Of all the reviews that I have heard about these speakers, by far yours is the most articulate and clearest as to their pros and cons of the Elacs. Most others just say that they are really good and pretty much leave it at that. So, thanks for your honesty and clarity. I am sure that you are preventing a lot of frustration by folks buying off of general reviews only to find that the Elacs don't work for them due to poor electronics and music sources.
I purchased a pair of these about 6 moths ago based on the thought that the designer would be able to produce a good speaker at a reasonable cost. In short, I was shocked at the performance of these speakers. I have tried a group of different amps and have realized that they do work well with wattage settings above 50. Currently ,am using an 80 watt/ch amp rated at 8 ohms and its probably delivering near 100 at the 6 ohm rated of the Elac. The sound stage is great; the bass end is greater than expected and the high frequency presence is very good. What is most important to me is that these speakers are not fatiguing at all. I use them in a 12'x14' room at about 2 feet from the back wall and the sound is amazing. The fact that they are not very bright is great. I also have a set of Epos Epic 2 in the same room and given that the Epos speakers are more sensitive the direct comparison is not applicable. However, the Epos, rated at 4 ohms gets about 140 watts from the amp; both speakers are delightful to listen to. Always remember that the nature of the recording you listen to will shape your evaluation of any speaker; a poorly mastered recording will sound horrible. In sum, then, I would highly suggest that if one is interested in a very pleasant listening experience that can proceed for a long time, these are at good choice. But always remember that the nature of the recording, the room acoustics, and sufficient power are to be considered. I enjoyed the video!
I actually had the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2's and I did like them. But I have since returned them and I now have the Uni-Fi UB52's and I like them better (maybe because they are a three-way speaker). However, I love your review of this speaker; unlike some other channels who make every speaker they review the greatest thing since sliced bread, your review is on par with what I know of that particular speaker. They almost appear to be acting as "salesmen" for the speakers they review. So, again I thank you for an honest review!
I got 7 minutes left in the video and I'm impressed on how you really attack the review from alot of different angles. I hope you do more speaker reviews in the future.
Great review, probably the best I have seen about these speakers. I have the 6.2 ones, and very happy with them, and I acknowledge almost everything you mentioned, specially the fact that you mention "these are not party speakers" - most accurate and probably the only time I saw this being said about these.
Interesting take there Srb... Most reviews have just praised them to the heavens, but it's interesting to hear the take on their use with other equipment. Good stuff dude.
I ordered these today, after a month or so of investigating and analyzing. Your review was one of the most helpful. I'm replacing a pair of Klipsch Synergy bookcase speakers as my mains, and I'm very happy to be getting them out of my living room. I'll be keeping the 12" Klipsch sub. One of my primary uses will be listening to recorded classical piano music and playing the same on my Yamaha digital piano. I run the Pianoteq output for that through my audio system. So I need a studio monitor kind of sound, i.e. pretty neutral and honest, and it appears the 5.2 will do that just fine. I do have a lower tier receiver - a 9-year-old Yamaha AV receiver that puts out 100 W/ch of some kind of signal, mostly acceptable. I hear what you are saying about clean power, but I decided I would rather not have my speakers hide deficiencies in my amp. If I hear treble ringing on massed voices or brass, I will say to myself "I'm gonna have to do something about that amp." But I will also be very happy, because I will have excellent accurate, impactful and natural sound on 98% of what I listen to and I'll get around to addressing the 2% in due course. Thanks for a good review. Next up: that amp upgrade.
I've been listening to all your comparisons, and from what I can tell from listening on my computer, the Elacs, Monitor Audios, and Wharfedales sound the most natural and realistic to me, even over the RP600M, 3030I, and LS50. I'd really love to hear a comparison of those three
Spot on with your video, I have the Elacs 5.2 & really like them You got it perfect regarding partnering equipment these are on the little bit fussy side I had them hooked up to a Pioneer A10 ( 50w per channel) amp & they sounded just fine but ! when I connected them to a Cyrrus One 100w per channel WOW !! it was like night & day , big difference I also removed the mesh guard on the tweeter By the way I found that these needed quite a bit of running in to get the best out of them For the money they are quality units especially when they are regarded as budget entry Look forward to more of your reviews
Really wonderful amazing review, loved it, thank you. small suggestion, it would have been awesome review, if you would have recommend some pairing, (Amp) (Not too high, not too low, some where in the middle ground & affordable, it would have been very helpful all of your subscribers. once again thank you for the review.
Hey this is my first listen to one of your videos, and I must say I impressed and I loved your take and side of things and your review, ovecourse it helped that I have a pair of debut 5.2s and I do like them, but think I agree they can be temperamental like u say, including with the quality of recording that u listen to. Again I impressed by your ability to be so real, honest and inciteful with your review and I have still decided to subscribe to your channel,even if u are not in the US, like I am, - just because a lot times, people just cover different equipment then maybe avaible here so much in the US, and also may just have a more different take on things against how people are here in the US. Awesome review and I am looking forward to checking your other content, new and old. Thank u !
@@nc3419 Well to let u know, that's pretty much were I have them set up right now, - less 4ft from me and about 6ft apart, I am in a small apartment right now and in a smaller room and yes they are good nearfield, they image and Soundstage great. There pretty good at lower volume, but I do believe they can definitely like a little juice flowing thru them. I will worn u though like I say with some music, they can be a little on the weekside at lower volume, but then again with other music, they really can be pretty awesome. Hope this helps.
Most detailed in depth speaker review i have ever seen on youtube. According to me you are the best speaker reviewer in the world. A small request to you please try to review more budget friendly entry level bookshelf speakers like jbl stage a130, yamaha ns 333, dali spector 2. It will be very helpful.
This is so so so helpful to know. Because I would have been in the same situation where I spend most of my budget on the speakers, and have much lesser for the amp. Your review and analysis is incredibly detailed and helpful. So well presented. Thank you
Great Review! I have the 5.2's and drive them with an older Rotel power that I've had for many years. They really do sing!!!! The old amp was highly recommended 25 years ago and matches very well with my new Elac's. The 5.2's were a great addition to my desktop system.
