In this review, we will be comparing Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim and ES35, two Passive Center Channel speakers from ELAC and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim and Polk ES35 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim | Polk ES35 |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome | 1" High-res dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" aluminum | 6 x 3" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-25k Hz | 66-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-140 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 6.36kg / 14lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-1/16" x 19-11/16" x 12-13/16"
180.0 x 501.0 x 326.0mm | 4-3/16" x 24-7/16" x 6-1/16"
107.0 x 621.0 x 154.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim and Polk ES35 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 Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim |
Polk ES35 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim is a 3-way design whereas the ES35 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.
ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 SlimPolk ES35
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 Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim |
Polk ES35 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
6 x 3-inch
|
Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the ES35 features a 1" Terylene High-res dome Tweeter and 6 x 3" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer.
Frequency Response
Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim has a frequency range of 48-25k Hz whereas ES35 has a frequency range of 66-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES35's min frequency of 66Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the ES35 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the ES35's is rated at 89 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Polk ES35 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
ES35 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 10 watts less than the ES35.
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
Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim features 5-Way post type posts and ES35 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim's Binding post terminals
Polk ES35's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim and ES35 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.
Polk ES35 Port
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 Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim's and Polk ES35's external dimensions. ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim has external dimensions of 180.0 x 501.0 x 326.0mm (7-1/16 x 19-11/16 x 12-13/16inch) whereas Polk ES35 has external dimensions of 107.0 x 621.0 x 154.0mm (4-3/16 x 24-7/16 x 6-1/16inch).
Polk ES35 is 73mm shorter and 172mm less deeper than ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim but it is also 120mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim needs about 71% more floor or shelf area. ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim is 172mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim is 73mm taller.
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 Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim is approximately 1633.3cm2 / 253.2inch2 and base area of the Polk ES35 is approximately 956.3cm2 / 148.2inch2. The Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim requires 71% more surface area than the ES35 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of ELAC Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Operating Instructions
What's in the Box of Polk ES35?
Here are the items that come with the ES35:
- LCR loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Wall-mount template
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration