I really appreciate your balanced review and your criticism is explained well and also put in perspective. Of course, no speaker is perfect, but you explain the performance relative to your expectations. Good stuff.
Love your reviews, and how you're diligent to "fairly quantify" the differences between speakers such as the Elacs (which I own and love) and those that cost 5 times the price. It sometimes boils down to diminishing returns, especially if you don't have the front end components that you have (and few do). That said, you're fair in being up front about that fact, so I appreciate that and respect your reviews as one of my go-to's when looking into different audio options. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the review and sharing your perspective. These are amazing from a price/performance standpoint and you review them with that context in mind which is not easy.
‘Is it a problem with the speakers or is it a problem with me’ - very well said. I very often think same while testing speakers or even amps and wires.
This is an excellent, thoughtful review. I appreciate that you gave your thoughts time to develop. You questioned what you were experiencing and checked that against what your friends experienced . And your comment on the impact of negativity in a review is right on. Very much appreciate that you are going to review them again with less expensive front end. Thanks.
Thanks for this awesome review. You've sold me on these speakers. I have seen multiple reviews of these speakers and while they are not perfect, everyone I've seen that reviewed them said for the money they sound fantastic. I have a pair of JBL S26 bookshelf speakers, and while they've served me well, I'm listening to vinyl now with a quality table and a detailed cartridge (Ortofon Red) and the JBL's are just too bright, bordering on harsh. I've heard these described as warm, yet retaining clarity. That's what I'm looking for!
Great work on the review. Great commentary, thanks for all the hard work that you put into your videos. Very glad to see a review on this speaker model.
I have just bought these Elec 6.2,s and i have to say they have blown me away with the sound, and for the money they are exceptional value, I'm a very happy bunny
Great review. I paired these with an Emotiva TA-100 for a low cost entry level system and I couldn't be happier. Originally I had them placed on a table but when I put them on stands and about 18" from the wall, it made a huge difference despite them being front ported.
I've had these for two months and have never heard the micro-distortion you mentioned. I've paired them with an inexpensive Yamaha RX-V671, and it's capable of driving them to adequate levels with no apparent distortion. I did add Elac's SUB3010 subwoofer which blends in nicely at a crossover of 80 Hz. I'm very pleased with this speaker system.
Now $300 a pair list. Black Friday half-price - $149 at Audio Advisor, Crutchfield and more. No shipping or tax. A bargain at $75 each. Unlike the UB5 at $500 list, Black Friday $349, which has smaller woofer and rear port which makes the Debut better for shelf mounting. I bought 4 for $300. I like more treble so I use an EQ and they sound really good.
Thomas - I got the speakers today and have everything setup. I am absolutely floored by them. The bass is perfect to my taste - punchy and accurate. there was more than I was expecting (which I'm happy about). I don't have a ton of speaker experience, but I have listened to many high end headphones. I can't believe how real everything sounds with these speakers. Having a fantastic time, your review was spot on. Take care!
Congrats and thanks for coming to my channel to leave me a comment. Appreciate it. Also, if you ever upgrade your front end, you will see these speaker will scale very well and their performance keep improving.
Excellent thorough and human honest review. I just got these speakers at a good price of $279. I see others got great bargains last year at $149 a pair. Wow. I listened to Sony CS (?) and Fluances Signature Series . These Elacs blew the Sonys right out of the water. Better than the Fluances (which are very good , but still not the caliber of the Elacs). I am so pleased that i came upon your review. And even more pleased that I got them. Keep up the good work
Thomas thanks for your great/honest reviews. I have decided to get Debut 6.2, and based on your advice and Audiophiliac, i need about 150w/ch amp @ 4 Ohm and a proper preamp. What front end setups you suggest for say $200, $300, $400. ( What did your mysterious friend with 2 phd's in use to drive this). Im from Montreal and would be happy to look for used setups as well on Kijiji or ebay. Thanks again
Hi Everyone, I mentioned that i was going to do some test with entry level integrated amp but I recently sold it and did not have the time to do it. Sound Demo : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k5vSVCDDfww.html
Try Wharfedale Denton, kinda a close mid range HiFi speakers, very nice heritage value both in sound and design, though I hope they would make it more special in future
I'm using these speakers with a $50 TPA3116 "100WPC" mini amp and $29 Berhinger UCA202 DAC (can't get more budget than that!) and I can tell you that they sound phenomenal (compared to my previous speakers: Polk Tsi100). I listen to music all day long with these on the desktop about an arm's length away and I never get fatigued. When I push the bass on these at high volumes, I have to look around and make sure I don't have a sub woofer somewhere that I forgot I had installed. ; ) Deep, clear, defined bass without the boom. Bottom line: if you need a sub-$300 speaker system and live in an apartment or other noise-restricting scenario where a sub-woofer is out of the question, then you won't find a speaker that delivers as much musical spectrum as these do. The B6.2s really exemplify "bang for buck".