Wow I just picked up a classic rotel last week & paired it with elacs 6.2s incredible combo previous had them hook up to onkyo 8511 sound is decent.the rotel rx603 great classic.👊
Thank you for sharing * What an enjoyable & insightful review & you have such a wonderful vocabulary to express your listening experience :-) You have helped me decide not to get these , as the Yamaha CRX-N470 dab midi streaming system at 22w per channel I have just bought doesn't sound like it will pair nicely at at all. Sending well wishes from Scotland*
Thanks for the great review, I appreciate your transparency in talking about what would make these suitable or unsuitable for a given user. I ended up going with them, based on your "who is this for" criteria, and absolutely love them for those exact reasons; I give them good input, and they really sing. Cheers! Keep up the great work.
Great review. Many thanks for this video as I have them and I am super happy with them. Great upgrade from my B&W 602 S3 (and a great deal smaller). For the price, it is great value for money and a great entry level speakers set and ideal for a beginner audiophile like myself. I choose these instead of the 6.2 (which was about €50 more) mainly because I have a small room but I also read that Andrew Jones designs for this size first (not a verifed fact). Your conclusion is mixed but in the middle the review seems very favourable and as I have had these for about 5 months, I very much agreed with you on many points. However, I highly recommend these.
@Display2012 I found the Elac 5.2s so much better than the B&W 602 S3. Even though the Elacs have lower sensitivity, outputing at the same noise level, the Elacs were crispier, clear, with better sound stage and good low frequencies. I now use the B&W for TV/movie viewing and the Elacs for listening to high-end music files/stream or CDs.
Great review. I have the 6.2's with the elac 3010 sub with room correction which I drive with my Macintosh ma252 and this speaker setup sounds amazing. To the most out of these speaker's you d
Trully magnificent review. Very detailed and unbaised. I own Elacs B6.2 paired with an old Sony TA-FE530R amp and they sound great, but I will definitely be upgrading the amplifier in the near future. I am also considering a DAC and a subwoofer, just for a little bit of added umph in the lower frequencies. Other than that, I love and enjoy the neutral, clean sound they produce. Cheers!
Your reviews really go the extra mile, well done Srboljub. I wanted to know have you heard the mark i version of this speaker? For me, I thought they were better than the mark ii. They had an integrated character to the sound that I think is missing in these. I was curious about the mark ii so I got a pair and did some extensive A/B listening. The originals are softer admittedly but their overall tone draws you in to the music in a way that these never did for me. They also have a deeper and fuller bass. I'd love to see you review the mark i if you can track them down.
Excellent review again, would love to hear your comments on the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 which are the next level in soundstage and neutrality. Or even the new Uni-Fi Reference. Thanks a lot as one of the best audio contributors on youtube!
Thanks for your review, but in my opinion you should go with B6.2, the price don't has a big difference and is more close with your s LS 50, I have both and I think the elac is more transparent than ls50....I can compare elac with Audiovector , cost 20X more and for me , maybe is the best speaker in all actuality market. Thanks Try this one with audiolab 6000a...the heaven!!
That's the best review of these or any speaker for that matter that i have ever watched. Very detailed in depth non biased review. Well done. I have these speakers and was going to upgrade from SMSL SA98E to a NAD 316bee V2 but opted to save some cash and get a SMSL AO200 instead. Because i also have a Wharfedale subwoofer. I hope i'll be happy for a few more years. I think your review of the DA-9 (AO200's brother) said that would pair well with these speakers. Might have to use another DAC or upgrade from my Topping E30 though will have to see.👍
Could you give some examples of the least expensive gear that would produce a godd sound out of them? I'm not sure they're worth buying if you have to spend more they're worth on dac/ amps for them to perform well...
...I just ordered dbr62 because of curiosity (with 60 day trial), the same thing was reported about them regarding the quality of source in review by zerofidelity. I am going to hook them to naim xs2 so will see. I kind of like budget gear, I never heard anything from so popular elac and was always curious ,...so now I am going to give them turn finally and fullfill my curiosity :).
I do not know about 2.0 B5.2 but dbr62 is an unbeliveble performer, ....this is first speaker in my setup which has somewhat good frequency response, and I hapen to delete many speakers from my shortlist of upgrades,..those which measure bed
Indeed! Elac debut's are different beast when drive properly.. I tried it with topping mx5 and it's too bright and lacking of bass, i upgraded to denon pma600ne and it absolutely blew my mind what this speakers are capable of, you don't even need a sub woofer
Thank you for a very helpful review. I am particularly impressed by the fact that you revealed that these speakers cater to a certain category of buyers and if you are not so inclined, you should pass. You probably saved me a lot of frustration.
At that time I was listening to Diamond 220. I know there is a newer Diamond series currently, but I haven't tried that one and price of those hiked too.
Your review about these is accurate especially 15.03 part ! I eventually sold them .. I loved them though .. but excitement for songs were same when compared with other speakers, even Old less detailed Onkyos were more exciting! Could you do review of Catrina or Vela please?
Great review, but I don't understand why you have to buy them if they are so demanding. If you have to use heier tier amp and dac and cables/interconnects, why would you go for Elac debut 2.0 series and not debut reference/unifi 2.0, or JBL studio 5xx, or fine audio 5xx series, or dali oberon 3/5.....I'll stop here, because there is so much more to chose from in 600-1K price tag, which I think will reveal more and be more engaging if you mach them with some good amp like pas 2xxx/nad/rega and etc. and a good source. I think these speakers can sound good with that type of equipment, but why them and not something more, if you can afford it? The only obvious usage I see if you spend more of your hard earned money for electronics and you are on the limit of your budget, and you still don't want to make compromise with sound. Until you can afford something better to match with the rest of your system. I can't find other usage of low cost revealing sounding but demanding speaker, because these demands cost lots of money.
Srboljub, you must have broken these in - which is something that I definitely found that they needed. Initially, they are thin and a bit bright, but with 50+ hours of break in - I placed them face-to-face and wired one out of phase, and used a low pitch (~38Hz) overnight a couple of times, and music for a couple of days in the same way - and they get the sound quality you mention. I like them. They do need some mods to get closer to their potential. I really like Elac speakers - at least the ones I have heard.
