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Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 Speaker Review

ksulliva01

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Agree with @Chromatischism - you're probably sitting at a point where the bass coming out of the speaker and the bass bouncing off the walls is cancelling out. My last apartment had this issue bad - right where my couch was, with no option to really move anything. Using a simple tone generating website I did a frequency sweep and right around the low 50 hz and upper 40s, the tone basically went silent, and then came back some the lower I went. If I walked to the back corner of the room, all of that missing bass would be completely present again. This occurred with the Elac debut 6.2s, and also a set of Yamaha HS8 powered monitors. To me, the DBR62s have stronger perceived bass output than either of those speakers so something's not right. FWIW, I also run the Sonos amp with these and I do EQ the bass up to +6, sometimes even higher (I'm a lifelong bass player - I like some thump). Also, at low volumes definitely make sure "loudness" is on - helps a bit. If it's a cancellation thing though, just turning up the bass probably won't help all that much. I seem to recall that this effect happens the worse in the center of a square (cube?) shaped room. Are you sitting in the center of a square?
 

celroid

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Amplifier Audiophonics MPA-S250NC XLR Hypex Ncore 250W
DAC SMSL SU 9
Banana plugs DYNAVOX Gold Plated Banana Plug Ø4mm (Set x4) x2
Speaker cables CANARE 4S11 Star Quad Speaker cable - 6 meters
XLR connectors Neutrik NC3FXX and Neutrik NC3MXX x2
XLR Cables CANARE L-4E6S 3 meter
Speaker Stands Bowers & Wilkins STAV24 S2

Currently waiting for all these to arrive so that I can listen to the Elac DBR62, hope I picked well
 

Vyacheslav

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Amplifier Audiophonics MPA-S250NC XLR Hypex Ncore 250W
DAC SMSL SU 9
Banana plugs DYNAVOX Gold Plated Banana Plug Ø4mm (Set x4) x2
Speaker cables CANARE 4S11 Star Quad Speaker cable - 6 meters
XLR connectors Neutrik NC3FXX and Neutrik NC3MXX x2
XLR Cables CANARE L-4E6S 3 meter
Speaker Stands Bowers & Wilkins STAV24 S2

Currently waiting for all these to arrive so that I can listen to the Elac DBR62, hope I picked well
I think these are not the last audio components in your life. Then look at the class A and AB amplifiers. The power of 30 watts per channel is enough for home listening to music. The regular Realtek chip has better linearity than DACs in separate packages. SMSL sells simple and cheap electronic components in modern-looking packages. Better to buy a laptop with an 11-inch screen. More possibilities. To connect the acoustics to the amplifier, a regular copper stranded wire from a hardware store is suitable. The sound won't get any worse.
 

Chromatischism

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I think his choices are very good. Yes, simple wire is fine, but some want something a little nicer if it's going to be visible. At least nothing there is $$$ snake oil and there is nothing that the NCore can't power with transparency. It is a very solid amp, even without considering its price.
 
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ferongr

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I think these are not the last audio components in your life. Then look at the class A and AB amplifiers. The power of 30 watts per channel is enough for home listening to music.

I have the DBR-62s and an 85W Yamaha AS-501 was not enough to power them at high volumes. I then got an Audiophonics NC252MP-based amp and they now can be effortlessly powered to ear-destroying levels.
 

ferongr

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If I wanted a sermon I'd join a religion. I normally listen at an average level of 80dB as indicated by my UMIK-1. But sometimes it's nice to pump up the volume. And not having the capability to do that would be disappointing.
 

Vyacheslav

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If I wanted a sermon I'd join a religion. I normally listen at an average level of 80dB as indicated by my UMIK-1. But sometimes it's nice to pump up the volume. And not having the capability to do that would be disappointing.
I am an electronics engineer and I do not practice religion. By the level of your volume, I can say that it flatters everyone in its own way. To understand a piece of music, 5 - 7 watts is enough.
 

celroid

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I think these are not the last audio components in your life. Then look at the class A and AB amplifiers. The power of 30 watts per channel is enough for home listening to music. The regular Realtek chip has better linearity than DACs in separate packages. SMSL sells simple and cheap electronic components in modern-looking packages. Better to buy a laptop with an 11-inch screen. More possibilities. To connect the acoustics to the amplifier, a regular copper stranded wire from a hardware store is suitable. The sound won't get any worse.
I wanted my cables to have shielding from electromagnetic interferences (transformers, phone chargers, etc.), and star quad cables are supposed to be good at that. If there are better cables at that then I just wasn't aware of them.
 

realdb

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@amirm wow, love the work sir you have been doing. I am out of words of praise. I am a total noob, and have just joined a few days ago, but the pace with which i am consuming information is just mind boggling, so much to learn and read. It's a gold mine. I hope to contribute to this community for sure.