Thomas, I got these based on your review (it also didn't hurt that they were $149, no tax, free ship.) They sound great right out of the box. Can't wait to break these in and really enjoy their full glory. I just wanted to say thanks for your hard work in putting these videos together.
@@wim1983 do you have the Denton 80th? which do you prefer? these are some that i'm considering, but it will be used with simple integrated all in one amp that does radio, spotify, and maybe even a cd player.
I bought these speakers 2 months ago, hooked them to my Pioneer stereo receiver SX-10AE with specs less than .08% total harmonic distortion and made them my front speakers. Now that break-in period is over, it leaves me wanting for more dynamic sound that I expect to hear after a month of break-in. The tweeters are amazing, so clear I can hear cling clang sound and littlest sound details of instruments that seems like I'm watching the symphony orchestra perform right on the stage. The voices from the mid range stands out, its clarity is well defined but you are right I hear a micro distortion like a sandpaper sound when I raise the volume to high mid level. I play vinyl records of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Patsy Cline, Johnnie Mathis on my Audio Technica WN40 turntable, yes, I do hear the distortion, but I don't get bothered by it because I describe it as a reverb sound included in their recording. Not really sure if it 's coming from my receiver or my turntable or speaker. The base is clear very best appreciated when played at low volume but when played at a high mid volume that leaves me wanting for more dynamic hifi sound of the base. From my own listening point of view I rate these speakers at 4 stars. As a result I will move these speakers from the front to the back end and put back my Polk Audio S15 to the front. Oh BTW these speakers are awesome - I rate it at 5 stars.
Thank you for so refinedly honest and considerate review! I'm new to the audiophiliac community. Could you give me an advice about what to look for when getting the cables for these ones without breaking the bank while doing the justice to the sonic potential of B6.2? Also, what amplifier could you suggest checking out that would pair up well with these speakers? The one being on the budget but without real caveats.
Thanks Thomas, I enjoy watching your candid and thoughtful videos. I have a suggestion too. Consider reviewing classic audio, I like to get legacy pieces and review them myself. I picked up a Hafler DH-220 power amp from offerUp and it's crazy good. I like it better than my CJ and Threshold amps....Just a thought! Peace.
i wish i started the channel earlier. i used to play with legacy gear in the beginning. i had the hafler pro 2400 at one point too. my friend does have a lot of vintage gear, one day i will go over to talk about a few.
Hi, Thomas I am a big follower of your videos. The way I describe These Elacs is "Giant Killers" . They don't look refined, but they sound refined. I used to play with highly modified 4x4's doing offorading and there was a car, the Suzuki Samurai that was only 1,500 to 3,000 USD and with min modifications. It did better offoroad than way more expensive trucks, Jeeps, land Rovers, Toyotas and Hummers. That's the same way I see these Elacs, they outclass way more expensive speakers. I see some negative comments once in a while from people that probably got cheated by buying way more expensive speakers! ;))
Thanks for the comment. The Elacs definitely has changed the budget speaker world and am glad you liked them. If someone is looking a speaker in this budget, it's a no brainer.
Great review. Impressive speakers it seems. Question: Could I these be driven well enough with only a 50 watt Yamaha stereo reciever? It eould be for my friends very small studio apartment and she doesn't play music very loudly. I want to give them...and the budget Yamaha reciever...to her for Christmas. Thank you for any feedback.
Hello Thomas, I own a Denon AVR-1713E3 receiver. Would this receiver be good enough to run these speakers? Thank you for you time and I hope to hear from you soon!
Hello Sir. Is the Elac's B6.2, as a part of the 'Ps Audio' bundle offer, 999US$ Retailed (with the Spruce100 versatile digital int.amp & cables) is really may consider as 'Budget Hi-End grade' setup ? My current setup is the Mistral Audio(Napa Acoustic brand in the US: MM-6 hyb.int.amp with internal usb dac + the Reg-565 floorstanders).. thank's!!
