At the heart of the French specialist’s catalog, the new Elipson Horus series bridges the gap between the Elipson Prestige and Elipson Prestige Facet ranges. Suitable for both hi-fi and home theater, these speakers are designed to be easier to integrate and aren’t as massive as the Prestige Facets or the more recent Elipson XLS 11 and Elipson XLS 15. We were able to test this new generation in a 5.1 setup with the Elipson Horus 6B bookshelf speakers (€349), Elipson Horus 11F floorstanding speakers (€849), Elipson Horus 10C center speaker (€249) and Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer (€499).
Elipson Horus: the range
Three decades after the release of the first generation of Horus speakers, the oldest French hi-fi brand has renewed this series by fine-tuning its style and musicality. Presented last November at the 2022 Paris Audio Video Show, the Elipson Horus speakers are meant to be more versatile, suitable for both hi-fi and home theater. All the speakers in the range use the same acoustic solutions to ensure optimal tonal coherence and a natural reproduction. Elipson’s expertise seems to be more affordable than ever. A real feat in a sector where inflation is very high among competitors.
Elipson Horus: presentation of the speakers
Design
The new Elipson Horus speakers share only the name with the first generation. The differences are visible as soon as they are unboxed, with their much more modern and pared down design. The shape of the speakers is still very rectangular and classic, but the cabinets are slimmer to reduce their visual impact and make them easier to place in the room.
The Elipson Horus 11F floorstanding speaker, which tops the range, is very thin. It is 17cm wide, 25cm deep and 85cm tall. The height reaches 87cm when the speaker is mounted on the included wooden base. The proportions of the Horus 6B bookshelf speaker are just as harmonious, with the same width, a height of 34cm and a depth of 25cm. Finally, the Elipson Horus 11C center speaker is 45cm wide, 25cm deep and 17cm tall. It is small enough to be placed underneath a projection screen or on the shelf of a TV cabinet.
The Elipson Horus speakers are also easy to place thanks to their bass-reflex enclosure and front-firing port. This configuration allows the speakers to be placed closer to a wall. Consequently, it is possible to install the Elipson Horus 6Bs in a bookshelf or the Elipson Horus 11C in a piece of furniture without impacting the sound reproduction. This port is circular on the Elipson Horus 11F floorstander to maximize the low frequency reproduction, and laminar on the Horus 6B and 11C to extend the frequency response while keeping internal turbulence to a minimum.
To blend into the decor more effectively, the Elipson Horus speakers are available in three different finishes: light wood with a cream front panel, walnut with a gray front panel, and black with a carbon front panel. These finishes are very elegant, with a vinyl coating that evenly covers the different sides, including the edges. The wood or carbon effect of this coating is very realistic. The build quality is also impressive and on par with much more expensive models.
The front panel of the Elipson Horus speakers can be entirely covered by the acoustic fabric grille. The latter is black with the carbon and walnut versions, and light gray with the light wood finish. To mount the grille, each Horus speaker features four holes on the front panel. Without boasting the intrusiveness of a magnetic system, this method remains quite discreet and much more elegant than the metallic fixings of the Elipson Prestige. It is therefore just as enjoyable to use the speakers with or without a cover.
Acoustic design
All the speakers in the Elipson Horus range use the same acoustic solutions. The tweeter is a classic 1” silk dome model, powered by a neodymium magnet to maximize the dynamics and impulse response. It ensures a smooth and agile reproduction of the high frequencies, while reducing distortion thanks to a ring made of absorbent materials that frames the driver.
For the midrange and low frequency reproduction, the French manufacturer has used a new 5” driver throughout the entire range. This driver features a fiberglass-coated cellulose pulp cone. This brand-new structure ideally combines rigidity and lightness, ensuring greater control of the driver to maximize responsiveness while preserving a natural sound. Moreover, the very flexible surround provides a greater excursion to extend the bass response. The Elipson Horus 6B bookshelf speaker features one of these drivers, while the Elipson Horus 10C and Elipson Horus 11F are equipped with two.
