Got my new Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 and C6.2 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Up]

Got the B6.2s out of the box and I was immediately disappointed. I had to break in the speakers about an hour for them to sound good plus I had to aim them upward so that tweeter was at ear level.

After tilting them upward, towing them in to be aimed exactly at the listening position, and letting them play for an hour, all I can say is wow.

They did everything that I was wanting. I really like my Polk Blackstone TL1 voicing. These speakers sound so real so when I bought the Polk TSI100s, I was missing that lower midrange that these TL1 speakers had. I also wanted a wider sweet spot as just moving a foot to either side of listening position (with TSI100s aimed at the listening position) threw off the imaging. These B6.2s don't lose their imaging when sitting off of the listening position slightly. Also the TSI100s got a bit shouty at louder volumes, even before completely broke in, these B6.2s hold it together at louder volumes (~86 db @12' or 4 meters).

The Polk TSI100s use to be $250 when they came out, but I grabbed them a year ago for $150 and their CS10 center channel speaker for $100. Still a great price IMO. I got the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 speakers for $240 which are the bigger 6-1/2" woofer speakers compared to the TSI100's 5-1/4" woofer. I also was able to get the larger Elac Debut 2.0 C6.2 center channel speaker for $230. Those Elac prices are why I jumped on it. So far very happy with these B6.2. I will say that these B6.2 are not bright at all. They are quite a bit darker than my TSI100s. The TSI100s sounded really neutral next to the speaker they were replacing which were brighter than the sun, Infinity Reference RS1 bookshelf speakers ( and Infinity Reference 2000.4s) from the late 1990s.

One of the things I heard on my Polk TL1s that I loved was that Chris Isaak's song Two Hearts opening guitar sounded like someone was actually playing in my room. The TSI100s didn't sound nearly as real but the Elac's Debut 2.0 B6.2s do!

I'm guessing that these Elacs will continue to sound better the more they break in. I still haven't opened the C6.2 yet. I also need to get some rubber feet for these speakers as they didn't come with them. Never had speakers that didn't come with rubber feet.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I need to get some screw in rubber feet for my Paradigm Monitor 9s whenever I’m able to set up my HT again down the road. They came with screw in spikes which were fine on carpet but we’ve recently replaced all our carpet with floating laminate.

 

[John Dirk]

Congratulations! I had the opportunity to hear these in a demo setting a few years ago and felt they sounded amazing for their price. I think you'll continue to be increasingly impressed.

 

[Mike Up]

Thanks. Got my rubber feet ordered so they should be here Tomorrow.

When I measured out the center channel speaker, it didnt seem all that much bigger than what I had. Boy was I wrong, while its only an inch taller, it overall size is huge but luckily fits where I need it without issue. I wanted it to have the same drivers as my main speakers.

 

[JohnRice]

FWIW, I switched my living room system from similar (floor standing) Polks (Monitor 70s) to what you had, to Debut B/C6.2 almost five years ago. The Polks were serviceable, with nothing objectionable, but the ELACs were like lifting a veil off the sound, especially with music. The difference is resolution and sound stage, both of which are vastly better with the Debuts. In reality, you don't tend to know what you're missing until it's there and you experience the difference.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

FWIW, I switched my living room system from similar (floor standing) Polks (Monitor 70s) to what you had, to Debut B/C6.2 almost five years ago. The Polks were serviceable, with nothing objectionable, but the ELACs were like lifting a veil off the sound, especially with music. The difference is resolution and sound stage, both of which are vastly better with the Debuts. In reality, you don't tend to know what you're missing until it's there and you experience the difference.

So true. I heard about the diffs for some years (while owing some basic, but quite good, B&K preamp+amp combo feeding a poor man's pair of serviceable bookshelves bought from a college friend), but didn't really (have the opp to) really get that until I finally bought something quite that good in a pair of used Vandersteen 2Ci's (plus selling the B&K stereo combo for a used, B&K 5-channel amp) when I first got into HT over 25 years ago -- I still used the old, serviceable bookshelves for surrounds until more recently. Well, I've heard a few good or comparable (or better) speakers before then, but not really enough to fully appreciate (plus just really didn't have the right opps before then anyhow).

But actually, had even more of that experience when my family got into violins, LOL. I could hardly believe the diffs being as big as they are, especially amongst instruments below the say 2-4K range. Made me realize almost immediately that we don't really wanna rent violins even, or especially, for a starter... unless one's definitely very unsure about wanting to learn and play. I mean, there are some good shops that do affordably rent out quality student instruments (w/ pretty good incentive programs for rent-to-own, etc)... but not a whole lot... and not that many families seem to be aware enough or make best use of them...

