In this review, we will be comparing UFR52 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from ELAC and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.25" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-35k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 140 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.80kg / 52.4lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-9/16" x 9-1/4" x 13-5/16"
1005.0 x 235.0 x 339.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 and B&W 603 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 Ref UFR52 |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
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Drivers
Both UFR52 and BW 603 are 3-way speakers.
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52B&W 603
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 Ref UFR52 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
UFR52 features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 3 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
UFR52 has a frequency range of 40-35k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the UFR52 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
UFR52 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the BW 603 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. UFR52 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the B&W 603 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
BW 603 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas UFR52 has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 60 watts less than the BW 603.
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 UFR52 and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 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 Ref UFR52's and B&W 603's external dimensions. ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 has external dimensions of 1005.0 x 235.0 x 339.0mm (39-9/16 x 9-1/4 x 13-5/16inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
B&W 603 is 45mm narrower and 20mm shorter than ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 but it is also 1mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 and B&W 603 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 Ref UFR52 is approximately 796.7cm2 / 123.5inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The UFR52 requires 23% more surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 weighs 23.80kg / 52.4lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 1% heavier than the UFR52.
Here is a comparison of how UFR52 and BW 603's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of UFR52:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 2 Stabilizer-bars
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Knobs
- 6 Machine screws
- Hex-key
- Operating Instructions
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
140 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1005mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
796cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UFR52 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
ELAC |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 140 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-35k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
soft dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1005.0mm (39.6") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
235.0mm (9.3") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
339.0mm (13.3") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
23.80kg (52.4lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Satin Black with Walnut Sides, Satin White with Oak Sides |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 digs deeper - 40Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | B&W 603 is more sensitive (89dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | B&W 603 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | B&W 603 takes more power (200W vs 140W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52: bi-amping; B&W 603: bi-amping. |
A ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 B B&W 603
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
B&W 603 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, B&W 603 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.