Elac Loudspeakers?

Magfan:

In spite of being an engineer by original trade, I can't say that spend quite as much time analyzing empirical data associated with gear as I should. It's often confusing to the average, prospective client, but I do believe that this approach is very valuable assuming the testing is performed properly. Cudos...

That said, I was able to find an impedance graph in "Australian HIFI" magazine of all places. (The full written test can be found on the Elac Site.)

A PDF of the frequency response and impedance graphs can be found at:

http://igs.avhub.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Elac_testresult.pdf?128832011748371250

Keep in mind that the test is for the Elac FS249. This is essentially the higher cost audiophile version of the 208 referenced by Mr Elusive but should behave similarly given the same basic design. The curves do indicate a dip in the 20-40Hz range and a significant dip again in the 60 - 200Hz range. I believe this would support my observed demanding nature of the speakers for high quality amplification, in spite of the fact that the sensitivity rating is fairly "friendly".

Thanks for the technical prospective. It's a reminder that we should consider more than one prospective on how we evaluate products in our business. BTW: My experience with tube gear with the Elacs supports your assumptions as well. I have not had good luck driving Elacs with the several lines that I carry.

Thanks

My apologies! .... KUDOS! ( I apparently I'm better at Audio than spelling.)

I used to have a pair of Elac CL142 floorstanders with 4ohm imp. As it's already been said by the others, it's very revealing, so it's hard work trying to put the right system together. For me it was difficult to get the bass right because my was entry level CDP didn't have much bass, and my amp although solid state, not quite powerful enough to drive Elac.
Basically Elac loves lots of power, I heard that a brother brand called "Linear Acoustic" goes well with Elac.
If money is no object, Elac really does compliment high end equipment, like MBL for example. I don't recommend CDP+ amp with bright sound.

Indeed, good measured performance.
Also, if I read the graph correctly, the highest phase angles occur at or near impedance peaks. This may help, but still and all, 60 degrees is pretty brisk and corrosponds to a power factor of 0.5 (Cos 60) which means that at that particular frequency, only half the amplifiers power is available to do actual work. This occurs at a frequency range in which there is substantial musical energy.
In general, I prefer the Smith Chart for this presentation, since you can easily see displacement from the horizontal axis as phase angle data.
As a matter of fact, simply speaking from a measured / electrical aspect, this is indeed a somewhat demanding speaker. Good watts are a must.

If you were a Chemical or Mechanical engineer, you have a good reasonable excuse for not knowing about PF and phase. I work with a bunch of EEs, in a semiconductor manufacturing enviroment. At least one of 'em NEVER forgot anything he ever saw in a math class@!!
But the math is pretty straightforward. Most audiophiles get hung up on impedance and you can't talk 'em out of it!
I used to drive a Baracudo.

I had a chat with the local Elac dealer and he assured me my amplifier and CD player would pair up nicely with the 208's (of course he would say that, right?). I had a listen to them, it wasn't paired with the same amp I have, but with 50 watt Shanling tube mono blocks and I was pleased with it's performance. My amplifier is an Audio Space AS-6i [http://www.charismaaudio.com/AS_6i.html] and when I was A/B'ing amps, the Audio Space trumped the Shanling IMHO. I think I might just end up bringing my amp down there and have a listen for a piece of mind. I'm looking at the Elacs because I heard a few speakers like the ProAc studio 140's and they just seemed TOO laid back and coloured for me. I have a tube amp and tube cd player so I need something a little more lively to balance things out. The Elacs seem like they will bring a little "snap" and speed back, from what I've heard so far.