In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by ELAC. ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Uni-Fi UB5 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" soft dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 3 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer
- 42-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 85 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:40-140watts
- Weight:0.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1013.0" x 10-3/16" x 12-7/8"( 1013.0 x 259.0 x 328.0mm )
ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 5.25" Aluminum Woofer
- 4" Midrange
- 46-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 85 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:40-140watts
- Weight:7.48kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 324.0" x 7.8" x 10.7"( 324.0 x 200.0 x 273.0mm )
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Uni-Fi UB5 are members of ELAC's Uni-Fi series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
ELAC Uni-Fi Series History
What size room are the ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 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 FS U5 Slim |
ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 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 Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Uni-Fi UB5 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim |
ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim features a 1" soft dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 3 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer . On the other hand, the Uni-Fi UB5 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Uni-Fi UB5 has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim can go slightly deeper then the Uni-Fi UB5's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
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.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Uni-Fi UB5 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 85 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Uni-Fi UB5 has the same power range of 40-140 watts.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim features Post type posts and Uni-Fi UB5 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
ELAC Uni-Fi UB5's Post terminals
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 Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim's and ELAC Uni-Fi UB5's external dimensions. ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has external dimensions of 1013.0 x 259.0 x 328.0mm ( 39-7/8 x 10-3/16 x 12-7/8inch) whereas ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 has external dimensions of 324.0 x 200.0 x 273.0mm ( 12.7 x 7.8 x 10.7inch) .
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 59mm wider, 689mm taller and 55mm deeper than ELAC Uni-Fi UB5.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 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 Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is approximately 849.5cm2 / 131.7inch2 and base area of the ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 is approximately 546.0cm2 / 84.6inch2. The Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim requires 56% more surface area than the Uni-Fi UB5 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille2 Stabilizer-bars4 Spike-feet4 Protective discs4 Knobs6 Machine screws4 Hex-nutsHex-keyOperating Instructions
What's in the Box of ELAC Uni-Fi UB5?
Here are the items that come with the Uni-Fi UB5:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles Operating Instructions
Number of Woofers 
Height 
Base Surface Area