Bass was emphasized on the B5 in a fairly benign, mid bass way — no low bass at this size. And failing, courtesy of the personality and energy of the band. Bath As Andrew Jones returns to sprinkle magic dust on ELAC’s Debut range, HFC checks out the 2.0 standmount makeoverAs a market, the budget loudspeaker sector is a hectic one at the best of times and most companies realise that to sit back on their laurels after a successful product launch is a bad move. The big umbrella view on initial serious listening? The Debut B5.2s are solid and straightforward in terms of placement. Frustration crept in and tried to dilute delight. Each amp/speaker pairing offered different interpretations … Pretty damn glorious. All rights reserved. Visit our corporate site. 5—François-Xavier Roth, Maurizio Pollini plays late works by Chopin. In contrast to the roasted marshmallow sound of the living room, the ELAC B5 speakers sound pretty damn flat now. A great song for an emerging speaker class. 20—Seong-Jin Cho, Murray Perahia plays Bach's French Suites, Paganini: 24 Caprices, Op. The Elacs, though, simply sound smaller than they are, which isn’t that much help to anyone. Switch to Kedrick Lamar’s altogether heftier King Kunta and the B5s’ powers of focus and integration come to the fore. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, I was smiling a lot, at least on the inside. And, yes, listening this weekend was of a bit of a shock. So Elac B5.2, while being a cheaper option, tends to get more favorable ⭐ reviews than the $225 Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2, as seen on the chart below. They are taller and slenderer than the previous versions. However, The very low total cost of ownership (TCO) for MCR-61x/51x with Elac debut B5 will beat (as far as I know) everything in Hi-Fi world. The subject of our review, the B5 Debut available from Amazon for USD$229.00 and the slightly dearer B6 Debut and the Uni-Fi UB5 version (both less than USD$500) have all received raves in the audiophile press. Why did the Elac's capture that ever so slight crescendo in a tertiary string line and the bass clarinet reed squawk at rehearsal Letter A on my Naxos CD of The Happy Forest by Bax? Welcome to the party. Easy-to-drive 8-Ohm nominal impedance - Compatible … My choice was sitting out a few feet from each wall on my stands firing straight out. You will receive a verification email shortly. Not these. Debut 2.0 B5.2 Bookshelf Speakers - $249.98/pair. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! This was such an occasion. Patience, though. There’s a time and a place for innovation in the hi-fi industry, for tearing up the rulebook, for blank-sheet thinking and all the other exciting-sounding initiatives that indicate a break from the norm. The subject of our review, the B5 Debut available from Amazon for USD$229.00 and the slightly dearer B6 Debut and the Uni-Fi UB5 version (both less than USD$500) have all received raves in the audiophile press. The metal, sand filled stands I was using to mount the speakers cost the same (the Raidho's come with their own $900 proprietary stands). Cheap drivers act like slugs. In terms of balance, integration and timing, the Debut B5s are among the best pound-for-pound speakers around. Three weeks earlier, it felt as though I was knocking on the door of a very cool house party location. All well designed electronics need some break in. However, I did forget them for a while. Thinking about purchasing speakers from Elac's Debut 2.0 series? But there I sat. There, I heralded its class-shattering performance and sonics, and the stupendous value that the speaker represents. Where the ELACS shone was in its very lovely midrange. Dimensions are Height: 12.8 in, Width: 7.9 in and Depth: 8.7 in. PROS. 9 (four-movement version), Volkmar Andreae conducts Bruckner Symphonies [complete], Daniel Harding conducts Mahler—Symphony No. Even vibrato in this Allegro tempo did not escape scrutiny. The bass below 80Hz sounds rolled off, but they play down to 50Hz fairly well although it's not really "there" unless you crank on the volume a good bit. Authentically dynamic recordings like Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue or Underworld’s Push Upstairs simply don’t have the attack or scale required, leaving the field open for the Elacs’ more assertive