It's awesome to see a grown man sweat so much while saying he's trying to look nice and professional 🤣 Randy, you're the funnest [sic]!!! Seriously dude, you kill me, I've loved everything you've done. Hope you and Ron will talk about the unifi reference in contrast to the Polk reserves someday on your podcast. Keep it up, Chuck! 🤘
Yes, in the UK it's sold as the Simply Red edition. For Electro I recommend the German version of the U96 (waterproof). But please skip the portable U2, no Bono.
I listened to a Bob Dylan cd on Elac speakers. It sounded like an old man whining out of time and off key. I investigated further and discovered the speakers were giving a perfect reproduction of Bob Dylan, that is how he sounds.
@@andreassouth1523 Add a Sub. I have a REL T5 to dig down there with my DBR-62s. I've come to realize that most rooms don't like bass in the speaker position anyhow and you can put your subs anywhere. So bookies and subs are great.
I can attest that even with my setup being nearfield PC use at just over 2' distance, for both music and gaming, even after hours of listening at loud volume to really enjoy the content I never once had any fatigue what so ever with the Unifi Reference. I have them paired with the IOTAVX SA3 & PA3 since they sort of need that extra power and they really shine, also added an SB1000 Pro for when my neighbors are not home and it just blends perfectly with these speakers.
Same scenario here, PC , nearfield ELAC's and a sub. I thought my UniFi 2.0's integrated great with my single SB-2000 Pro, until I replaced it with a REL HT1003 mk2. I had no idea. Music is even more enjoyable now. Try it out. I don't even miss the app.
@@efrainl Agreed, the REL's work like magic with these speakers, well every speaker I have played with them actually. I have since bought into REL, started with the 1205 mk1, then got the 1508 because the 1205 was so impressive. I bought the 1508 purely for movies, but I was not expecting this 15" subwoofer at low volume to blend and sound so brilliantly with music as well. Sold the SVS and put the 1205 in another system for my gf.
Thanks Randy, great review. It is great Elac learns from their years of experience with the Debut Reference to improve on what they had. It always cost more to pay for that next 10% or so improvement.
i get the sense that mr. jones knows what he's doing. front ported practical speakers with basic cabinets and serious drivers & crossovers. $600 gets you good not so neutral non-fatiguing sound and $1k gets you full on accurate airy non-fatiguing sound.
Except these are not basic cabinets... They are heavy and well braced. Stand behind them and listen. Most of the sound is going forward. The room becomes the speaker.
You said the criton would be thee speaker to compare all others against. Unifi are more expensive, so how do they compare and which would you own long term?
I actually would love to see some comparison between the Elac and the Kef Q Series. For some reason, I could not find anyone who put the UniFi up against the Kef... although it seems like a no-brainer since they are both concentric designs
I can attest to the break in period for the elacs. I ran them with a sub for a long time because I wasn’t happy with the bass. After a month like that I unplugged the sub and couldn’t believe my ears. I unplugged the sub and haven’t used it for the past 3 years. I’m running the Debut 6.2’s
I had two subs on two stereos with b&w's. Got rid of both subs. Elac dbr reference shakes my couch with just a small hybred tube amp. Plays 35 htz just fine. Thats low enough for music and movies IMO.
Good stuff, loved the Debut Reference, but I was a bit surprised when they announced the $999 pricing on the Uni-Fi Reference. Are the Uni-Fi's really $400 or 40% better than the Debut Ref's?
I've seen this markup not only for Elac but on newer models (somewhat same series) from other manufacturers and like you I have my doubts. I think there is an increase in the cost of materials due to the times we're living.
3 way speakers are way more difficult to design and test. Fact. They usually need more power to drive also. I expect to pay minimum 2x to 3x the price of a two way design to see or hear any improvement with a 3way speaker over a great two way element design. How do I know this....
UBR62 is double the price of DBR62. But it is worth it if you like detail. (and the coax setup tweeter-mid) give you HUGE soundstage. It gobbles current like crazy (D class Hypex, Purifi, etc are the most cost effective way to feed them) And the DBR62 are FANTASTIC for the price.
What kind of dac would do the Elac Unifi Reference justice? Warm, neutral, bright? What price point would bring out the best without being overkill. Opinions appreciated.
Ditto. I am quasi-committed to the unifi ref UBR62 but am uncertain of an appropriate integrated amp to do them justice. Cambridge cxa61 / Onkyo tx8270 / Marantz nr1200 / other?????
Been listening to my new DBR62's (Scratch and dent sale) for a few hours and they are fantastic. Not Pure Direct, but Straight (DSP'd) through a Yamaha 3060 AVR. Listening primarily to trance/new age/instrumentals/jazz. I thought the bass was going to be dull, but the bass is actually very present, accurate and tight. I'm very impressed. At times I think I'm going to have an eargasm the sounds are sooooo good. I will paint that tweeter grill black though.
Good morning Randy. Since you mentioned that you're using the Monoprice stands. Did you fill them with sand/kitty litter? If not, you should do it. It will deaden the stand.
Thanks for the comparison, I've been waiting for this review since unifi reference released. I have debut reference and have been upgraded the tweeter capacitor with Jantzen alumen Z, the treble now are more detailed, more opened and smoother than standard.
@@cheapaudioman I only replace the tweeter caps which has 2.7uF value, the replacement caps - Jantzen alumen Z was so big, so I glued the caps on the back of the cabinet just bellow the crossover and I extend the wire about 15cm so it can reach the crossover section. First impression was it sounds smoother than the original caps, it need about 50-80 hours to reach it's potential.. The high more open and improved clarity and yet still neutral. Overall the original speaker's character was still like the original
Luv your videos. Still watching these videos in Germany about Debuts and Unifis and thinking: This is not ELAC. Not really. These are AJ speakers sponsored by Elac Franchise US office. Nevertheless I like both series. Loving the Vela🤤 Edit: the Carina is dope and besting the Unifi Ref at the exact same price point in my opinion.
