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Power, Scale, and Cinematic Precision

By Joe Finn

It’s always fun for me to check out a new speaker, more so than almost any other component – simply because a speaker can have such a significant impact on your sound. One of the more unique speakers to come along in quite a while is the ELAC Concentro M 807, a work of art that sounds really good too. 

“Concentro 2.0 represents the pinnacle of ELAC loudspeaker design – combining uncompromising acoustic performance with sculptural craftsmanship and refined material expression”, declares ELAC’s website. Concentro is ELAC’s flagship series, first making its appearance about ten years ago.  What is it about their flagship M 807 that makes this speaker stand out from others, aside from a retail price of $49,998 per pair?

Let’s take it from the top down. For starters, this speaker makes a bold design statement.  It is visually stunning, and manages to look both like a sculpture and a loudspeaker at the same time. It also has curves that seem to suggest its heritage is part speaker, part British sports car.  ELAC notes the following; “Designed in partnership with a top-tier Hamburg design studio, the Concentro M 807 is what happens when industrial art and acoustic science shack up in a wind tunnel.”

ELAC’s JET 6 ribbon tweeter is now in its sixth generation, and is a famed high frequency reproducer.  Ribbon tweeters are not as commonly used as standard dome tweeters, largely because they are a little more challenging to engineer and implement properly. Yet when done right, they can be both detailed and smooth, offering extended high frequency response and low distortion at the same time.  

On to the midrange. This is where the M 807 speaker becomes really unique, as it employs ELAC’s VXe technology, with VXe being short for Variable Coaxial electric.  The JET 6 tweeter is surrounded by a circle of six identical, compact upper-midrange drivers, each being 1.5 inches – effectively a ring radiator. Along with the tweeter, they form a vertical point source. 

But it is also well-known that the room in which the speaker is placed will have at least some effect on the sound. In some rooms that influence will be profound. Concentro M 807’s VXe system enables you to control the output of these midrange drives, with a switching system on the back panel. This VXe system allows you to compensate for the room’s influence on your sound 

You’ll have up to 25 different ways to configure the midrange output of the left and right speakers in your home theater or two channel system. This level of adaptability takes this premium speaker to a new level, ensuring great sound that is specific to your listening tastes and your room.   

Low frequencies are reproduced impressively in the M 807.  A pair of 4 ½ inch lower-midrange/upper bass drivers take over where the upper midrange drivers leave off, ensuring a solid transition to the bass notes. Twin side-firing ten inch woofers significantly increase the amount of low-frequency radiating surface vs a single woofer, without going to a 15 or 18 inch cone that might struggle to snap back into position quickly.  You get deep, rich bass notes that are tightly controlled and musical. 

Even the beautifully sculpted and aesthetically appealing cabinet plays a role in this remarkable speaker’s sound.  There are no parallel sides, as curved sides are both stronger that straight sides, and are much less likely to suffer from unwanted resonances bouncing back and forth.  A solidly machined metal base, along with isolation feet, keep the speaker from transmitting unwanted vibrations back into the cabinet.  

How does all this sound?  In a word, terrific. Classical music, pounding rock and roll, inspired jazz – Concentro M 807 performed well with everything it was asked to do, and in a hotel room that was never intended to be a musically premium location.  You can find out more details here.