What we liked
- The perfect tonal balance
- The airy, natural vocals
- The firm, rapid, perfectly sustained bass
- The elegant design
We would have liked
- Slightly deeper bass in larger rooms
Our expert’s opinion
With the Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker, the French manufacturer has succeeded in the delicate challenge of upgrading an already accomplished model without altering its DNA. Elipson has chosen the path of optimization rather than revolution, retaining the tried-and-tested drivers while redesigning the cabinet, crossover and finish in depth. The result is a speaker that's more transparent, more precise and better structured, while retaining Elipson's typical rich, natural musicality. Its firm, responsive bass, rich, textured midrange and smooth, silky highs form a remarkably coherent and balanced whole. Add to this a modernized design with a revamped structure, a more graceful base and more contemporary matte finishes, and you've got a perfectly mature speaker that offers both easy integration and listening pleasure.
Launched almost a decade ago, the first generation of Elipson Prestige Facet speakers quickly established itself as one of the French manufacturer’s best-selling series. A brilliant combination of musicality, tonal balance and accessibility, it has found its place in the living rooms of many discerning music and movie lovers. In 2025, Elipson is revisiting this first generation with the new Prestige Facet II range, which has the same fundamental elements while modernizing them, both aesthetically and acoustically. At the heart of this new series, the Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F occupies a strategic position as the smallest floorstander in the range, designed to offer a hi-fi experience in an accessible format for less than €1,300.
Presentation
A modernized design
Aesthetically, the Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker retains the elegant silhouette of the first generation, while adopting a more contemporary look. Its lines remain smooth and balanced, but the design is now more minimalist and modern thanks to matte finishes, softer to the eye and less sensitive to dust and fingerprints than the previous lacquered versions. Elipson offers three finishes: black, white and walnut. Measuring around 1m in height by 20cm in width and 30cm in depth, the floorstander has a slender format that’s easy to integrate into any living room or home theater, thanks to its matte finish which effectively limits unwanted reflections.
The internal cabinet has also been completely redesigned. Constructed from thick MDF panels, it now incorporates reinforcements to reduce vibration and resonance. This revised structure ensures better mechanical support for the drivers, particularly in the low frequencies where the long excursions of the cone place a heavy load on the structure. The drivers are mounted on a highly rigid multi-layer front panel, made of materials of varying densities and thicknesses, to neutralize any unwanted vibration. The whole unit rests on a redesigned base with four large metal feet. Thinner and more elegant than the previous wooden base, it gives the speaker a more aerial stature without compromising its stability. The base also adopts an optimized decoupling system, with included adjustable spikes and counter-spikes, effectively limiting the transmission of vibrations to the floor.
The sonic and visual identity of the series is still embodied by the faceted elastomer rings that surround each driver. These sculpted rings dissipate diffraction around the cones and smooth the frequency response at the top end of the spectrum. The result is greater musical precision and uniformity, while giving the front panel a singular, instantly recognizable aesthetic.
Acoustic design
The Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker is based on the tried and tested acoustic design of its predecessor. It features the same 2.5-way configuration, with two 6.7″ drivers combined with a 1″ tweeter.
🗒️ Note from the expert
Unlike a 3-way system, in which the midrange driver is filtered (mechanically or electronically) so as not to produce low frequencies, the driver in a 2.5-way speaker is unfiltered. It therefore reproduces low frequencies, in the same way as woofer (which is filtered and dedicated exclusively to bass). The advantage of this configuration is that it takes advantage of the emissive surface of two drivers to diffuse the bass through a large volume of air.
The two 6.7″ drivers use a classic treated paper cone, a material that is light yet rigid and demonstrates all its advantages here: fast response, excellent internal damping and very accurate timbre. The woofer features a large voice coil and is mounted on a flexible surround to maximize excursion and extend the bass response down to 38Hz. The cabinet is bass-reflex loaded, with a flared port opening out from the front, making it easy to position the speaker close to the rear wall.
The midbass driver uses the same architecture, but stands out with the addition of a metal central phase plug. This optimizes control of cone movement and reduces air turbulence. The result is highly accurate reproduction, with a richer, more textured and natural midrange. At the top of the speaker is the excellent 1″ soft dome tweeter. This model, tried and tested on many of the brand’s creations, offers excellent transient performance and high frequency reproduction up to 25kHz. Its smooth, even dispersion guarantees fine, detailed treble that is never harsh and is perfectly integrated with the midrange.
While the drivers remain unchanged, their potential is fully harnessed thanks to the new cabinet architecture and a completely redesigned crossover. Elipson has thoroughly revised the latter in order to push the limits of the drivers, optimizing their mutual interaction and tonal coherence. In particular, it incorporates low-resistance inductors, for more energetic, well-sustained bass, while polypropylene capacitors promote a finer, more nuanced reproduction of high frequencies. Metal-film resistors ensure precise frequency range separation and improved micro-dynamics. The result is a more linear phase, a more uniform frequency response and a more stable soundstage. The internal wiring, now made of high-gauge OFC copper, further improves signal transmission and reduces resistance losses.
This crossover is combined with a double pair of high-end speaker terminals, housed in a rigid aluminum plate firmly anchored to the cabinet. These solid metal models are silver-plated to ensure a reliable, long-lasting connection, while limiting resistance to signal flow. Their generous diameter allows them to accommodate wide gauge bare cables, as well as spade connectors and banana plugs. Thanks to this double terminal block, the Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker is also compatible with bi-wiring and bi-amping.
