In this review, we will be comparing Concord and Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Concord and ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Concord | ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" soft dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar | 3 x 5.25" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-23k Hz | 42-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 85 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 225 watts | 40-140 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.45kg / 45lbs | — |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm | 39-7/8" x 10-3/16" x 12-7/8"
1013.0 x 259.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
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 Concord is a 2-way design whereas the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim 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.
KLH ConcordELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KLH Concord |
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 3 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz whereas Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Concord is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 FS U5 Slim can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Concord sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim's is rated at 85 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim, 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.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 85 watts less than the Concord.
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
Concord features Binding post type posts and Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 KLH Concord's and ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim's external dimensions. KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) whereas 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).
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is 13mm shorter and 52mm less deeper than KLH Concord but it is also 47mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Concord and ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Concord and ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim 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 KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2 and base area of the ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is approximately 849.5cm2 / 131.7inch2. The Concord requires 5% less surface area than the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
What's in the Box of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim?
Here are the items that come with the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Stabilizer-bars
- 4 Spike-feet
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Knobs
- 6 Machine screws
- 4 Hex-nuts
- Hex-key
- Operating Instructions