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Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 Speaker Review

MrPeabody

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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.

Curious to know exactly what happened and how you decided that the amp was deficient. Multiple choice:

A. When I turned the amp up as loud as I wanted the speakers to be, the amp got really hot and shut down.
B. When I turned the amp up as loud as I wanted the speakers to be, I could hear distortion that indicated that the amplifier was probably clipping the signal.
C. I turned the amp up all the way and nothing was wrong except that it wasn't loud enough for me.
D. Other (please explain).
 

ferongr

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B. There was audible distortion at high volumes with tracks that had lots of low frequency content.
 

quirozson

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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.

Though I'd update my issue. Turns out that the NAD Amp fixed my psychoacoustic issues at low volume; but it wasn't the DENON amplifier itself, but the DAC I was using. I ended up not keeping the NAD AMP after I realized a higher end DAC is what I needed. I had been using the DAC built into my Airport Express (2nd generation) streaming via Airplay 2. The DBR-62 must have illuminated the weakness in that Airport Express DAC. Now have Airplay 2 streaming to my Airport Express-> Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 -> Denon ARV 2313CI (Zone 2) and sound is amazing.
 

realdb

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Is it just me or i think elac dbr are more balanced than metas. Metas are super vocal focused and good sound stage but lack in dynamics. May be i just need to break them in or may be i have a bad meta unit dbr is more natural sounding
 

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Livnmuskoka

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I home demoed LS50's in 2016 for a 2 channel system and wasn't impressed at all. Thought they were way overrated. And the 2db peak they have in the fatiguing 2khz to 4khz area really bothered my ears. Ended up buying Bryston Mini T's at a much higher price but are a great value for the sound quality they give.
About 6 months later I bought 3 Paradigm Prestige 15B's for my 3.1 home theatre system. I Temporary tried them in the 2 channel room and they were also better at everything over the LS50's. The 15B's have better clarity, sound bigger, have better bass, and even better imaging.
After moving into our new house the 15B's were too bright in my new room, every speaker I've tried except the DBR-62's has been, but they have a pretty flat frequency response. I have an area rug, soft furniture and cloth blinds, but it's the main room of the house so can't put treatments everywhere. And since my only system is getting used 95% for tv/movies now, I sold the 15B's and bought 2 pairs of DBR-62's for LCR.
They DBR-62's are amazing for the money. The tonality is on par with much more expensive speakers, they have very good clarity, and sound well balanced.
I highly doubt the new LS50 Meta are as good as the DBR-62's.
 
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space

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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.

Do you think stepping up to the A-S701 would be enough for the DBR62, or should something else be considered? I’m currently running mine on a cheap AVR (Onkyo NR-676) until I can figure out what integrated or power amp to go with.
 

thewas

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I home demoed LS50's in 2016 for a 2 channel system and wasn't impressed at all. Thought they were way overrated. And the 2db peak they have in the fatiguing 2khz to 4khz area really bothered my ears.
I agree about the 2dB presence bump of the old LS50, he is talking about the LS50 Meta though which don't have it.
 

richard12511

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Is it just me or i think elac dbr are more balanced than metas. Metas are super vocal focused and good sound stage but lack in dynamics. May be i just need to break them in or may be i have a bad meta unit dbr is more natural sounding

We haven't seen a meta on Amir's machine yet(would love to) to really compare apples to apples. From the measurements I have seen though, the Metas look to me the better and more balanced speaker. Curious, do you own both? Could be your brain is still getting used to the new sound.
 

realdb

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Yes I agree. But elacs seem more natural sounding and less hearing fatigue for me. Everyone is different so i guess metas dont suit me. So far i am not impressed at first look. Need a few more listening sessions to decide. But it be great if Amir gets a hand on a pair.
 

richard12511

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Yes I agree. But elacs seem more natural sounding and less hearing fatigue for me. Everyone is different so i guess metas dont suit me. So far i am not impressed at first look. Need a few more listening sessions to decide. But it be great if Amir gets a hand on a pair.

You're right that everyone is different, and because of that, better measurements are no guarantee of individual listener preference.

For me, I've only ever had one new speaker that I preferred over the speaker it was replacing on first listen. I enjoyed the Genelec 8030c over the Revel M105 right away for some reason, but every other major speaker purchase I've made has been disappointing on first listen.

Most disappointing was my first foray into the $1,000+ speaker land. When I first replaced my Infinity Beta 50/20 system with JTR 210s, I played Enya's "May it be" which had a special meaning to me, as it was the first and only song I could listen to for the first few months I had the Infinities :facepalm:. My immediate reaction was disappointment, as even with all the expectation bias, I liked the Infinities more. I spent the next few months listening to music on the JTRs at club levels that the Infinities couldn't handle(to justify the purchase in my mind :facepalm:). At some point, I decided to revisit the comparison, and this time, the results were completely opposite. I now preferred the JTRs, and by a large margin, at all volumes. The JTRs were so much clearer and imaged way better. Nothing in the speakers or room changed in that time frame. Only thing that changed was my brain.