@@DigitalPhilosophers I found a used set of adantes at a good price. Would you say a Marantz 9.2 receiver is enough to drive them or need a separate amp?
Uni Fi reference has different speakers, different wave guides, difference speaker distances as the Unifi tweeter is blended into the bass speaker, and probable a lot better materials in the crossover. Its probably tuned way more neutral also. Debut reference is probably voiced to be a little more excitable presentation for the people who buy in that price range and the Unifi is probably voiced as neutral as possible for the audiophile...
Your videos are getting better and better! Have you thought about adding simple in-room measurements? Because I've noticed that many of the sound descriptions you give can be seen in some frequency responses in the internet (less extended but more neutral base, more neutral upper midrange).
This is not really a good comparison because the Unifi's are 2 times the price of the Debut Reference. Should have compared it with the Unifi 2.0 instead. They retail for the same price of $699.
Hey Randy! Can you please give your impressions on each speaker you review, about low volume listening, I think many of us listen music about 1/4 volume or so, and you know speakers can sound different at different levels.
I enjoy your price comparison more and more. People buy jet skies and never say much about the cost and still think it's outrageous to put the same amount on hifi
Upgraded from Debut 2.0 B6.2 to Uni-fi reference about a week ago. And could say, it's a huge step forward for listening hard rock and especially black metal, for this genres midrange is very detailed on unifi compared to harsh noise on debut. But for pop, EDM, DnB, ambient, blues or jazz - Debut was pretty good, and it's speed and details was fairly enough.
Not only double the price point but also a 3-driver vs a 2-driver. These can't be compared realistically. $999 borders on not affordable for many. I'm wondering with the Uni-Fi 2.0 available around $400 in Amazon Warehouse and is also a 3-way, unless the UR drops into the $600 range then what's the point even considering it? Might have a tad better low end but we "all" have subs so it's not necessary IMO. I like it but I'll wait for a cosmetically damaged pair.
Congrats on getting this comparison out early. Answers most questions about these 2 speakers. However, can you speak about dialogue clarity, I assume that the the Uni-Fi would excel ?
So which is your fav speaker from Elac. What would you recommend to someone looking out for bookshelves ? Debut or reference? Also, if dinosaurs on the moon came across Andrew Jones sunbathing, would they eat him or hold him up to the skies as their King and saviour? Because as anyone would tell you, the Elac sound is very easy on the ears, totally great for long listening sessions and especially sweet to the sensitive ear drums of the T Rex.
Keep ‘em coming Ron, you rock. Elac needs to work on their naming structure, so confusing. I actually BOUGHT the wrong speaker (debut 6.2??) due to this. Maybe it’s my own stupidity and nobody else has a problem with it? I would be curious about your comparison to the (new) reference vs. those kit built speakers you were raving about….thoughts?
@@knobbshots you are good with the debut 6.2, if you want to have the best of this speaker make sure to have a good power amp, or integrated amp and you will enjoy the most of it. I have a set of this speaker powered by QSC GX3 they are wonderfull sounding speakers
Uni Fi reference in the UK is double the US price: it's over $2000!! But the Elac Vela BS 403 ($2500 in the US i.e. 1.5x the UFR) in the UK costs just $350 more than the UFR @$2350). What's going on?? This is crazy pricing - it makes more sense in the UK to get the Vela as it's supposed to be more 'high-end'.
Seems like you should include the Polk R200's since you're looking beyond the $550-$600 of the old unis and the DBR62 . Napilopez published a spino on ASR for the R200 and from what I've saw it measures better than the ELACS (both of them). I know you liked the R100 but the R200 is only $100 more (=$700) than the L100 or the DBR62 and it keeps the comps in the 6.5 inch range (apples to apples) :) I think JoeNTell's (in room) measurement of the UBR62 suggested it was a little bass deficient and you glossed this as being "more honest or neutral" than the DBR62. How sure are you about that? How do you know what the bass on your test tracks should sound like?
imo, i found the tweeter on the uni-b52 to be veiled and kind of heavy. dullish. the mids are the b52's strength. is the tweeter improved with the new uni reference? is there 'air'? can it soar?
I wonder what it would cost to send my Polk r 200s to Randy to check out ? 43 pounds in total weight. My speakers would Famous for being on the show 😆 Plus I want to know how they stand up to these Elacs. I live in Oklahoma close to the Fort smith Arkansas border.
@@fwabble Incorrect, Randy is the right person to send them to. At the end of the day, measurements don’t mean anything. If a manufacturer has managed to make a product sound good, then it is good, period.
Thks for comparison. I bought them just today. My amplifier is a McIntosh MA6500. I use these speakers on the Chanel B. I love the sound but there a lot of bass…sometimes too much and I have the suspect that this amplifier is not the perfect match…
It would be better if you said, in the beginning that the UNIFIED was $1200 and the DEBUT ABOUT $600 everything would have made more sense. But it was a good video!
I bought some of the Unifi Reference on the pre-sale, based on yours and a few other's reviews. With the Monoprice stands, did you fill them with kitty litter, or do any of the other recommended treatments to them, like some recommend?
This may generate some controversy, but to my mind, the Debut is the right choice. I’ve seen many live music performances and *none of them* were “airy” or “bright”. Sure, a small bell sounds bright, as it should, but cymbals sound like cymbals and violins have no “air”. I sold my KEF LS50 for this reason. Wilson Audio, Magnepan and other top manufacturers are not tinkley-sounding. They are neutral - as they should be. Amps should be the same. I mean, you can buy bright sounding gear, but that is a choice for a colored sound. If I want colored sound, I save money by using tone controls. I am quite happy with my Buchardts. I even put the grilles on! Shame on me. I should be excommunicated. Pray for me!
@@cheapaudioman Yes, well since subscribing I've been browsing some of your "back issues". Good stuff! I really liked your Garbage Audio about the Pioneer Quad. Posted a comment offeringf to send you a quad Lp disc I got for 5 bucks. Thought you might want to play a garbage quad disc on your garbage amp. Let me know how I can get this classic Doobie Brothers record to you.
