In this review, we will be comparing Sonos Five and Navis ARB-51, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Sonos and ELAC. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonos Five and ELAC Navis ARB-51 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonos Five and ELAC Navis ARB-51 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Sonos Five is a 2-way design whereas the Navis ARB-51 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.
| Driver |
Sonos Five |
ELAC Navis ARB-51 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3 x 0.8-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 2.75-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Sonos Five features a 3 x 0.8" Dome Tweeter and 3 x 2.75" Cone Woofer . On the other hand, the Navis ARB-51 features a 1" Fabric Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer .
Frequency Response
Sonos Five has a frequency range of whereas Navis ARB-51 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of Hz, the Sonos Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Navis ARB-51's min frequency of 44Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Sonos Five has a front firing port whereas Navis ARB-51 has a rear firing ports. Sonos Five's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to ELAC Navis ARB-51 with its rear-firing port.
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 Sonos Five's and ELAC Navis ARB-51's external dimensions. Sonos Five has external dimensions of 201.6 x 363.5 x 174.6mm ( 7.9375 x 14.3125 x 6.875inch) whereas ELAC Navis ARB-51 has external dimensions of 350.8 x 192.1 x 287.3mm ( 13.8125 x 7.5625 x 11.3125inch) .
Sonos Five is 149.2mm shorter and 112.7mm less deeper than ELAC Navis ARB-51 but it is also 171.4mm wider.
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 Sonos Five is approximately 634.7cm2 / 98.4inch2 and base area of the ELAC Navis ARB-51 is approximately 551.9cm2 / 85.5inch2. The Sonos Five requires 15% more surface area than the Navis ARB-51 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 Sonos Five weighs 6.40kg / 14.1lbs and the ELAC Navis ARB-51 weighs 8.10kg / 17.8lbs. This makes the Navis ARB-51 27% heavier than the Sonos Five.
Here is a comparison of how Sonos Five and Navis ARB-51's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Sonos Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonos Five:
Wireless audio speaker 6.5-feet AC power cord Quickstart Guide Important Safety Information
What's in the Box of ELAC Navis ARB-51?
Here are the items that come with the Navis ARB-51:
2 Powered bookshelf loudspeakersTwo 8-feet AC power cordsOperating Instructions
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 App-Based Control |
Apple iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
vs
None
|
Control the speaker via an app |
 Height |
201mm
vs
350mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1098USD
vs
1998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Ethernet Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
High quality streaming over Ethernet |
 3.5mm Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via 3.5mm AUX input |
 Subwoofer Output |
Optional Wireless
vs
No
|
Pair your speakers with external subwoofer |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
| Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
2.75 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
551cm2 (192x287mm)
vs
634cm2 (363x174mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 RCA Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via RCA input |
 XLR Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via XLR input |
| General |
Sonos Five |
ELAC Navis ARB-51 |
| Brand |
Sonos |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
|
44-28k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
n/a |
300-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
600-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
16-bit |
n/a |
| Max Sample Rate |
44.1kHz |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
2.75" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cone |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
3 x 0.8" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4" |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
201.6mm (7.9") |
350.8mm (13.8") |
| Width |
363.5mm (14.3") |
192.1mm (7.6") |
| Depth |
174.6mm (6.9") |
287.3mm (11.3") |
| Weight |
6.40kg (14.1lbs) |
8.10kg (17.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
3.5mm |
XLR, RCA |
| USB Port |
No |
No |
| Phone Input |
No |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
Optional Wireless |
No |
| Digital Input |
No |
No |
| HDMI Input |
No |
No |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
1 Year |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
1 Year |
3 Years |