Elac Debut Reference vs Elac Debut b6 vs Elac Debut b6.2 

I have two newer videos on the b6.2 and 5.2's you might want to check out. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KkJ7M0HLl50.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fcKGCDtP3-E.html Heck, Andrew Jones himself commented on here.

600's are a special speaker. I've actually got a comparison on the b6.2's to the 600's ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DG06KUbQeFc.html

What you have to say about thier sountstage. He says in the video that there is no height to it.

The sound is surround, fills the room. Deep bass if you have a good amp. Douk ST-01 Pro does great.

Thanks, man. Appreciate it.

Have tried to find some but when I can they’re actually selling for more than Their original retail

The ELAC 10" powered sub ranked high in a 5 sub shootout

For sure.

Have you tried facing the Klispch straight out into the room and putting them a bit closer to the wall? This may tame the top end a bit and add some bass. However, the b6.2's have a much more pronounced top end than the original and you are right, the bass on the original can be sloppy. At the volumes you are getting at you're going to want a 6.5" woofer for sure. The Debut Reference would be my recommendation but it's expensive. I found mine for $480 open box. I don't think you'll find the 6.2's rolled off compared to the Klispch. They are definitely not rolled off. If they are too much for you try putting on the grills and if that's still too much tape a couple pieces of tissue on the inside of the grill where the tweeter is. That's also a trick you can try on your Klipsch to see how they sound. Headphone people have been doing it for a long time and the same thing works on speakers.

ELAC Reference are $599 USD

@@bwithrow011 Right. $699 CDN., that is what i wrote. :-)

That gets complicated. And yes it’s capacitors, inductors, and resistors for cross overs. I wouldn’t suggest redesigning the crossover but trying to determine the values of the existing crossover and then purchasing new parts with tighter tolerances. Redesigning the crossover would require measuring both drivers for their frequency response and even with computer modeling it requires tweaking after the fact. For what it’s worth if you want to give that a try that’s where I’d start but I’m not sure how much that would impact the sound.

Ditto, four main sets wired and ELAC on the way... 3 pairs in the closet... it is an illness, like guitar gear.

Not worth it, if the Ref. go on sale for $300 maybe for a second room or a gift.

@@joelopez7459 Well I would agree, and disagree. I bought both the Debut Reference and the Unifi 5.2 Starting with the Debut, the clarity is not as good as the Sierra, but the soundstage and imaging is much better. The unifi is a much better speaker in every way but bass extension. Clarity is off the charts better, and soundstage and imaging is stellar compared to the Sierra. You’ve heard the term veiled before? That’s the Sierra compared to the Unifi. Unifi is butt ugly compared to Sierra. But I prefer my music to be beautiful over the box. Saving up now for the Gr Research he just built. Ps. I’ve got a sub, so bass extension is not an issue for me.

Would love to get my hands on the Unifi UB5.2 and if we do I'll definitely compare them. Thanks so much.

Thanks, Keith. Appreciate that

Ordered my b6.2's mid Feb, (in UK) not even dispatched yet, demand seems to far outstrip supply at the moment...i'm looking at you Randy for the cause of that

What are your thoughts with your setup. Considering a similar

@@djb5864 I’m about to sell them. Sound is too warm, lacks mid and bass is redundant. This make most songs muddy and voices not clear and sharp (I use it also as tv speakers through the D3045 hdmi arc). Probably my environment is part of the problem, but it’s quite a large room and they are spaced well, plus the front facing reflex should not have much issues with placement, but still. Also the front protecting grills contribute to this, removing them makes them slightly brighter: a big design fail imho because I have kids and don’t want to remove protections. Another possibility is that they are hard to drive and the D3045 is not powerful enough.

@@GianniTamai incredibly helpful. I’d be curious to hear your solution for speakers with the NAD and 1200. Thanks again

@@djb5864 I will update you with my choice if this solves the issue. Considering the smaller B5.2 or some Q acoustics at the moment.

I've watched that video and may think about doing the upgrade. I'll probably source the parts myself though because $345 is very steep for crossovers.

It would be interesting to know how the 6.2 with the upgrades would sound in comparison to the reference. About the same investment.

Supposedly the upgrade puts them in a league of $2,000.00 + bookshelf's..... I'll let you know after the holidays I'll be doing the upgrade. Well worth the money and GResearch is no joke.

@@michaelross8036 do you have the values of the new components? Like capacitors and inductors etc. I just reviewed the 6.2’s today. Need to edit the video and it will go up tomorrow

@@cheapaudioman sorry I do not but they are stated in the GResearch video of the upgrade. I'm not going to order the upgrade kit and install until after the holidays.

