In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by ELAC. ELAC Carina BS243.4 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Carina FS247.4 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Carina BS243.4 and ELAC Carina FS247.4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Carina BS243.4 | ELAC Carina FS247.4 |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" JET AMT (Ribbon) | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Aluminum | 5.25" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-30k Hz | 34-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-100 watts | 30-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.70kg / 14.7lbs | 16.45kg / 36.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-5/8" x 8-1/16" x 9-11/16"
321.0 x 205.0 x 247.0mm | 43-3/8" x 9-5/16" x 9-7/8"
1102.0 x 237.0 x 251.0mm |
|---|
Carina BS243.4 and Carina FS247.4 are members of ELAC's Carina series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
ELAC Carina Series
History
What size room are the ELAC Carina BS243.4 and ELAC Carina FS247.4 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
ELAC Carina BS243.4 |
ELAC Carina FS247.4 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Carina BS243.4 is a 2-way design whereas the Carina FS247.4 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
ELAC Carina BS243.4ELAC Carina FS247.4
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
ELAC Carina BS243.4 |
ELAC Carina FS247.4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Carina BS243.4 features a 1" JET AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the Carina FS247.4 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Carina BS243.4 has a frequency range of 46-30k Hz whereas Carina FS247.4 has a frequency range of 34-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the Carina FS247.4 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Carina BS243.4's min frequency of 46Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Carina BS243.4 and Carina FS247.4 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Carina BS243.4 sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the Carina FS247.4's is at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the ELAC Carina FS247.4 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Carina BS243.4, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Carina FS247.4 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas Carina BS243.4 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Carina FS247.4.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Carina BS243.4 and Carina FS247.4 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
ELAC Carina BS243.4's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare ELAC Carina BS243.4's and ELAC Carina FS247.4's external dimensions. ELAC Carina BS243.4 has external dimensions of 321.0 x 205.0 x 247.0mm (12-5/8 x 8-1/16 x 9-11/16inch) whereas ELAC Carina FS247.4 has external dimensions of 1102.0 x 237.0 x 251.0mm (43-3/8 x 9-5/16 x 9-7/8inch).
ELAC Carina FS247.4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 32mm wider, 781mm taller and 4mm deeper than ELAC Carina BS243.4.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Carina BS243.4 and ELAC Carina FS247.4 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Carina BS243.4 and ELAC Carina FS247.4 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 ELAC Carina BS243.4 is approximately 506.4cm2 / 78.5inch2 and base area of the ELAC Carina FS247.4 is approximately 594.9cm2 / 92.2inch2. The Carina BS243.4 requires 15% less surface area than the Carina FS247.4 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of ELAC Carina BS243.4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Carina BS243.4:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 4 Jumper straps (pre-intalled)
- Operating Instructions
What's in the Box of ELAC Carina FS247.4?
Here are the items that come with the Carina FS247.4:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Stabilizer-bars
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Isolation pucks
- 4 Screws
- 2 Jumper straps (pre-installed)
- Operating Instructions