Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 Speaker Review

[Roland68]

The DBR62 can easily outperform more expensive speakers; indeed, its build quality, measured performance, and engineering stand well above its price class.

It is not necessarily about expensive drivers, but rather good ones—and that does not automatically correlate with price.
Then there are factors such as the cabinet, its dispersion characteristics, its mechanical build quality, the matching of the drivers, the design and tuning of the crossover, and so on—to name just a few.

The Mechano23 is a good example of this.

 

[PoorAudioGuy]

"measured performance, and engineering stand well above its price class."

What price class? Is that also true for $800 that's going in the US right now?

 

[terryforsythe]

The DBR62 can easily outperform more expensive speakers; indeed, its build quality, measured performance, and engineering stand well above its price class.

I don't know about that:

AsciLab F6B Bookshelf Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the AsciLab F6B stand mount speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $835 for a pair (shipping included). In black, the F6B seems formal with a very clean design. It feels solid with sense of precision. Compared to...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Quoting Amir: "When you include the price in the equation, I am at a loss to recommend alternatives to the F6B. It is that good!"

 

[terryforsythe]

As a side note, I own a pair of Elac Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 speakers. They are not bad, but not great either. One speaker had higher THD than the other, which turned out to be differences in the amount of adhesive used to glue the boxes together. Adding glue fillets, additional bracing, and better damping material improved THD quite a bit. The crossover components were not bad, perhaps with the exception of the inductors on the woofer filter. My understanding is that the AsciLab speakers use better crossover components.

 

[Roland68]

"measured performance, and engineering stand well above its price class."

What price class? Is that also true for $800 that's going in the US right now?

That naturally depends on the country or continent.
In Germany/the EU, you can regularly buy the DBR62s for around €400 a pair—sometimes even less.
For $800/€700, I would buy a pair of Heco Aurora 700s in Germany/the EU; they are exceptionally good for that price range.
The market in the USA might be different, and other speakers
offering exceptional value for money might be worth considering there.

I don't know about that:

AsciLab F6B Bookshelf Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the AsciLab F6B stand mount speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $835 for a pair (shipping included). In black, the F6B seems formal with a very clean design. It feels solid with sense of precision. Compared to...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Quoting Amir: "When you include the price in the equation, I am at a loss to recommend alternatives to the F6B. It is that good!"

Here, too, it depends on which country or continent you live in.
Compared to the price I paid for my DBR62s on sale, the ASCILAB F6Bs would cost me exactly three times as much.

 

[terryforsythe]

Here, too, it depends on which country or continent you live in.
Compared to the price I paid for my DBR62s on sale, the ASCILAB F6Bs would cost me exactly three times as much.

€400/pair makes them a lot more attractive. Here in the U.S. currently they are $799/pair (Crutchfield and Amazon).

 

[tw 2022]

€400/pair makes them a lot more attractive. Here in the U.S. currently they are $799/pair (Crutchfield and Amazon).

yep, gotta luv them tarrifs... it's a shame , they'd probably sell a lot better at $500 .. now the obvious bargain choice is the ascend cbm170 SE v2 that is coming out

 

[PoorAudioGuy]

That naturally depends on the country or continent.
In Germany/the EU, you can regularly buy the DBR62s for around €400 a pair—sometimes even less.
For $800/€700, I would buy a pair of Heco Aurora 700s in Germany/the EU; they are exceptionally good for that price range.
The market in the USA might be different, and other speakers
offering exceptional value for money might be worth considering there.


Here, too, it depends on which country or continent you live in.
Compared to the price I paid for my DBR62s on sale, the ASCILAB F6Bs would cost me exactly three times as much.

What's the bass for recommending Heco Aurora 700s. I don't see them being reviewed here

 

[Roland68]

What's the bass for recommending Heco Aurora 700s. I don't see them being reviewed here

That is based on personal experience; the same applies to the even larger Aurora 1000s.
But there are a few other fans here on the forum as well.

 

[pdfield34]

Can a speaker of this price really provide the same resolution and detail as much more expensive speakers?