Can't wait for the normal system review! I've just started getting into the budget audiophile bandwagon with an emotiva basx a-100, ifi nano dsd black, and a pair of Polk rti4 bookshelves. I'm curious if the elac b6.2 would be a worthy upgrade from the rti4s.
Although I would guess that it is an upgrade, I would however suggest you upgrade to something way more if you want a super upgrade. A full tower would be better. Or at least the LS50 KEF.
I'm building an audiophile setup as a beginner, and I've narrowed down my speaker choice to these and the Klipsch rp-500m. I assume the obvious choice is the Klipsch, but I keep seeing these pop up. What's your choice? One of these two , or perhaps something else?
A very fair review Thomas . In the beginning i thought you did't like them that you were going to slate them. But after watching all the video i realised you just love sounds , And you probably have a good ear for quality sounds. So yes i can see were you are coming from. Still a very well portrayed video. many thanks Gerald south wales UK
Listen to them today in the Best Buy Magnolia Sound Room I was blown away I have to say I was blown away and I have to agree with you 100% the vocal clarity is absolutely amazing like the singer is in the room with you and there is pretty decent bass on them to you cannot go wrong for $299
I am replacing my center channel and was wondering how this would pair with my front (Wharfedale Valdus 400SE) speakers. Amp is an AVR, Onkyo NR7100 is a 5.1 configuration.
Hi Thomas, great review. Wondering if these might be considered to replace my older Monitor Audio GS10’s. (Book shelf) Currently using a Emotiva XPA200 as front end, Emotiva preamp, older Arcam CD73 CD player, Mac Mini streaming mostly FLAC
No, It would not be an upgrade. Your GS10 are very good and it might sound different these speaker but I think your speakers are over $1k while these are like $279?
Hi Thomas, can I ask your opinion on pairing these speakers with Marantz pm6006? You mentioned that they are not easy to drive. Would pm6006 be good enough? Appreciate your opinion. Thanks.
I never try that Marantz class amp so don't know. Sean from Zero fidelity did a review recently and you should check it out. 60w@ 4 ohm is decent. Marantz has a warm sound from what i heard so it depends if you like that kind of sound or not.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thank you for your reply & suggestion. Yes, I will check out the video you suggested. Love your analysis of this speaker btw. It's true that some of us will not be able to afford top end amps & cd players, so regrettably, the potential of a speaker is limited.
Awesome review! Really loved it... Please also review the Wharfedale Diamond 225 Bookshelf speakers as they were highly recommended by Stereophile last year in 2017 as the best budget Bookshelf speakers! Would love to see how they perform in compare to the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2! 😊
Dear Thomas, you make exceptional video. You may not have this question before. How high from the floor can you place these speakers? Could I place one speaker on either side of a TV on chests about 4 ft. tall?
GR Research took off the screen mesh and it improved the distortion a easy fix .. great review on them there. thx for yours. im sending for sale now 259.00 awsome !
Thank you so much for reviewing an affordable pair of speakers. I do have a decent pair of floorstanding speakers with ribbon tweeters, amt midrange 3 woofers ( two eight and one ten inches) etc... but i am also always looking around for a pair of bookshelf speakers for my desktop computer. These days I am spending a lot more time on my desktop computer watching youtube channels like yours rather than listening to my full audio "grade" setup in my living room.
I've heard the same distortion when cranking up the volume. It comes from the cheap parts in the crossover. I replaced all the capacitors and resistor and changed the internal wire buy ofc and ofc/silver for the tweeter. The distortion is gone. The bass has more definition and the sibilance is gone too. The top end is silky smooth. The drivers on this speakers are amazing. The voice is even cleaner. I'm using them with the Atoll In30 and a chord mojo as a dac.
@@astroman269 S.C.R. MKP PB capacitors : 1 x 82 µf, 1 x 22µf, 2 x 1.5 µf. 3R9 5W MRA05 Mills Resistor and 68R 5W MRA05 Mills Resistor. I didn't touch the 2 air core coils nor the iron core coil. Maybe in the future when i learn the maths for calculating the inductance and the ESR.