I have an upgrade manual available for the Elac DB5.2 speakers. Here's what a customer said: "I’ve had these speakers for six months and have thoroughly enjoyed them. They were a fantastic buy last Christmas at $199, however I recently completed the mod from Neil, and that takes these speakers to another level; smoother presentation, increased transparency, greater detail and a more controlled bass. The upgrade process was a little bit of a challenge for me but Neil was very helpful with further instructions by email and this can be accomplished by just about anybody. Highly recommended!” ”I had no problem putting everything back together and I am extremely pleased with the results! Here are a few adjectives to describe what I’m hearing: smooth (I wasn’t expecting that), refined, transparent, detailed, sparkle and the bass is well controlled. I’m glad I decided to tackle this. You’ve really done the owners of this speaker a great service. I never thought I’d find another speaker that I liked better than my Snell [Type E/II], at a fraction of the price no less but here it is!”
I still have the B5.2 although I upgraded to the Focal Aria speakers. My only criticism of them reflects your review. At what I call sitting room volumes they are lovely warm with the lowest base reach of anything at the price. What made me upgrade was at lower volumes (bedroom volumes) they just die. Think of 360 degree tern of the volume button .I eventually found the exact 2>3 degree point below with they loose their voice from the lower mid frequencies up. I frequently listen to music at low volumes in the evening and these just frustrated me too much to keep. At the time I still used a Sony dh190 integrated amp which whilst far from expensive still had 100W per channel, and is a budget amp I could also recommend(though unfortunately it just has those spring bare wire speaker fittings ). As it happens I am just about to get the RME fs DAC and I wander haw they would sound with the volume variable "Loudness function" of that DAC .It might be able to improve the low volume sound of these speakers.
It would be nice if you tried Dali Spektor 2... They're in the price range of what you've been testing, maybe even cheaper sometimes, and they're supposed to be really nice.
I gather that these speakers were designed to be used as surround sound speakers in home theater add a large good Sub like REL . Im planning to use these as Height Front and Rears in a Auro 3D experience.
The best review for these speakers I’ve seen! Would you recommend them for this system: Technics SL 1200 MK2 w/ Goldring E3 Technics SU-V8 Integrated DC Amplifier Thank you very much!
Very detailed and thorough review, thank you. I am looking at these and the Debut 6.2s. I am reaseaching an upgrade from the Sony SS-CS5 speakers and a Yamaha RS202 receiver. Main source is a Raspberry pi 4 with a Hifiberry Digi Pro+ hat streaming Tidal and a HD with my CD collection in flac files. I am looking at the Demon PMA-600NE, Yamaha AS-501 and the Emotiva TA-100. The Denon is on the top of my list at the moment but which one would you think would pair the best with these speakers? Or could you recommend different speakers? I was also looking at the Wharfdale Diamond 12.1 and 12.2 speakers.
Great review, But still cannot deside between elac debut 2.0 B5.1,QAcustics 3020i & Jbl A130, i will be pairing with Denon avr x 250bt. Any suggestions?. Thanks in advance
Great and thorough review ..... Overall would you call these a "warm" speaker, I have one set of speakers that are quire "bright" and looking for something a litle warmer.
@iiWi Reviews - you mentioned that paring od those speakers is crucial. Would loxilje a30 be good pairing? Would smsl DA9 + soncoz la-qxd1 be better pairing? Good enough or still not enough for those speakers?
Odlična recenzija...resi mi, šta prikačiti na 5w u a klasi,cev el84 u sobi od 15m2?cenio bih tvoj savet...ostatak opreme je dac topping 10s i gomila dsd fajlova sa nas-a?
You said you don't like grills because they influence the sound. Okay, I agree. Then you contradicted yourself right after that, when you said you liked a metal cover over the sensitive tweeter. Surely that reflective hard metal surface right up next to the tweeter will be more detrimental to sound quality than any cloth grill. I realize there are tiny holes in the metal shield, but still there is at least 50% reflective metal immediately in front of the tweeter. That can not be good for best sound quality. It's like buying nice lamps, then keeping the plastic cover on them to protect them.
Thanks! Glad I came across your Review and really enjoyed listening to you in depth review....I thought it was going to be the C5.2...which I am strongly considering buying to replace my pretty new Klipsch R - 52C - I want more detail and sound stage etc. fm my Center with Clear Dialogue., the 52C give that....but I want all the different sounds too! I enjoy my Home Theater ! This review would surely apply to the qualities of the 5.2 Center... so, it sounds like you have finally made my decision except - I'd better tell you what AVR would be feeding it: A NEW Denon S760H; 75W; 5.1.2 HT. What do you think? Is there another Center you'd recommend I check out before I pull da plug! TKS michael
Hi I love your channel, I have been watching your channel for a year now, lovely style, honesty, and grat that you put your recommendation as well. I consider to buy these elacs for my father, do you think smsl da9 is up to the challenge or smsl a300. That's how far my budget would go. As a dac I would buy smsl sanskrit 10th MK2. If you would have any thoughts please share with me ! Thank you ! 😊
Great review! I've just bought these and playing them with Denon Ceol N7. It sounds great but I sense that it can sound even better. What is your opinion about combination with SMSL A300? Thanks!
I haven't tried A30, but I did a very similar SMSL SA300 and Sabaj A10a, so I will base my opinion on those. It should be able to create a very pleasant and full-bodied sound that resembles a lot to NAD house sound. I believe that would be a pretty nice match to ELACs tonally, especially if you don't listen your music too loud, cause these amps are not a powerhouse. So think of full, tonally correct, pleasant sound. that is not that analytical or punchy... I have to mention NAD gear again here. If that sounds OK to you, this combination might bring some pretty nice tunes. Also, bare in mind that if you ever wish for more power, insight, and punch, ELACs can scale quite nicely with better gear backing them.
Just watch your superb review. Given that the Monitor Audio Bronze 2 are now discontinued, would you (or anybody) have other suggestions for front ported speakers in that price range that would be a good match for the Topping MX3 ? In any case, thanks for all those great reviews.
I believe it would be a nice match... Speakers will be the strongest link of the three in my opinion, so if you ever wish to upgrade anything in the future, keep them the longest.
Hello my name is José I like the review you did on the Elac Debut 2.0 B5. Now I’m looking to put together a small sound system or inexpensive one . Now my question is . ¿ What kind of amp will go with the Elac ? Thanks for the review.
I haven't heard that Yamaha, I'm not much into multichannel sound. But looking at its specs I feel it would have enough power to drive them properly. Not sure how would they match tonally.
From my experience, I think you are wrong to recommend Wharfedale Diamonds (in general...) with low end gear. I have Wharfedale Diamond 9.0+Topping 10s DAC + Aiyima 07 amp and the whole experience is bright, thin and scratchy. I watched your video with them and it was only bearable with Schiit Loki treble turned down as far as possible. Even then it was not a great experience. My recommendation to your Topping + yamaha friend would be give them away to charity shop and save up to buy KEF LSX (my main listening system...) - that would solve the mix & match angst and leave them with great sound... Anyway thanks for heads up on the elacs, I suspect they would sound even worse with my gear!
Thank you for such detailed review, now I know the Elac's are not for me. You saved me all the trouble to order and have to sell them later, but I would like to ask for a recommendation. I have a Musical Paradise Mp 303 amp that is a class d but a bit on the bright side. I have the KEF Q350 but they don't match well, there are some sibilances and harshnes. I would like to know if there's something under $700 that can be a good match for my amp.
Purchased 2 of these for front of a C5.2 center speaker to go with 2 Sony 10 inch subs and Sony core series rears and Atmos speakers on my Onkyo TX-NR696 Curious to see if I will feel the difference between these and the cheaper Sony's fronts would have been.
Great review. Do you think these would match well with a Yamaha R-S300? Or does that not come up to the standards of the Elac's? Thanks, and keep up the good work
Hi, i've read both of your blog reviews of this speaker and topping M3xs DAC. Would they be good enough to be combined/paired? (Desktop PC ), Thank you for your review
Great review, I really appreciate your honesty, you gained a sub! I was thinking about building a CD player setup, and the Elac Debut b6.2/5.2 are good candidates for the speakers, but I'm also considering Dali Spektor 2 and Q Acoustics 3020i. The real question is: which amp would be right to get the most out of the Elacs without spending a fortune? Are the other speakers I mentioned less "demanding"? Specifically I'd look for a bluetooth amp (receiver I guess) that doesn't cross the 300 euros line. Used can be an option. I'd just need confirmation because, as you said, it's useless to get them if the rest of setup isn't on the same level.
Thanks! I haven't heard Spektor, but personally I prefer Elacs to Q Acoustics. Affordable but good amp, take a look at SMSL AO200. That one is hard to beat when it comes to price to performance ratio, and it has a BT too. There's a full review here on the channel.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for the advice. I wasn't really looking at class D amps but they seem to be good. Do you still think that the elacs are the best in that price range? Or is there something better, even if it costs a bit more.
Great review... finally a decent one for the B5.2 speakers. Do you think the B5.2 paired with the C5.2 and a sub on Yamaha RX-V485 AVR would work well together in a 3.1 system? Viewing distance might be about 10-15ft (closer to 10).
Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't know much about that particular Yamaha and its sound signature. If it possess decent amount of power and it's not bright sounding, than it should be OK.
As others have stated, your video review is very informative. My question is this, I have the Onkyo NR7100 AVR hooked up to the fronts are Wharfedale valdus 400, infinty entra point five center, sub and rears. I am looking to replace the center with the Elac Debut 2.1 C5.2, any thoughts?
Hi, great video. I am interested in buying these speakers or db6.2, but i don't now if they will perfrom well with my equipment. I have Topping DX3 Pro+ as DAC and an old Denon AVR X500 to amplify. Do you think that is better to buy a power amp before go for them?
@@abhishekhariharan2086 They were an ok match. However, I returned the Denon and separately bought a Norge Concerto Gold amplifier. Combination is now awesome
Of all the reviews that I have heard about these speakers, by far yours is the most articulate and clearest as to their pros and cons of the Elacs. Most others just say that they are really good and pretty much leave it at that. So, thanks for your honesty and clarity. I am sure that you are preventing a lot of frustration by folks buying off of general reviews only to find that the Elacs don't work for them due to poor electronics and music sources.
+1
hmm there’s def a couple that have negative reviews
I purchased a pair of these about 6 moths ago based on the thought that the designer would be able to produce a good speaker at a reasonable cost. In short, I was shocked at the performance of these speakers. I have tried a group of different amps and have realized that they do work well with wattage settings above 50. Currently ,am using an 80 watt/ch amp rated at 8 ohms and its probably delivering near 100 at the 6 ohm rated of the Elac. The sound stage is great; the bass end is greater than expected and the high frequency presence is very good. What is most important to me is that these speakers are not fatiguing at all.
I use them in a 12'x14' room at about 2 feet from the back wall and the sound is amazing. The fact that they are not very bright is great. I also have a set of Epos Epic 2 in the same room and
given that the Epos speakers are more sensitive the direct comparison is not applicable. However, the Epos, rated at 4 ohms gets about 140 watts from the amp; both speakers are delightful to listen to.
Always remember that the nature of the recording you listen to will shape your evaluation of any speaker; a poorly mastered recording will sound horrible.
In sum, then, I would highly suggest that if one is interested in a very pleasant listening experience that can proceed for a long time, these are at good choice. But always remember that the nature of the recording, the room acoustics, and sufficient power are to be considered.
I enjoyed the video!
Best review on Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 speaker.
Totally. I have them, and he's nailed it 👍
I actually had the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2's and I did like them. But I have since returned them and I now have the Uni-Fi UB52's and I like them better (maybe because they are a three-way speaker). However, I love your review of this speaker; unlike some other channels who make every speaker they review the greatest thing since sliced bread, your review is on par with what I know of that particular speaker. They almost appear to be acting as "salesmen" for the speakers they review. So, again I thank you for an honest review!
I got 7 minutes left in the video and I'm impressed on how you really attack the review from alot of different angles. I hope you do more speaker reviews in the future.
A great, honest, intelligent review. Thank you!
My friend; u are so good with ur explanations for anyone (audiophile or not)!!
