Great video I’m thinking of getting the Elacs. But I only have a budget of under $1,000 for a amp or receiver. I wonder can you recommend one the that budget. I want to stay under $2,000 for the whole setup.
Thanks for your comment, Felix! Yes, absolutely, I can recommend a few different things for you. I was trying to stay under $600 for a set of bookshelf speakers myself. How big is your room? That may have a big impact on what will work best for you. I'm in a 740 square foot loft apartment and the ceilings are ~ 13' high. That said, the speakers I've had in here have not had a problem filling that space with sound. The ELAC Debut reference DBR62 speakers throw out a very wide soundstage and they have a strong center image. The sweet spot is wider than most bookshelf speakers that I've tried here, The bass is good but you may want to augment with a subwoofer in the future if you want the full sound spectrum. So, to answer your question, you will need the speakers, stands, an integrated amplifier, and a source. Have you considered active monitors (they have the amp built into the speakers and you can stream directly to the speakers via Bluetooth)? Do you want to add a turntable? I have the NAD C 316BEE integrated amp and it does a very good job at driving all of the speakers I have tested recently (KEF Q150, ELAC DBR62, Polk L200, Polk Audio LSiM703, Polk S15). The newer version of the NAD has a phono input whereas mine does not. It retails for $449 but you may be able to find it preowned for less (look at USAudioMart, Audiogon, eBay, and Craigslist). If you need (or want) more power, you have some other options. A Musical Fidelity M2Si spent some time with me here and has more power (on paper) than the NAD and has a slightly warmer sound to it compared to the NAD. Again, I would look for a preowned unit so you can save some money. Do you have carpeted floors or hardwood? The speaker stands should put the tweeter at ear height when you are listening. You may want to fill the stand with non-clumping clay cat litter, playground sand (that has been dried out in the oven - you don't want mold!), or lead shot used for filling shotgun shells (availability may vary by where you live - wear a mask and gloves when dealing with lead - it is toxic). Some stands are meant to be filled and some are not so, be sure that the ones you consider are fillable. ELAC DBR62 $599 (I have seen some open box speakers available for $479) NAD C 316BEE V2 $449 (new MSRP but I've seen it for less on the used market). Bluesound Node 2i $549 (new MSRP but I've seen it for less preowned) That's just $1549 for a setup that will allow you to stream from your computer's hard drive, Tidal, Amazon Music, or the Bluetooth on your phone or tablet. As for interconnects and speaker cables, there are a lot of good choices out there. Signal Cable isn't very expensive and they make good products. You can find other brands on the used market for a fraction of what they cost new so all you have to do is research what you want. Patience is the key if you want good deals. Eventually, whatever you're looking for will pop up on the used market for what you are looking to pay for it. If that isn't an option, it's fine; just know that you will pay a little more to buy new > used. I hope that helps!
The Everyday Audiophile Hey buddy thank you very much for all that information I appreciate it that you took the time to write all that and give me that helpful information yes I understand that placing and room is very important the room that I have it in is 18 x 22 and at the moment it’s in the basement but I want them for upstairs for my living room which is about the same size with an opening in the middle and that is what wood floors I have to consider all those factors thank you so much for all your help and information I will definitely take that advice and look into that
@@felixlaboy1453 No problem! That is a pretty big space to fill. Floorstanding speakers will produce more sound but they cost 2x the price as the comparable bookshelf speakers. If you do go with bookshelf speakers, try to be sure they have at least a 6.5" bass driver. If you want to add a sub to fill in the bottom end, that will cost more money but it may be worth it. The Monoprice Monolith subwoofers have received very good reviews (I've not heard them). I have a DIY sub with a 12" SVS driver and a BASH plate amp from Parts Express (the cabinet was built by my father). We modeled it after the SVS SB1000 but, in your space, you may need something larger (or a pair of subs) to pressurize that space. I would definitely encourage you to audition different speakers in your room (that way you know what they sound like in your room compared to a showroom). The Polk S20's offer a large driver and big sound for a bookshelf speaker and they go on sale frequently. Klipsch has been popular lately and you can hear them for yourself to see if their sound is to your liking. I will be auditioning the Triangle Audio Borea BR03 as soon as they get them back in stock (they've been on backorder for a little while now). I also auditioned the Focal Chorus 706 but they didn't work for me on my setup & in my room but you may like them. Accessories4less has them for $399 a pair but their return policy has you paying for shipping and a restocking fee). I've had used Dynaudio speakers in my last apartment and they were very nice but they can be pricey. I hope you find something that you like and that sounds good to you. That's the most important thing!
I have original b5. All the sound demos of the b6ref I heard have less bass. Why? Crossover? New bass slot? Overall efficiency didn't change. From 87 to 86? Should have more bass then. Great recording!
