ELAC ARF51
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
92/100
Value for Money
95/100
ELAC’s ARF51 brings deep, muscular bass, explosive dynamics and a wide, sharply focused soundstage to an elegantly self-powered floorstander. Its 300W tri-amplified architecture and analogue signal path deliver clear, warm midrange detail alongside effortless scale; Gordon Brockhouse found it especially compelling with demanding orchestral and jazz material. Adjustable EQ, XLR/RCA inputs and optional wireless operation add welcome system flexibility.
Pros
Delivers powerful, weighty bass with strong scale, impact and ease for rock, orchestral and acoustic music.
Combines fast, natural micro- and macro-dynamics with low congestion at higher volumes.
Creates a wide, deep and precisely organized soundstage, with clearly differentiated instruments and performers.
Active tri-amplification, analogue inputs and onboard tonal controls provide substantial system flexibility without separate power amplifiers.
Cons
Sibilants and consonants can sound slightly hot or hard, particularly on some female vocals.
Wireless playback trades away some openness, treble extension and image focus compared with the wired analogue connection.
The deepest bass can sound faint or less distinct without room EQ; a capable subwoofer extends low-frequency control further.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
The Navis ARF-51 combines unusually large-scale, powerful sound with strong integration and vivid musical expression. Reviewers particularly praised its bass weight, wide and focused staging, and ability to play loudly without congestion, while noting that the treble can need adjustment in lively rooms and the deepest bass benefits from EQ or a subwoofer.
Bass
91/100
Reviewers heard impressive body, scale, ease, and slam from the three-woofer system; Brockhouse called a bass solo deep, impactful, and woody, while Hi-Fi News praised its thumping bass and organ-pedal power. The lowest notes could be faint or indistinct without EQ, however, and Brockhouse found a good subwoofer could provide deeper, tighter, and more tuneful low bass.
Mid
93/100
The midrange is widely described as clear, well integrated, and naturally warm. Hi-Fi News found the presentation smooth and generous without sacrificing clarity or intelligibility, while SoundStage praised excellent vocal presence, inviting strings, and strong separation of upper-register detail from richer lower notes.
Treble
87/100
Cymbals have satisfying sheen and percussion attacks are clear, while the concentric driver helps give the speaker a coherent and open upper range when used wired. The recurring caveat is a slightly hard or hot edge on sibilants and consonants, especially on female voices; one demonstration also sounded overly energetic up top in an untreated room.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
The ARF-51 creates a wide, deep, well-organized stage, with musicians and orchestral sections clearly differentiated. Hi-Fi News specifically praised the exceptionally strong focus of the soundstage image, although the best results depend on sensible setup and room adjustment.
Dynamics
94/100
Dynamics are a major strength. Brockhouse praised both micro- and macro-dynamic performance, fast but natural attacks, extended decays, and the ability to play substantially louder with less compression and congestion than the smaller Navis stand-mounts; he also described kick drum as a controlled explosion.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
Reviewers describe a reassuringly solid speaker with strong fit and finish, a stabilizing plinth, and electronics placed low in the enclosure to aid stability. SoundStage found all available finishes impeccable, while Hi-Fi News praised the cabinet, driver finishing, and substantial overall construction; glossy finishes do show fingerprints.
Value for Money
95/100
At the reviewed prices of roughly $4,000 to $4,600 per pair, the ARF-51 was repeatedly presented as compelling for an active three-way with dedicated amplification for every driver. Brockhouse called it a screaming bargain given the integrated 300W-per-speaker amplification, and also argued that active systems can offer more for the money than separate passive speakers and amplifiers.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Speaker type
- 3-Way Powered
- Tweeter
- 1" Soft Dome Concentrically Mounted
- Midrange
- 4" Aluminum
- Woofer
- 3 x 5-1/4" Aluminum
- Frequency Response
- 43Hz - 28kHz
- Crossover Frequency
- 2.2KHz / 260Hz
- Total Amplifier Power
- 300 Watts Total
- Bass Amplifier
- 160 Watt Bash Amplifier
- Midrange Amplifier
- 100 Watt Bash Amplifier
- Tweeter Amplifier
- 40 Watt Class AB Amplifier
- Inputs
- RCA / XLR / AirX2 Wireless
- Cabinet finishes
- Gloss Black, Gloss White
- Height
- 40.35"
- Width
- 7.44"
- Depth
- 9.45"
- Net weight (each)
- 46.3lbs
Manufacturer's Description — ELAC
Navis ARF51 Powered Floorstand Loudspeakers
Designed from the ground up, the full-range, monitor-quality Navis Powered Floorstand Speaker features ELAC concentric-driver technology to deliver unsurpassed mid- and high-frequency performance, coupled with a custom aluminum woofer for truly impressive bass, all in one compact, elegant package. Each of the three transducers is powered by its own dedicated analog amplifier, with a selection of RCA or XLR balanced inputs.
Navis Series Powered Speakers
Sublime sound served up with serious power.
ELAC’s new Navis Series answers every minimalist audiophile’s dream of a no-compromise powered speaker driven by best-in-class amplifiers that are truly deserving of the name “high end.” While most powered speakers rely on Class D digital designs, ELAC engineers build in 300 watts of pure analog amplification—for maximum power and exceptional sound. Add the Discovery Connect wireless transmitter to your system, and Navis becomes a wireless speaker that lets you enjoy streaming content without a cable in sight.
Tri-Amp Pure Analog Amplifier
A Powerful Trifecta.
Inside each Navis loudspeaker is a Tri-Amp Pure Analog Amplifier, employing three separate amps for each transducer: a 160-watt BASH AB amplifier for the woofer, a 100-watt BASH AB amplifier for the midrange, and a 40-watt Class AB amplifier for the tweeter. A total amplifier power of 300 watts ensures that each transducer is optimally—and amply—powered, eliminating clipping and crossover distortion, and driving each transducer with authority. Specs like a 110 dBA signal-to-noise ratio and 100 uV noise floor could only come from such audiophile-quality amps!
Flexible Connections and EQ
Integrate Navis into your setup.
Local inputs include balanced XLR, RCA, and Wireless, when used with ELAC’s Discovery Connect wireless transmitter to stream Discovery, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, AirPlay and Roon. Just switch Wireless “Off” for a no-compromise analog input and output.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for ELAC ARF51
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- ABSOLUTE ADOBE — in-store — Port Erin, Port Erin, United Kingdom (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sound Design — online and in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Adorama — in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
and 135 more verified dealers