Great review, probably the best I have seen about these speakers. I have the 6.2 ones, and very happy with them, and I acknowledge almost everything you mentioned, specially the fact that you mention "these are not party speakers" - most accurate and probably the only time I saw this being said about these.
Interesting take there Srb... Most reviews have just praised them to the heavens, but it's interesting to hear the take on their use with other equipment. Good stuff dude.
i matched them with my yamahar n303d and they sound amazing.you just can t stop listening to records and watching movies.
You are a terrific reviewer! I know how these speakers sound now! Thanks!
Andrew Jones is a god for that combination of low price and high performance
I ordered these today, after a month or so of investigating and analyzing. Your review was one of the most helpful. I'm replacing a pair of Klipsch Synergy bookcase speakers as my mains, and I'm very happy to be getting them out of my living room. I'll be keeping the 12" Klipsch sub. One of my primary uses will be listening to recorded classical piano music and playing the same on my Yamaha digital piano. I run the Pianoteq output for that through my audio system. So I need a studio monitor kind of sound, i.e. pretty neutral and honest, and it appears the 5.2 will do that just fine. I do have a lower tier receiver - a 9-year-old Yamaha AV receiver that puts out 100 W/ch of some kind of signal, mostly acceptable. I hear what you are saying about clean power, but I decided I would rather not have my speakers hide deficiencies in my amp. If I hear treble ringing on massed voices or brass, I will say to myself "I'm gonna have to do something about that amp." But I will also be very happy, because I will have excellent accurate, impactful and natural sound on 98% of what I listen to and I'll get around to addressing the 2% in due course. Thanks for a good review. Next up: that amp upgrade.
Love your reviews. Hope you get hold of the 6.2's would love to get your take. Keep up the great work!
I've been listening to all your comparisons, and from what I can tell from listening on my computer, the Elacs, Monitor Audios, and Wharfedales sound the most natural and realistic to me, even over the RP600M, 3030I, and LS50. I'd really love to hear a comparison of those three
Spot on with your video, I have the Elacs 5.2 & really like them You got it perfect regarding partnering equipment these are on the little bit fussy side I had them hooked up to a Pioneer A10 ( 50w per channel) amp & they sounded just fine but ! when I connected them to a Cyrrus One 100w per channel WOW !! it was like night & day , big difference I also removed the mesh guard on the tweeter By the way I found that these needed quite a bit of running in to get the best out of them For the money they are quality units especially when they are regarded as budget entry Look forward to more of your reviews
Thank you for your content. Takes a lot of effort to make and edit. I love stand mount speakers and it’s always great to get comparisons.
I got these speakers since few months and I'm very satisfied with them.
I use them in parallel with Tannoy Mercury MX1 and they are an amazing pair.
Really wonderful amazing review, loved it, thank you. small suggestion, it would have been awesome review, if you would have recommend some pairing, (Amp) (Not too high, not too low, some where in the middle ground & affordable, it would have been very helpful all of your subscribers. once again thank you for the review.
Probably loxlie a30 is enough amp for Elacs. My question is whether the integrated DAC is sufficient there?
Hey loved your explanations.. you are a great reviewer. Hope we get more reviews from you.
i love my b5.2's i run them with an NAD C350, a Yamaha c-810 tuner and a Fluance RT-85, astounding clarity and just MAGIC
Hey this is my first listen to one of your videos, and I must say I impressed and I loved your take and side of things and your review, ovecourse it helped that I have a pair of debut 5.2s and I do like them, but think I agree they can be temperamental like u say, including with the quality of recording that u listen to. Again I impressed by your ability to be so real, honest and inciteful with your review and I have still decided to subscribe to your channel,even if u are not in the US, like I am, - just because a lot times, people just cover different equipment then maybe avaible here so much in the US, and also may just have a more different take on things against how people are here in the US. Awesome review and I am looking forward to checking your other content, new and old. Thank u !
Do you think a 5.2 would work nearfield/desktop?
@@nc3419 Well to let u know, that's pretty much were I have them set up right now, - less 4ft from me and about 6ft apart, I am in a small apartment right now and in a smaller room and yes they are good nearfield, they image and Soundstage great. There pretty good at lower volume, but I do believe they can definitely like a little juice flowing thru them. I will worn u though like I say with some music, they can be a little on the weekside at lower volume, but then again with other music, they really can be pretty awesome. Hope this helps.
@@danielubbink2573 Thx. Lots of small standmounts at under $300 right now, some under $200.
It's harder to upgrade from this level of speaker performance unless one is willing to spent quite a bit of money 💰.
Good review.
Most detailed in depth speaker review i have ever seen on youtube. According to me you are the best speaker reviewer in the world.
A small request to you please try to review more budget friendly entry level bookshelf speakers like jbl stage a130, yamaha ns 333, dali spector 2. It will be very helpful.
This is so so so helpful to know. Because I would have been in the same situation where I spend most of my budget on the speakers, and have much lesser for the amp.
Your review and analysis is incredibly detailed and helpful. So well presented. Thank you
Great Review! I have the 5.2's and drive them with an older Rotel power that I've had for many years. They really do sing!!!! The old amp was highly recommended 25 years ago and matches very well with my new Elac's. The 5.2's were a great addition to my desktop system.
Wow I just picked up a classic rotel last week & paired it with elacs 6.2s incredible combo previous had them hook up to onkyo 8511 sound is decent.the rotel rx603 great classic.👊
Nice to hear old amps being used with new speakers.
Thank you for sharing * What an enjoyable & insightful review & you have such a wonderful vocabulary to express your listening experience :-) You have helped me decide not to get these , as the Yamaha CRX-N470 dab midi streaming system at 22w per channel I have just bought doesn't sound like it will pair nicely at at all. Sending well wishes from Scotland*
I have the b6. 2 and your review perfectly works for mine too, thumb up
Thanks for the great review, I appreciate your transparency in talking about what would make these suitable or unsuitable for a given user. I ended up going with them, based on your "who is this for" criteria, and absolutely love them for those exact reasons; I give them good input, and they really sing. Cheers! Keep up the great work.