The Q’s I think are closer in sound to the klipsch than the elacs. They’re very good. Very detailed and well balanced. If you’re looking for more of the Elac reference sound in the price range the KEFQ150 is probably a better comparison. Personally I really enjoy both.

that can help and I know the measurements for these speakers were all done with the grills off

@@cheapaudioman - I'm late to the party...and I might be wrong but...I think the OP meant...the grill covering only the tweeter, not the full/main grill covering the whole speaker?! That's how I read/understood it?! I understand some Focal tweeters are the same - sound better with their own separate tweeter "grills" removed. Great videos...keep them coming! Cheers...

Anything would work that's about 50 watts a channel. A really warm amp will hide some of the detail and a brighter amp will bring it up a bit. Not enough to make a significant difference though on these. They play well with everything I've had them hooked up to.

@@cheapaudioman What would be a good example of a brighter amp? Sorry, I'm a noob.

Also has to be available in europe.

Unfortunately I don't have those.

I really want to hear the q acoustics. I’m trying to find a good deal on them so I can try them out

@@cheapaudioman don’t expect miracles. They are good, but that is all. I prefer Klipsch r15m over q acoustics 3020i

6 ohms. but even 4 ohm speakers can and will run on 8 ohm receiver because impedance is dynamic and normally bottoms at the lower frequencies. I've never had a 6 ohm speaker shut down an 8 ohm amp/receiver. I've had a 4 ohm put the receiver into protect but not as often as you'd think.

It's just you.

The b6.2 has more pronounced and clearer treble. They don't have as open as a sound as the b6 or the Reference. The Debut Reference is a combination of everything that is good about the b6 and b6.2 while being more refined.

Thanks! Additional question: clear sound and vocals to the front - B6.2 or Debut Reference ?

@@marez_3936 the b6.2 is more forward. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily clearer though. The b6.2 is a much brighter speaker but less balanced than the Debut Reference

@@cheapaudioman Ok. Thanks. Regards!

Yeah.. This is before I started editing. My apologies

Elacs by far. May not be 6x better but much better. I answered one of your other comments about this and hope you saw it but wanted to cover it again just incase you didn't.

With due respect, it's difficult to compare a $73 speaker to a $600 one, they're obviously in two completely different price ranges. Also with due respect, if you have both, you should listen to them for yourself and make the determination for yourself, others can only give you their subjective opinion on the speaker, relating their own experience, yours may be completely different, audio tastes and preferences are very personal and subjective. Finally, and again, with all due respect, hopefully you can hear the difference between $73 speakers and $600 speakers, then you can decide if the $600 speakers are worth the added $500+ expense, if they're not, you might be happier saving some money. My point is simply that nobody can tell you what you're going to like, you need to hear for yourself. A quick story to illustrate my point. Many years ago when first shopping for hi-fi speakers, I went to a store to listen to Bowers and Wilkins speakers, specifically the 805s, bookshelf speakers which I had read/heard a lot of great things about, they retailed for about $2,500 US. Anyway, when I got to the shop they had the lower line 600 series set up, something which I had never heard of as I was just starting off in my audiophile quest, and considering how it was much more in my price range, I listened to it. Well, I can honestly say the B&W 601 S3 speakers which cost $600/pair are still to this day, maybe 20 years later, one of the best speakers I have ever heard. Personally, I did not particularly like the 600s(smaller) or the 602s(bigger) though. While I was there, I told the salesman that I wanted to hear the $2,500 805s so he switched things for me and I had a listen, and let me tell you, I was totally blown away by what I heard because I completely HATED the speakers, I thought they sounded terrible, far too cold, sterile, dry, and analytical, it actually took my music apart and dissected it such that it didn't sound coherent at all. I could also tell that they took much more power to drive to get the same volume levels. What's the point of the story... a $600 speaker can sound better than $2,500 speakers, at least they did to me, and I only knew this after I was able to hear it for myself, otherwise I would have never believed it. So I bought those B&W 601 S3 speakers and have been happy with them ever since, at least until recently because now I'm actually trying to downsize my system and go for a more minimalist aesthetic. I've bought a few other speakers over the years, JBL, Klipsch, Polk LSIM speakers, some more expensive, some less than the B&Ws, and each sound good and have different strengths and weaknesses, but I cannot say any have been better. Am I telling you to buy B&W 601 S3's, no(although I do still think they're a great speaker, among the very best I've heard at any price, and I've heard speakers costing six figures), just that ultimately you need to listen for yourself. Also, listening is a skill that is developed through repetition and reflection, in a word, practice, it takes time. I'm not trying to talk down to you, just saying that if you have both speakers you really should listen to both of them yourself and decide which you like better, and after you've done that, what anyone says shouldn't matter. Let me put it this way, I'm not gonna let anyone else tell me how to eat my steak. If you like it rare, fine, if you like it medium-rare, fine, if you like it well done, fine, but I don't, I like my steak cooked medium and it doesn't matter to me what you say, the same goes for my taste in speakers. Trust your ears and trust your gut, you're the one experiencing it for yourself and no one else will experience it exactly the same as you do. And remember, when it comes to music and speakers, it's completely subjective, there are no wrong answers, just differences of opinion and preferences. Try to have fun and enjoy the music, in the end, that's really what it's all about, at least it's what it should be about.