Google AI says stepping up to more expensive speaker provide you with more "Enhanced Detail and Clarity",

Using KEF R3 meta as a "much more expensive speaker" you can compare the estimated in room response and see where the KEFs may provide more resolution and detail (but this will not be night and day as the Elacs measure well, also).

Add eq (to correct response), and I believe you are down to personal preference.

 

[djdragon66]

Has anyone compared the Triangle Esprit Antal 40th and Signature Theta with the Elac DBR62? Or perhaps the Triangle against the KEF R3 Meta? I’m looking to upgrade from my DBR62s, and I really like the look of the Triangles.

 

[Doenerkunde]

Has anyone compared the Triangle Esprit Antal 40th and Signature Theta with the Elac DBR62? Or perhaps the Triangle against the KEF R3 Meta? I’m looking to upgrade from my DBR62s, and I really like the look of the Triangles.

Triangle Esprit Antal EZ 40th) has been measured by Stereophile:

Triangle Antal 40th Anniversary Edition loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Sidebar 3: Measurements I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone, and an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the Triangle Antal 40th's behavior in the farfield. I used an Earthworks QTC-40 microphone for the nearfield responses. This mike has a ¼"-diameter tip...

www.stereophile.com

Measurements show similar resonances as Amirs review of the non 40th EZ version:

Triangle Esprit Antal Ez Review (Tower Speaker)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez Floor Standing speaker. It was kindly loaned to me by a local member and costs US $2,400 (pair). The overall fit and finish is nice: The tweeter though looks odd and takes away from the clean look as does that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

ELAC has announced a new Debut 3.0 Reference series that also has a real 3 way floorstander:

Lets hope we get measurements soon and that maybe Elac has been able to replicate what they did with the DBR62.

 

[djdragon66]

Triangle Esprit Antal EZ 40th) has been measured by Stereophile:

Triangle Antal 40th Anniversary Edition loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Sidebar 3: Measurements I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone, and an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the Triangle Antal 40th's behavior in the farfield. I used an Earthworks QTC-40 microphone for the nearfield responses. This mike has a ¼"-diameter tip...

www.stereophile.com

Measurements show similar resonances as Amirs review of the non 40th EZ version:

Triangle Esprit Antal Ez Review (Tower Speaker)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez Floor Standing speaker. It was kindly loaned to me by a local member and costs US $2,400 (pair). The overall fit and finish is nice: The tweeter though looks odd and takes away from the clean look as does that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I’m not really an expert on these measurements; I usually just look at the final verdict—whether they’re recommended or not—and trust the experts when making a purchase decision. Does the test result for the Triangle Antal 40th mean they aren't as good as the R3 Meta, or even my Elac BDR62s? (By the way, I’m using them with an Elac RS500 subwoofer.) I’m also interested in the Triangle Signature Theta—which costs nearly €3,000—to see if it’s better. Also, I’m using my system in a 14m² room; aren't floor-standing speakers generally unsuitable for a room that size? Even if the port is plugged with foam? The Antal 40th comes with those plugs included.

We’ve discussed speakers that are better than the DBR62—the KEF R3 Meta was recommended, for instance. What else would you recommend for a 14 m² room that delivers clearly superior sound compared to the DBR62? For example, I could buy a pair of ex-display ELAC VELA 404.2s for €1,900.

Or a Wharfedale Aura 1? I've heard it's very good.

 

[Doenerkunde]

I’m not really an expert on these measurements; I usually just look at the final verdict—whether they’re recommended or not—and trust the experts when making a purchase decision. Does the test result for the Triangle Antal 40th mean they aren't as good as the R3 Meta, or even my Elac BDR62s? (By the way, I’m using them with an Elac RS500 subwoofer.) I’m also interested in the Triangle Signature Theta—which costs nearly €3,000—to see if it’s better. Also, I’m using my system in a 14m² room; aren't floor-standing speakers generally unsuitable for a room that size? Even if the port is plugged with foam? The Antal 40th comes with those plugs included.