Great review. Many thanks for this video as I have them and I am super happy with them. Great upgrade from my B&W 602 S3 (and a great deal smaller). For the price, it is great value for money and a great entry level speakers set and ideal for a beginner audiophile like myself. I choose these instead of the 6.2 (which was about €50 more) mainly because I have a small room but I also read that Andrew Jones designs for this size first (not a verifed fact). Your conclusion is mixed but in the middle the review seems very favourable and as I have had these for about 5 months, I very much agreed with you on many points. However, I highly recommend these.
@Display2012 I found the Elac 5.2s so much better than the B&W 602 S3. Even though the Elacs have lower sensitivity, outputing at the same noise level, the Elacs were crispier, clear, with better sound stage and good low frequencies. I now use the B&W for TV/movie viewing and the Elacs for listening to high-end music files/stream or CDs.
Very detailed & unbiased review ...subbed
Thank you for this information! It helped me decide.
One of your best reviews!
Deep & Clear Info 🔭🧪🌍
Hi from India & Thank You for the Video 🇮🇳🙏
Great review. I have the 6.2's with the elac 3010 sub with room correction which I drive with my Macintosh ma252 and this speaker setup sounds amazing. To the most out of these speaker's you d
You're running a $4,500 amp into sub-$300 speakers??
very thoughtful review and consistent with my experience
Trully magnificent review. Very detailed and unbaised. I own Elacs B6.2 paired with an old Sony TA-FE530R amp and they sound great, but I will definitely be upgrading the amplifier in the near future. I am also considering a DAC and a subwoofer, just for a little bit of added umph in the lower frequencies. Other than that, I love and enjoy the neutral, clean sound they produce.
Cheers!
Your reviews really go the extra mile, well done Srboljub. I wanted to know have you heard the mark i version of this speaker? For me, I thought they were better than the mark ii. They had an integrated character to the sound that I think is missing in these. I was curious about the mark ii so I got a pair and did some extensive A/B listening. The originals are softer admittedly but their overall tone draws you in to the music in a way that these never did for me. They also have a deeper and fuller bass. I'd love to see you review the mark i if you can track them down.
As always, I love 💕 your reviews.
Excellent review again, would love to hear your comments on the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 which are the next level in soundstage and neutrality. Or even the new Uni-Fi Reference. Thanks a lot as one of the best audio contributors on youtube!
Thanks for your review, but in my opinion you should go with B6.2, the price don't has a big difference and is more close with your s LS 50, I have both and I think the elac is more transparent than ls50....I can compare elac with Audiovector , cost 20X more and for me , maybe is the best speaker in all actuality market. Thanks
Try this one with audiolab 6000a...the heaven!!
That's the best review of these or any speaker for that matter that i have ever watched. Very detailed in depth non biased review. Well done. I have these speakers and was going to upgrade from SMSL SA98E to a NAD 316bee V2 but opted to save some cash and get a SMSL AO200 instead. Because i also have a Wharfedale subwoofer.
I hope i'll be happy for a few more years.
I think your review of the DA-9 (AO200's brother) said that would pair well with these speakers. Might have to use another DAC or upgrade from my Topping E30 though will have to see.👍
Could you give some examples of the least expensive gear that would produce a godd sound out of them? I'm not sure they're worth buying if you have to spend more they're worth on dac/ amps for them to perform well...
Well done review my friend I have the 6.2 & you spot on with review good budget speakers these elacs pair with a decent amp cant go wrong.
...I just ordered dbr62 because of curiosity (with 60 day trial), the same thing was reported about them regarding the quality of source in review by zerofidelity. I am going to hook them to naim xs2 so will see. I kind of like budget gear, I never heard anything from so popular elac and was always curious ,...so now I am going to give them turn finally and fullfill my curiosity :).
I do not know about 2.0 B5.2 but dbr62 is an unbeliveble performer, ....this is first speaker in my setup which has somewhat good frequency response, and I hapen to delete many speakers from my shortlist of upgrades,..those which measure bed
Indeed! Elac debut's are different beast when drive properly.. I tried it with topping mx5 and it's too bright and lacking of bass, i upgraded to denon pma600ne and it absolutely blew my mind what this speakers are capable of, you don't even need a sub woofer
Thank you for a very helpful review. I am particularly impressed by the fact that you revealed that these speakers cater to a certain category of buyers and if you are not so inclined, you should pass. You probably saved me a lot of frustration.
What model of the Wharefdale Diamond speakers did you have in mind? There seem to be so many. Thanks.
At that time I was listening to Diamond 220. I know there is a newer Diamond series currently, but I haven't tried that one and price of those hiked too.
Your review about these is accurate especially 15.03 part ! I eventually sold them .. I loved them though .. but excitement for songs were same when compared with other speakers, even Old less detailed Onkyos were more exciting! Could you do review of Catrina or Vela please?
cool review! i’m sure they sound fine enough
Great review, but I don't understand why you have to buy them if they are so demanding. If you have to use heier tier amp and dac and cables/interconnects, why would you go for Elac debut 2.0 series and not debut reference/unifi 2.0, or JBL studio 5xx, or fine audio 5xx series, or dali oberon 3/5.....I'll stop here, because there is so much more to chose from in 600-1K price tag, which I think will reveal more and be more engaging if you mach them with some good amp like pas 2xxx/nad/rega and etc. and a good source. I think these speakers can sound good with that type of equipment, but why them and not something more, if you can afford it? The only obvious usage I see if you spend more of your hard earned money for electronics and you are on the limit of your budget, and you still don't want to make compromise with sound. Until you can afford something better to match with the rest of your system. I can't find other usage of low cost revealing sounding but demanding speaker, because these demands cost lots of money.
Any thoughts on how they would perform with either Vista Audio Spark, Sprout 100 or Aiyima A07?
Quickly becoming one of my favorite audio channels. Well done, sir!
Perfect review as usual...love those speakers.
Srboljub, you must have broken these in - which is something that I definitely found that they needed. Initially, they are thin and a bit bright, but with 50+ hours of break in - I placed them face-to-face and wired one out of phase, and used a low pitch (~38Hz) overnight a couple of times, and music for a couple of days in the same way - and they get the sound quality you mention. I like them.
They do need some mods to get closer to their potential. I really like Elac speakers - at least the ones I have heard.
