“The Elacs have come, seen and conquered, at least as far as this listener is concerned. ”
Transparency and image placement were both improved, while the tonality and harmonics of mid and high-frequencies were both significantly better. Percussion detail was more natural, the nature of the instrument more apparent. But it was the texture and tonality in the lower-mid and bass that really impressed, with much greater definition and detail readily apparent. Dynamic speed, precision and substance were all improved along with the shape and duration of individual notes, making dynamic contrasts more emphatic and musically effective. This increase in presence extended across the entire range, brass in particular gaining body and a satisfyingly realistic rip to its tone. Overall timing was also improved, with musical phrasing making more sense. The 4Pis brought a relaxed sense of natural flow to proceedings that allowed vocals to breathe, while the natural pace of the intricate and varied guitar work on Steve Dawson’s new solo album Sweet Is The Anchor was meltingly seductive. Never have his sublime harmonies with Diane Christensen sounded quite as telepathically connected, the chemistry as breathtakingly fragile.
This Elac super-tweeter extends the performance available from existing speaker systems in a significant and musically important way. High- frequency extension is no optional tweak – it’s a musical necessity, making your system more natural and more naturally communicative. It brings an effortless quality to the pace of a performance, fast or slow, that simply sounds right. Yes, you need to take care when it comes to integration and overall balance, but the 4Pi makes these aspects of installation significantly easier and more predictable than other super-tweeters I’ve used, as well as out-performing them sonically and musically.
Roy Gregory, HiFi+ Issue 42
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