Thanks Thomas. Another great video! You've really got me thinking about Elac speakers. I need to find somewhere that has some I can listen to. I don't think these would be the ones exactly, but maybe the Uni-Fi's would do. As I like a warmer sound. Either way. The review was very much appreciated. Hope all is well in your life. Best wishes to you, and yours.
The Uni-Fi UB5 has much tighter bass with no boom bloom and warmer still detailed but much less fatiguing tweeter than the B6. Not sure about the B6 version 2. The UB5 image like bandits several orders of magnitude better than the B6, and the soundstage is much bigger. The only caveat: the UB5 need a strong current 4ohm amp to really get them sounding their best.
Crispin Crunch Thanks for the reply. Very much appreciated. I've been thinking about these for a while. I have the electronics already, and quite a few nice vintage speakers. But I've been thinking that I want to try something new, and I've been looking at these smaller speakers. So I bought a used pair of small ones to try. They're NEAR 15m's. Considered very nice, very neutral, and very revealing. Not really my cuppa, but figured for $85 it's worth a shot. Tried them on my setup with a audiophile type SS preamp, the Holographic Audio Pre 25. And my AVA Omega Star 250EX amp. Which sounded nice with my old KLH Model 33's, but I hated them. Very thin sounding. Then I tried them with a tube preamp, a lightly modified Bottlehead Quickie. And oh man. Wow! So now I'm more interested then ever in trying these. But I'm still unsure if I should go with the towers, or the bookshelves. I need to do more research on these, but that's fine. I'm not in a hurry at all. Because I use a low power tube amp in my room also, and don't have much space. I'm thinking I should get the bookshelves. That way I can put them on top of my other speakers. But I don't want to be lacking in the bass. So I'm still up in the air on it. But of course every bit of info helps, including your comment. And this review. Even though I'm probably not buying these. It was certainly nice to hear the bass was good on these. Gives me hope for the UB5. Especially after you saying they're tighter. That's what I like. Time to get Googling I think.
Trust me, the UB5 are not wanting for deep tight punchy musical bass. They easily dig deep into the 40Hz range. I got the bookshelf as a secondary to my reference system. Holographic Audio, wow. Sometimes people in Europe are so lucky.
Zero Fidelity here on RU-vid gave the Holographic Audio stack (PRE 25 + AMP 17) a really good review, and he doesn't really like the sterile audiophile sound. However, in comparison I could see where the warmth of a DHT pre would be no match for Holographic Audio's ethos of neutrality. Is it the Holographic Audio PRE 25? I would love to buy it if you are ever going to sell it, especially if I could also find the AMP 17.
Crispin Crunch Yup that's why I bought it. His was the only review I could find. And I'm a big fan of his channel. His review was spot on. But I'm fairly new to this. So I wanted to try a SS preamp (it's the only one I've owned), and I obviously seriously underestimated what I had already. I really a tube guy at heart, but want more power without spending a fortune. So I'm playing around to see what I like. And I've found I'm okay with SS amps when I have a tube preamp in front of it. Although I think I need to play around with my gear more. And I'm pretty sure I can get it to working to where I can enjoy it. But I must say. It's tempting to sell it. Only because there's so much other gear I want to try. It is really good though, and I'm not quite sure I've really given it a fair shake. I've only tried it with two of my speakers, and one amp. One DAC too. Let me think on that one. I'll get back to you in the next few days. I work all weekend, but have Monday off. So say by Tuesday at the latest. I'll let you know. I can post on here, or if you want to post your email on here maybe?
Thank you for the technical as well as personal review. Could you please provide a follow up with some listening material, i.e. jazz, rock, acoustic, etc with the Arcam all in one vs 300 watts say from McIntosh for example? I have a simple set up with Naim Nait 5si, Arcam IR Dac, using Kimber Kable throughout my system with older PMC speakers but want to have a smaller bedroom system.
Sorry John, I sold my Elac already so I no longer have it. I would say, the Elac scales very well. The better gear and more good watt you give it, the better it is.
Thank you for your review. I have heard that “micro-distortion” in other speakers. I think it has quite a bit more to do with the recording instead of the speakers (and amplifier).
Try those new Klipsch bookshelves Guttenberg just gave speaker of the year. I’m curious if they would be a good match for my vintage flea watt amp. Would love your opinion.
Hmm, only thing you might want to be conscious about is that those are horn design and in my opinion, it might be not for everyone. I have to listen to it to really know though. THhs is just an opinion from my limited experience with horn speakers.
Did i saw there the Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 ... does it still sell.. This card was one of the first to send HDMI image and sound to your Amp without extra spdif, along with the Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD Both really good for that time, was it 2011 .. There is also a Slim version of the Asus Xonar HDAV. I still use this in my HTPC.
Dunno why, but these speakers are currently (Nov. 18, 2018) on sale everywhere (in the US) for a ludicrous $150/pair. I wasn't shopping for speakers but, at this price, who can resist? My just-purchased pair is now ready for pick up at my local Bestbuy.
David, i got my speakers from Crutchfield for around 300. They went on sale for 150.00. They refunded me the difference but i was like you, why are they doing this. At this price i can buy some for the garage as well. Ive got to buy a new 2 channel integrated amp. Thinking of NAD 326BEE. Cheers
I come from the Logitech Z625. It is thumpy and loud. Voices sound like the singer has cupped his mouth while singing. I just bought the Elac B6.2 along with the Denon AVR-X250BT receiver. This is my first foray into a good quality music setup. Can't wait until Saturday !!
I'm looking at ECLARO by HT Omega, I'm also optical out to my DC-1 by Emotiva to airmotiv6. Thinking bettering original source may make a difference in sound. But am I wasting my time? Talk to me. Thanks man.
Well, what are you looking for? Is it more clarity or is it more smooth analog sound? If Analog higher end sound, I was told the Schiit dac are worth looking into (check out their forums) and they are good price. I don't know anything about ECLARO.
Hey Thomas, I bought these speakers after watching your nice video. When I start listening them i found out that high frequencies not as good as my previous speaker Dali Zensor Pico. Vocals and bass are far the way better but high frequency is not enough. I can't hear the hi-hat or cymbals very well. It's like there is a filter which blocks whole the treble sound. I know that they need some time (burn-in period) to get their top performance. Do you think can I get the bright sound after burn-in? My sound source is Denon RCD M40. I know 30+30 watts is not enough for these guys. Maybe my sound problem is because of my Denon I don't know. What do you suggest? Thank you.
Hey. So these are soft dome tweeter and I think you prefer bright sound like dali, kef, monitor audio . I did touch on the idea in my video what speaker to get. Break in will smoothen the highs probably even more. So it's possible these are not the speaker for you. Alternatively, the problem as I mentioned in my S300 video is when we transition from a bright speaker to a neutral speaker is that you have to go thru a 'detox' period where you have to get used to less bright speakers. Once you get used to it, you might find the dali too bright. I would say listen to as long as you can before you pass your return policy time. If by then you are still not ok with it, then you should be searching for bright speakers.
hi Thomas this review on the Elac everything was great ,just one thing missing , most of us preferred an audition please , we really looking forward to this !
Im on a quest to find the best audiophile grade pair of 2018 6.5in bookshelf speakers that I can get new for 300 U.S. dollars. Is it possible at that price point? Or are the Elac b6 2.0 the best that I can get at that price point? I was leaning towards the KEF q100 but they are being replaced with a newer model and are not as available for a new pair anymore. Plus they are only 5.25in.
For me, best is relative. If you like revealing speakers, the Q100 would probably be better. However, if you read the comments, not everyone like that kind of sound and the Elac b6.2 are more easy on the ear relatively speaking. The uni-b5 are even more soft. Some like big sound stage and the sony ss-cs3 might excel in that area (I have not heard it). Some like bass and you might need to look for full tower. When choosing a speaker, its all a question of compromise and that is at any price point. Next, you also have to factor in what amp you have, The Elac are not easy to drive and even if it is the 'best' in the budget category, if we cannot make it shine due to limited frontend, it's useless. Here is a great video to watch. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-atnbIrG5w8A.html
Cool thank you Thomas. Compared to towers or much higher priced gear it's a little easier to push smaller speakers to their max. Possibly just being use to a certain volume or even the efficiency differences., Luckily with those amps. very little concern of clipping. Glad to hear you're surprised. Andrew Jones is a great designer. Plus most of his products are highly regarded all around Cheers.
Yeah, I had his pioneer S3EX before and it was amazing. I want to try his Adante speaker now. I wish whoever try these debut will have enough good frontend to enjoy them else they will miss out on a pair of nice speaker.
