Elipson, the brand that brought us the planet-shaped wireless speaker, has just unveiled a new set of loudspeakers – although at first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking you're looking at a set of 1970s monitor speakers from the vaults.
The French audio specialist's new Heritage XLS15 speakers may be vintage in design, but they promise contemporary versatility in function. For starters, they're supplied with two different bases and one optional Norstone stand, and the company says mid-range definition and high-frequency extension are among its talents.
This three-way floorstander has been tuned as a bass reflex design, with a front-firing flared port that can actually be plugged for further low frequency adjustment depending on placement.
It features a newly engineered 30cm cellulose coated bass unit with high power magnet, a 55mm treated dome mid-range driver (covering nearly three octaves) and a 22mm silk dome tweeter, taken from the firm’s flagship Prestige Facet series. Sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and at 28kg apiece, they're relatively weighty beasts.
A 2dB adjustment allows you to fine-tune mid and high frequency levels according to your listening room, music genre or personal taste, too. Inserting the supplied base plinth creates a 7° tilt for perfect acoustic phasing, and an optional metal stand from sister company Norstone can be used to raise the speakers a further 19cm from the floor.
The Elipson Heritage XLS15 will be available in the UK from January, priced at £1,790 (approximately $2420, although availability and pricing for the US and Australia isn't yet known) per pair. Vintage stands, for the ultimate in retro styling, will also be available for £199 per pair.
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