@@77Cardinal I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, the quad is at the doctor and the bill seems to be a bit higher than what I’d feel comfortable spending. So the pioneer is probably being put to sleep…
@@77Cardinal you can shoot me an email if you’d like but I don’t even have the pioneer right now. It quit working and I replaced the filter caps and then the relay wouldn’t stay closed. The guy who I took it to quoted me a stupid high number and I just left it there
Sir Randy, what do you mean with painful "ooph" @13:40 when switching back to the Unify References? Is this a negative or a positive "ooph" for the Unify References? Love your reviews!
Oh wait these are $1,000 speakers and pre-order only! That's way I can't find them anywhere. Must have missed that somehow. They are slightly on different levels to compare since the Uni-Fi should come out on top else the project is a failure.
Doing the UBR and DBR comparison here at home. I can't drink the UBR cool-aid. Sorry. LOVE their accuracy, sound stage and imaging. Love love love it. Hate the HD800 - like pain that starts around 80db SPL. I can't deal. They also sounded anemic so I tried bi-amping, which gave better results, but still resulted in a cold and sterile presentation with a hot peak. So not for me. IMHO, crossover needs a complete rework, or I'm just not a fan of a 3-way. Give me a DBR with UBR accuracy any day. I could completely redo the crossover with boutique parts, but beyond that I don't have the skill to fix it. I doubt it could be mellowed by just part swaps alone. Such a shame since the UBR is so _close_ to being a great and special speaker. I've heard so much better than these endeavours. Its time to give my bro a call (Teo Audio) to see what he can do in my price range.
@@NightFlight1973 Why the change of heart? I had the DBR62 and loved them but had to play with tone controls (+1db treble, +2db bass) to be satisfied. Stock tuning was a little too safe for me. Even coming from Kef LS50 and Focal Aria 906 I didn't find myself missing the detail really. The LS50 were technically more impressive (everything sounded super tight, precise and revealing) but there was a "hardness" to the sound and they felt really closed in and direct.. as in not open or wide. I found them not to disappear well.. they were like 2 beams of super dense, precise, impressive sound.. but kind of a tense experience. The Aria 906 were really underwhelming for me.. I suppose they sounded open but the tweeter sounded "hissy" and irritating to me.. and the bass was disappointingly weak, nor did it seem to make up for it in tightness or precision.. it just felt weak and fluffy. I honestly may have even preferred my Kef Q100 to the Focals.. The DBR62 were just a speaker that really allowed me to drift away and get lost in the music.. I found they disappeared well and felt open, wide, deep, really immersive.. It's one of those speakers that constantly made me do a double take because I'd think I was hearing something right outside my bedroom door.. or something outside my window.. but it was just the music. If I had anything to complain about with the DRB62 I'd say that sometimes the midrange felt slightly recessed or maybe lacking a little warmth/body/density in the lower mids or thereabouts?.. But I wonder if this tuning is partially what gives them their magic? Also coming from the LS50 I'd sometimes miss their ultra tight and clean bass that sounded absolutely phenomenal on percussions (particularly drums) but even still I felt the DBR62 struck a nice balance of grunty warm bass with enough tightness. And sometimes the LS50 bass felt maybe too tight like I'd want it to bloom a bit more at times.. but on drums sheesh.. they sounded exceptional to me. So now I find myself considering the UBR62 but am afraid of compromising the smooth, immersive, buttery sound of the DBR62 for something potentially sterile, dry, and more in my face.. I'd be curious to hear more of your feelings on how they compare after all this time. Also if you notice a difference in power requirements?
@@tpn8402 Eventually the UBR went up for sale to someone who would appreciate them more. I think a really good amp to drive them was in order. I was only using a Firstwatt clone which is 35 Watts into 8ohms. While perhaps the best amp I've ever owned, it requires very sensitive speakers of ~90db and above. It can drive the DBR if you are listening at moderate levels. At the time of sale I was leaning towards keeping the FirstWatt and moving towards more sensitive speakers. Then I snagged a new pair of Magnepan LRS.... and rabbit hole appeared beneath my feet. I'm back to the DBR62 - I simply could not sell them to make way for the LRS. However, the DBR are being driven by a True Image CM-2500 while I hunt for that unicorn amp that can drive the maggies. The true image amplifier is an 80lb monster, but it runs out of gas pretty quick with the ribbon speakers. It turned out to be a complete failure for those. The UBR would have loved this amp - 125W @ 8ohms. I initially thought it was 125W of class A, it had the build for it - with a printed 4 ohm load on the back.. but it can't deliver and its not class A. That being said, driving 6 to 8ohm load it is a _glorious_ sounding mosfet amp. I've come a long way and realized the importance of amplifier matching. Every amp sounds different with every speaker and I think it a good idea to keep various amps on hand for various loads if you are critical. I have an Anthem SE and a Moscode amp from a friend on the way to test with the maggies. They are such a _biach_ to try and drive.
@@NightFlight1973 It's interesting that you preferred the DBR first, then the UBR, then back to DBR. What makes you prefer the DBR to the UBR overall? I've been demo'ing DBR62 against Buchardt S300 and decided today that I prefer the DBR overall..
@@tpn8402 I think I outlined the reason above. The UBR have accuracy, but the DBR is all about tone and texture. It could be that they are more sensitive than the UBR and amp matching could be more critical -- I'm learning. Right now I'm trying to get a pair of Magnepan LRS to work, but they are amplifier dependant. I have an SF Anthem 2 SE a friend is lending/selling me to test with the LRS. If that can't drive them then I will have to flip them.
Hey, I enjoyed the video, I'm looking yo upgrade from debut 2.0 b6.2's and am between these two speakers leaning towards the uni fi reference. Would the Cambridge cxa81 run these to their potential? Would appreciate it if anyone could steer me in right direction.
Would This Speaker be good fpr Rock Bluesrock and Acustic Stuff? i need a Speaker to have fun and good times with not very Audiophile or listening Classic , But i love Classic Rock Metal and stuff . but im not sure if the UBr62 or a Dynaudio Emit 20 would be my thing . someone can help me?