Anyhoo, yeah, hard believe how much diffs there are w/ violins/violas/cellos (and probably various other instruments) until you actually try them for yourself. But of course, there's also very good reasons why we call some (like a lot of shiny, colorful, sub-$200 ones on eBay ) VSOs, ie. "violin-shaped objects", LOL!

_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

BTW, I'd generally prefer using spike feet instead of rubber, if possible. But I get that rubber is often just more sensible/doable. And yeah, I've had holes accidentally poked in hardwood floors various times in the past (sometimes, just because one of my kids somehow happened to knock/shove a 90lb-plus Vandy+sandfilled-dedicated-stand off its spike discs).

Never actually got around to trying that w/ some twice-as-hefty Thiels though...

_Man_

 

[Mike Up]

I got the rubber feet today. Taller cone feet for the front and shorter square feet for the back.

All I can say is wow! Tonality for my room is perfect now. I definitely wouldn't want them any darker sounding with my carpet, drapes, and cloth furniture. They sound fuller and smoother along with great imaging that offers a wider sweet spot, where if I go off center the imaging doesn't fall apart.

The sensitivity isn't that bad either. It states 87 db but going by calibrations with Radio Shack SPL meter, it's the same as the Polk TSI100. Those TSI100s were rated by Polk at 89 db.

Also bass is pretty darn good too. Much better than the Polk TSI100. According to ASR and Erin's Audio Corner, both of their graphs are -3db at 55Hz and -6db at 45Hz. The speaker is rated at 44Hz with no tolerance so their rating (as well as JBL) must be at the -6db mark instead of the more standard -3db mark. Anyhow, these speakers don't need a subwoofer but obviously benefit. With Beastie Boys Intergalactic, you actually hear some of the low bass. The TSI100 just acted like the song had no low bass at all. Bass punch is decent along with accuracy.

I was playing The Cars Candy-O album and man, I could listen all day. These speakers are definitely worth their $400 MSRP but are a great buy at $240. The same can be said of the center channel, C6.2 !

In reality, you don't tend to know what you're missing until it's there and you experience the difference.

How true! These are great speakers.

Not sure why ASR's Amir said they were bright, they are anything but (at least in my room and IMO).

 

[Mike Up]

I need to get some screw in rubber feet for my Paradigm Monitor 9s whenever I’m able to set up my HT again down the road. They came with screw in spikes which were fine on carpet but we’ve recently replaced all our carpet with floating laminate.

On my old Infinity Reference 2000.4 Tower speakers, the spikes were reversable. The other side of the spike was just a rounded off metal foot. I'd still put something under it as the round foot still could put a dent into the laminate but much better than spikes on a coaster.

 

[JohnRice]

How true! These are great speakers.

They're high resolving speakers. As much as that seems like it should be obvious, it really isn't, and so many "expert" reviewers don't seem to know the difference. To compare, basically Bose is the antithesis of a resolving speaker. There's a tendency to believe that bright speakers (like Klipsch) are resolving, but brightness isn't the same as resolution. Also, considering what a lot of people listen to, resolution isn't necessarily important. Listening to Taylor Swift? Resolution isn't very important, and the music is probably produced with that in mind. On the other hand, listen to a modern classical recording from Chandos, or anything from Telarc, and you have a high resolution recording. A resolving speaker will come to life with those.

BTW Mike, they are also fairly wide dispersion speakers. Personally, I've found that with wide dispersion speakers you typically get the best results by moving them forward from the wall, and not particularly toeing them in much, if at all. My Debuts are two feet in front of the wall, on stands, and aimed dead straight forward. My Thiels (which are extremely wide dispersion) are four feet out from the wall, and also aimed straight forward. It took me over ten years to finally discover that's the best setup for them.

 

[Dennis_H]

I've been looking at the Elacs for a bit, but haven't heard them. Now I have some old (late 80's) Infinity RS5001 that I bought new with the Emit tweeter that still sound good. Have had to refoam them though. Was thinking maybe it's time to retire them if the Debut 2.0 F6.2 floorstanders are better. Would get the matching 6.2 center and maybe the 5.2 surrounds. I love the Infinity sound, but so far haven't really found a center that matches tonality. Have tried various including an older Optimus with the ribbon tweeter. Right now, have a larger Polk center that is OK, but I would like a nice smooth soundstage across the front without a 5K budget...

