In this review, we will be comparing A700 and Navis ARF-51, two Powered Floor-standing 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 A700 and ELAC Navis ARF-51 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Buchardt A700 and ELAC Navis ARF-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 A700 and Navis ARF-51 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Buchardt A700 |
ELAC Navis ARF-51 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.74-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
A700 features a 0.74" fine weave soft fabric textile aluminum waveguide Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 4 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 100-250Hz and 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Navis ARF-51 features a 1" Fabric Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer .
Frequency Response
A700 has a frequency range of 17-40k Hz whereas Navis ARF-51 has a frequency range of . With a minimum frequency of Hz, the Navis ARF-51 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A700's min frequency of 17Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 A700's and ELAC Navis ARF-51's external dimensions. Buchardt A700 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm ( 40.0 x 7 x 11inch) whereas ELAC Navis ARF-51 has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 247.0 x 294.0mm ( 42.125 x 9.6875 x 11.5625inch) .
ELAC Navis ARF-51 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 67mm wider, 70mm taller and 14mm deeper than Buchardt A700.
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 A700 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2 and base area of the ELAC Navis ARF-51 is approximately 726.2cm2 / 112.6inch2. The A700 requires 31% less surface area than the Navis ARF-51 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Buchardt A700 weighs 28.00kg / 61.6lbs and the ELAC Navis ARF-51 weighs 21.00kg / 46.2lbs. This makes the A700 33% heavier than the Navis ARF-51.
Here is a comparison of how A700 and Navis ARF-51's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of ELAC Navis ARF-51?
Here are the items that come with the Navis ARF-51:
Powered floorstanding loudspeaker8-feet AC power cordBase plate4 Spikes4 Isolation pucks4 ScrewsOperating Instructions
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
4
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1000mm
vs
1070mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
504cm2 (180x280mm)
vs
726cm2 (247x294mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 USB Port |
Service Only
vs
No
|
USB port adds flexibility |
 XLR Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via XLR input |
 Subwoofer Output |
vs
No
|
Pair your speakers with external subwoofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
Hz
vs
17 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 RCA Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via RCA input |
| XLR Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via XLR input |
| General |
Buchardt A700 |
ELAC Navis ARF-51 |
| Brand |
Buchardt |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
17-40k Hz |
|
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
600-watt RMS |
300-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
1320-watt RMS |
n/a |
| Max Bit Depth |
24-bit |
N/A |
| Max Sample Rate |
192kHZ |
N/A |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
0.74" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
aluminum waveguide |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
100-250Hz and 2800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
100 hours |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
| Width |
180.0mm (7.1") |
247.0mm (9.7") |
| Depth |
280.0mm (11") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
21.00kg (46.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Black, White, Walnut |
n/a |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
XLR |
XLR, RCA |
| USB Port |
Service Only |
No |
| Phone Input |
No |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
n/a |
No |
| Digital Input |
No |
No |
| HDMI Input |
No |
No |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 years on speakers / 2 years on electronics (4 years if registered) |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 years on speakers / 2 years on electronics (4 years if registered) |
3 Years |