Your confusing me but , I’m here for the comedy, I got the Sony CCS5 at 120.00 from Best Buy and there great. I’m using them for desktop speakers for my PC with a Denon receiver, you cannot bet the price to performance value. My other system has paradigms with SVS SP4000 sub woofer, the Sony’s are recommended by Galactus5.
Some VERY high end designers don't believe in bi-wiring/bi-amping and don't offer any of their speakers with other than single binding posts. The rest are just pandering to the fools that think it matters, when it doesn't. It just adds those crappy jumpers that do nothing but decrease the sound quality. Ask Danny Richie about that
Not that I've ever bi-amped a set of speakers but I wonder what the UniFi Refs sound like when the bass is hooked up to class D while the mids and tweeter are hooked up to a tube amp? Soundstage could get larger. Bass could be nice and fast. You don't know till you try it. Could be killer sounding system... Or not.
I haven't heard the Unifi but the DBR62s sound better with Class D amplification. It loses some of the warmth in the midrange and tightens up the bass. Since it seems like Class D is the future, please consider adding how a given speaker sounds with Class D amplification. Thanks for another nice review.
Interesting, I used to own and love my DBR62 and only experienced them with class D. I did find the midrange a touch thin but overall loved the sound and who knows if a thicker midrange would have been preferred or not..
For the dollar?Unifi should be better at almost twice the price..Great vid now a shootout withy em all (since it's not on the list gotta see if you did the Bro3)
I have the debut reference, when I listen to them sometimes I like to play them loud and I do find the woofer to start coming apart. Do you think the Uni-fi reference Can play louder and stay together I have a good quality amp and everything going to them they sound great. But sometimes fall apart a little bit and I know I’m asking a lot out of these.
@@briansimmons5363 I'm really curious how the upgraded encores compare to the Criton 2x upgraded model. Thats probably going to determine the next speaker I buy.
Finally somebody who doesn't think wrapping a piece of electric furniture in cheap vinyl is the most sane thing to do. 🤩 Have a beautiful day.
It's awesome to see a grown man sweat so much while saying he's trying to look nice and professional 🤣 Randy, you're the funnest [sic]!!! Seriously dude, you kill me, I've loved everything you've done. Hope you and Ron will talk about the unifi reference in contrast to the Polk reserves someday on your podcast. Keep it up, Chuck! 🤘
Am I the only one who was looking forward to Elac doing a 4" driver release so they could call it the UB40, and release it in red... Red wine?
Nice😅
LOL
Yes, in the UK it's sold as the Simply Red edition.
For Electro I recommend the German version of the U96 (waterproof).
But please skip the portable U2, no Bono.
Haha!!!!!
have to drink a bit to forget the increased distortion though :D
I listened to a Bob Dylan cd on Elac speakers. It sounded like an old man whining out of time and off key. I investigated further and discovered the speakers were giving a perfect reproduction of Bob Dylan, that is how he sounds.
Ha, LOL, that's exactly what I thought when I read your 2nd sentence.
What the speakers? What the amp? You said nothinh
Are you sure it wasn't Neil Young as that sounds like his description too 😂
😂😂😂
Now it would be nice you compare the Unifi Reference against the new Debut B63, especially in combination with a sub.
Love my Debut References, so glad you did this comparison. I feel a little less envious of the new ones. The Debut's are the ones for me.
I'm in the same boat. I appreciate Randy's comparisons too.
How is the bass responce??Really deep/strong or just good for a 6.5'' woofer?
@@andreassouth1523 If you want deep/strong, you're going to need to add a subwoofer. They're really nice speakers but they can't do everything.
@@andreassouth1523 Add a Sub. I have a REL T5 to dig down there with my DBR-62s. I've come to realize that most rooms don't like bass in the speaker position anyhow and you can put your subs anywhere. So bookies and subs are great.
Very deep bass. I do not want a sub for example.
I can attest that even with my setup being nearfield PC use at just over 2' distance, for both music and gaming, even after hours of listening at loud volume to really enjoy the content I never once had any fatigue what so ever with the Unifi Reference.
I have them paired with the IOTAVX SA3 & PA3 since they sort of need that extra power and they really shine, also added an SB1000 Pro for when my neighbors are not home and it just blends perfectly with these speakers.
Same scenario here, PC , nearfield ELAC's and a sub. I thought my UniFi 2.0's integrated great with my single SB-2000 Pro, until I replaced it with a REL HT1003 mk2. I had no idea. Music is even more enjoyable now. Try it out. I don't even miss the app.
@@efrainl Agreed, the REL's work like magic with these speakers, well every speaker I have played with them actually. I have since bought into REL, started with the 1205 mk1, then got the 1508 because the 1205 was so impressive.
I bought the 1508 purely for movies, but I was not expecting this 15" subwoofer at low volume to blend and sound so brilliantly with music as well.
Sold the SVS and put the 1205 in another system for my gf.
Thanks Randy, great review. It is great Elac learns from their years of experience with the Debut Reference to improve on what they had. It always cost more to pay for that next 10% or so improvement.
i get the sense that mr. jones knows what he's doing. front ported practical speakers with basic cabinets and serious drivers & crossovers. $600 gets you good not so neutral non-fatiguing sound and $1k gets you full on accurate airy non-fatiguing sound.
Very nicely stated.
Except these are not basic cabinets... They are heavy and well braced. Stand behind them and listen. Most of the sound is going forward. The room becomes the speaker.
They need to use names that don't all sound the same, so people can differentiate one model from another
You said the criton would be thee speaker to compare all others against. Unifi are more expensive, so how do they compare and which would you own long term?
I actually would love to see some comparison between the Elac and the Kef Q Series. For some reason, I could not find anyone who put the UniFi up against the Kef... although it seems like a no-brainer since they are both concentric designs
@@rolandrohde If I recall correctly, the Audiophilic (Guttenberg ?) mentioned the Kef in his review of the Uni-fi Ref.
