French Mastery Of Music – Elipson Heritage XLS 7 Bookshelf Speakers
Elipson Heritage XLS 7 is a 799 Euro / $899 USD high-end Vintage-Style pair of bookshelf speakers with a 165mm Cellulose pulp Woofer – Midrange driver, a 22mm silk dome tweeter with a double magnetic, delivering superior sound reproduction for a captivating listening experience. Today we will review the Heritage XLS 7 Speakers and also compare them with other speakers that we’ve reviewed including Elipson W35 Xi Bluetooth speaker (699 USD), Amphion Argon3S (3000 USD), and SVS Prime Wireless PRO (899 USD).
Introduction
France is one of the leading countries when it comes to designing and producing HiFi products, with many popular companies coming from France, including Focal, but today we shift our focus to Elipson, a company that tries to do in the European HiFi space what FiiO is doing in the Chifi space, basically to provide affordable products with an excellent performance, to create products that are accessible but still offer the high-end experience we all seek, and do it all with a bit of style and artistic approach.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Elipson for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3He7wFX
Official Link – https://en.elipson.com/product-page/heritage-xls-7
Build Quality / Design
Elipson Heritage XLS7 is sold in pairs, so the price is for a pair, but more importantly, this is the youngest sibling and the final heir of the Heritage XLS range, standing apart from the Heritage XLS 15 and Heritage XLS 11, with a modest size. This being said, they are still part of the Heritage range and designed with a vintage style in mind, delivering a strong character and remarkable acoustic performance, just like the bigger brothers from the series.
At the core, XLS 7 has a combination of two drivers, a large 165mm cellulose pulp Woofer-midrange driver, and a smaller 22mm silk dome tweeter with a double magnet. Elipson also builds their own stands that you can purchase optionally, and XLS 7 is available in two colors, Oak and Wallnut. We have the Oak version, and they also have a 2-Way Bass-Reflex at the front, with a Flared Front that sports a tuning frequency of 52 Hz.
Elipson XLS7 needs a RMS power of 90W, and the Crossover filter is set at 2400Hz with a 12dB – 12dB design. The quoted frequency response goes between 49 and 25000 Hz, and we have a front facing fine control for mid and high levels, with a Reference, -2dB or +2dB setting for the treble. It is recommended to have a power between 30W and 120 W, and XLS7 has SPL or Sensitivity of 88dB, being rather hard to drive, and with an impedance of 6 OHMs, they need a powerful AMP to be driven well.
We have a single wiring at the back, and each piece has a weight of 9.7 kG, while the whole package has a Gross Weight of 23.1 kG. Not much else is mentioned officially, as Elipson likes to let the quality and performance of their products speak for itself.
Subjective Usage / Placement
Starting with how easy they are to place, Heritage XLS 7 are really easy to place, and will sound really consistent regardless of the acoustic treatment and positioning in your room. The only aspect you really have to take into account is that regardless of how you place them, they have a brighter, more open sound, and will require a subwoofer if you want to dip lower than 50 Hz. You can actually plug the bass port at the front if you want a tighter sound, and more punch, but it makes the whole signature ever brighter which may not be for everyone.
For amplification, you will need a fairly beefy AMP, as they have a high-ish impedance and a low SPL or Sensitivity for their size, so don’t be fooled by the smaller size, they need quite a bit of power. They open up a room, especially the oak color, as they are bright and have a cheerful vintage design, so I recommend them for any home, from modern all the way to traditional and vintage, they are beautiful. That tuning port at the front is super useful, it allows you to increase or decrease the treble and to compensate for the room you’re listening to, although decreasing it will lower the resolution and details slightly while increasing it will make the sound sharper but also slightly more fatiguing.
The face covers are also in a vintage happy somewhat hippy style, I like them and they fit well with most rooms, although as with most speakers, if you remove the covers you will have a better sound and better performance. At the back, you have only the speaker terminals, you can plug in any cables, and they should work just fine. High quality manufacturing all the way through, no wiggly parts, no loose ends, everything is tight and precisely put together.
