Author: Sven Bilen, Denmark

ELAC 330.3 - Cult in new guise

"During our visit to the German loudspeaker manufacturer ELAC in Kiel ... we were given the possibility to attend a world premiere. We had the opportunity to listen to the very first set of the third incarnation of. ELAC 330.3 JET. ... It is a rather irregular loudspeaker made of extruded aluminium; ... You could almost say that the cabinet is folded around the drive units."

"Aluminium extrusion is beneficial when it comes to loudspeaker cabinets, as you can control the shape and simultaneous form struts and details that facilitate assembly."

"Our pair was titanium shadow ... This finish is difficult to reproduce in print, so you have to believe us when we say that it is really beautiful and nice to touch. You could say that it is discrete and spectacular at the same time."

"The most important piece of news in this upgraded model is the all new bass-midrange drive unit using a technology called LLD (Long Linear Drive). ... This gives a longer throw with increased control, giving an ability to move more air and hence produce more bass."

"The loudspeaker is equipped with an ELAC JET III tweeter unit. ... The tweeter unit is exceptional in being specified to reach above 50 kHz."

Photos: HIGH fidelity

Verdict: ELAC 330.3 JET is a loudspeaker that we like very much. It is by all means a small speaker, but it sounds fairly big and with an ample soundstage, a resolution and an appearance that we appreciate.