@@great100m Thanks. He did mention KEF, but it was the R3 he compared it to which is a different price point...
@@rolandrohde Ok, now I recall that. I was surprised that he compared the Elac favorably to the R3. Tough competition.
I was waiting and requesting this review for a while! Thanks for doing it!
I can attest to the break in period for the elacs. I ran them with a sub for a long time because I wasn’t happy with the bass. After a month like that I unplugged the sub and couldn’t believe my ears. I unplugged the sub and haven’t used it for the past 3 years. I’m running the Debut 6.2’s
I had two subs on two stereos with b&w's. Got rid of both subs. Elac dbr reference shakes my couch with just a small hybred tube amp. Plays 35 htz just fine. Thats low enough for music and movies IMO.
Good stuff, loved the Debut Reference, but I was a bit surprised when they announced the $999 pricing on the Uni-Fi Reference. Are the Uni-Fi's really $400 or 40% better than the Debut Ref's?
66.666666666666666% 🥸
I've seen this markup not only for Elac but on newer models (somewhat same series) from other manufacturers and like you I have my doubts. I think there is an increase in the cost of materials due to the times we're living.
I'd like to know too. I have to admit 400 dollars is alot.
3 way speakers are way more difficult to design and test. Fact. They usually need more power to drive also. I expect to pay minimum 2x to 3x the price of a two way design to see or hear any improvement with a 3way speaker over a great two way element design. How do I know this....
@@peterbaugh51 aren’t these both 3-way?
When you did the knock test - I heard a BIG difference!!
UBR62 is double the price of DBR62.
But it is worth it if you like detail. (and the coax setup tweeter-mid) give you HUGE soundstage.
It gobbles current like crazy (D class Hypex, Purifi, etc are the most cost effective way to feed them)
And the DBR62 are FANTASTIC for the price.
What amp you use for ubr62?
What kind of dac would do the Elac Unifi Reference justice? Warm, neutral, bright? What price point would bring out the best without being overkill. Opinions appreciated.
Ditto. I am quasi-committed to the unifi ref UBR62 but am uncertain of an appropriate integrated amp to do them justice. Cambridge cxa61 / Onkyo tx8270 / Marantz nr1200 / other?????
@@famdesj Which amp did you end up choosing?
Been listening to my new DBR62's (Scratch and dent sale) for a few hours and they are fantastic. Not Pure Direct, but Straight (DSP'd) through a Yamaha 3060 AVR. Listening primarily to trance/new age/instrumentals/jazz. I thought the bass was going to be dull, but the bass is actually very present, accurate and tight. I'm very impressed. At times I think I'm going to have an eargasm the sounds are sooooo good. I will paint that tweeter grill black though.
Great review, man seeing u sweating like that sure made me thankful that I actually had a room with working fans. Keep up the good stuff and humor. 😎
Good morning Randy. Since you mentioned that you're using the Monoprice stands. Did you fill them with sand/kitty litter? If not, you should do it. It will deaden the stand.
Thanks for the comparison, I've been waiting for this review since unifi reference released. I have debut reference and have been upgraded the tweeter capacitor with Jantzen alumen Z, the treble now are more detailed, more opened and smoother than standard.
Very cool. Would love to know a bit more about that.
@@cheapaudioman I only replace the tweeter caps which has 2.7uF value, the replacement caps - Jantzen alumen Z was so big, so I glued the caps on the back of the cabinet just bellow the crossover and I extend the wire about 15cm so it can reach the crossover section.
First impression was it sounds smoother than the original caps, it need about 50-80 hours to reach it's potential.. The high more open and improved clarity and yet still neutral. Overall the original speaker's character was still like the original
Luv your videos.
Still watching these videos in Germany about Debuts and Unifis and thinking:
This is not ELAC. Not really. These are AJ speakers sponsored by Elac Franchise US office. Nevertheless I like both series. Loving the Vela🤤
Edit: the Carina is dope and besting the Unifi Ref at the exact same price point in my opinion.
You like the Carinas over the unfi ref? What about over the debut ref?
@@charlesking678 imho AJ‘s best sounding speakers for Elac are Carina an Adante
@@DigitalPhilosophers I found a used set of adantes at a good price. Would you say a Marantz 9.2 receiver is enough to drive them or need a separate amp?
The showdown we've all been waiting for 😍😍😍
Uni Fi reference has different speakers, different wave guides, difference speaker distances as the Unifi tweeter is blended into the bass speaker, and probable a lot better materials in the crossover. Its probably tuned way more neutral also. Debut reference is probably voiced to be a little more excitable presentation for the people who buy in that price range and the Unifi is probably voiced as neutral as possible for the audiophile...
Most likely not a significant difference in crossover parts quality. Both are probably at the low end.
Three way Xovers are more expensive. And so are concentric drivers.
I'm waiting for the Debut Unifi reference 2.0
Your videos are getting better and better! Have you thought about adding simple in-room measurements? Because I've noticed that many of the sound descriptions you give can be seen in some frequency responses in the internet (less extended but more neutral base, more neutral upper midrange).
I’ve thought about it. I do have a mic so maybe I should start doing that
Great 👍 review. 3 way against a 2 way also. Unifi is the way !!
This is not really a good comparison because the Unifi's are 2 times the price of the Debut Reference. Should have compared it with the Unifi 2.0 instead. They retail for the same price of $699.
Nicely done, sir. Great video quality, too those lights make a difference.
At this price maybe the Adam A7X would be worth a listen, bi-amped and can mix on them for hours. Love your presentation.
Weird. So no mention of the concentric 3way design on the spendy ones.
Hey Randy! Can you please give your impressions on each speaker you review, about low volume listening, I think many of us listen music about 1/4 volume or so, and you know speakers can sound different at different levels.
What? I crank it up to 11. That's why my neighbors hate me 🤟
Sounds like the perfect speaker.
