Best Amp for Elac Uni-Fi UF5

Best Amp for Elac Uni-Fi UF5

The Elac Uni-Fi UF5 is an affordable floor-standing speaker that provides exceptional sonic performance and value to its users. It is well-received and highly rated, a remarkable pair of floor-standers which could even compete with some other floor-standers that cost more than them. As remarkable as they are, the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 will still require a good amp to power them.

We can’t just grab any amps that we see and should only pair matching amps with the Elac Uni-Fi UF5. To find the right amplifiers, we will need to know more about the Elac floor-standing speakers. By learning more of its sonic characteristics and strengths, we will then be able to start sharing with you the list of the best amps which you can go for and partner them with the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers.

Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of Elac Uni-Fi UF5

For a modestly priced floor-stander, the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 certainly looks impressive and seems to cost way more than it should be. When you take off the speaker grille, you would be even more impressed by the number of drivers been built onto it. At the top, you will see a 4″ (100mm) aluminum cone midrange with a 1″ (25mm) concentric cloth dome tweeter right in the middle of it, followed by three 5.25″ aluminum cone woofers. A 3-way speaker design with that many drivers is not what we are expecting from an affordable speaker like the Uni-Fi UF5. There are a total of 3 rear-firing bass ports and it is wise to give them enough breathing space, unless you want more bass reinforcements then you should place them nearer to walls.

The frequency response is 42Hz-25kHz which is good but we did expect deeper bass extension. The speaker sensitivity of 85dB is really low and the nominal impedance is at 4 Ohms (minimum 3.4 Ohms). These strongly indicate that the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers are difficult to drive. The peak power handling of the Elac floor-standing speakers is at 140 Watts and we should get an amp that can reach these numbers as closely as possible.

More Details at Amazon – ELAC Uni-fi UF5 Floorstanding Speaker

The Elac Uni-Fi UF5 bass performance is really well-controlled and agile, they never try to overly-impress us, we do feel that it could be a little bit restrained. When it comes to deep bass reproduction, the impact and weight of the delivery are really potent. Overall bass delivery is clean and detailed, very musical but we would have wanted to have a bit more midbass punch. Still, the taut low-end delivery does help to improve the clarity of the overall sound reproduction and allows itself to blend in nicely with the rest of the higher frequencies.

The overall sound reproduction is balanced and clear, with an ability to fill the room with musical details and presence. You can feel the low-end oomph but it doesn’t overwhelm. This lets us to believe that the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 will make a fine pair of left and right speaker channels in a home theater system. The soundstage is spacious and has depth, the stereo imaging is precise, which makes the whole music listening experience very involving. There is a lack of warmth in the music but the presentation is very detailed and clean with a high level of clarity.

The treble can be quite bright but never reaches a level of cringe so is never that fatiguing to the ear. Elac Uni-Fi UF5 is quite an all-rounded speaker and we find that it will do well in both home theater and stereo setup. When it comes to HT use, even though the Uni-Fi UF5 floor-standers have quite a powerful deep bass reproduction, you’ll still need an active subwoofer to produce subterranean bass frequencies. At this price point, the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 is a fantastic tower speaker choice and now we have the data, we will be starting to list out the best amps that we can go for and partner them up with Uni-Fi UF5 floor-standers.

Elac Uni-Fi UF5 Specifications

  • Speaker Type: 3-Way (Rear-Firing Bass Ports)
  • Drive Units: 4″ (100mm) aluminum cone midrange with a 1″ (25mm) concentric cloth dome tweeter, three 5.25″ aluminum cone woofers
  • Frequency Response: 42Hz–25kHz
  • Recommended Amplifier Power: 140 Watts (Max)
  • Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohms
  • Sensitivity (2.83v/1m): 85dB
  • Dimensions (W x H x D): 200mm x 965mm x 273mm | 7.9″ x 38.0″ x 10.7″
  • Weight: 18kg (39.6lbs)

Best Amps to match with Elac Uni-Fi UF5

The PS Audio Sprout 100 is a talented integrated amp with a spacious soundstage and rich detailed music presentation to match with the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers. The power output of 100 Watts into 4 Ohms with both channels driven is muscular enough to drive this pair of tower speakers. There are also loads of features that come with the Sprout 100 amp, providing tons of value to its users. The music presentation of this PS Audio amplifier can be quite engaging which makes your music listening experience even more involving. The overall sonic characteristics of the PS Audio Sprout 100 are a suitable match with the Elac Uni-Fi UF5.

