14 DAY TRIAL // Elan Home Systems are best known for the wide array of sound solutions they're offering on the niche field of home and whole-house audio. Their line of products has recently grown bigger with the addition of some new gear intended for surround and home theater systems.
The first two new pieces are the THP 801C and 802C models, latest entries for the low and middle class Elan product series, as far as in-ceiling products are concerned. The THP801C (entry-level) has mineral-filled polypropylene drivers and as the rest of the range, they still have the cast frames and special-design braces insuring optimal sound performance.
THP802C is a mid-class ceiling speaker, pretty much the same as its smaller brother; the notable difference is that the drivers in it are graphite-reinforced. Third and top-shelf in the 800 series comes the former 800C, now known as THP803C and sporting Kevlar drivers.
The three units sport a very high-class sound-architecture design, with fixed 8" woofers directed straight to ground level for best bass dispersion while the mid-range drivers and tweeters are on a fixed-plane, rotating, vibration-free assembly.
Well, rotation allows for laser-precision pin-pointing of the sweet spot (optimal acoustic zone); regardless of the room configuration, the new Elan THP in-ceiling speakers will be able to deliver their best dues to a better low/mid/hi frequencies separation and the above-mentioned manually-adjustable directive mid/hi drivers. Announced prices are as follows: $300 for THP801C, $375 for the THP802C and $460 for the top THP803C.
The last product in the Elan Home Systems' arsenal is not a ceiling speaker but a wall-mountable unit. The THP6500SS is a surround speaker loaded with a 6.5" Kevlar (damn, people are so in love with Kevlar drivers lately) woofer and 2 sets of midrange/HF drivers. The MF/HF units are grouped on each of the sides of the box so they'll spread the directionable frequencies on the sides thus enhancing the filling surround sound atmosphere.
The THP6500SS also sports a very handy switch which will compensate for the differences between the various rooms it may be installed in: the three positions allow it to operate in Bright, Neutral and Warm modes. Like all new models form Elan, it comes in a high-gloss piano black finish. Sells for $500 a piece.
