In this review, we will be comparing A500 and Navis ARB-51, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Buchardt and ELAC. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Buchardt A500 and ELAC Navis ARB-51 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Buchardt A500 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 450-watt RMS( 1320-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.74" aluminum waveguide Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 6" paper Woofer
- 25-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192kHZ Max Sample Rate
- Weight:9.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 365.0" x 7" x 11"( 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm )
ELAC Navis ARB-51 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 300-watt RMS( 600-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 5.25" Aluminum Woofer
- 4" Midrange
- 44-28k Hz Frequency Response
- Weight:8.10kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 350.8" x 7.5625" x 11.3125"( 350.8 x 192.1 x 287.3mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Buchardt A500 and ELAC Navis ARB-51 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both A500 and Navis ARB-51 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Buchardt A500 |
ELAC Navis ARB-51 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.74-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
A500 features a 0.74" fine weave soft fabric textile aluminum waveguide Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 1 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 150Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the Navis ARB-51 features a 1" Fabric Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer .
Frequency Response
A500 has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz whereas Navis ARB-51 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the A500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Navis ARB-51's min frequency of 44Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Buchardt A500's and ELAC Navis ARB-51's external dimensions. Buchardt A500 has external dimensions of 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm ( 14.4 x 7 x 11inch) whereas ELAC Navis ARB-51 has external dimensions of 350.8 x 192.1 x 287.3mm ( 13.8125 x 7.5625 x 11.3125inch) .
Buchardt A500 is 12.1mm narrower and 7.3mm less deeper than ELAC Navis ARB-51 but it is also 14.2mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Buchardt A500 and ELAC Navis ARB-51 in scale.
Comparison image of Buchardt A500 and ELAC Navis ARB-51 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Buchardt A500 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2 and base area of the ELAC Navis ARB-51 is approximately 551.9cm2 / 85.5inch2. The A500 requires 9% less surface area than the Navis ARB-51 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Buchardt A500 and ELAC Navis ARB-51 on a Media Console