Fantastic review Way to go brother
The question is, as a Debut Reference owner, should I sell and trade up to a Unifi Reference?
double the price ? You can get a subwoofer for the difference
@@joeygonzo No you cant....a sub doesent replace a dual conentric design...even with a sub they wont be better than the Unifi Reference
Great review, can't go wrong with Elac.
How do they compare with SVS Ultras or other speakers at their price point?
Absolutely, this review answered the obviously first question about the DBR, now bring on the Kef's and the SVS's.
How does the Unifi reference compare to the kit speakers???????
I did purchase (2) pairs of the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB53-P52 X-Wing Silver Surfer model for $800.
randy coming with the content we fiend
I enjoy your price comparison more and more.
People buy jet skies and never say much about the cost and still think it's outrageous to put the same amount on hifi
I surely hope that the Unifi's are sound better they are almost twice the price of the Debut...
Do you consider upgrading to Unifi reference from Debut 2.0 is a big step forward? Can the upgrade justify the improve of doing quality?
Upgraded from Debut 2.0 B6.2 to Uni-fi reference about a week ago. And could say, it's a huge step forward for listening hard rock and especially black metal, for this genres midrange is very detailed on unifi compared to harsh noise on debut. But for pop, EDM, DnB, ambient, blues or jazz - Debut was pretty good, and it's speed and details was fairly enough.
Not only double the price point but also a 3-driver vs a 2-driver. These can't be compared realistically. $999 borders on not affordable for many. I'm wondering with the Uni-Fi 2.0 available around $400 in Amazon Warehouse and is also a 3-way, unless the UR drops into the $600 range then what's the point even considering it? Might have a tad better low end but we "all" have subs so it's not necessary IMO. I like it but I'll wait for a cosmetically damaged pair.
14:39 The old days of real model numbers were just better. In my opinion audiophiles should really own both of these speakers.
Congrats on getting this comparison out early. Answers most questions about these 2 speakers. However, can you speak about dialogue clarity, I assume that the the Uni-Fi would excel ?
You a funny man, keep it sasquatchy!
So which is your fav speaker from Elac. What would you recommend to someone looking out for bookshelves ? Debut or reference?
Also, if dinosaurs on the moon came across Andrew Jones sunbathing, would they eat him or hold him up to the skies as their King and saviour? Because as anyone would tell you, the Elac sound is very easy on the ears, totally great for long listening sessions and especially sweet to the sensitive ear drums of the T Rex.
Keep ‘em coming Ron, you rock. Elac needs to work on their naming structure, so confusing. I actually BOUGHT the wrong speaker (debut 6.2??) due to this. Maybe it’s my own stupidity and nobody else has a problem with it? I would be curious about your comparison to the (new) reference vs. those kit built speakers you were raving about….thoughts?
Keep ‘em coming..see, I am an idiot(fixed above)
I have the debut 6.2 as main for the past 2 years, don’t worry you’re good, just remove the grills on the tweeters and place some foam on bottom.
@@knobbshots you are good with the debut 6.2, if you want to have the best of this speaker make sure to have a good power amp, or integrated amp and you will enjoy the most of it. I have a set of this speaker powered by QSC GX3 they are wonderfull sounding speakers
Mr Cheap, drinking coffee in my Stark Ironman cup without nanotech and without the dynamite stick of Sasquatch 1000. I will be OK.
@cheapaudioman the website says depth dimension is 13 1/16", does that include speaker terminals? I have the DBR62 and its 10 1/8" deep.
Metallica - so what.
The best song
Happy Father’s Day sir cheers to a good day to you
Idk how, but this started playing in my pocket and let’s just say I watched it through 😂🤘🏻
Kind of like a train wreck. Can’t turn away can you?
Uni Fi reference in the UK is double the US price: it's over $2000!! But the Elac Vela BS 403 ($2500 in the US i.e. 1.5x the UFR) in the UK costs just $350 more than the UFR @$2350).
What's going on?? This is crazy pricing - it makes more sense in the UK to get the Vela as it's supposed to be more 'high-end'.
Seems like you should include the Polk R200's since you're looking beyond the $550-$600 of the old unis and the DBR62 . Napilopez published a spino on ASR for the R200 and from what I've saw it measures better than the ELACS (both of them). I know you liked the R100 but the R200 is only $100 more (=$700) than the L100 or the DBR62 and it keeps the comps in the 6.5 inch range (apples to apples) :) I think JoeNTell's (in room) measurement of the UBR62 suggested it was a little bass deficient and you glossed this as being "more honest or neutral" than the DBR62. How sure are you about that? How do you know what the bass on your test tracks should sound like?
Hy Randy, pleas tell us: how does Unifi Reference compare with UNifi 2.0 UBS5.2?
Great if you can mention the partnering electronics you used with the speakers :)
imo, i found the tweeter on the uni-b52 to be veiled and kind of heavy. dullish. the mids are the b52's strength.
is the tweeter improved with the new uni reference? is there 'air'? can it soar?
I wonder what it would cost to send my Polk r 200s to Randy to check out ? 43 pounds in total weight. My speakers would Famous for being on the show 😆 Plus I want to know how they stand up to these Elacs. I live in Oklahoma close to the Fort smith Arkansas border.
Wrong person. Send to Amir from ASR and get some actual facts. Then you will know exactly how they sound, and WHY.
@@fwabble Incorrect, Randy is the right person to send them to. At the end of the day, measurements don’t mean anything. If a manufacturer has managed to make a product sound good, then it is good, period.
@@zer0dave LMFAO
I'm wondering the same thing, as the R200's are my babies. I mean, current bookshelf speakers in my home office.
@@fwabble ASR has become a meme.
Thks for comparison.
I bought them just today. My amplifier is a McIntosh MA6500. I use these speakers on the Chanel B. I love the sound but there a lot of bass…sometimes too much and I have the suspect that this amplifier is not the perfect match…
The McIntosh amps look awesome and probably sound awesome but I don't want another mortgage:)
But is it as good as these reviewers are making out overall?
And is the bass just deep or is there some decent upper bass?