We’ve discussed speakers that are better than the DBR62—the KEF R3 Meta was recommended, for instance. What else would you recommend for a 14 m² room that delivers clearly superior sound compared to the DBR62? For example, I could buy a pair of ex-display ELAC VELA 404.2s for €1,900.

Or a Wharfedale Aura 1? I've heard it's very good.

A few rudimentary tips on how to interpret the frequency response graphs:

Play around with an online tone generator to get a general first feeling for tonality (you´d probably be surprised how high the pitch of a 1000/2000hz sine square wave is…). https://onlinetonegenerator.com/

A 6 decibel step up/step down on the vertical y axis can be interpreted as twice as loud/half as loud.

Amir made a video on how to interpret frequency response graphs:

In your situation (14sqm room and a subwoofer) I´d also rather look at bookshelf speakers.

The ASCIlab offerings seem to be stellar:

AsciLab F6B Bookshelf Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the AsciLab F6B stand mount speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $835 for a pair (shipping included). In black, the F6B seems formal with a very clean design. It feels solid with sense of precision. Compared to...

www.audiosciencereview.com

AsciLab C6B Review

AsciLab C6B Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

I´d not throw large sums of money into this. The hifi press wants you to believe, that there are price dependent „classes“ of loudspeakers, but the connection between price and sound quality is not linear and can even be negative. Measurement wise the ASCIlab speakers are state of the art for passive two way bookshelfs and they cost 899€/1299€ per pair. In my humble opinion your Elac DBR62s are already great speakers and there won´t be a „night and day difference“ upgrade from them, but only gradual improvements in nuances.

 

[Thelo80]

Are the ELAC DBR62 speakers still among the best options under $1,000 for living-room use? I’m open to other suggestions as well.

I’m considering replacing my Audioengine A5 powered speakers with a pair of DBR62s driven by a 3e Audio A7 amplifier. Are there any compatibility or performance concerns with this combination?

Thanks!

 

[tw 2022]

Are the ELAC DBR62 speakers still among the best options under $1,000 for living-room use? I’m open to other suggestions as well.

I’m considering replacing my Audioengine A5 powered speakers with a pair of DBR62s driven by a 3e Audio A7 amplifier. Are there any compatibility or performance concerns with this combination?

Thanks!

look into ascend cbm 170 se 2's.. they could be better, especially in near field...

 

[Thelo80]

look into ascend cbm 170 se 2's.. they could be better, especially in near field...

thanks. But the speakers will be used on a living room with 12 ft distance

 

[terryforsythe]

Are the ELAC DBR62 speakers still among the best options under $1,000 for living-room use? I’m open to other suggestions as well.

I’m considering replacing my Audioengine A5 powered speakers with a pair of DBR62s driven by a 3e Audio A7 amplifier. Are there any compatibility or performance concerns with this combination?

Thanks!

Look at the AscLlab F6B, as well as Ascend Acoustics.

 

[Roland68]

Are the ELAC DBR62 speakers still among the best options under $1,000 for living-room use? I’m open to other suggestions as well.

I’m considering replacing my Audioengine A5 powered speakers with a pair of DBR62s driven by a 3e Audio A7 amplifier. Are there any compatibility or performance concerns with this combination?

Thanks!

In Germany/the EU, the DBR62s cost around €400 when on sale.
However, they are significantly more expensive overseas, so it might be worth looking at brands like Ascend, AsciLab, Philharmonic Audio, etc.
Given that listening distance, I would personally consider floor-standing speakers as well; physically, they don't take up any more space than the DBR62s do on stands.

The 3E Audio A7 is more than sufficient and offers plenty of headroom. I’ve driven my DBR62s with the A5 and never turned the volume past 50–60%, even at a distance of over 3 meters—and the A7 has twice the power.

 

[Thelo80]

Look at the AscLlab F6B, as well as Ascend Acoustics.

Thanks. I explored that option but I don't want a super detailed speaker, better with something more forgiving.