On the Elipson Horus 11F floorstander, the two midbass drivers are cut off at the same frequency. However, the first model is mounted alongside the tweeter in an enclosure that is sealed by an internal partition. The second model benefits from a bass-reflex enclosure. This design reduces resonance and internal reflections while improving the depth of the lows and the precision of the mids.
The drivers of the Elipson Horus speakers are associated with a crossover that is very sophisticated for such affordable speakers. The components were carefully selected after many listening tests and measurements to ensure a transparent and natural reproduction. Behind this crossover, each Elipson Horus speaker features a pair of screw terminals compatible with wide gauge cables, spade connectors and banana plugs.
Elipson Horus 8S: presentation
The Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer is the ideal addition to the Horus range to support the speakers in the lows. In order to match these speakers, whose design it shares, this subwoofer is available in the same three finishes: light wood and cream front panel, walnut and gray front panel, and black and carbon front panel. Relatively compact (28x32x28cm), the Elipson Horus 8S can be easily and discreetly placed in any living room. It can be installed next to a wall thanks to its sealed enclosure and passive radiator.
The Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer features an 8” driver on its front panel. Like the speakers in the range, the latter is equipped with a fiberglass-coated cellulose pulp cone. As a result, it has the same characteristics, namely better control, optimized dynamics and reduced distortion. This cone is also mounted on the same flexible surround to maximize the excursion and the bass response.
Unlike the Elipson Planet Sub, Elipson Prestige Facet Sub8, Elipson Prestige Facet Sub10 and Elipson Prestige Facet Sub12 models and their bass-reflex enclosures, the new Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer is the first of the manufacturer’s models to use a passive radiator in almost two decades. Consequently, the 8” driver on the front panel is supported by a passive radiator of the same diameter. The latter is situated underneath the sub to take advantage of the ground effect and ensure a more even dispersion of bass in the room. This design allows the Elipson Horus 8S to go down to 33Hz.
To animate the active driver, the Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer incorporates an amplifier capable of developing up to 150W RMS. The module works in class D, delivering any available power instantly. It can immediately respond to anything the soundtrack throws at it, bringing more energy to the listening experience.
Thanks to its RCA/LFE stereo input, the Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer can be easily associated with any amplifier equipped with a pre-out or subwoofer output. To best match the speakers and the listening room, this Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer offers a variable crossover frequency from 40 to 200Hz, as well as a 0/180° phase selector. The sub can be switched on manually or automatically. It is then very sensitive, in order to intervene at the right time. Finally, a volume control is also located on the rear panel.
Elipson Horus: listening conditions
For our review of the Elipson Horus range, we connected the speakers to the Marantz Cinema 60 AV receiver using NorStone B250 cables. The Elipson Horus 11F floorstanders were used as front speakers, placed on either side of the 240cm Lumene Movie Palace UHS 4K/8K Platinum 240C projection screen. In front of the latter, we placed the Elipson Horus 10C center speaker, which was small enough to not hide the bottom of the screen. Lastly, the Elispon Horus 6B bookshelf speakers were placed at the back of the approximately 25m² room to deliver surround sound effects. They were installed on NorStone Alva stands to position them at ear height.
After configuring the receiver, we tested the Elipson Horus speakers with the soundtracks of several movies played on a Panasonic DP-UB450 Blu-ray player. We also used an Apple TV 4K to enjoy Netflix content. Finally, the receiver’s built-in network player was used to listen to tracks on Spotify and Tidal.
Elipson Horus: listening impressions
Elipson Horus 5.0
We first used the Elipson Horus speakers alone, without the subwoofer. This system was able to instantly immerse us in the atmosphere of the film by effectively dispersing the various effects throughout the room. We enjoyed excellent responsiveness and striking impact during action scenes. They were paced with an undeniable dynamism and unfailing consistency. These speakers provided perfect power handling, and we were able to boost the volume while maintaining total control.
The Elipson Horus 10C center speaker was very transparent and highlighted the voices effectively. The dialogues stood out beautifully from the scene and were always audible. By slightly increasing the level of this channel, we could hear all the details of the dialogues very clearly, without having to turn up the volume. Conversely, when the volume was pushed to the extreme, the voices were surprisingly intense, but always perfectly controlled.