@@mydogskips2 Look em up. I have a set of JSE Infinite Slope Model 2'S...Those are my sweet speakers. I'm just having fun with these book shelf speakers. I have a few sound systems in the house. My JSE's are callin the cops....It's happened.

I'd love to get my hands on the Unifi UB5.2 but haven't found a great deal on them yet. I'd imagine that they Unifi is going to be more neutral than the Debut Reference but the Reference will probably soundstage better. Either way, they'll both be good I imagine.

@@cheapaudioman Thank you for your response. I guess it comes down to One being a 3 way and the other a 2 way I understand it's all in the crossover. Is it more efficient to have 3 separate speakers each doing its part or 2 speakers of which one has to provide midrange and bass.....how does this effect overall sound... any thoughts?

@@petebakke6167 on a well integrated crossover a 2 way can sound just as good as a 3 way. Personally, I think the Unifi UB5 series is aimed at a more audiophile listening experience while the Debut is a bit more exciting with better sound staging. With that said, I do think that the Unifi first generation that I own have a flatter frequency response than the Debuts. I was listening to the UB5’s last night and the takeaway I had was that they are polite and do everything they’re supposed to do and do it well but they’re just missing the little bit of magic that the Debut Reference has. I don’t know if that makes sense but it’s the vibe I got and I’ve had them for over a year.

@@cheapaudioman Well from all the reviews that I have found comparing The DBR62 Reference vs UB52 the 52 edges out the Reference.... I imagine it all comes down to personal preference.. It sounds like you might have a better chance of Auditioning the UB52 s. I would definitely be very appreciative and excited to have you give us a Definitive Conclusion... ELAC Send the @cheapaudioman a pair of UB52s. ASAP..... Peace brother an thanks for ur great channle an pro insight..

@@petebakke6167 for sure.

Thanks. I was having some fun

Kef fanboy here

Listen to both, then decide. Both are good in different ways. (I prefer DBR62).

I’m with you. I didn’t care doe the 6.2’s at all. None of the magic of the first gen. Just uploaded the debut reference review. Check that out.

@@cheapaudioman I have to query your statement regarding not caring for the b6.2's. Please can you elaborate on this?

I've wanted to get my hands on an Outlaw for a while.

Eh seemed like a mid-range joke to me

@@erics.4113 I think we need a little tone control around here...

@@onepieceatatime if you had two channels I would sub to both of them for more jokes.

Trying my best, Mark. I've gotten better with editing the drinking out. So hopefully that helps.

​@@cheapaudioman Let's talk about engagement. From a presentation design perspective, the above feedback has merit. Typically, messaging that's clear, concise, and well paced helps to engage (and retain interest). Think Joe n Tell or Techno Dad. Let's talk about brand. It's important to establish a "brand" and separate yourself from the comps. Clearly, you've done that. By using "plain talk", looking at notes, w/periodic "sips" and campy transitions, you come off as very genuine. Think Dennis Miller meets Mr. Rogers. Final thoughts. As your channel grows, expect increased critique. That's a sign your "recipe" is working enough that listeners share out of care or envy. LOL. Maintain the core recipe and tweak it w/o wholesale changes.

@@cheapaudioman - you should already know this but you offer more than a dry hi-fi channel. Your measured comments/references really make this channel and are your unique selling point (Bill Murray-esque). The information seems structured but not scripted which gives a relaxed feel, and the coffee is the cherry on top, edited or otherwise (sorry Mark N.). Hopefully you know this already though. I've subscribed twice if you are unsure how much weight to give my opinion (and recommended you to friends, who will no doubt ignore it, but hey...).

@@misterroboto571 thanks so much. That means a lot. I have notes and occasionally think about what I’m going to say but usually I’m just rolling with it. Been a ton of fun. Someone told me I needed a teleprompter

How wouold he do that over an Internet connection and RU-vid compression... You wouod never hear what the speaker sounds like unless you were sitting beside him..... That and you are probably listening on your phone or laptop 😂

I would. Great price. Make sure they work.

Ill be hooking them up tomorrow 👍 exchanging my wharfdale Diamond 220. Do you have a tip on what would be the perfect amp for the elacs? IM rundning a marantz pm6004. Maybe i need more power?