I have an upgrade manual available for the Elac DB5.2 speakers. Here's what a customer said:
"I’ve had these speakers for six months and have thoroughly enjoyed them. They were a fantastic buy last Christmas at $199, however I recently completed the mod from Neil, and that takes these speakers to another level; smoother presentation, increased transparency, greater detail and a more controlled bass. The upgrade process was a little bit of a challenge for me but Neil was very helpful with further instructions by email and this can be accomplished by just about anybody. Highly recommended!”
”I had no problem putting everything back together and I am extremely pleased with the results! Here are a few adjectives to describe what I’m hearing: smooth (I wasn’t expecting that), refined, transparent, detailed, sparkle and the bass is well controlled. I’m glad I decided to tackle this. You’ve really done the owners of this speaker a great service. I never thought I’d find another speaker that I liked better than my Snell [Type E/II], at a fraction of the price no less but here it is!”
I paired a Cambridge audio axa35 with my Elac debut 5.2, it sounds great 👍
Very solid review, thank you!
I still have the B5.2 although I upgraded to the Focal Aria speakers.
My only criticism of them reflects your review. At what I call sitting room volumes they are lovely warm with the lowest base reach of anything at the price.
What made me upgrade was at lower volumes (bedroom volumes) they just die. Think of 360 degree tern of the volume button .I eventually found the exact 2>3 degree point below with they loose their voice from the lower mid frequencies up.
I frequently listen to music at low volumes in the evening and these just frustrated me too much to keep.
At the time I still used a Sony dh190 integrated amp which whilst far from expensive still had 100W per channel, and is a budget amp I could also recommend(though unfortunately it just has those spring bare wire speaker fittings ).
As it happens I am just about to get the RME fs DAC and I wander haw they would sound with the volume variable "Loudness function" of that DAC .It might be able to improve the low volume sound of these speakers.
It would be nice if you tried Dali Spektor 2... They're in the price range of what you've been testing, maybe even cheaper sometimes, and they're supposed to be really nice.
Thank you for this review. Could you please review ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52? Thank you!
Thank you, good man! Great review.
I gather that these speakers were designed to be used as surround sound speakers in home theater add a large good Sub like REL . Im planning to use these as Height Front and Rears in a Auro 3D experience.
Best review for elac 5.2 !!!! Man well done 👍.. Which afortable DAC are you recommend with These elacs?
Great review!😬
The best review for these speakers I’ve seen! Would you recommend them for this system:
Technics SL 1200 MK2 w/ Goldring E3
Technics SU-V8 Integrated DC Amplifier
Thank you very much!
Awesome review.
Very detailed and thorough review, thank you.
I am looking at these and the Debut 6.2s. I am reaseaching an upgrade from the Sony SS-CS5 speakers and a Yamaha RS202 receiver. Main source is a Raspberry pi 4 with a Hifiberry Digi Pro+ hat streaming Tidal and a HD with my CD collection in flac files. I am looking at the Demon PMA-600NE, Yamaha AS-501 and the Emotiva TA-100. The Denon is on the top of my list at the moment but which one would you think would pair the best with these speakers? Or could you recommend different speakers? I was also looking at the Wharfdale Diamond 12.1 and 12.2 speakers.
Pokušaj ih malo usporedit sa B6.2 verzijom ako budeš imao prilike? Inače, zvučnici za te novce su top opcija
Great review, But still cannot deside between elac debut 2.0 B5.1,QAcustics 3020i & Jbl A130, i will be pairing with Denon avr x 250bt. Any suggestions?. Thanks in advance
Great and thorough review ..... Overall would you call these a "warm" speaker, I have one set of speakers that are quire "bright" and looking for something a litle warmer.
Hey there. Good review. Don't laugh at me for asking a probably silly question but, how are these for the desktop PC?
@iiWi Reviews - you mentioned that paring od those speakers is crucial.
Would loxilje a30 be good pairing?
Would smsl DA9 + soncoz la-qxd1 be better pairing? Good enough or still not enough for those speakers?
Odlična recenzija...resi mi, šta prikačiti na 5w u a klasi,cev el84 u sobi od 15m2?cenio bih tvoj savet...ostatak opreme je dac topping 10s i gomila dsd fajlova sa nas-a?
Amazing review! Thank you so much. I’m about to purchase the Onkyo TX 8220. Do you think this receiver will make these Elam shine?
You said you don't like grills because they influence the sound. Okay, I agree. Then you contradicted yourself right after that, when you said you liked a metal cover over the sensitive tweeter. Surely that reflective hard metal surface right up next to the tweeter will be more detrimental to sound quality than any cloth grill. I realize there are tiny holes in the metal shield, but still there is at least 50% reflective metal immediately in front of the tweeter. That can not be good for best sound quality.
It's like buying nice lamps, then keeping the plastic cover on them to protect them.
Thanks! Glad I came across your Review and really enjoyed listening to you in depth review....I thought it was going to be the C5.2...which I am strongly considering buying to replace my pretty new Klipsch R - 52C - I want more detail and sound stage etc. fm my Center with Clear Dialogue., the 52C give that....but I want all the different sounds too! I enjoy my Home Theater ! This review would surely apply to the qualities of the 5.2 Center... so, it sounds like you have finally made my decision except - I'd better tell you what AVR would be feeding it: A NEW Denon S760H; 75W; 5.1.2 HT. What do you think? Is there another Center you'd recommend I check out before I pull da plug! TKS michael
Hi I love your channel, I have been watching your channel for a year now, lovely style, honesty, and grat that you put your recommendation as well. I consider to buy these elacs for my father, do you think smsl da9 is up to the challenge or smsl a300. That's how far my budget would go. As a dac I would buy smsl sanskrit 10th MK2. If you would have any thoughts please share with me ! Thank you ! 😊
Great review! I've just bought these and playing them with Denon Ceol N7. It sounds great but I sense that it can sound even better. What is your opinion about combination with SMSL A300? Thanks!
I know I'm very late to the party on this review but I have to ask would you pair them with the Loxjie A30?
Thanks you if you see this and comment...