Rarely see reviews and comparisons of vintage speakers with newer ones. Would love to hear your opinion on jbl l1 bookshelf compared to modern speakers like elac etc. Pair of Used jbl l1 can be found for around $300.
8:45 I hear imperfections in some audio tracks with my B6's. These imperfections stand out or even disappear depending on the source/quality. The only thing about these imperfections that bother me are static, crackles, pops, and other similar sounds that are usually subtle background sounds with other speakers, but tend to stand out with the B6. I've heard some relate it to studio monitor speakers, but the closest I can relate it to would be electrostatic speakers except not to that extreme. I feel it's more the recording than the speakers. I'm extremely impressed with them no matter what type of music I listen to, and whether it be quiet or loud. Definitely my bargain of the century!
Are you referring to B6 or B62? In my case, the recording I am using are the newer super clean one that I don't hear any issue with my other 5 speakers. I think it could be the material used in the woofer as I do hear some micro distortion with my other speaker that is made of kevlar. Someone pointed out in a comment and it got me thinking.
I'm referring to B6.2. I gifted my aunt my old B6.1 set. She placed the B6.1's inside a solid wood entertainment center below her TV. The speakers are enclosed with the rear port firing back inside the enclosure. It sounds like more hard-hitting bass than I remember at home with her enclosure. Side by side at home the B6.2 sounded like it had stronger bass, but the B6.1 sounded more capable without distortion and cleaner sound with lower frequencies close to 40hz. It could have been the fact that the B6.2's had not been fully broken in yet. I do distinctively remember how the B6.1's sounded better after they had a good 40-50 hours of medium to high-level sound put through them.
I thought that maybe the concept discussed by Paul in that video could explain the distortions you may be hearing. This other video by Paul explains better what I was referring to in respect to bad recordings rather than poor sounding speakers. *What can be done to better recordings?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cAp3jCRB7Gc.html
High Thomas I've been looking at the elac floor standing with the ufi-driver they have them on Amazon for $999.00 a pair I'm gonna have to take a risk because of course there no shop around me that I can Actually listen to them and thats kinda my price that I can afford or that's all the money I want to spend on speakers at the moment....I really appreciate the fantastic review you did on this video keep up the great work when I get these elac I'll be back to tell you my thoughts on the floorstanding elac I should have them in 2 more weeks!!! Again keep up the great work your fantastic at reviewing and your choices of what your reviewing are great choices!!!! Its good to no that theres a affable Reasonably priced pair of speakers that Actually sound good!!!
Andrew Crain Best Buy will match Amazon's price, and they sell Elac. But it has to be sold by Amazon themselves. 30 day returns there. Amazon will pay return shipping if you're not satisfied with the performance of them. I bought a tube headphone amp to try out as a preamp, and didn't like it. They paid return shipping. Just be clear about you not being satisfied. And call them to do the return, so you can be clear about this. But be aware. These companies are shutting down accounts of people that return too much stuff, due to fraud. It has to be a lot though of course, but many big dollar items will trigger it too possibly.
Hi , I really enjoy your videos and learning a lot from your reviews :) I have the Sony ss-cs5 book shelf speakers paired with a vintage receiver - pioneer sx-650 and I like the sound very much . Recently I am thinking about upgrading my system .. and from your experience , going for the Elacs will I notice a big difference in sound quality over the Sony ?
Thanks. The sony has a well balance sound and the other speakers don't sound as 'flat' as that. So it depends what you look for. Although the Elac 6.2 is a step up, it's not a gigantic step. What do you find missing in your current setup? If you wish there is more bass, than go get the Polk Audio LSIM 703 or even the 707 if you have the space. What kind of sound do you like? Look at my video on what speaker to buy.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks for the answer , I am looking for a better top end where the sony is a little harsh for me, especialy on songs with female vocals and in some cases I need to turn the volume down ... also a little more bass will be welcomed without a sub woofer . In general I am looking for less direct sound , a little warm vocals and softer in the top with decent bass . So I checked the Polk Audio LSIM 703 but for me they are too big , although most of the reviews were good and the price is good . Now the Elacs are smaller and seems to have the characteristics that I look for and you said that they improve when you upgrade the front end . I also at some point thought about the Buchardt S400 because of its small size but for the price I think I will do better with the Elacs and upgrade my amplifier :)
@@RomHoffman For some speakers, I think the top end can sound harsh not because of the tweeter but because it lacks bass. It is all a relationship. The Sony bass is not strong, so once you push the volume, it might sound 'harsh'. The 6.2 has more weight. If you can , also check out the Whafedale D225. That one is not harsh at all, it's a 'dark' speaker with tons of bass. Very small speaker. S400 can be a bit shouty. Now the Elac UB5 is even darker than the 6.2 so if harshness is your main concern, check that out too. Bass is so so on the UB5.
