ELAC Uni-fi 2.0 UB52 Bookshelf Speaker

Elac is generally considered to be one of the better manufacturers of passive bookshelf speakers due to balancing price and performance. It’s the company’s Uni-Fi 2.0 line we will be reviewing in this article, specifically the Elac UB52. This has been a small yet very well-regarded unit in the community for some years and is recently updated, but we need to know how they perform against all this new competition that has recently hit the shelves. Are they still good speakers? Are they still good value? Let’s find out.

The Purpose of this Review

The purpose of this review is to bring you our unbiased opinion. We buy our test units either for ourselves or our writer’s purchase and install them for clients. The UB52 is certainly a popular speaker, but much of that comes from the opinion carried over from the original Uni-Fi line.

Here we are testing the abilities of the speaker with various genres of music but also comparing them with other similarly priced speakers, we have tested and reviewed in the past. Reviewing speakers is actually quite hard; it’s not likely that we can test many speakers side by side due to size and logistics. As a result, some memory is used, but where possible, we check our inventory to find something to compare it to.

While this review will not give a definitive answer, it will reflect our feelings and opinions on the UB52 and give you some points you may want to consider before making a purchase.

Build and Design

Well, let’s go ahead and give Elac exactly minimal points out of one hundred for the uninspired and downright boring design of the UB5 cabinet. It has to be one of the most dated designs out there, and even by trying to tart up the drivers with their dull gray tones can’t revive this.

In recent years, companies like Kanto, Klipsch, and KEF have pushed bookshelf design to make it easier to integrate with how people live. Not many people want their speakers to be the focal point of their room, and this stands out like a sore thumb, screaming look at me, “Im a speaker from any time between 1983 - 2005”. Heck, it may as well have Sanyo or Awaii wrote on it.

Front-facing things are a bit nicer where it stands out against the more common two-way speakers in the bookshelf category that come with a small tweeter positioned above a larger woofer. As you can see in the pictures, the balance is nicer, with two fuller circles created by the 4-inch and 5.25-inch woofers.

Below that, there sits the front-facing bass port that completes a very circular front design.

Two other points on the aesthetic are that I wish they would have included a color option and that they look like boxy hot trash when you put the grilles on. With the grills on, there is zero personality, but with the grilles removed and in white, I think they would look. Great in contrast to the aluminum woofers.

Horrible boxy aesthetic aside, this is a really well-made speaker; it feels premium, like it was put together with thought. Opening up reveals why it’s so good. Super thick MDF is used in the construction.

The internal bracing looked great on close inspection, robust in the right places, and additional beams were inserted on which to mount the drivers. The electronics were neatly placed, and the glue seams were immaculate.

How does the UB52 use technology to deliver better sound?

While the aesthetic design is uninspired, the UB52 have a very good technical design that allows them to deliver some fantastic sound.

1. Three-Way Architecture

The core of the concept is a three-way design, while the majority of speakers in this category still use a 2-way design consisting of a single tweeter and a single woofer. The Elac UB52 has three drivers, although you may not initially notice the tweeter hidden in the center of the 4-inch driver.

This is a clever way to get an additional driver into a limited space, and having more drivers talking different frequency bands stops the drivers from being contested or stressed when trying to play the full spectrum.

2. Aluminium Woofers.

You will notice that the two larger drivers are silver, but it isn’t painting that achieves this. The driver’s cones are actually aluminum. Aluminum is very strong yet, at the same time, light. It means less flexion of the driver’s surface yet not sacrificing speed due to increased weight.

Many companies utilize different driver materials like carbons and ceramics to reduce distortion. All have unique characteristics, but aluminum for smaller cones is still one of the most popular and effective materials to reduce distortion and increase clarity.

3. Front Facing Bass Port

While a bass port positioned on the front or back doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on sound in traditional setups, it does when we consider the spacing and positioning of our speakers.

Speakers with rear-facing bass ports need to be positioned a distance from the wall so as not to suffer from wave reflections bouncing off the hard surface. Placing the bass port at the front means the entire speaker can be placed directly next to the wall without degrading the sound.

This is a feature particularly useful for people with limited space or those who do not want speakers positioned in more prominent positions.

Sound Quality

Sound is always subjective, but I found the Elac UB52 to be fairly balanced, spacious, and clear. Little emphasis was given to any single frequency, but I was surprised to see the top end was more muted than you would expect with a 3rd driver. They display good energy and, as is to be expected, with the small woofers, would benefit greatly from a system that integrates a separate subwoofer.

Use on their own; they provide a high level of detail level with little resonance and distortion. The vocals and tonality of the midrange were very neutral and displayed no unnecessary coloration or warmth. It’s a smooth-sounding speaker that will not offend but manages to create an open and spacious sound. Where this became truly apparent would be in terms of the vertical soundstage. It extends to a good height and recreates the appearance of a larger floor-standing speaker well.

Genres that work best with the UB52 will be rock, acoustic, vocal, and jazz, but you can also get away with some EDM and Rap at a push.

Final Verdict

The Elac Uni-fi 2.0 is a speaker that performs very well but within its price point. It’s not a speaker that I would say punches above its weight, but you get a lot of clever technology that creates good sound. When used with the right types of music, it really manages to impress, but the biggest downside has to be just how dated they look.