 

[Mike Up]

I've been looking at the Elacs for a bit, but haven't heard them. Now I have some old (late 80's) Infinity RS5001 that I bought new with the Emit tweeter that still sound good. Have had to refoam them though. Was thinking maybe it's time to retire them if the Debut 2.0 F6.2 floorstanders are better. Would get the matching 6.2 center and maybe the 5.2 surrounds. I love the Infinity sound, but so far haven't really found a center that matches tonality. Have tried various including an older Optimus with the ribbon tweeter. Right now, have a larger Polk center that is OK, but I would like a nice smooth soundstage across the front without a 5K budget...

I would definitely do some listening auditions if you can. Many other speaker models offer ribbon tweeters that are more in line with what you are use to listening to.

Also my Infinity RS1s and 2000.4s were bright, thin sounding and follow what the latest Infinity Reference speakers sound like. If you like that sound, you wont find it in the Elacs I just purchased. Maybe your older Infinity speakers arent as bright as those Reference models, as my even earlier Infinity Sterling Series from the early to mid 90s, weren't as bright as the Reference models. My Infinity Primus P143 bookshelf speakers sound a lot similar to my Polk TSI100s which are shy on lower and middle midrange and elevated in the higher midrange, lower treble.

 

[Dennis_H]

I would definitely do some listening auditions if you can. Many other speaker models offer ribbon tweeters that are more in line with what you are use to listening to.

Also my Infinity RS1s and 2000.4s were bright, thin sounding and follow what the latest Infinity Reference speakers sound like. If you like that sound, you wont find it in the Elacs I just purchased. Maybe your older Infinity speakers arent as bright as those Reference models, as my even earlier Infinity Sterling Series from the early to mid 90s, weren't as bright as the Reference models. My Infinity Primus P143 bookshelf speakers sound a lot similar to my Polk TSI100s which are shy on lower and middle midrange and elevated in the higher midrange, lower treble.

I'll see if I can find a place to audition them with some known music. Usually use Dire Straits Brothers in Arms as first listen... When I got the Infinity towers, I auditioned a bunch in that price range several times with Paradigms, CV, Klipsch, and some others. Infinity stood out at the time as best overall for my ears. I also have some SL1 bookshelves in the office, but do not like the sound as much at all and have been debating the Elac B6.2 or KEF Q150's for there.

 

[Bartman]

I fancied a change of speaker. After seeing so many positive reviews, listening to YT demos and noticing they were on sale, I decided upon the B6.2s. I received them last weekend and ran them in anti-phase on pink noise for two days continuous. I'm very pleased with their sound, a small but significant improvement on my Paradigm Reference Studio 20 IIs. Their lean bass suits my new semi corner placement. I will be replacing the electrolytic capacitors in the 20+ year old Paradigms. These Elacs have to be the greatest bargain in Hi-Fi. These, a Fosi Audio V3 amplifier, a SMSL SU-1 DAC, a Wiim Mini streamer, an Amazon Music Unlimited subsciption and you have a serious system for less than $500. Enjoy!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Yeah, these ELAC Debuts (and Uni-Fis) definitely seem to be some of the best bargains in HiFi (probably ever) and absolutely make great entries into audiophile level audio.

I'm certainly very satisfied w/ mine (Uni-Fi 2.0 for front LCR) after owning a pair of Vandy 2Ci's for ~25 years -- sure, they don't have the bass extension of those old Vandies, but don't really need it most of the time... plus I have a Hsu sub for (much) deeper (and mostly better) bass now... and they do offer better/punchier clarity (and sometimes, bit more desired sizzle) up top (that seemed gradually fading on the aging Vandies... and/or maybe also my somewhat aging ears, LOL) me thinks... but maybe also a bit less warmth to go w/ that I suppose...

A good amount of all this will be personal pref and quite subjective of course. Some will simply want a warmer sound (than the Uni-Fis anyway) more often than not, but that usually tend to lose some clarity and might also yield a darker tonality. Given that there will always be some compromises (at least in the range of us mortals), that just comes w/ the territory.

Perhaps, ideally, one might have 2 (or even 3!) systems or sets of speakers to best suit different music/moods/desires/etc... and some audiophiles do just that (as do many musicians and artists/artisans/craftsmen of all kinds w/ their choices of instruments and gear).

And some of us also occasionally opt for different "cans" (and supporting gear/setups) instead of different speaker setups -- I don't realistically have the space for multiple, quality speaker setups, but certainly can opt for some reasonably affordable, quality headphones for some occasions, eg. Sennheiser HD600s (although they definitely need some decent power to drive) and HiFiMan Sundaras.

Anyhoo, TGIF and enjoy, y'all!