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas , thank you for these recommendations . I live in Israel and after I checked we don't have any of these speakers including the Elac debut 6.2 . We have the debut 5.2 and D220 ... So i checked on Amazon and they only ship the UB5 and the debut 6.2 . After looking at more reviews including your review here , I decided to go with the Debut 6.2 especially for increased bass response . Thank You very much :)
Can you please compare that to "Monitor Audio Bronze 2" ? They have exactly the same price and also known for clarity. They say that it's one of the best speakers in relation to price ratio. I'm thorn between this 2 speakers for starting audiophile. Your opinion would save me a lot of money at the long run. Thanks
As mentioned before I have these speakers but in walnut color and hard to come by! Very rich looking! I have them driven by a Naim Nait 5si 60 watt integrated amp. My front end is an Arcam Ir dac using Kimber Silver Streak interconnects with Naim NACA A5 speaker cables sitting on 20" Pangea speaker stands. They sizzle! I think you can get every last note, etc when paring with a high current amp! Ultimately you can pair very inexpensive speakers with high quality amps and a get great sounding experience! But for me its always the amp first, speakers second!
Hi Thomas, I wonder how an 8 inch UniFi version of the debut 2.0 would compare to the HSU CCB-8. The CCB-8's are very fun to listen to and have their own wow factor.
Hi. How would you rate these against the Wharfedale Diamond 225? They got good reviews when they first came out but are at a different price point. Which one would you consider the better overall speaker? Thanks for your thoughts...
I have the D225 now and am spending time with them. From an audiophile perspective, the D225 might have the edge but as someone who need to choose between both, they both have different strengths. I guess I will mention it in my upcoming whaferdale video one day.
So these are for anyone who does not want to spend $10,000 on a set of speakers, that means 99% of the population. What is bad for you, is once you hear something bad, YOU ALWAYS HEAR IT. The average person will not as you have a trained ear. I do not even know what MICRO-DISTORTION is!! GREAT REVIEW you are honest and have me convinced to buy them, even though I am not in the market for speakers. I am especially confident I will like them, and not expect them to be the last speaker I buy, but good enough for me in my bedroom. They seem to get most things right. THANKS
Hello Thomas Great review all your reviews are honest and great.Can you plz review Adante AS-61 bookshelf and also compare it with the other speakers in that ctegory that will be great. Thnx
Pairing the MC452 to these affordable Elac, that is something i would totally do. I started my audiophile journey back in the days when people in audio forums were talking about building a system by choosing the amplifier first. Back then I thought that was insane. Sound comes form the speaker and that should be where I should start building my system around. Laws of physics! But after going through so many different brands of speakers, I wish that I started picking a good amplifier first.
Hello Thomas I just bought these speakers I will be hooking them up to a sansui au999 and a marantz tt15s1 what do you think? Is the sansui too powerful for the speakers or should I get the towers instead ?
As physical filters, do tweeters experience the same kind of fold back distortion when trying to reproduce frequencies above their limit, like ADCs at low samplerates?
I wish I could like many times. It seems like you would not have a problem suggesting these to anyone looking for speakers under 1000. I look forward to your comparison with ls50 and dynaudio. Are they significantly better for 2x or 3x the money ?
I am sorry if i am asking a question in the wrong review-thread but i have the debut b5 and the are really boomy, or rather my placement makes them boomy, is it ok to put a sock in them to tame tje base or am i then destroying the whole point of having these speakers? I also have an elac s10eq sub so i can let that do some heavy lifting if thats necessary. Helpful for all tips.
Not at all. Many speakers I bought over the year comes with Foam plug for the bass port. It's to reduce bass, I myself use socks on some of my speakers. Bass becomes more tight but you get less bass. It also does change the sound of the speaker. Just emailed Elac to be sure it will not damage the speakers.