I haven't heard the original Debut 5's, only the F5's and the Uni-Fi EB5, UF5, & UC5. To my ears, the bass was reduced on the Uni-Fi line but I had them in my previous apartment and I had more power (high current amp at 200 wpc into 4-ohms) driving them. The Debut Reference is easier to place in a room and get good sound whereas the Uni-FI line was kind of picky about placement. I actually thought the bass response was pretty good for just one 6.5" driver per cabinet. The only stand mount speakers that easily beat them out are the Polk LSiM I have in the other video (better on bass and a slight edge on being completely balanced from top to bottom but the DBR62 have a very wide soundstage, wider sweet spot but lack a little in the midrange. Thanks for your comment!
I just bought the DBR62 to replace a pair of original Debut B5s. Bass is significantly better than B5. I think the B5s are a very good, very musical speaker, but they tend to be a bit on the warm side and they can have a very noticeable cabinet resonance at times. The Debut Reference cleans all that up. The air and detail are significantly better, and the bass is tighter and deeper. It's a worthwhile upgrade from the B5.
John Lockwood Thanks for your comment and for the comparison to the original Debut series speakers. I would imagine the bass would be better with the bigger driver and the improvements to the woofer material, cast basket, extra bracing in the cabinet, and the redesigned front slotted port. Very glad to hear that they are working out for you and that you are enjoying them!
@@johnlockwood367 Im not able to listen bfr buying so Im trying to guess if could I feel the same improvment that you mention ... by replacing my B6.2. Would you share opinions after two months. (What amp and room size?) Cheers!
@@roquesoprano913 I'm using the DBR62 in a second system mated to a Bluesound Powernode 2. I'm still happy with the upgrade from the B5, but I really can't comment on the 6.2 as I have not spent time listening to it. My sense is the DBR62 is a subtle improvement over the 6.2, so it is a tough call as to whether or not it's a worthwhile upgrade.
Hi Jaylen, The soundstage on the ELAC DBR62's is much wider in my room than that of the KEF Q150's. The DBR62's put out more bass (not surprising given the difference in the size of the woofer), and the DBR62's reach a bit higher than the KEFs. I prefer the balanced sound of the KEFs because, to my ears, the DBR62's are just a little off in the midrange. That could be a symptom of my room or the gear I'm using but I can hear the midrange with the Polk's and the KEFs but it isn't there in the same way with the DBR62's.
@@jay12345ist I have not hears the R series myself but I'd imagine, based on all I hav read about them, that they are a substantial upgrade over the Debut Reference Series - perhaps it is more appropriate to compare a higher line of the ELAC speakers, one that is similar in price, to the KEF R series.
I also wanted to ask you, is there anything specific about the KEF speakers that you didn't like or that you did like and that you miss? Can you tell me more about your setup and your listening room?
@@theeverydayaudiophile4147 sure my room is a dedicated 16x11 room that's treated. All of my cabling is through transparent audio. I'm using a restored Kenwood KA7100 to drive my speakers. Also I'm setup for spinning vinyl with my at lp3 and nagaoka cartridge but I mainly stream. I use audirvana on my Mac to my schiit modi 3 dac. Although I loved the speakers, I went into my local HiFi dealer and heard other options and that sparked my interest in trying different speakers.
mykeldg I don’t know if I can say that they’re better, just different. Then it depends on wether or not that difference is amiable to you. I had the KEF Q150 speakers at the same time as the DBR62 speakers so that is all I can compare them to in regards to the Q series (the MSRP on the two is the same @ $599)
@@theeverydayaudiophile4147 if you had the q350 (the 6.5" version of the Q150) which would be more comparable in dimensions to the DBR62, do you think the KEF would come out as the better speaker?
@@mykeldg That's difficult for me to say because I have not heard the bigger speaker and the larger KEF speaker has an MSRP of $699 so, are you getting $100 more of a speaker? Given my experience with both the Q150 & the DBR62, I have to say that they each have their advantages but it is very difficult for me to tell you which one sounds "better" as that is a very subjective term. What I prefer in a speaker may not be the same as you and my room will interact very differently with speakers compared to yours. For example, a neutral sounding speaker may be a little more lively in my room given its acoustics but I don't know how it will interact/react with your room. The gear you are using to drive your speakers will sound different than mine (unless it's the same gear). There are a lot of variables at play here. Have you heard the KEF speakers (this current generation)?
very nice 👍🏻
Great video I’m thinking of getting the Elacs. But I only have a budget of under $1,000 for a amp or receiver. I wonder can you recommend one the that budget. I want to stay under $2,000 for the whole setup.
Thanks for your comment, Felix! Yes, absolutely, I can recommend a few different things for you. I was trying to stay under $600 for a set of bookshelf speakers myself. How big is your room? That may have a big impact on what will work best for you.
