ELAC (acronym for ElectroAcoustics) is an old story. The company, based in Kiel , Schleswig Holstein on the Baltic sea , started as early as 1926 in… underwater acoustics. It became an audio specialist after WW2 and those old enough to remember cannot have forgotten that ELAC was the producer of very reputed turntables – it also invented the moving magnet cartridge… It bought AXIOM and ARES loudspeaker specialists to become as innovative in this area with its Jet Tweeter, based on the Air Motion Transformer, an invention of Herr Doktor Heil.
Benefiting from its outstanding capacities in acoustic research ELAC is, in addition, one of the very few that produces its chassis and loudspeakers at home (as well as for others, like the German Burmester and Swedish Audio Vector high-end specialists.
It seems that ELAC has finally decided to make some come back on several European markets, like France where they just opened a subsidiary. In the UK , Sennheiser is currently listed on their web site as the distributor. Will this change in the near future? ELAC should benefit from its technology to force entry in these markets -In January of this year Hi-Fi Choice has been quite impressed by the BS 203.2.
ELAC has, after all, received an impressive number of awards, worldwide, especially in Asia ( Japan and China ):
"Best of Excellence Award 2004/2005" , Home Theater China (ELAC 200 Series), "Oberklasse" , Heimkino Germany , 12/2004 (ELAC Série 100), "Best Buy" , Essential Cinema & Home Cinema UK , 11/2004 (ELAC Cinema XL Set II), " Innovation Award for Design & Engineering " , C.E.S. Las Vegas 2004 (ELAC FS 207.2), "Best Buy Award 2002" , What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision (ELAC Cinema 1 ESP), "Stereoplay HighLight" , Stereoplay 11/2002 (ELAC 510), "T3 Gold Award" , T3 Magazine 10/2002 (ELAC Cinema 3 ESP), "Recommended" , Hi-Fi Choice Magazin UK 08/2002 (ELAC JET 205), "Best Buy" , Essential Home Cinema 08/2002 UK (ELAC Cinema 3 ESP), "Best Buy" , What Video & TV UK 08/2002 (ELAC Serie 2), "Recommended" , Hi-Fi Choice Magazin UK 03/2002 (ELAC CL330 Jet), "Best Buy" , What Video & TV UK 03/2002 (ELAC Cinema 1 ESP), "Diapason d'Or Hi-Fi 1998" , Diapason France (ELAC ELT7), "Diapason d'Or Hi-Fi 1997" , Diapason France (ELAC Elegant 305 II), "Recommandé par la Nouvelle Revue du Son" , N.r.d.S. France (ELAC Elegant 305 II), "IF Product Design Award 1997" , jury Industrie Forum Design Hanover e. V. (ELAC Série CL), "Best buy of the Years 1996", AV Review China (ELAC Elegant 305 II), "Super AV Award 1996" , AV Review China (ELAC Elegant 305 II), "Best Product" , Stereo Sound Japan (ELAC 4-Pi Plus), "Best buy of the Years 1996" , HiFi Review China (ELAC Elegant 305 II), "Innovation Award" , HiFi Vidéo Totaal, Netherland (ELAC 4-Pi Plus), "Innovation Award for Design &_Engineering", C.E.S. Las Vegas 1995 (ELAC Elegant 305 II),…We will follow up on their development here…