When it comes to positioning and placement, I tested the Heritage 7 XLS in many configurations, including glued to the wall, in a perfect triangle, odd arrangements, and they are really consistent, just like Elipson’s W35 Xi Bluetooth speaker. As long as you are somewhat within the range of their drivers, the sound will be fun and consistent.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the Elipson Heritage XLS 7 I have paired them with a combination of DAC and AMPs, but above everything also with a DAC with drive, namely the ECDesigns PowerDAC-SX, and also a set of Fosi Audio ZA3 driven by a Fosi Audio ZD3, Topping B100 Monoblock Amplifiers driven by a FiiO S15 DAC / PRE / Streamer, Keces S300+ Power Amplifier driven by a Keces S3+ DAC / PReamp. Heritage XLS 7 sounds best when it is powered properly from a beefy amplifier, but you can get by just fine using something like Fosi Audio ZA3 or Topping B100, as long as you have a DAC with no background noise and which has a good resolution. I would recommend using something with a beefier output and not trying the cheapest Class D AMP possible, like Arylic A50+ as I noticed that it struggles to control and drive XLS 7 properly, although that is not an insult to the A50+, but a limitation of its power output.
Overall Signature – Elipson in general has a uniquely organic signature in the midrange, but each pair of speakers and product they make has its own character, with XLS 7 having a rather snappy, lightweight, airy and holographic character for its sound. This can be transcribed as beautiful female voices, a signature that works exceptionally well for classical music, violins, pianos, and can also present an ecclesiastic rock sound. Symphonic metal, including symphonic death metal also works really well with XLS 7, but given a more neutral bass presentation, the signature is not necessarily tuned for EDM and bass-heavy music. Refined and technically detailed, the whole sound is ideal for someone who enjoys more mature, clean music, especially acoustic and music that was recorded rather than digitally produced (Elipson Heritage XLS 7 has a bias to give a natural body and presentation to real instruments above synths).
Bass – Starting from the bottom end, XLS 7 climbs as low as about 50 Hz, with most energy being audible from about 58 Hz, and a rather mild roll-off beneath, with a sharp roll-off below 50 Hz. Bass character is lush, smooth, full and gives music a nice body and presence, along with a thumpy bass, but if you want more deep rumble, bass impact and more sub bass amount, you will likely need a subwoofer in the setup. There’s a good definition to the bass, and XLS 7 can keep up with very fast and technical music, but it is made for acoustic, classical and real instruments, having a longer decay that really emphasizes with real instruments.
Midrange – When you reach the mids, you understand why everyone loves products made and tuned in France so much, and Heritage XLS 7 has an organic midrange, everything sounds cohesive, clean, detailed, yet natural without sharp and harsh edges. Songs are airy, snappy, quick but full and lush, music is really enjoyable especially slower music, rock, slow and female-led pop, XLS 7 has a bias towards female voices and thinner sounding male voices, makes them really beautiful, vivid and realistic. Even special effects, sparkly shimmers and stuff that happens in the upper midrange is expressed with a full body, creating the feeling of “real” when you listen to XLS7.
Treble – Reaching the top end, we have a strong extension, as the top end of the Heritage XLS 7 reaches 20 kHz easily, but also has a refined, smooth texture in the treble, sparkly and bright presentation of the highs. If you read my most recent 7-10 reviews, you might believe that I am beginning to not be able to hear fatiguing elements, or I reviewed a series of around 10 products that are particularly polite recently, because XLS 7 is really polite, but this one has been with me for 3-5 months so far, and I always come back to the same conclusions, it is a really pleasing sounding pair of speakers, they sound brilliant, revealing, detailed, airy, but not fatiguing despite having a sharp sound.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – Heritage XLS 7 has the most dynamically open, uncompressed sound that I heard, which means that they really come alive at high volumes, but also that they really work well for classical, they render the full dynamics of each song, and this gives rock, acoustic music and music that was recorded with real instruments a really pleasing presentation. Textures are natural – towards crisp, XLS 7 has a slightly wet but fast character, it really renders each bit of information without making all that information too hard on the ears. For example violins have that crisp bite to them, pianos have an ethereal air and resonance, while female voices are played in such a way that the singer feels like she’s in the same room as you, and everything just combines together so well, XLS 7 is truly magical.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – I would say that here Heritage XLS 7 has a unique advantage, they sound open, but not only, they sound brilliant from the lowest volumes. You really don’t need to pump the volume too high to get a good sound, but they remain controlled, distortion-free and clean regardless of the volume you’re enjoying, they are similarly smooth, vivid and clean regardless of the volume level. Because they have a high degree of dynamics, and a dynamic sound, you need to increase the volume quite a bit to highlight the differences between quiet and loud parts of each song, but you also should always be prepared for the big impact, as with a high dynamic range, comes high impact and an engaging sound that puts you into action.
