In this review, we will be comparing Synchrony T600 and VELA FS 409, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Synchrony T600 and ELAC VELA FS 409 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Synchrony T600 | ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber | 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 24-23k Hz | 28-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs | 32.18kg / 70.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm | 52-3/8" x 10-15/16" x 13-9/16"
1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Synchrony T600 and ELAC VELA FS 409 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* |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
Both Synchrony T600 and VELA FS 409 are 3-way speakers.
PSB Synchrony T600ELAC VELA FS 409
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the VELA FS 409 features a " handmade JET 5 folded ribbon Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz whereas VELA FS 409 has a frequency range of 28-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go slightly deeper then the VELA FS 409's min frequency of 28Hz.
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
Synchrony T600 and VELA FS 409 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 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 Synchrony T600 and the Synchrony T600 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Synchrony T600 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas VELA FS 409 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Synchrony T600.
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 Synchrony T600 and VELA FS 409 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 PSB Synchrony T600's and ELAC VELA FS 409's external dimensions. PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch) whereas ELAC VELA FS 409 has external dimensions of 1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm (52-3/8 x 10-15/16 x 13-9/16inch).
ELAC VELA FS 409 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 50mm wider, 283mm taller and 2mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Synchrony T600 and ELAC VELA FS 409 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Synchrony T600 and ELAC VELA FS 409 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 PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2 and base area of the ELAC VELA FS 409 is approximately 959.1cm2 / 148.7inch2. The Synchrony T600 requires 18% less surface area than the VELA FS 409 which gives it a small advantage 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 PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs and the ELAC VELA FS 409 weighs 32.18kg / 70.8lbs. This makes the Synchrony T600 8% heavier than the VELA FS 409.
Here is a comparison of how Synchrony T600 and VELA FS 409'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 PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
What's in the Box of ELAC VELA FS 409?
Here are the items that come with the VELA FS 409:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base plate
- 2 Jumper straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Pucks
- 4 Rubber pads
- 4 Machine screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Operating And Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1331mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
959cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
|
Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
7400USD
vs
8000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Brand |
PSB |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
24-23k Hz |
28-50k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Carbon fiber |
Aluminum/Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
1331.0mm (52.4") |
| Width |
228.0mm (9") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
343.0mm (13.5") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
32.18kg (70.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Aluminum |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
A generation apart: PSB Synchrony T600 is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | PSB Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 28Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | PSB Synchrony T600 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; ELAC VELA FS 409 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping; ELAC VELA FS 409: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($8,000 vs $7,400 a pair). |
A PSB Synchrony T600 B ELAC VELA FS 409
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?
PSB Synchrony T600 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate PSB Synchrony T600 the better fit for a very large room, and ELAC VELA FS 409 for a mid-size room. In a large or open-plan room, ELAC VELA FS 409 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, PSB Synchrony T600 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.