I haven't tried A30, but I did a very similar SMSL SA300 and Sabaj A10a, so I will base my opinion on those. It should be able to create a very pleasant and full-bodied sound that resembles a lot to NAD house sound. I believe that would be a pretty nice match to ELACs tonally, especially if you don't listen your music too loud, cause these amps are not a powerhouse. So think of full, tonally correct, pleasant sound. that is not that analytical or punchy... I have to mention NAD gear again here. If that sounds OK to you, this combination might bring some pretty nice tunes.
Also, bare in mind that if you ever wish for more power, insight, and punch, ELACs can scale quite nicely with better gear backing them.
Just watch your superb review. Given that the Monitor Audio Bronze 2 are now discontinued, would you (or anybody) have other suggestions for front ported speakers in that price range that would be a good match for the Topping MX3 ? In any case, thanks for all those great reviews.
Do you think the Debut 6.2's wold be a good match with a Denon DRA800H 2 channel receiver?
Nice review, especially the "diva" terms. If I have NAD C316 BEE ampli and Schiit Modi 3 DAC.. would it be the best partner for this speaker?
I believe it would be a nice match... Speakers will be the strongest link of the three in my opinion, so if you ever wish to upgrade anything in the future, keep them the longest.
Excelent rev ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hello my name is José I like the review you did on the Elac Debut 2.0 B5. Now I’m looking to put together a small sound system or inexpensive one .
Now my question is . ¿ What kind of amp will go with the Elac ? Thanks for the review.
Awesome review👏🏻
Just one question, do you thing a Yamaha Aventage a2a can drive these well ( 5.1 ser up- 4 elac B52 and C53 center plus powered sub )
I haven't heard that Yamaha, I'm not much into multichannel sound. But looking at its specs I feel it would have enough power to drive them properly. Not sure how would they match tonally.
From my experience, I think you are wrong to recommend Wharfedale Diamonds (in general...) with low end gear. I have Wharfedale Diamond 9.0+Topping 10s DAC + Aiyima 07 amp and the whole experience is bright, thin and scratchy. I watched your video with them and it was only bearable with Schiit Loki treble turned down as far as possible. Even then it was not a great experience. My recommendation to your Topping + yamaha friend would be give them away to charity shop and save up to buy KEF LSX (my main listening system...) - that would solve the mix & match angst and leave them with great sound... Anyway thanks for heads up on the elacs, I suspect they would sound even worse with my gear!
Thank you for such detailed review, now I know the Elac's are not for me. You saved me all the trouble to order and have to sell them later, but I would like to ask for a recommendation. I have a Musical Paradise Mp 303 amp that is a class d but a bit on the bright side. I have the KEF Q350 but they don't match well, there are some sibilances and harshnes. I would like to know if there's something under $700 that can be a good match for my amp.
Purchased 2 of these for front of a C5.2 center speaker to go with 2 Sony 10 inch subs and Sony core series rears and Atmos speakers on my Onkyo TX-NR696 Curious to see if I will feel the difference between these and the cheaper Sony's fronts would have been.
Great review. Do you think these would match well with a Yamaha R-S300? Or does that not come up to the standards of the Elac's? Thanks, and keep up the good work
Thanks but I haven't heard R-S300 so I don't know its qualities.
Hi, i've read both of your blog reviews of this speaker and topping M3xs DAC. Would they be good enough to be combined/paired? (Desktop PC ), Thank you for your review
Awesome review. I have Cambridge Audio Azur 551r. Will this work well. Thank you bro. ❤️❤️❤️
Many thanks for such detailed and well researched review.
I have a question :
Would they match well with the Audiolab 6000a ?
I literally just bought that combo. Paring with a pro-ject debut carbon evo. They arrive on Wednesday.
Great review, I really appreciate your honesty, you gained a sub! I was thinking about building a CD player setup, and the Elac Debut b6.2/5.2 are good candidates for the speakers, but I'm also considering Dali Spektor 2 and Q Acoustics 3020i. The real question is: which amp would be right to get the most out of the Elacs without spending a fortune? Are the other speakers I mentioned less "demanding"? Specifically I'd look for a bluetooth amp (receiver I guess) that doesn't cross the 300 euros line. Used can be an option. I'd just need confirmation because, as you said, it's useless to get them if the rest of setup isn't on the same level.
Thanks! I haven't heard Spektor, but personally I prefer Elacs to Q Acoustics. Affordable but good amp, take a look at SMSL AO200. That one is hard to beat when it comes to price to performance ratio, and it has a BT too. There's a full review here on the channel.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for the advice. I wasn't really looking at class D amps but they seem to be good. Do you still think that the elacs are the best in that price range? Or is there something better, even if it costs a bit more.
Nothing that I've tried so far bettered them.
@@iiWiReviews Great. Thanks again!
Great review... finally a decent one for the B5.2 speakers. Do you think the B5.2 paired with the C5.2 and a sub on Yamaha RX-V485 AVR would work well together in a 3.1 system? Viewing distance might be about 10-15ft (closer to 10).
Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't know much about that particular Yamaha and its sound signature. If it possess decent amount of power and it's not bright sounding, than it should be OK.
As others have stated, your video review is very informative. My question is this, I have the Onkyo NR7100 AVR hooked up to the fronts are Wharfedale valdus 400, infinty entra point five center, sub and rears. I am looking to replace the center with the Elac Debut 2.1 C5.2, any thoughts?
Hi, great video. I am interested in buying these speakers or db6.2, but i don't now if they will perfrom well with my equipment. I have Topping DX3 Pro+ as DAC and an old Denon AVR X500 to amplify. Do you think that is better to buy a power amp before go for them?
With my marantz nr 1200, they rock! I need to add a sub!!!
Hi, enjoying ur review..what will be the best suitable power amp sub $200 for this speaker? I have Topping E30 and Zendac
Any recommended electronics to go along with this speakers? How about Denafrips Ares II? Or with Bluesound Powernode?
Hi. I thoroughly enjoyed your review. Thank you. I have ordered these speakers and the Denon RCD N9. Are they a good match?
How is elac and Denon...Matching ?
@@abhishekhariharan2086 They were an ok match. However, I returned the Denon and separately bought a Norge Concerto Gold amplifier. Combination is now awesome