Soundstage – Despite the sound being vivid and putting you at the center, Heritage XLS 7 has a uniquely wide and holographic sound, they project music nicely in the lateral plane and have a good separation between instruments. Layering is not necessarily the most exact one, layers blend together organically, but stereo imaging, each instrument is well separated from the others, each zone and place where sound comes from is clearly defined, sound is always crisp and clean, while width is always wide and open. As bass goes as low as 50 Hz, depth is mostly heard in the midrange, where you can easily tell the distance between you and each instrument, but separation of each layer is less obvious compared to the separation between each area of the song (lateral staging). Overall, they will sound airy, and open.
Comparisons
Elipson Heritage XLS 7 vs Amphion Argon3s – (899 USD vs 3000 USD) – Although the price of the Heritage XLS 7 is much lower than that of the Argon3s, the design of the XLS 7 is better, they brighten and open up a room compared to the darkening, brutalistic effect that Argon3s has on every room they are placed in. Sonically, XLS 7 sounds more organic, more natural in the midrange, with a better resolution, improved technicalities, and will create a much wider, more holographic and less compressed sound. Argon3s is great if you listen at incredibly low volumes and want some compression effect, for everything to have the same loudness, but XLS 7 will have a wider, deeper, more holographic sound with better instrument separation. Generally, XLS 7 is a much better purchase, unless you seek exactly the presentation and sound / the design that Argon3s offers.
Elipson Heritage XLS 7 vs Elipson W35 Xi Bluetooth Speaker – (899 USD vs 699 USD) – Elipson vs Elipson, I received a lot of questions about whether XLS 7 would sound significantly better than the W35 Xi, as one is bluetooth, and one is traditional, but actually, they have fairly similar levels of enjoyment, and at times W35 Xi offers a fuller bass, more punch and more kick, and despite being just one speaker, a wider and more holographic soundstage. While I can’t quite comment on how that is even possible, you have to take into account that a full setup for XLS 7 costs much more, as you need DAC, AMP, and cables, while W35 Xi does not need anything and can be used out of the box. Sonically, XLS 7 sounds smoother, more organic, more musical and less stressful, while W35 Xi sounds warmer, bloomier, stronger, more punchy and deeper. I would recommend W35 Xi more if you need a party speaker and XLS 7 if you need a reliable stereo system to enjoy long-term and if you want to explore the HiFi world of DACs and AMPs more.
Elipson Heritage XLS 7 vs SVS Prime Wireless PRO – (899 USD vs 899 USD) – Prime Wireless PRO is a prime example of what else the same money can get you, and while the size of the Prime Wireless PRO is much smaller, they actually pack a punchier, more explosive sound. This being said, the midrange of the XLS 7 is far more natural, more organic, smoother and more refined, actual technical resolution of the XLS 7 is much higher and they simply sound more advanced and mature. Prime Wireless PRO are an excellent set of speakers for movies, games and generally everything else but music, and they are smaller, active, so no extra costs, but for an actually high-end technical sonic experience, I recommend the Heritage XLS 7 far more and they should bring you more happiness if you’re mostly listening to music.
Value and Conclusion
Elipson is trying to undercut everyone else and they manage to do quite well, as there is nothing else you can buy for the same price which would offer the same level of technical performance, sonic quality and beauty in the design. In fact, most alternatives that come even close to the Heritage XLS 7 come at around 2500 USD or more, and the fact that XLS 7 is priced at 900 USD makes it one of the easiest to recommend speakers on the market strictly from a price / performance perspective.
Award – While they are an acquired taste, Elipson XLS7 offers the kind of performance that you rarely get from a pair of speakers in this price point, and I consider them worthy to be in our Hall Of Fame as one of the best bookshelf / Mini sized full speakers you can purchase, being very easy to place in a room, a bit hard to drive, but magical in design, enough so to warrant a full recommendation by me.
At the end of the day, Elispon Heritage XLS 7 is not just another pair of speakers that I review, they are a magical vintage pair of speakers with character and personality and if you enjoy a brighter, more open, yet natural and musical in the midrange sound, you will love the Elipson Heirtage XLS 7 and the kind of music they will bring in your life.
PROs
- Beautiful vintage yet reliable design
- Tuning bass port at the front, makes them easy to place really close to the walls behind
- Exceptional support from Elipson, very good company that offers low prices but high performance
- Light, snappy but musical signature that makes all music bright and open
- Wide and smooth soundstage
- You can fine tune the treble to have more or less
- Very nice to work with
Cons
- Hard to drive and needs some EQ if you want some extra bass
- Yellow bass cone stands out if you don’t use the vintage covers
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3He7wFX
Official Link – https://en.elipson.com/product-page/heritage-xls-7
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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