In this review, we will be comparing Kensington and CFS507.2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Tannoy and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Tannoy Kensington and ELAC Concentro S507.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Tannoy Kensington | ELAC Concentro S507.2 |
|---|
| Brand | Tannoy
United Kingdom · founded 1926 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | JET 6 AMT |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 7" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 4 x 6" Aluminium sandwich (AS) |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-27k Hz | 24-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 60-500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.00kg / 81.4lbs | 37.00kg / 81.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.3" x 15.9" x 13.3"
1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm | 48-1/16" x 10-5/8" x 14-15/16"
1220.0 x 270.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Tannoy Kensington and ELAC Concentro S507.2 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* |
Tannoy Kensington |
ELAC Concentro S507.2 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Kensington is a 2-way design whereas the CFS507.2 is a 4-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 |
Tannoy Kensington |
ELAC Concentro S507.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
4 x 6-inch
|
Kensington features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the CFS507.2 features a " Folded ribbon foil JET 6 AMT Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 4 x 6" Aluminium sandwich (AS) Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 120/400/2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Kensington has a frequency range of 29-27k Hz whereas CFS507.2 has a frequency range of 24-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the CFS507.2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kensington's min frequency of 29Hz.
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
Kensington is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the CFS507.2 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 CFS507.2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Kensington sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the CFS507.2's is rated at 88 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Tannoy Kensington a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Concentro S507.2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
CFS507.2 features Binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kensington has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/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 Tannoy Kensington's and ELAC Concentro S507.2's external dimensions. Tannoy Kensington has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm (43.3 x 15.9 x 13.3inch) whereas ELAC Concentro S507.2 has external dimensions of 1220.0 x 270.0 x 380.0mm (48-1/16 x 10-5/8 x 14-15/16inch).
Tannoy Kensington is 120.2mm shorter and 42.2mm less deeper than ELAC Concentro S507.2 but it is also 133.9mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Tannoy Kensington needs about 33% more floor or shelf area. ELAC Concentro S507.2 is 42mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. ELAC Concentro S507.2 is 120mm taller.
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 Tannoy Kensington is approximately 1364.3cm2 / 211.5inch2 and base area of the ELAC Concentro S507.2 is approximately 1026.0cm2 / 159.0inch2. The Kensington requires 33% more surface area than the CFS507.2 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 Tannoy Kensington weighs 37.00kg / 81.4lbs and the ELAC Concentro S507.2 weighs 37.00kg / 81.4lbs.
Here is a comparison of how Kensington and CFS507.2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
1099mm
vs
1220mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
29 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
27k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1026cm2
vs
1364cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
15398USD
vs
24000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Tannoy Kensington |
ELAC Concentro S 507.2 |
| Brand |
Tannoy |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-27k Hz |
24-50k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
4 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aluminium sandwich (AS) |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
JET 6 AMT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
120/400/2600Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
1220.0mm (48") |
| Width |
403.9mm (15.9") |
270.0mm (10.6") |
| Depth |
337.8mm (13.3") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
37.00kg (81.4lbs) |
37.00kg (81.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/High-gloss lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black High Gloss, White High Gloss |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |
A generation apart: ELAC Concentro S507.2 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | ELAC Concentro S507.2 digs deeper - 24Hz against 29Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Tannoy Kensington is more sensitive (93dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Tannoy Kensington is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | ELAC Concentro S507.2: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | ELAC Concentro S507.2 is cheaper - $15,398 against $24,000, about 36% less. |
A Tannoy Kensington B ELAC Concentro S507.2
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 29Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Tannoy Kensington the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and ELAC Concentro S507.2 for a large room and a very large room.
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.