I'm in a 740 square foot loft apartment and the ceilings are ~ 13' high. That said, the speakers I've had in here have not had a problem filling that space with sound.
The ELAC Debut reference DBR62 speakers throw out a very wide soundstage and they have a strong center image. The sweet spot is wider than most bookshelf speakers that I've tried here, The bass is good but you may want to augment with a subwoofer in the future if you want the full sound spectrum.
So, to answer your question, you will need the speakers, stands, an integrated amplifier, and a source. Have you considered active monitors (they have the amp built into the speakers and you can stream directly to the speakers via Bluetooth)? Do you want to add a turntable?
I have the NAD C 316BEE integrated amp and it does a very good job at driving all of the speakers I have tested recently (KEF Q150, ELAC DBR62, Polk L200, Polk Audio LSiM703, Polk S15). The newer version of the NAD has a phono input whereas mine does not. It retails for $449 but you may be able to find it preowned for less (look at USAudioMart, Audiogon, eBay, and Craigslist). If you need (or want) more power, you have some other options. A Musical Fidelity M2Si spent some time with me here and has more power (on paper) than the NAD and has a slightly warmer sound to it compared to the NAD. Again, I would look for a preowned unit so you can save some money.
Do you have carpeted floors or hardwood? The speaker stands should put the tweeter at ear height when you are listening. You may want to fill the stand with non-clumping clay cat litter, playground sand (that has been dried out in the oven - you don't want mold!), or lead shot used for filling shotgun shells (availability may vary by where you live - wear a mask and gloves when dealing with lead - it is toxic). Some stands are meant to be filled and some are not so, be sure that the ones you consider are fillable.
ELAC DBR62 $599 (I have seen some open box speakers available for $479)
NAD C 316BEE V2 $449 (new MSRP but I've seen it for less on the used market).
Bluesound Node 2i $549 (new MSRP but I've seen it for less preowned)
That's just $1549 for a setup that will allow you to stream from your computer's hard drive, Tidal, Amazon Music, or the Bluetooth on your phone or tablet.
As for interconnects and speaker cables, there are a lot of good choices out there. Signal Cable isn't very expensive and they make good products. You can find other brands on the used market for a fraction of what they cost new so all you have to do is research what you want.
Patience is the key if you want good deals. Eventually, whatever you're looking for will pop up on the used market for what you are looking to pay for it. If that isn't an option, it's fine; just know that you will pay a little more to buy new > used.
I hope that helps!
The Everyday Audiophile Hey buddy thank you very much for all that information I appreciate it that you took the time to write all that and give me that helpful information yes I understand that placing and room is very important the room that I have it in is 18 x 22 and at the moment it’s in the basement but I want them for upstairs for my living room which is about the same size with an opening in the middle and that is what wood floors I have to consider all those factors thank you so much for all your help and information I will definitely take that advice and look into that
@@felixlaboy1453 No problem! That is a pretty big space to fill. Floorstanding speakers will produce more sound but they cost 2x the price as the comparable bookshelf speakers. If you do go with bookshelf speakers, try to be sure they have at least a 6.5" bass driver. If you want to add a sub to fill in the bottom end, that will cost more money but it may be worth it. The Monoprice Monolith subwoofers have received very good reviews (I've not heard them). I have a DIY sub with a 12" SVS driver and a BASH plate amp from Parts Express (the cabinet was built by my father). We modeled it after the SVS SB1000 but, in your space, you may need something larger (or a pair of subs) to pressurize that space.
I would definitely encourage you to audition different speakers in your room (that way you know what they sound like in your room compared to a showroom). The Polk S20's offer a large driver and big sound for a bookshelf speaker and they go on sale frequently. Klipsch has been popular lately and you can hear them for yourself to see if their sound is to your liking. I will be auditioning the Triangle Audio Borea BR03 as soon as they get them back in stock (they've been on backorder for a little while now). I also auditioned the Focal Chorus 706 but they didn't work for me on my setup & in my room but you may like them. Accessories4less has them for $399 a pair but their return policy has you paying for shipping and a restocking fee). I've had used Dynaudio speakers in my last apartment and they were very nice but they can be pricey.
I hope you find something that you like and that sounds good to you. That's the most important thing!
The Everyday Audiophile yes I agree. I do have a Conton and a sunfire sudwoofers I can use the sunfire it’s nice a small but sounds great
@@felixlaboy1453 I have heard the Sunfire subs paired with some ProAc Response towers. Very impressive!
Im Your first subscriber
Thanks! It's an honor!
@@theeverydayaudiophile4147 I'll be Looking for some great content ahead in future.
