And the tweeter is connected to a 40-watt Class A / B amplifier. The speaker has volume switches for low, mid and high frequencies, selectors for adjusting the input low-pass filter frequency (with the ability to turn it off), as well as gain.
ELAC Navis ARF-51 is equipped with RCA and XLR inputs, and also has a built-in AirX2 wireless module. The latter can be used with the help of the proprietary Discovery Connect transmitter unit, its switching capabilities are as follows: analog input, optical input and output, coaxial input and output, and wireless interfaces – Bluetooth, Airplay, Spotify Connect, Roon and DLNA. On the rear panel of the speakers themselves, there are several tone control and tuning functions. This provides good flexibility in including ELAC Navis ARF-51 in various systems.
For those who do not want to stretch speaker cables to the speakers, a wireless mode via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi protocol AirX² is provided. To do this, you need to connect a special wireless adapter to the source: for example, a device from the same line – ELAC Navis Transmitter AIR-X2TW .
Active speakers often become a compromise solution for those who have not found a suitable pair of speakers and an amplifier, but the thoughtful design of the ELAC Navis ARF51 speakers and three amplifiers per case with a total power of 300 W is no longer a compromise, but a serious claim in the segment of genuine Hi-Fi. The speakers are capable of handling most genres, they can be recommended to users who want to listen to a variety of music in truly high quality without the agony of choosing components, but sometimes ELAC Navis ARF51 lacks that very zest that distinguishes a generalist from a narrowly focused expert.
ELAC Navis ARF-51 Specifications
Number of bands 3
Number of speakers 5
Enclosure type bass reflex, 3 ports on the rear panel
Tweeter 1 inch, soft dome, mounted in the center of the midrange speaker
Midrange speaker 4 “, aluminum cone Woofer
3 x 5.25”, aluminum cone
Frequency range 43 Hz – 35 kHz
Amplifiers 160 W BASH (LF), 100 W BASH (MF), 40 W A / B (HF)
Crossover frequencies 260 Hz, 2.2 kHz kHz
Frequency response control -1 dB / 0 / + 1 dB (LF, MF, HF), input filter (80 Hz / 60 Hz / not used)
Inputs RCA, XLR, AirX2
Dimensions (WxHxD) 188x1024x240 mm
Weight 21 kg