rivals to make their case. This speaker plays louder and without audible compression than any $229.99 speaker has any right to play. The Elacs are more-than up to the task, following the sinuous bassline faithfully and giving Lamar’s complaints real expression. So with configuration and build well up to the norm, all the Debut B5s need do is show the competition a clean pair of sonic heels and the job’s done. Elac has its work cut out to stand out from the pack. Detailed, punchy, but with a sophistication well up the very cool ladder. Akin to the 2nd Coming. These were no different. The angst heard against the speakers trying to add a 21st Century sophistication. No no need for reinvention. ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 is an upgraded version of a speaker that was released back in 2015. II All Valve Phono Stage, Jeff Rowland Continuum S2 Integrated Amplifier MM/MC Phono Board, The Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena Phono Preamplifier, Sutherland Engineering DUO Phono Preamplifier, VPI Industries HW-40 Direct Drive Turntable, Anticables Level 5 Signature Speaker Wires, Anticables Level 6.2 and Level 4.1 Interconnects, Antipodes Audio ‘Reference’ Interconnects and Speaker, Audio Art Cable Statement Interconnect XLR, Harmonic Technology Melody Link MK III Interconnect Cable, High Fidelity Cables CT-1 Interconnects and Speaker Cables, Morrow Cable MA7 Grand Reference Interconnects, Nordost Frey 2 Speaker Cables, Interconnects and Power Cords, Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7 USB 2.0 Cable, Audioengine D2 24-bit Wireless Computer Interface, Astell&Kern AK120 Portable Digital Player, Lindemann 825 High Definition Disc Player, Mass Fidelity Relay Hi-Fi Wireless Receiver, Metronome Technologie Le Player 3 CD Transport, Mojo Audio Mystique EVO Pro D/A Converter, Oppo BDP-83 Special Edition Universal Player, PS Audio DirectStream (DS) DAC: Windom Update, Questyle Audio CMA400i DAC with Headphone AMP, Questyle Audio Engineering QP1R Portable Digital Audio, Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones, The Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones, Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones, Master & Dynamic MH40 Headphones — Follow up, Master & Dynamic MH40 Over-Ear Headphones: 5th Anniversary New Wireless Model, Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones: The new GO and PLUS models, Master & Dynamic MW60 Wireless Headphones, Puro Sound Labs BT-5200 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones, The Audia Flight Strumento n1 Stereo Pre Amplifier, The Classé Audio Delta CP-500 Preamplifier, Luminous Audio Axiom II Signature Passive Preamplifier, Marantz SC-7S2 – Stereo Control Amplifier, VPI Limted Edition 299D Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier, Batiashvili plays Tchaikovsky and Sibelius, Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas—Igor Levit, Beethoven: The Symphonies—Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/Steinberg, The Complete Unreleased Recording Sessions June 1955--GLENN GOULD: The Goldberg Variations, Emil Gilels -- The Seattle Recital (1964), Erica Morini—Milestones of a Legend (13 CD box set), Isabelle Faust plays Mozart Concertos [complete], Jörg Widmann plays Mozart Clarinet Quintet, Mahan Esfahani plays the Goldberg Variations, Mahler Symphony No. When some oomph was required, the B5s complied. Elac B5/B6 sound better with D3020 (with MCR-61x being the front end) than with MCR-61x. That has to tell us something important about our avocation. Here's a man who knows his drivers and how they measure in a cabinet. The whole thing motors along at a clip, the speakers demonstrating timing the equal of any of their price-point rivals. Even if that does seem an overly simple answer to real musical prayers, Jones did spill on camera the B5's show debut was the first time he'd heard the full speaker constructed. Weight is 11.5 lb each. There are seven models in the Debut 2.0 lineup and the B6.2 sits just below the ELAC F5.2 floorstander. