ELAC VBS403.2
Just Okay
Sound Quality
76/100
Build Quality
88/100
Value for Money
85/100
The VBS403.2 combines a hand-folded JET 6 tweeter with an AS-XR bass driver for a natural, refined presentation in a striking compact cabinet. Alpha Audio highlights its excellent materials, quiet down-firing port and flexible near-wall placement, while premium terminals and a 10-year warranty reinforce its serious engineering.
Pros
Excellent construction and materials, with a distinctive premium cabinet design.
Down-firing bass system operates quietly and permits relatively close-to-wall placement.
High-quality bi-wire/bi-amp terminals and internal Van Den Hul cabling support flexible system integration.
ELAC includes a notably long 10-year loudspeaker warranty.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 76/100
The available review extract concentrates on the speaker's engineering rather than extended listening impressions. Its 150 mm bass-reflex format, JET tweeter and down-firing port arrangement suggest a thoughtfully developed stand-mount, but the supplied review evidence says little about its tonal balance, imaging or dynamic performance in use.
Bass
78/100
Alpha Audio highlights the down-firing bass system, saying it releases airflow quietly and allows the speaker to sit relatively close to a wall. The extract does not describe bass depth, impact, control or texture during music playback.
Mid
76/100
The review notes that the aluminium-sandwich AS-XR driver is intended to provide a natural sound, but offers no direct listening observations on voices, instrumental timbre or midrange coherence.
Treble
76/100
The hand-folded JET 6 tweeter and its waveguide are described in detail, including their role in limiting reflections. There are no supplied listening comments about treble smoothness, air, detail or brightness.
Soundstage Imaging
76/100
The supplied extract does not discuss image focus, soundstage width or depth, or how effectively the speaker disappears in a room. Its ability to work relatively close to a wall may help placement flexibility.
Dynamics
76/100
The review extract provides no direct account of microdynamics, punch, large-scale headroom or amplifier demands in listening sessions.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Alpha Audio specifically praises the construction as special and says the materials are excellent. The review also notes high-quality bi-wire/bi-amp terminals, internal Van Den Hul Skyline Hybrid cabling, and a hand-folded tweeter, all pointing to careful execution.
Value for Money
85/100
At 3299, the VBS403.2 sits in a premium stand-mount class, where finish, engineering and system matching matter as much as outright size. The supplied review does not directly compare it with rivals or make a firm value judgment, though it notes ELAC's ten-year loudspeaker warranty.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Specifications
- Type
- 2-way, Bass Reflex
- Woofer
- 1 × 150 mm Ø, AS-XR Cone
- Tweeter
- JET 6
- Magnetic Shielding
- No
- Crossover Frequency
- 2400 Hz
- Frequency Range (IEC 268-5)
- 41-50000 Hz
- Sensitivity
- 86 dB at 2.83 V/m
- Suitable for amplifiers from
- 4Ω - 8Ω
- Recommended Amplifier Power
- 40 - 200 W/channel
- Nominal | Peak Power Handling
- 70 W | 100 W
- Nominal | Minimum Impedance
- 4Ω | 3.2Ω at 260 Hz
- Finishes
- Black High Gloss, White High Gloss, Walnut High Gloss
- Optional Accessory
- Speaker Grilles
- Height x Width x Depth
- 362 × 191 × 240 mm
- Weight
- 7.1 kg
Manufacturer's Description — ELAC
Compact in size yet expansive in presentation, BS403.2 brings the elegance and acoustic precision of the VELA 2.0 series into refined modern spaces. Featuring ELAC’s handcrafted JET 6 tweeter and crystal aluminum-sandwich woofer technology, it delivers exceptional clarity, speed, and effortless dynamics across every listening session.
The signature trapezoidal cabinet enhances both acoustics and visual presence, blending sculptural design with high-performance engineering. Whether in stereo or multi-channel systems, VELA creates a presentation that is expansive, detailed, and deeply immersive.
Cabinet Design
Sculpted for Performance
The VELA enclosure combines acoustic engineering with refined industrial design. Its signature trapezoidal form and softly curved cabinet reduce unwanted resonance and diffraction while creating a visually striking silhouette.
Finished in luxurious high-gloss lacquer or premium wood veneer, every VELA cabinet is crafted to complement modern interiors as beautifully as it reproduces music.
Acoustic Precision
Detail Without Effort
VELA pairs ELAC’s handcrafted JET 6 tweeter with advanced AS-XR crystal membrane drivers to deliver exceptional speed, clarity, and dynamic control.
From delicate high-frequency detail to powerful midrange expression, every element is engineered to create a presentation that feels open, precise, and effortlessly immersive.
AS-XR Technology
Precision, Engineered From Within
ELAC’s AS-XR crystal membrane driver combines lightweight rigidity with exceptional control to reveal extraordinary detail, speed, and dynamic accuracy.
Its faceted aluminum-sandwich construction reduces unwanted resonance while preserving the clarity, scale, and effortless realism that define VELA.
Sound, Sculpted
Sculptural design, advanced driver technology, and refined acoustic engineering come together in a speaker built to look as considered as it sounds.
The Sound of VELA
Handcrafted in Kiel, Germany, the JET 6 tweeter delivers extraordinary speed, openness, and effortless precision.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for ELAC VBS403.2
- 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