_Man_

 

[Mike Up]

Here's my modest HT/Music system Front equipment. SVS SB-2000 is behind the front right speaker.

 

[Jason Goodmanson]

The ELACs and SVS's speakers are on my potential shopping list for speakers after we buy a house that hopefully has some good space.

I currently have the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers and have been very happy with them (except for the sub which seems to do absolutely nothing. So it's in storage now) and the ELACs seems to be good options for the price point. As do the SVS series. For budgetary reasons, I'll keep what I have and then on an annual basis, update certain pieces to my set up.

Looking at your setup Mike, you're getting good sound for both movies and music? I ask because I can't see to get much oomph from my set up with music, unless I crank the hell out of the receiver. I get more sound with my Klipsch THX PC speakers. It could be a configuration with my AVR or it could just be me.

 

[Mike Up]

My god, get rid of those Klipsch THX Pc speakers, the Promedia 2.1!

I had those and their screeching, shouty sound only allowed me to listen for about 15 minutes before I was overcome with anxiety. Okay, maybe a bit over the top, but those are the worst. They are loud at the expense of your sanity. I bought them thinking they'd be great, as I was impressed with their boomy bass and brighter than the sun treble. But after trying to listen to music critically, I was always driven back to my main music system. I tried that promedia for a TV after I got different speakers for the PC, but I just couldn't handle it. Finally their subwoofer or circuit died and into the garbage. I had to replace the volume pad once already as it had a known design defect. The updated Promedia 2.1 fixed that. Sorry so harsh, but you can't compare that to a regular pair of stereo speakers. My Polk Blackstone TL1 speakers are the same size, maybe smaller woofer even, and sound worlds better beating the sound quality of much larger bookshelf speakers. However they are very inefficient with a SPL of only abut 84 - 85 db.

I get very very loud volumes from my new Elac speakers and they stay together and don't get shouty at very loud volumes like my Polk TSI100s do. Since my Promedia speakers have been gone now for years, I can only comment that these Elac speakers offer more oomph than the previous speakers they replaced in the past, the Polk TSI100 bookshelf speakers, the Infinity Reference RS1 bookshelf speakers, and the Infinity Reference 2000.4 tower speakers. These Elacs are very good!

These Elacs don't need a subwoofer but do benefit from one from the louder bass. They go down in the 40s but at a reduced level. You need larger tower speakers with multiple woofers to get more bass output.

Your issue could be setup. I don't use Audyssey from my Denon receivers as they make the sound harsh, bright, and nasty. I use a Radio Shack SPL meter to calibrate my speakers, measure the distance, and I'm good to go. Also, I set my crossovers to 80Hz with the Elacs and set them all as small. When using Direct Mode, they play full range where they output their bass.

 

[Jason Goodmanson]

Maybe I'm not listening critically, but I don't think the the Promedias are that bad. I replaced my Logitech x230 set that was probably 15 years old at the time, and they were an improvement. They are attached to my PC so I don't expect a lot, or need a lot.

Nice to hear that the ELACs are great for music. My old Pioneers (those giant boxy speakers of old) sounded really good for music, but the current ones with my Denon just don't sound that great for music.

 

[Mike Up]

Maybe I'm not listening critically, but I don't think the the Promedias are that bad. I replaced my Logitech x230 set that was probably 15 years old at the time, and they were an improvement. They are attached to my PC so I don't expect a lot, or need a lot.

Nice to hear that the ELACs are great for music. My old Pioneers (those giant boxy speakers of old) sounded really good for music, but the current ones with my Denon just don't sound that great for music.

Sorry, wasn't trying to be to harsh about the Promedia. I was exaggerating somewhat and tried to bring that across with the smiley face.

I think you'll be happier with Elac speakers over the Old BIg Box Pioneer Speakers and over the Promedia 2.1. They have a more accurate, neutral frequency reproduction that sounds more realistic and their crossovers offer good time alignment with the drivers, making for a less hollow sound.

I've only heard good about the Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers so I'm thinking you have some receiver settings making them sound worse than they should.

Try bypassing Audyssey, set all your speakers as small, add in your subwoofer again, and set your speakers crossovers for 80Hz or 90Hz as a starting point. Then measure with a tape measure your seating position from each speaker and enter distances. Then use a Sound Pressure Level Meter to set your speaker levels. If you don't have a SPL meter, do the best you can by ear. WIth the subwoofer level, adjust to what you think sounds most realistic. Setting it to loud will sound impressive but it will drown out the music. I think this will be a good starting point to see if your original settings were wrong.

Good luck in what you upgrade to.