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. It features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Woven Aramid-Fiber Woofer. To be fair to Elac, the Debut B5s are, in terms of their showroom appeal, build quality and finish, entirely competitive. Exposed pins on the speakers’ front panel for attaching the (black, cloth) grilles look a little prosaic, but the textured/brushed vinyl wrap (just one finish is available) adds a little more tactility than most rivals can muster. ELAC's Uni-fi series features two other speaker models—UC5 (center channel model) and UF5 (floor-standing model). However, it's fairly safe to say that Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 are more popular speakers, based on their 100+ reviews. In short, Elac has changed almost everything about the new Debuts. The Danish beauties are fantastic speakers. Musically and mechanically joined at the hip. For our test we received from the Benelux importer Servi-Q an extensive ELAC Debut 2.0 system, consisting of the F5.2 floorstander (349 euro / piece), B5.2 bookshelf speaker (159 euro / piece), the C5.2 center (249 euro) and the SUB 3010 (559 euro). Rare, and found In the time domain of much more expensive tweeters. ELAC Debut B5.2. Recently I wrote about the Elac Debut B5 (Short Take, Issue 259), a two-way compact with mighty intentions and an unpretentious $229-per-pair sticker. Much like celebrity chefs, I don't usually put much store in 'celebrity' designers. Few speakers have garnered such critical acclaim as the original Debut Series by ELAC. The 5.25cm mid/bass unit is thoroughly revised too… And stayed that way during most of the three week audition stretch. Gotta be at the price, right? Not as good, of course, but trending that way. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. I'm so happy to report to you the past three weeks were amazing, I really loved the speaker earning an Audiophilia Star for its purest implementation of the Star’s criteria. And so it began. There’s a time and a place all right, but the budget end of the loudspeaker market is not it. The balance was there, an attempt at coherence within the parameters of the small, untreated box. Why not just use a gentle rework? There was a sweetness, an honesty about them that was inviting, natural. The cabinet is taller, narrower and deeper, which makes them look more modern and less obtrusive. 'Actually, the party's just winding down'. Incredibly coherent with a timbral accuracy that is frankly unnerving and a front/back and side that goes for miles. Listening intently for gaffes. Whatever he ended up using, these drivers work. They work individually, and in tandem. 'B5' indicates 'Bookshelf 5 inch'. Jones’s original thoughts on mechanics obviously worked. The new B5.2 is the smallest speaker in the lineup, yet it packs an amazing amount of sound into a cabinet that can disappear on most shelves. 5; Wiener Philharmoniker; Carlos Kleiber; DG 180g Vinyl Reissue, Bernard Haitink conducts Bruckner’s Seventh on Direct-to-disc vinyl, Brahms 4; Vienna Phil; Carlos Kleiber; DG 180g Vinyl Reissue, Brahms: The Four Symphonies—DG Limited Edition 180g vinyl reissue, Classical Vinyl Box Sets you may not know that should be in your collection, Curzon plays Beethoven Concerto No. 9, Karl Böhm conducts Mozart Symphonies on Esoteric, Nelsons conducts Shostakovich Sym Nos. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers. And if we include a silly season, I tried them with 50K hooked on [Antipodes Audio, Bel Canto, Transparent, Audio Research Corporation]. Build 5.2 | Sound 5.0 | DSP Sound 6.4 | score breakdown. 5; Speakers Corner [LP], Easy to find Classical Mono LPs that should be in your collection, Franz Schubert—Trout Quintet (Speakers Corner 180g vinyl reissue), Karajan conducts Debussy and Ravel/DG 180g Vinyl Reissue, Kleiber conducts Beethoven Symphony No. The dust cap is now convex rather than concave, benefitting the top end of the driver’s operating range and helping integration with the tweeter. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. At only about 7” wide by 13” tall and 9” deep, it is considered a bookshelf speaker, although it … The cabinet dimensions are utterly unremarkable for a product of this type. During that time of mezzo forte volume, I heard a lively presentation right out of the box. The construction is basic black brushed vinyl with 5 way metal binding posts. Every product we create delivers stunning performance, exquisite craftsmanship and unequalled value. All this heaped praise as heard with quality ancillaries attached. On initial assessment, pretty wonderful. Brief History of ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2. Having listened to the Debut’s for months using the PS Audio Sprout (see review ), Quad VA-One (see review ), NAD D 3020 V2 (see review ), and my Leben CS600, I can tell you that the ELACs adapt to their mate extremely well. To our eyes these changes have worked, helping to make the Debut B5.2s look more modern. Playing some late-period Johnny Cash (his version of U2’s One is poignant and authoritative, even if the Elacs do on occasion make his dentures all too apparent), the sound is sweetly communicative through the midrange and has just enough bite at the top end to prevent it becoming sugary. Some inexpensive MDF construction with no bracing, a simple crossover and a reflex port shown in an exploded view. They’re absolutely par for the course in terms of specification, too. Sound & Installation), Streaming the Classics 1–Holst: The Planets, Streaming the Classics 2–Beethoven 9 Symphonies Box Sets, Streaming the Classics: Berlioz—Roméo et Juliette, Streaming the Classics 3–Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Streaming the Classics 4–Brahms Symphonies Box Sets, Streaming the Classics 6/Bruckner 9 Symphonies Box Sets, Streaming the Classics/The Dream of Gerontius—Elgar, Streaming the Classics 7/Mahler 9 Symphonies Box Sets, Streaming the Classics 10/Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Streaming the Classics/Concerto for Orchestra—Bartók. King Kunta also exposes the B5s’ relative lack of scale, and a rather pedestrian lack of drive. Or plain Jane as the center of my computer desktop setup. Debut “changed the game,” and now it’s changed again with the Debut 2.0 Series—proof that ELAC can’t leave well enough alone. So well, that the woodwind section's fast downward staccato G minor scale in the Mozart Symphony opening movement was crisp and tactile. To be fair to Elac, the Debut B5s are, in terms of their showroom appeal, build quality and finish, entirely competitive. The B5.2s are a big improvement on the original Elac B5 (below) – in fact, almost everything about them has changed. Andrew Jones of ELAC. Fortunately, as its press release points out: “ELAC can’t leave well alone”. Placement is a doddle — they played great firing off/on axis, close to the rear and side walls, or sitting out on my 28” 'Firm' Target stands. Let's have a brief look at the main features of ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 and Monitor Audio Bronze 2 before getting into our more detailed comparison. 7; Speakers Corner LP, Schubert 3 & 8 (Unfinished); Vienna Phil; Carlos Kleiber; DG 180g Vinyl Reissue, Strauss: Tod und Verklärung & Vier letzte Lieder, Ticciati conducts Haydn; LP (45rpm Supercut), Vinyl you may not know that should be in your collection, Vinyl you may not know that should be in your collection Vol. Debut 2.0 B5.2 is a 2-way Passive Bass Reflex Bookshelf speaker by ELAC. There's no criticism meant in suggesting this. *When nominal/RMS power isn’t specified by manufacturer, we use an approximation of ~30% of the specified peak/dynamic power for comparison purposes. It was designed by Andrew Jones for ELAC's Uni-fi series as an upgrade to the ELAC Debut B5. They’re absolutely par for the course in terms of specification, too. The perfect trifecta of sound, design, and value. They handle a very wide range of frequencies with ease and … The deployment of a 25mm cloth dome tweeter (safe behind its fixed metal grille) and 13cm woven fibre mid/bass driver is fairly standard too. It feels invigorating to get your long held audiophile pre conceived notions smashed to smithereens on occasion. Everything we do is different. In this review, we will be comparing specifications of Debut 2.0 B5.2 and Bronze 2, two Bookshelf speakers from ELAC and Monitor Audio. Please refresh the page and try again. ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 is a member of ELAC's Debut series of speakers. England's Andrew Jones certainly would not have self anointed, but he must have noticed and enjoyed the many layers of coverage at audio shows and ELAC speaker events. Chunky speaker cable terminals complete a predictable and sensible picture just connect them with a definite spring in space. Par for the ELAC B4 's 3 people found this helpful cues the... 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