Key specifications
- 1x 6.7″ woofer
- 1x 6.7″ midbass driver
- 1x 1″ tweeter
- Frequency response (±3 dB): 38Hz – 25kHz
- Sensitivity: 92 dB/1W/1m
- Impedance: 6Ω
- Recommended amplification: 40 to 200W
- Power: 150W RMS
- Dimensions with feet (WxHxD): 276 x 1030 x 303mm
- Weight: 20.2kg
Installing the speakers
As soon as I opened the box, I discovered the speakers carefully protected, accompanied by all the necessary accessories: metal bases, decoupling spikes, counter spikes, and of course the magnetically-attached fabric grilles. Assembling the base takes just a few minutes, with two screws for each foot. Elipson also supplies a full set of decoupling spikes to screw to the end of each foot. If the floor is fragile, you can use the counter-spikes to avoid scratching it. Another welcome touch is the acoustically neutral fabric cover, held in place by an invisible magnetic system. There are no unsightly plastic tabs to detract from the front panel: the cover can be installed and removed very simply. It also allows you to choose between two aesthetics: with covers, for a minimalist, uncluttered look, or without covers, to let you admire the drivers and their faceted rings.
For this test, we paired the Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speakers with the Marantz Model 30 and Cambridge CXA81 MKII transistor amplifiers, as well as the Cayin Jazz 80 KT88 tube model. Thanks to their very good sensitivity of 92 dB for an impedance of 6 ohms, the speakers proved very easy to power, offering well-balanced sound from the very first watts. The source was the Marantz SACD 30N CD player used for streaming via Qobuz Connect.
Listening impressions
The Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker is a reminder of why the Prestige Facet series has become one of the most appreciated signatures of French hi-fi. I enjoyed the same full, smooth and warm reproduction, but the new generation brings added precision, transparency and control. The work done on the crossover and rigidity of the cabinet was immediately audible: the message was sharper, transitions more natural, and the reproduction gained coherence.
The presentation remained soft and carnal, with a rich, finely textured midrange. On Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah, the singer’s presence was tangible: the voice floated delicately and realistically, without strain or artificial emphasis. The overall balance was slightly warmth, but never excessive. The clarity of the midrange remained intact, with no tautness or exaggeration. This soothing character resulted in long listening sessions that were never tiring, even at sustained volume. The highs soared without sibilance, and the midrange retained good density, especially on acoustic instruments, which benefited from an organic, nuanced texture.
The soft-dome tweeter continued to impress with its fine, delicate reproduction. Never harsh or projected, it expressed itself with incredible naturalness, revealing micro-details without the slightest aggressiveness. On Anette Askvik’s Liberty, the legibility of breaths and lip sounds reinforced the feeling of closeness with the artist. On Sting’s live Fragile, the precision of the string attacks was impressive,
The Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker had a very good bass response, with firm, dense lows that gave the music substance. Without descending into the infra-bass, the bass was impressive in its responsiveness and density, giving the message all the foundation it needed.This low frequency range was both rich and precise, without excess or muddiness, revealing excellent control from the bass reflex port and reinforced cabinet. Bass drum hits, bass lines, and low piano chords were delivered with exemplary control, without any lag or rumbling.
Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F vs Elipson Prestige Facet 14F
The Prestige Facet II 14F retains the legendary silhouette of the first generation, but gains in modernity and refinement. The most visible change is the new matte finish, more minimalist and contemporary than the original gloss lacquer. The redesigned feet offer greater stability and more effective decoupling that allows for leaner bass. Beneath this apparent continuity, Elipson has revised the internal structure of the cabinet, which is now reinforced for greater rigidity, and has completely redesigned the crossover to improve tonal coherence and transparency. The drivers remain identical, but their potential is better harnessed thanks to this meticulous optimization. As a result, this new generation gains in transparency and impact.
Who is this speaker for?
The Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker is for music lovers looking for a balanced, natural and refined sound reproduction without lapsing into analytical coldness. It’s a speaker designed for listening to music, whether it’s jazz, pop, rock or classical, for hours on end and without auditory fatigue. Easy to live with, versatile and elegant, the 14F II is perfect for those who want to create a highly musical stereo system in a living room of 20 to 35m². Beyond that, we recommend upgrading to the Elipson Prestige Facet II 24F or the Elipson Prestige Facet II 34F for greater depth. Dynamic and easy to power, this pair of speakers is equally suited to home theater use for front-channel reproduction.
Your opinion
I switched from 20-year-old Elipson Horus X4D speakers to these, and even though they’re still breaking in, I’m already sold. I didn’t expect such a difference in the sound. It’s much more precise and neutral, with a clear distinction between all the instruments.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review shared by Marvailh on Son-Vidéo.com
Frequently asked questions about the Elipson Prestige Facet II 14F speaker
The Prestige Facet II 14F is the direct successor to the first generation, from which it takes the drivers, while introducing a new crossover, a reinforced cabinet, a new floor stand and more modern satin finishes. It retains the same sound philosophy, but gains in transparency, precision and bass response.
With its sensitivity of 91 dB, the 14F II can be used with a wide range of amplifiers, from 50W into 8 ohms. It comes into its own with a balanced, musical hi-fi amp like the Marantz Model 30, Cambridge CXA81 MKII and Cayin Jazz 80 KT88 in this review.
Yes, as with most new speakers, a break-in period of around 50 to 100 hours is recommended. The bass becomes smoother and the midrange more open, offering a more natural soundstage.
Yes, each speaker comes with a magnetic cover made of acoustically neutral fabric. This system makes them easy to install or remove, depending on whether you prefer a discreet look or to reveal the drivers and their faceted rings.
The 14F II are at home in living rooms from 20 to 35m². Thanks to their front-firing port, they can be placed as close as possible to the rear wall, without affecting the music reproduction. It is advisable to orient them slightly towards the listening area for a uniform soundstage and perfectly centered vocals.