Great review Randy
Great job as usual! I need some of that Sasquatch deodorant!
It would be better if you said, in the beginning that the UNIFIED was $1200 and the DEBUT ABOUT $600 everything would have made more sense. But it was a good video!
I bought some of the Unifi Reference on the pre-sale, based on yours and a few other's reviews. With the Monoprice stands, did you fill them with kitty litter, or do any of the other recommended treatments to them, like some recommend?
I miss in your recommendend List the Topping MX3 and the Jamo S803 and S 805. Aren't they good anymore?
Better options are available
I am going to try the Unifi's I think. I have been looking for a great speaker around 1K ish give or take.
Hey dude. How this unifi reference compare to KEF Q350? I have kef Q350 and unifi 2.0. Thinking abiut upgrade to unifi reference.
Just got a promotion, I'm now into jet ski range for gear.
Been off grid gfor a few days, so I'm a bit behind, but these look fantastic!!
This may generate some controversy, but to my mind, the Debut is the right choice. I’ve seen many live music performances and *none of them* were “airy” or “bright”. Sure, a small bell sounds bright, as it should, but cymbals sound like cymbals and violins have no “air”. I sold my KEF LS50 for this reason. Wilson Audio, Magnepan and other top manufacturers are not tinkley-sounding. They are neutral - as they should be. Amps should be the same. I mean, you can buy bright sounding gear, but that is a choice for a colored sound. If I want colored sound, I save money by using tone controls.
I am quite happy with my Buchardts. I even put the grilles on! Shame on me. I should be excommunicated. Pray for me!
Would double Reference, as Reference - Reference, be better?
Which one is better for watching movies in a 2.1 setup?
I like Sasquatch 1000 because it has pre-biotic oat hulls that gently remove stink, hair and skin. And it's made in Lompoc, so you know it's good.
My goodness. I’ve forgotten about Sasquatch 1000
@@cheapaudioman Yes, well since subscribing I've been browsing some of your "back issues". Good stuff! I really liked your Garbage Audio about the Pioneer Quad. Posted a comment offeringf to send you a quad Lp disc I got for 5 bucks. Thought you might want to play a garbage quad disc on your garbage amp. Let me know how I can get this classic Doobie Brothers record to you.
@@77Cardinal I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, the quad is at the doctor and the bill seems to be a bit higher than what I’d feel comfortable spending. So the pioneer is probably being put to sleep…
If you're standing by now, I'll post my phone # so you can copy it to swap info and then delete the post.
@@77Cardinal you can shoot me an email if you’d like but I don’t even have the pioneer right now. It quit working and I replaced the filter caps and then the relay wouldn’t stay closed. The guy who I took it to quoted me a stupid high number and I just left it there
For the price on the sq… unifi or css criton?
Almost GURENTEE the Critons
Sir Randy, what do you mean with painful "ooph" @13:40 when switching back to the Unify References? Is this a negative or a positive "ooph" for the Unify References? Love your reviews!
Good thing for the Uni
@@cheapaudioman Thx Randy 👌
In this price range I would go to the Edifier active 3000 with usb in.
😂 Sasquatch, genius marketing language. I wonder how well it works
Oh wait these are $1,000 speakers and pre-order only! That's way I can't find them anywhere. Must have missed that somehow. They are slightly on different levels to compare since the Uni-Fi should come out on top else the project is a failure.
Doing the UBR and DBR comparison here at home. I can't drink the UBR cool-aid. Sorry. LOVE their accuracy, sound stage and imaging. Love love love it. Hate the HD800 - like pain that starts around 80db SPL. I can't deal. They also sounded anemic so I tried bi-amping, which gave better results, but still resulted in a cold and sterile presentation with a hot peak. So not for me.
IMHO, crossover needs a complete rework, or I'm just not a fan of a 3-way. Give me a DBR with UBR accuracy any day. I could completely redo the crossover with boutique parts, but beyond that I don't have the skill to fix it. I doubt it could be mellowed by just part swaps alone. Such a shame since the UBR is so _close_ to being a great and special speaker.
I've heard so much better than these endeavours. Its time to give my bro a call (Teo Audio) to see what he can do in my price range.
... time passes... UBR are going to stay. DBR are going up for sale.
@@NightFlight1973 Why the change of heart? I had the DBR62 and loved them but had to play with tone controls (+1db treble, +2db bass) to be satisfied. Stock tuning was a little too safe for me. Even coming from Kef LS50 and Focal Aria 906 I didn't find myself missing the detail really. The LS50 were technically more impressive (everything sounded super tight, precise and revealing) but there was a "hardness" to the sound and they felt really closed in and direct.. as in not open or wide. I found them not to disappear well.. they were like 2 beams of super dense, precise, impressive sound.. but kind of a tense experience. The Aria 906 were really underwhelming for me.. I suppose they sounded open but the tweeter sounded "hissy" and irritating to me.. and the bass was disappointingly weak, nor did it seem to make up for it in tightness or precision.. it just felt weak and fluffy. I honestly may have even preferred my Kef Q100 to the Focals..
The DBR62 were just a speaker that really allowed me to drift away and get lost in the music.. I found they disappeared well and felt open, wide, deep, really immersive.. It's one of those speakers that constantly made me do a double take because I'd think I was hearing something right outside my bedroom door.. or something outside my window.. but it was just the music. If I had anything to complain about with the DRB62 I'd say that sometimes the midrange felt slightly recessed or maybe lacking a little warmth/body/density in the lower mids or thereabouts?.. But I wonder if this tuning is partially what gives them their magic? Also coming from the LS50 I'd sometimes miss their ultra tight and clean bass that sounded absolutely phenomenal on percussions (particularly drums) but even still I felt the DBR62 struck a nice balance of grunty warm bass with enough tightness. And sometimes the LS50 bass felt maybe too tight like I'd want it to bloom a bit more at times.. but on drums sheesh.. they sounded exceptional to me.