More Info at Amazon – PS Audio Sprout100 DAC Amp

The Parasound NewClassic 200 is one of the best amps to pair with your Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers as it has the power to drive this pair of floor-standing speakers with ease. It is rated 110 Watts into 4 Ohms with both channels driven and can go up to 125 WPC. It is a modestly priced integrated amp with a plethora of features such as a built-in DAC, 80Hz low pass subwoofer output, bypass input, and more. The way the amp handles the music is amazing as it does not feel strained or congested during complex music passages and peaks. The clean punchy performance of the Parasound NewClassic 200 amp complements the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 very well.

More Info at Amazon – Parasound NewClassic 200

Cambridge Audio CXA81 will be an ideal amplifier choice to partner with the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 floor-standers as it provides a livelier music presentation with a punch. The dynamic range and rhythmic confidence of the CXA81 are exceptional as well, giving us an entertaining music listening experience. The Cambridge Audio CXA81 with a power output of 120 Watts into 4 Ohms per channel is able to make the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers sing. The integrated amp’s bold music presentation also comes with a lot of details and the bass performance will complement the Uni-Fi UF5 speakers really well. The dedicated subwoofer output of the CXA81 enables you to connect to an active sub for more powerful bass performance.

More Info at Amazon – Cambridge Audio CXA81 Stereo Amplifier

If you want a warmer sound then perhaps the Marantz PM8006 will be the integrated amp for you. The smooth music delivery has a warmish sound quality where it is pleasing to the ears and the treble is sweet-sounding as well. The PM8006 amp has enough muscles to drive the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers and you can listen to them for hours without feeling listeners’ fatigue. For turntable users, you will be delighted to know that there is a Marantz Musical Phono EQ stage built-in, providing a higher sonic purity with lower distortion. The Marantz PM8006 ‘s full sound quality is also packed with musical nuances.

More Info at Amazon – Marantz PM8006 Integrated Amplifier

When it comes to home theater, one of the best AVR brands to go for will definitely be Denon. The Denon AVR-X4700H is a powerful 9.2 channel AV receiver and is able to process 8K UHD video signals (8K/60Hz), providing you with beautiful home cinematic visuals. The overall sonic characteristics of the AVR-X4700H will work well with the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers, giving it a fuller sound and not sounding overly bright. The accuracy and precision of the AV receiver are top-notch as well, delivering an immersive 3D audio experience and exhilarating home theater performance.

More Info at Amazon – Denon AVR-X4700H 8K Ultra HD 9.2 AV Receiver

As mentioned, the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 speakers have a hefty low-end delivery but may not be sufficient enough for some of the more bass-demanding movie scenes that could constantly hit 20Hz or below. This is where high-performance active subs such as SVS PB-2000 Pro come in, it is a powerful 12″ ported subwoofer (1500+ Watts peak) and can dig down to 16Hz bass extension. It will significantly improve the overall bass performance in your home theater setup. The Elac Uni-Fi UF5’s midbass punch is also a bit lacking and if this is a concern, you might want to check out Ken Kreisel’s active subwoofers which are excellent in producing high-quality mid and subterranean bass frequencies.

More Info at Amazon – SVS PB-2000 Pro

To Sum It Up

These amps are some of the finest on the market and will match well with your Elac Uni-Fi UF5 floor-standing speakers. You will still need to hear them out by arranging an audition with them so that you can judge the sound quality with your own ears. It is common to do a few more rounds of auditions just to confirm which amp sounds the best to you. If you want a more accurate audition result, it is recommended to listen to them in your own home.

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