Elipson has just announced the W35+, a new and improved version of the French audio company's distinctive Elipson W35 connected, multi-room stereo speaker. With an Ethernet RJ45 input now integrated into the spherical design (as well as digital optical S/PDIF and an analogue 3.5mm aux-in jack) plus Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX HD, the W35+ promises high-quality audio playback no matter which source you use, now or in the future.
A redesign of the integration of the silk-dome tweeters now boasts proven improvements in sound quality, too. The 2 x 6.5-in mid/bass drive units perform in partnership with the reworked tweeter housings to promise better treble and greatly improved harmonics. Maintaining the original design of woofer and 1-in silk dome tweeter (with heatsink on the rear of the magnet for improved cooling) on each side of the speaker gives, says Elipson, a truly stereophonic configuration from a single unit.
In terms of amplification, Elipson’s proven Class-D amplifier provides up to 350W RMS, more than enough to fill even the largest rooms.
New to the W35+ (and subtly built into the distinctive and elegant housing) is an RJ45 socket for connected streaming along with digital (S/PDIF Optical) and analogue inputs (3.5mm mini-jack) but wireless connectivity is billed as the W35+’s forte – so also onboard is aptX HD Bluetooth for playing hi-res music files up to 24-bit, and wi-fi for playing hi-res audio files in Solo mode, or CD quality audio files in multi-room mode.
Elipson tells us that streaming platforms such as Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal and Deezer are also available, or of course you could stream from your stored music files.
Operation is via the dedicated Elipson Connect App, making the W35+ compatible with other Elipson Connected products (the Music Centre Connect HD, Connect Wi-Fi receiver and Connect streaming amp, all of which can be located in other rooms to create a simple to use multi-room system).
Finished in matt dark grey, Elipson’s brand new W35+ is available in the UK now at a recommended retail price of £899 (roughly $1125, AU$1580). A specially designed tripod stand is available in either silver oak or walnut at £149 (around $185 or AU$260) for the ultimate in stylish integration into your living room, but additional flexible mounting options are also available.
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