I see you have compared, Elac dbr 62, Revel M16, Revel M105, KEF R3. Which one would you choose among all of the 3. I have read all their reviews. Just wanted to know your expert opinion of how do they stack against each other, yes i know they are at 3 different price points but if you had to get one among all 3 which one would you go for and why.

Thanks
 
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T.T.

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UPDATE: I found that my reservations were mainly caused by my room. I covered the floor and the window in front of the desk (which is my listening position). Guitar riffs pop again, soundstage is deeper, center image stronger and transitions smoother. I expected that untreated room would accentuate higher frequencies, but that it would almost cancel an instrument and mess up the soundstange, that is a surprise. Also it works best when speakers are fully directed at my head (or very slightly behind).

And now the ceiling...

UPDATE #2: previously I did not comment on build quality as I had a claim pending. I received new pair today. The problem with first was that one speaker produced slight buzz when playing below 50hz, I concluded that it was probably caused by the dustcap which was not fully glued to the cone (several small gaps). The new pair has the dustcaps glued properly, but there is some flappy sound coming from both speakers, I guess it's the rubber. I don't know now whether it was the same with the first pair, I was more concerned by the buzz. Anyways, not audible from my listening position and not audible when "normal" music is playing.

The first pair had better finishing though, the shut lines were tighter and vinyl fitting was more seamless. There are also (white) paint lumps in the gaps around the drivers on the second pair.
 

981CS

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I have the DBR-62s and an 85W Yamaha AS-501 was not enough to power them at high volumes. I then got an Audiophonics NC252MP-based amp and they now can be effortlessly powered to ear-destroying levels.


Those Yamaha's don't have a lot of grunt behind them. I found that they do really struggle in trying to express dynamics, especially with speakers that aren't all that sensitive.
 

981CS

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I am an electronics engineer and I do not practice religion. By the level of your volume, I can say that it flatters everyone in its own way. To understand a piece of music, 5 - 7 watts is enough.

For you perhaps, but for others that want more there are better amps. Can 5 watts belt out a bass note @ 45Hz effectively on a modern 6.5" woofer in a smaller box? No, not really. You need power to do so and 5 watts isn't enough for dynamic bass.
 

weasels

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For you perhaps, but for others that want more there are better amps. Can 5 watts belt out a bass note @ 45Hz effectively on a modern 6.5" woofer in a smaller box? No, not really. You need power to do so and 5 watts isn't enough for dynamic bass.

I'm sure room size plays a large part as well. I listen to my DBR62s in a relatively small home office with a 60wpc amp and I'm quite happy with the bass response. In a larger room I might not be so satisfied.
 

Vyacheslav

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My native language is Russian and the google translator does not always translate the meaning of the text in detail. If the listener wants the bass to be played with priority, beat on the head and the stage lined up with bass in front, then a powerful amplifier and acoustics DBR 62 are needed. In order to understand the 1958 album Porgy And Bess - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, the amplifier power was enough for me according to the 1969 scheme by John Linsley Hood. A couple of days ago, I went to the store again, and the seller turned on the B&W 606 and DALI Oberon 3 for comparison. To my ears, these speakers place the musicians equally correctly. According to your mood, you can listen to the bright sound of B&W 606. DALI Oberon 3 does not tire your hearing, it can be switched on in the morning and switched off in the evening.
 

T.T.

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UPDATE #2: previously I did not comment on build quality as I had a claim pending. I received new pair today. The problem with first was that one speaker produced slight buzz when playing below 50hz, I concluded that it was probably caused by the dustcap which was not fully glued to the cone (several small gaps). The new pair has the dustcaps glued properly, but there is some flappy sound coming from both speakers, I guess it's the rubber. I don't know now whether it was the same with the first pair, I was more concerned by the buzz. Anyways, not audible from my listening position and not audible when "normal" music is playing.

The first pair had better finishing though, the shut lines were tighter and vinyl fitting was more seamless. There are also (white) paint lumps in the gaps around the drivers on the second pair.

UPDATE #3: so I spent second day listening to the new pair and I can't get rid of the feeling these are different speakers. Be aware there was no interim period, the replacement was arranged as an exchange package, so I put the new pair on just minutes after I returned the first pair. Same position, same system, nothing has changed. I liked the first pair a lot, I was not hoping for any improvement (except the barely audible buzz to go away), so I am suppresing the idea that my brain is tricking me into confirmation bias.

These sound better, if I thought the first pair was a bit laid back, then these are not. They are identical tonally, but seem to be more resolving, tiny details cut through like never before, there is more attack in the midrange, guitars are crunchier.

Is the transient amplitude up a notch? Is such sample variation common?
 

Chromatischism

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What you are describing is very similar to what one will notice when listening more intently, even to the same source. It's also what happens when our brain adjusts to the sound of a new speaker.

So while there could be sample variation, I doubt it would be enough to hear a difference. You'd have to measure them both to compare objectively.
 
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