Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 Speaker Review

[Chromatischism]

Doesn't that sound "lifeless" with that correction?

If anything, it's making the treble louder.

 

[renaudrenaud]

Received the JBL 305PMkII, disconnected the Elac and running the JBL since this afternoon. I plan an analytic listening session after a break-in, around 2000 hours, with a special CD, as described in the website sund guru.

 

[Chromatischism]

A break-in of more than an hour is unnecessary...besides...we can't wait that long

 

[lc155]

Received the JBL 305PMkII, disconnected the Elac and running the JBL since this afternoon. I plan an analytic listening session after a break-in, around 2000 hours, with a special CD, as described in the website sund guru.

A bit OT but seeing those were actives reminded me that if the ELACs didn't work out for me I was considering trying Focal Shapes (such as the 65 or Twins) after this at some point as I've heard them being described as sounding like active Arias. Probably more convenient too for me since I use em nearfield. Any experience with them, being based close to Focal?

 

[renaudrenaud]

A bit OT but seeing those were actives reminded me that if the ELACs didn't work out for me I was considering trying Focal Shapes (such as the 65 or Twins) after this at some point as I've heard them being described as sounding like active Arias. Probably more convenient too for me since I use em nearfield. Any experience with them, being based close to Focal?

I've earned the Focal Alpha 65 and now a pair of Alpha 50. I prefer the 50 (I am not a great bass lover), use it in nearfield, and I am very very happy with them. It's 100% in my taste.

The JBL are "special" in the first hours of listening. I am just waiting for the help from @daftcombo on Saturday, we will EQ these little things.

My wife told me the JBL looks aggressive. I answered it is perfectly normal, this is the Dark Vador's bride.

 

[weasels]

I've earned the Focal Alpha 65 and now a pair of Alpha 50. I prefer the 50 (I am not a great bass lover), use it in nearfield, and I am very very happy with them. It's 100% in my taste.

The JBL are "special" in the first hours of listening. I am just waiting for the help from @daftcombo on Saturday, we will EQ these little things.

My wife told me the JBL looks aggressive. I answered it is perfectly normal, this is the Dark Vador's bride.

"Special" can have positive or negative contexts in English

 

[renaudrenaud]

"Special" can have positive or negative contexts in English

It's different, really different than the Elac. I need few days to understand the difference. For the price, of course, it's a bargain, big sound, bass level, details etc... But for the moment it's "take that in your face" and to much highs for my taste.

 

[richard12511]

It's different, really different than the Elac. I need few days to understand the difference. For the price, of course, it's a bargain, big sound, bass level, details etc... But for the moment it's "take that in your face" and to much highs for my taste.

The JBL 308p has the same problem, imo(too much highs). The -2 switch on the back makes them sound better(imo).

 

[lc155]

I've earned the Focal Alpha 65 and now a pair of Alpha 50. I prefer the 50 (I am not a great bass lover), use it in nearfield, and I am very very happy with them. It's 100% in my taste.

The JBL are "special" in the first hours of listening. I am just waiting for the help from @daftcombo on Saturday, we will EQ these little things.

My wife told me the JBL looks aggressive. I answered it is perfectly normal, this is the Dark Vador's bride.

That's fair enough. IDK how the sound of the Alphas compare to the Shape but good to know. For me one thing I like about the actives is that if the bass is a bit too much (like I'm kind of leaning towards on the ELACs for this smaller room since it digs down to 44Hz vs the Aria's 55Hz), you can just attenuate the bass a bit with the knob on the back and jobs done.

I'm not a fan of fiddling with software EQ myself.

 

[daftcombo]

It's different, really different than the Elac. I need few days to understand the difference. For the price, of course, it's a bargain, big sound, bass level, details etc... But for the moment it's "take that in your face" and to much highs for my taste.

Did you toe them in or let them fire straight?

 

[renaudrenaud]

Did you toe them in or let them fire straight?

Toe, few degrees, 5° I would say. Ok, I will go to no toe at all today.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Will look forward to this. Make sure you post it here, or at least link to it.

Will certainly do.

 

[Benedium]

Just wondering. Do all of you have carpet on the floor? As amirm said, this speaker produces lots of vertical reflections. I personally find it much better after placing carpet on the floor. Maybe it even allows more toe in?

 

[daftcombo]

Just wondering. Do all of you have carpet on the floor? As amirm said, this speaker produces lots of vertical reflections. I personally find it much better after placing carpet on the floor. Maybe it even allows more toe in?

There's one at @renaudrenaud 's.

 

[lc155]

Just wondering. Do all of you have carpet on the floor? As amirm said, this speaker produces lots of vertical reflections. I personally find it much better after placing carpet on the floor. Maybe it even allows more toe in?

Yeah, my room is carpeted.

 

[Benedium]

I find there is one advantage to toeing in currently at about 20deg, aiming speakers about a foot from my shoulders.

I think I can hear and feel the energy of the bass beats better as well as it gives me the sense of a more crowded and denser/richer sounding soundstage... for better or worse.

Wonder if my having a sound absorbing carpet on front wall eliminated any problems with toeing in.

 

[renaudrenaud]

Total Failure Elac DBR62 test.

We ate, drank beer and wine, connected the JBL and Elac and discussed about everything and it was a pleasure, but a total failure in term of blind test. There is plenty of more interesting things to do in so few hours. In paris, there is curfew at 21:00 so everybody started to go back home toooo early.


@VintageFlanker brought to us the RME DAC and his Appolon amp.

I found the RME Dac a completely hypnotic equipment with the vu-meter and spectrum analyzer in the same time on the screen. Nice unit!

The Appolon amp seems a nice sounding unit, but the box and the interface are a bit deceptive. The front button is clearly not understandable for me, and when you switch off the unit, the front led stay "on" during more than 10 seconds, so I was not able to know if the unit was on or off. Please add a relay and switch it off this LED clearly!

A really nice day, not enough time, very friendly and it is the main point, finally do not care the blind test.

Since many months, we live in seclusion. Meet people and discuss, we really need that.

 

[Willem]

This reminds me of my time in Paris with my French friends: food and wine first.

 

[quirozson]

New to this forum and HiFi in general. Just bought these ELAC's to replace late 1980's B&W DM110i. At higher volumes these truly shine! Mid/highs clear and are well balanced with the bass. As I turn the volume down to more relaxing volume levels (where I tend to listen most frequently), the bass signal takes over the room. It's not boomy, but fatiguing. I need to turn my receiver bass setting down to -6 or turn on the high pass filter on zone2 of my Denon receiver, which I don't need to do with my trusty B&W's. Anyway, just curious if this is something I should be concerned with, or just set it and forget it? Love the sound with high pass filter activated, but I've always had that set at neutral with my other speakers.

 

[AudioQuestShill]

New to this forum and HiFi in general. Just bought these ELAC's to replace late 1980's B&W DM110i. At higher volumes these truly shine! Mid/highs clear and are well balanced with the bass. As I turn the volume down to more relaxing volume levels (where I tend to listen most frequently), the bass signal takes over the room. It's not boomy, but fatiguing. I need to turn my receiver bass setting down to -6 or turn on the high pass filter on zone2 of my Denon receiver, which I don't need to do with my trusty B&W's. Anyway, just curious if this is something I should be concerned with, or just set it and forget it? Love the sound with high pass filter activated, but I've always had that set at neutral with my other speakers.

Is it close to a wall?