So now I find myself considering the UBR62 but am afraid of compromising the smooth, immersive, buttery sound of the DBR62 for something potentially sterile, dry, and more in my face.. I'd be curious to hear more of your feelings on how they compare after all this time. Also if you notice a difference in power requirements?
@@tpn8402 Eventually the UBR went up for sale to someone who would appreciate them more. I think a really good amp to drive them was in order. I was only using a Firstwatt clone which is 35 Watts into 8ohms. While perhaps the best amp I've ever owned, it requires very sensitive speakers of ~90db and above. It can drive the DBR if you are listening at moderate levels. At the time of sale I was leaning towards keeping the FirstWatt and moving towards more sensitive speakers.
Then I snagged a new pair of Magnepan LRS.... and rabbit hole appeared beneath my feet.
I'm back to the DBR62 - I simply could not sell them to make way for the LRS. However, the DBR are being driven by a True Image CM-2500 while I hunt for that unicorn amp that can drive the maggies. The true image amplifier is an 80lb monster, but it runs out of gas pretty quick with the ribbon speakers. It turned out to be a complete failure for those. The UBR would have loved this amp - 125W @ 8ohms. I initially thought it was 125W of class A, it had the build for it - with a printed 4 ohm load on the back.. but it can't deliver and its not class A. That being said, driving 6 to 8ohm load it is a _glorious_ sounding mosfet amp.
I've come a long way and realized the importance of amplifier matching. Every amp sounds different with every speaker and I think it a good idea to keep various amps on hand for various loads if you are critical. I have an Anthem SE and a Moscode amp from a friend on the way to test with the maggies. They are such a _biach_ to try and drive.
@@NightFlight1973 It's interesting that you preferred the DBR first, then the UBR, then back to DBR. What makes you prefer the DBR to the UBR overall? I've been demo'ing DBR62 against Buchardt S300 and decided today that I prefer the DBR overall..
@@tpn8402 I think I outlined the reason above. The UBR have accuracy, but the DBR is all about tone and texture. It could be that they are more sensitive than the UBR and amp matching could be more critical -- I'm learning. Right now I'm trying to get a pair of Magnepan LRS to work, but they are amplifier dependant. I have an SF Anthem 2 SE a friend is lending/selling me to test with the LRS. If that can't drive them then I will have to flip them.
How does this compare to the monitor Audio bronze 100 ?.
Would you like to know how they compare to the monitor Audio Bronze 100?
@@rayray8645 of course yes, because I want to purchase some bookshelf speakers,but considering the bronze 100
Did he say.. Wheelyy excited..?
What made your friend go "Uuhh" about the unifi ref?
Hey, I enjoyed the video, I'm looking yo upgrade from debut 2.0 b6.2's and am between these two speakers leaning towards the uni fi reference. Would the Cambridge cxa81 run these to their potential? Would appreciate it if anyone could steer me in right direction.
Would This Speaker be good fpr Rock Bluesrock and Acustic Stuff? i need a Speaker to have fun and good times with not very Audiophile or listening Classic , But i love Classic Rock Metal and stuff . but im not sure if the UBr62 or a Dynaudio Emit 20 would be my thing . someone can help me?
Too bad they are not distributed in France, I cannot test them and I cannot return them if ordered from another European country. Come on Elac!
Jet skis can cost upward of 20 grand now.
Your confusing me but , I’m here for the comedy, I got the Sony CCS5 at 120.00 from Best Buy and there great. I’m using them for desktop speakers for my PC with a Denon receiver, you cannot bet the price to performance value. My other system has paradigms with SVS SP4000 sub woofer, the Sony’s are recommended by Galactus5.
Some VERY high end designers don't believe in bi-wiring/bi-amping and don't offer any of their speakers with other than single binding posts. The rest are just pandering to the fools that think it matters, when it doesn't. It just adds those crappy jumpers that do nothing but decrease the sound quality. Ask Danny Richie about that
Not that I've ever bi-amped a set of speakers but I wonder what the UniFi Refs sound like when the bass is hooked up to class D while the mids and tweeter are hooked up to a tube amp? Soundstage could get larger. Bass could be nice and fast. You don't know till you try it. Could be killer sounding system... Or not.
I haven't heard the Unifi but the DBR62s sound better with Class D amplification. It loses some of the warmth in the midrange and tightens up the bass. Since it seems like Class D is the future, please consider adding how a given speaker sounds with Class D amplification. Thanks for another nice review.
Interesting, I used to own and love my DBR62 and only experienced them with class D. I did find the midrange a touch thin but overall loved the sound and who knows if a thicker midrange would have been preferred or not..
For the dollar?Unifi should be better at almost twice the price..Great vid now a shootout withy em all (since it's not on the list gotta see if you did the Bro3)
He already did the Bro 3 in an earlier review
So how does the unifi reference fair vs Aperion Novus speaker?
I have the debut reference, when I listen to them sometimes I like to play them loud and I do find the woofer to start coming apart. Do you think the Uni-fi reference Can play louder and stay together I have a good quality amp and everything going to them they sound great. But sometimes fall apart a little bit and I know I’m asking a lot out of these.
Kinda sounds like a subwoofer could solve your little problem with ease ^^
Are you in Maryland?
Amplifier matching....? :)
I would so appreciate if I can hear ur thoughts on the Evo 4.1 ?
4.2 video is going up tomorrow morning
@@cheapaudioman Wow nice. You assume they have similar sound..?
These or Polk reference R200?
How do these two speakers compare with the X-LS Encore?
I have the new unifi ub52 and encore X-SLS ans have a few comments my X-SLS build video if interested.
@@briansimmons5363 I'm interested.
@@briansimmons5363 how do they compare. Iam willing to bet the encore is on another plane
@@ufarkingicehole In many ways, yes. Both have good bad points.
@@briansimmons5363 I'm really curious how the upgraded encores compare to the Criton 2x upgraded model. Thats probably going to determine the next speaker I buy.
That deodorant is not being used by the Sasquatch’s you think it is for the purpose you think it is.
now hell send me a couple sticks
Does AJ work on Elac Vela or Carina?