Short answer: the ELAC VELA BS 403. It ranks #35 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $2,899. The Buchardt S400 MKII ranks #64, rated 3.8/5, at $2,400, $499 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
Why pick the ELAC VELA BS 403: JET 5 folded ribbon tweeter pairs with a 6” aluminum/paper sandwich woofer for extended, well-controlled bass: Erin measured usable in-room extension to about 50 Hz, deeper than JBL’s competing L52 Classic despite lacking that speaker’s mild upper-bass bump. Watch for: Deliberate dip-and-peak voicing in the crossover region around 2 kHz reduces attack and clarity in the mids and highs: intentional per ELAC’s design, but not to Erin’s personal preference.
The case for the Buchardt S400 MKII: Two-way design with a 3/4” tweeter on a well-implemented aluminum waveguide (compression-driver style, letting the small tweeter cross unusually low at 1800Hz), a 6” SB Acoustics-style mid-woofer, and a tunable 5x8” passive radiator adjustable via rear weights. The tradeoff: Sounds a bit bright and slightly boosted above about 7-8kHz on-axis, even with 30° of toe-out: benefits from about 1 inch of sidewall absorption at the first reflection points to tame it.
Worth knowing: the ELAC VELA BS 403 is discontinued, though it still ranks #35 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, so a used unit beats most of what is still sold new.
Buy the ELAC VELA BS 403. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $499 you would save on the Buchardt S400 MKII does not close the gap.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| ELAC VELA BS 403 | Buchardt S400 MKII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,899 per pair Discontinued | $2400 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #35 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #64 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | JET 5 folded ribbon tweeter, 6” aluminum/paper sandwich cone woofer | 6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Dimensions | 14-3/16”H x 7-1/2”W x 9-3/8”D | 14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm) |
| Weight | 15.7 lbs (7.1 kg) each | 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.2 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.3dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Frequency Response | 41Hz - 50kHz (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Recommended Power | up to 100W RMS | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 46Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2.4kHz | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.94 | 5.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.28 | 7.46 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for ELAC VELA BS 403:
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Dynaudio Heritage Special vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Selah Audio Purezza vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Revel M126Be vs ELAC VELA BS 403
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The Two Speakers In Full
ELAC VELA BS 403: $2,899 per pair Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the ELAC Vela BS 403.2. It’s likely to perform similarly, though we don’t have measurements to confirm that yet.
Pros: JET 5 folded ribbon tweeter pairs with a 6” aluminum/paper sandwich woofer for extended, well-controlled bass: Erin measured usable in-room extension to about 50 Hz, deeper than JBL’s competing L52 Classic despite lacking that speaker’s mild upper-bass bump. Compression stays within about 1 dB above 100 Hz up to 102 dB, on the better side of normal for a bookshelf this size, indicating good dynamic and transient capability. Wide, spacious soundstage radiation. Overall neutral voicing that Erin called “a really good speaker,” from the looks to the sound. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.3dB.
Cons: Deliberate dip-and-peak voicing in the crossover region around 2 kHz reduces attack and clarity in the mids and highs: intentional per ELAC’s design, but not to Erin’s personal preference. Lower measured sensitivity (84.3 dB) means it wants more amplifier power than average to reach the same levels. Multitone distortion roughly triples, from about 1% to 3%, between 88 dB and 96 dB output, so it’s happiest at moderate listening levels. A minor distortion bump shows up around 800 Hz in the data, though Erin didn’t hear it. Discontinued and no longer sold new.
Full ELAC VELA BS 403 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 46Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2.4kHz |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14-3/16”H x 7-1/2”W x 9-3/8”D |
| Drivers | JET 5 folded ribbon tweeter, 6” aluminum/paper sandwich cone woofer |
| Frequency Response | 41Hz - 50kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.2 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | up to 100W RMS |
| Sensitivity | 84.3dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.94 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.28 |
| Weight | 15.7 lbs (7.1 kg) each |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Philharmonic BMR (v1)
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Revel M126Be
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Wharfedale Linton 85
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Selah Audio Purezza
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs JTR Noesis 210HT
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
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Buchardt S400 MKII: $2400 per pair Discontinued Buchardt Audio eBay
Newer model: the Buchardt S400 MK3. It’s likely to perform similarly, though we can’t confirm that yet.
Pros: Two-way design with a 3/4” tweeter on a well-implemented aluminum waveguide (compression-driver style, letting the small tweeter cross unusually low at 1800Hz), a 6” SB Acoustics-style mid-woofer, and a tunable 5x8” passive radiator adjustable via rear weights. Exceptionally flat on-axis linearity, within about ±2dB from 80Hz to 16kHz. Wide horizontal radiation for a waveguided design (about ±45-50°), notably broader than a comparable narrow-waveguide rival like the Klipsch Sevens (~±30°). Well-focused, precise imaging, aided by tight pair matching between the two speakers. Takes very well to EQ correction, letting listeners easily dial in the top end or add midrange fullness to taste. Bass extension reaches a genuine 50Hz in-room from a mellow, well-tuned rolloff rather than an artificially boosted one. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.7dB.
Cons: Sounds a bit bright and slightly boosted above about 7-8kHz on-axis, even with 30° of toe-out: benefits from about 1 inch of sidewall absorption at the first reflection points to tame it. A mild dullness noted especially on male vocals, alongside a small dip around 300-600Hz. Vertical positioning is critical and unusually “temperamental”: sitting even slightly toward the tweeter line causes a suckout, while sitting above it adds too much energy; not well suited to multi-height home theater seating. Distortion is fine at 86dB but runs into real issues by 96dB: not a high-output speaker. Some compression-related enhancement appears around 1.2kHz (crossover-region interaction), and the tweeter shows clear compression at 102dB. The woofer can bottom out at extreme low-frequency content played very loud; crossing to a subwoofer below 60Hz caused output problems at high volume, while 80-100Hz worked well. A subwoofer isn’t strictly required to protect the speaker at moderate listening levels (80-85dB at 3 meters), but is still recommended for genuine low-octave extension. Discontinued.
Full Buchardt S400 MKII review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.46 |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs ELAC DBR62
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Philharmonic BMR Monitor
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63
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