Im your 120 subscriber 🙃
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I have original b5. All the sound demos of the b6ref I heard have less bass. Why? Crossover? New bass slot? Overall efficiency didn't change. From 87 to 86? Should have more bass then. Great recording!
I haven't heard the original Debut 5's, only the F5's and the Uni-Fi EB5, UF5, & UC5. To my ears, the bass was reduced on the Uni-Fi line but I had them in my previous apartment and I had more power (high current amp at 200 wpc into 4-ohms) driving them. The Debut Reference is easier to place in a room and get good sound whereas the Uni-FI line was kind of picky about placement. I actually thought the bass response was pretty good for just one 6.5" driver per cabinet. The only stand mount speakers that easily beat them out are the Polk LSiM I have in the other video (better on bass and a slight edge on being completely balanced from top to bottom but the DBR62 have a very wide soundstage, wider sweet spot but lack a little in the midrange.
Thanks for your comment!
I just bought the DBR62 to replace a pair of original Debut B5s. Bass is significantly better than B5. I think the B5s are a very good, very musical speaker, but they tend to be a bit on the warm side and they can have a very noticeable cabinet resonance at times. The Debut Reference cleans all that up. The air and detail are significantly better, and the bass is tighter and deeper. It's a worthwhile upgrade from the B5.
John Lockwood Thanks for your comment and for the comparison to the original Debut series speakers. I would imagine the bass would be better with the bigger driver and the improvements to the woofer material, cast basket, extra bracing in the cabinet, and the redesigned front slotted port. Very glad to hear that they are working out for you and that you are enjoying them!
@@johnlockwood367 Im not able to listen bfr buying so Im trying to guess if could I feel the same improvment that you mention ... by replacing my B6.2. Would you share opinions after two months. (What amp and room size?) Cheers!
@@roquesoprano913 I'm using the DBR62 in a second system mated to a Bluesound Powernode 2. I'm still happy with the upgrade from the B5, but I really can't comment on the 6.2 as I have not spent time listening to it. My sense is the DBR62 is a subtle improvement over the 6.2, so it is a tough call as to whether or not it's a worthwhile upgrade.
How do these compare to the kef Q150?
Hi Jaylen,
The soundstage on the ELAC DBR62's is much wider in my room than that of the KEF Q150's. The DBR62's put out more bass (not surprising given the difference in the size of the woofer), and the DBR62's reach a bit higher than the KEFs. I prefer the balanced sound of the KEFs because, to my ears, the DBR62's are just a little off in the midrange. That could be a symptom of my room or the gear I'm using but I can hear the midrange with the Polk's and the KEFs but it isn't there in the same way with the DBR62's.
Thankyou for the quick response I actually sold my q150s and was looking at the elacs , or saving up for the kef r series any thoughts ?
@@jay12345ist I have not hears the R series myself but I'd imagine, based on all I hav read about them, that they are a substantial upgrade over the Debut Reference Series - perhaps it is more appropriate to compare a higher line of the ELAC speakers, one that is similar in price, to the KEF R series.
I also wanted to ask you, is there anything specific about the KEF speakers that you didn't like or that you did like and that you miss? Can you tell me more about your setup and your listening room?
@@theeverydayaudiophile4147 sure my room is a dedicated 16x11 room that's treated. All of my cabling is through transparent audio. I'm using a restored Kenwood KA7100 to drive my speakers. Also I'm setup for spinning vinyl with my at lp3 and nagaoka cartridge but I mainly stream. I use audirvana on my Mac to my schiit modi 3 dac. Although I loved the speakers, I went into my local HiFi dealer and heard other options and that sparked my interest in trying different speakers.
are they better than the kef q series?
mykeldg I don’t know if I can say that they’re better, just different. Then it depends on wether or not that difference is amiable to you. I had the KEF Q150 speakers at the same time as the DBR62 speakers so that is all I can compare them to in regards to the Q series (the MSRP on the two is the same @ $599)
@@theeverydayaudiophile4147 if you had the q350 (the 6.5" version of the Q150) which would be more comparable in dimensions to the DBR62, do you think the KEF would come out as the better speaker?
@@mykeldg That's difficult for me to say because I have not heard the bigger speaker and the larger KEF speaker has an MSRP of $699 so, are you getting $100 more of a speaker? Given my experience with both the Q150 & the DBR62, I have to say that they each have their advantages but it is very difficult for me to tell you which one sounds "better" as that is a very subjective term. What I prefer in a speaker may not be the same as you and my room will interact very differently with speakers compared to yours.
For example, a neutral sounding speaker may be a little more lively in my room given its acoustics but I don't know how it will interact/react with your room. The gear you are using to drive your speakers will sound different than mine (unless it's the same gear). There are a lot of variables at play here. Have you heard the KEF speakers (this current generation)?