Elac BS 243.3 White

BS 243.3, 1x JET 5, 1x 150mm, 41Hz - 50kHz Consistency in sound.

The simple, yet striking, cabinet contours are emphasized by shorter radii, while the uniform color of the driver surrounds provides restrained visual elegance. The new magnetically-attached grilles, when removed, offer a view of the high-gloss paintwork, undisturbed by any mechanical hardware. The trim ring of the JET 5 tweeter, without visible screws, is another improvement in the array of modifications. However, the highly regarded and award-winning sound of every loudspeaker in the Line 240.3 remains unchanged.

Crystal membrane driver

The eye-catching surface of the crystal membrane is more than just an attractive design feature. Drivers employ the Crystal Membrane (patent pending) and their design is based on ELAC’s Aluminum-Sandwich AS Technology. The crystal-shaped inverse aluminum dome is joined to the paper cone in a special gluing process to result in the desired sandwich construction. Resembling the surface of a large crystal, the aluminum-foil stamping stiffens the aluminum dome, diminishing resonances and minimizing coloration, while improving power handling and dynamics. The voice coil design of the drivers results in an expanded frequency range, and driver surround allows for longer cone excursions for truly prodigious volume and lowest distortion, a unique engineering achievement for a driver of its size.

JET 5 tweeter

Delivering true high-definition sound, ELAC’s JET 5 tweeter enthralls with its lightning-fast response and wide dynamic range, offering minimal distortion, lots of headroom and a distinctly wider frequency range than conventional dome tweeters. The ELAC JET tweeter is one of the most legendary tweeters in the industry and has won international praise with its transparent and effortless sound image.

The JET tweeter was developed to perfection on the basis of the famous Air Motion Transformer by loudspeaker pioneer Dr. Oskar Heil. Its operating principle is based on a concertinaed-foil membrane, driven by a strong magnet system of neodymium rods. This motor drives the air considerably faster than the pistonic motion of a conventional driver, with gains in higher sensitivity and extraordinary dynamics. Due to many additional design changes, like an improved new neodymium magnet system, even higher efficiency, higher sound pressure levels and frequency response up to 50 kHz was achieved.

The core of the JET tweeter is the folded foil membrane. With a fold width of only 0.84 mm, a major requirement in the JET production is precision. To guarantee repeated accuracy and unchanging quality even with high production capacity, gluing and handling are now executed by two SCARA robots. The folding and fixing of the membrane, however, are executed by hand, since for production steps requiring extreme precision, the manual dexterity of skilled technicians is irreplaceable. Due to continuous improvement, the JET 5 tweeter creates an effortless, airy and resonance-free image up to 50,000 Hz, and with its linear frequency response is ideally suited for the reproduction of DVD-A and SACD.

Bass reflex ports

ELAC’s bass ports are a proprietary design feature. Flared on both sides, the double-flare port has been designed to minimize ventilation noises and to reduce friction losses of traditional ported cabinets.

Down-firing port

For a more flexible speaker placement and to minimize ventilation noise, the bass reflex port on the FS 249.3 and FS 247.3 is directed to the floor, exiting the bottom of the speaker cabinet in a down-firing configuration.

Grille magnets

Line 240.3 speakers are equipped with a grille that is attached only through the force of magnets hidden beneath the surface of the cabinet. Listeners who prefer to look at their speakers and listen without a grill will appreciate the clean design and uninterrupted surfaces of the impeccable ELAC cabinetry.

Bass control

The sound of loudspeakers is heavily influenced by room-acoustics. In some cases the room shape and especially the furnishings offer less than ideal conditions for the optimum set-up of the loudspeakers, sometimes resulting in bass reproduction that is too strong. Closing the bass reflex ports compensates for unfavorable acoustic conditions when speakers are installed, for example, close to a wall. When loudspeakers are used close to walls or in small rooms and the bass is too prominent, the ELAC Bass Control plug can be used to improve the bass reproduction by reducing the low frequency output. Just insert one or both of the supplied ELAC Bass Control plugs into the bass ports until the bass is at the correct level relative to the midrange and treble.

Small but mighty.

Don’t be fooled by its size, as the 2-way, bass-reflex BS 243.3 is an incredibly accomplished performer. Whether free-standing on dedicated supports or on a shelf close to a wall, the BS 243.3 is a superb all-rounder.