The use of similar acoustic technologies throughout the range allowed the different Elipson Horus speakers to perform in total harmony. The distribution of effects between the channels was smooth, with no gaps when switching from one speaker to another. The Elipson Horus 6B bookshelves were particularly effective as surround speakers. The sound effects swirled around us and were diffused extensively. The experience was very immersive and captivating. We were completely immersed in the program we were watching.
Elipson Horus 5.1
In the 25m² room, the speakers were sometimes limited when trying to render all the intensity of the bass in movie soundtracks. Consequently, adding the Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer had a significant impact on the sound experience. The effects became more intense and convincing, especially during action scenes. Explosions and gunfire were even more powerful and realistic. The bass was solid and vivid, and really provided the sound with more substance.
The Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer offered striking acoustic pressure for its size. It was particularly dynamic and could instantly unleash all its energy. With the volume control set to only 25%, the Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer kicked into high gear and was incredibly impactful. The bass was punchy, tight and lively. It was direct and without lag, even when the soundtrack was raging.
Music
The dynamism and naturalness of the Elipson Horus range was also present when listening to music. With just the Elipson Horus 6B bookshelf speakers (without the subwoofer), we enjoyed reproduction that was globally balanced and uniform. This little speaker was very dynamic and followed the rhythm of the music efficiently. The vocals were clear, well rendered and authentic. Without going very low, the Elipson Horus 6B speaker offered very punchy and firm bass. The lows were energetic and direct. This frequency range was delivered with ease in a room of up to 20/25m², but bassheads will still prefer to pair it with the Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer.
Switching to the pair of Elipson Horus 11F floorstanding speakers reinforced the presence in the lows. The magnitude of the bass increased slightly, but above all, this frequency range became more intense. The end result was an improvement of the overall balance of the sound, allowing us to enjoy a harmonious and coherent disposition of all registers. The midrange was also enhanced, offering even richer and more natural vocals. They were crisp and came to life before the listener. They were effectively positioned in the center of a rather large soundstage.
Elipson Horus: compared to…
Elipson Prestige Facet HCM 14F System 5.1: available for €1,990, this speaker pack is more refined, particularly with music. The mids are even richer, the micro-details more subtle, and all frequency ranges have more nuances. The lows in particular are more generous and deeper. Nevertheless, the Elipson Horus pack stands its ground, with a brighter, clearer sound that effectively emphasizes the slightest effects in movie soundtracks.
Klipsch 600F 5.1 Édition 2022: slightly more expensive, this Klipsch home theater speaker pack stands out with its extreme dynamism and consistent clarity. It projects effects with a unique force so that no detail of the soundtrack escapes the listener. However, this pack can lack refinement when listening to music, especially in the highs, which are brighter. The midrange is also slightly inferior to the Horus range.
Elipson Horus: who are they for?
The Elipson Horus range is ideal for building a stereo or home theater system with unbeatable value for money. Music fans and home theater enthusiasts will enjoy a natural and dynamic musical reproduction. The format of the Elipson Horus speakers is also a real advantage for small spaces in which they can be installed discreetly thanks to their simple lines, the slimness of the cabinets and the ports on the front of each speaker. Those who love powerful and energetic bass will enjoy pairing them with the Elipson Horus 8S subwoofer to reinforce the low end. The sub brings substance and texture to both music and home theater sound.
Elipson Horus: conclusion
With the new Elipson Horus range, the French manufacturer demonstrates its ability to design sophisticated speakers, both acoustically and aesthetically, while maintaining an affordable price. These attractive speakers, for which no compromises seem to have been made, benefit from all the expertise of the brand. Slightly brighter than the manufacturer’s previous productions, the Elipson Horus speakers remain very natural, dynamic and energetic. They effectively frame melodies, and inject impressive vitality into action scenes, with impeccable consistency. Elipson excellence, now within the reach of all budgets!
We liked
- The simple, elegant design
- The dynamic and clear sound
- The excellent value for money
We would have liked
- Nothing else at this price
