In this review, we will be comparing Navis ARB-51 and Xeo 20, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from ELAC and Dynaudio. 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 ELAC Navis ARB-51 and Dynaudio Xeo 20 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 ELAC Navis ARB-51 and Dynaudio Xeo 20 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Navis ARB-51 is a 3-way design whereas the Xeo 20 is a 2-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.
Driver |
ELAC Navis ARB-51 |
Dynaudio Xeo 20 |
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
Navis ARB-51 features a 1" Fabric Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer . On the other hand, the Xeo 20 features a 1.1" Coated Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer .
Frequency Response
Navis ARB-51 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz whereas Xeo 20 has a frequency range of 40-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Xeo 20 can go slightly deeper then 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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Navis ARB-51 and Xeo 20 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 ELAC Navis ARB-51's and Dynaudio Xeo 20's external dimensions. ELAC Navis ARB-51 has external dimensions of 350.8 x 192.1 x 287.3mm ( 13.8125 x 7.5625 x 11.3125inch) whereas Dynaudio Xeo 20 has external dimensions of 320.7 x 181.0 x 257.2mm ( 12.625 x 7.125 x 10.125inch) .
ELAC Navis ARB-51 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 11.1mm wider, 30.1mm taller and 30.1mm deeper than Dynaudio Xeo 20.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Navis ARB-51 and Dynaudio Xeo 20 in scale.
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 Navis ARB-51 is approximately 551.9cm2 / 85.5inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Xeo 20 is approximately 465.5cm2 / 72.2inch2. The Navis ARB-51 requires 19% more surface area than the Xeo 20 which gives it a small disadvantage 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:
What's in the Box of ELAC Navis ARB-51?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Navis ARB-51:
2 Powered bookshelf loudspeakersTwo 8-feet AC power cordsOperating Instructions
What's in the Box of Dynaudio Xeo 20?
Here are the items that come with the Xeo 20:
2 Powered bookshelf speakers2 GrillesTwo 8-feet AC power cordsRemote control2 AAA batteriesSetup Manual