My latest purchase (Genelec 8351b) first listen went similarly. When I first replaced my left/right JTR 212RT with the Genelecs, I still preferred the JTRs. My brain missed the clarity and precision of the JTRs. This time, though, I was more prepared, I expected this, and I was confident it was only temporary.

It seems not everyone's brain works this way(I've seen other people say they know right away if they like a speaker or not), but it is the way my brain seems to work. I get used to particular tonality and dispersion pattern, and I don't like speakers that differ from that.
 

T.T.

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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?

UPDATE #4: surprise, surprise :facepalm: That extra resolution was just an illusion. The speakers are brighter and possibly there is some distortion in upper midrange. At first I was impressed with crunchiness of the guitar riffs, and that was all what I was throwing at it first day or two. But when I tried other genres it became obvious it does not sound right. Vocals are thinner and always with echo, sharp sounds jump in front of the soundstage, there is texture to everything, nothing is smooth.

so again a question of sample variation, but in different regard. I would admit that it's just my brain, but I had the first pair for a month, I was well accustomed to the sound, and these sounded different from the first moment and never eased. After 6 days (up to 40 playing hours) I also consider them well broken in.

now I wish I never returned the first pair :oops: trying to get them back
 

Shazb0t

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UPDATE #4: surprise, surprise :facepalm: That extra resolution was just an illusion. The speakers are brighter and possibly there is some distortion in upper midrange. At first I was impressed with crunchiness of the guitar riffs, and that was all what I was throwing at it first day or two. But when I tried other genres it became obvious it does not sound right. Vocals are thinner and always with echo, sharp sounds jump in front of the soundstage, there is texture to everything, nothing is smooth.

so again a question of sample variation, but in different regard. I would admit that it's just my brain, but I had the first pair for a month, I was well accustomed to the sound, and these sounded different from the first moment and never eased. After 6 days (up to 40 playing hours) I also consider them well broken in.

now I wish I never returned the first pair :oops: trying to get them back
Maybe you should consider taking an in room measurement of your speakers? That would take out all this memory guessing stuff.
 

renaudrenaud

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UPDATE #4: surprise, surprise :facepalm: That extra resolution was just an illusion. The speakers are brighter and possibly there is some distortion in upper midrange. At first I was impressed with crunchiness of the guitar riffs, and that was all what I was throwing at it first day or two. But when I tried other genres it became obvious it does not sound right. Vocals are thinner and always with echo, sharp sounds jump in front of the soundstage, there is texture to everything, nothing is smooth.

so again a question of sample variation, but in different regard. I would admit that it's just my brain, but I had the first pair for a month, I was well accustomed to the sound, and these sounded different from the first moment and never eased. After 6 days (up to 40 playing hours) I also consider them well broken in.

now I wish I never returned the first pair :oops: trying to get them back

Hope you will never be one of my customers. :)
 

T.T.

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Maybe you should consider taking an in room measurement of your speakers? That would take out all this memory guessing stuff.

Inded, I also regret I did not measure the first pair, but anyway I am not sure I can do proper distortion measurement.
Attached the pink noise measurement from listening position (via phone).
 

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daftcombo

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UPDATE #4: surprise, surprise :facepalm: That extra resolution was just an illusion. The speakers are brighter and possibly there is some distortion in upper midrange. At first I was impressed with crunchiness of the guitar riffs, and that was all what I was throwing at it first day or two. But when I tried other genres it became obvious it does not sound right. Vocals are thinner and always with echo, sharp sounds jump in front of the soundstage, there is texture to everything, nothing is smooth.

so again a question of sample variation, but in different regard. I would admit that it's just my brain, but I had the first pair for a month, I was well accustomed to the sound, and these sounded different from the first moment and never eased. After 6 days (up to 40 playing hours) I also consider them well broken in.

now I wish I never returned the first pair :oops: trying to get them back
Do you listen with or without toe-in?

@renaudrenaud listens at very loud levels and has ears that can spot distortion quicker than me. If you have a real problem, it must be that the tweeter grill is not placed well.
 

T.T.

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Hope you will never be one of my customers. :)

be sure that returning products is not something I like to do. But the first pair had clear defect and the seller agreed with their distrubutor they would accept the claim (and we agreed on the exchange after that). It did not prevent me from enjoying the music, but it was there...

I don't like the sound of the second pair, what should I do then? I offered I would pay the cost of the second exchange.
 

T.T.

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Do you listen with or without toe-in?

@renaudrenaud listens at very loud levels and has ears that can spot distortion quicker than me. If you have a real problem, it must be that the tweeter grill is not placed well.

the first pair I enjoyed the most when pointed directly at my head or just sligthly behind. second pair almost no toe-in, also tried the fabric grilles, still too much. Tweeter grilles sit tightly. I listen at quite low volume, nearfield.
 

changer

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I don't like the sound of the second pair, what should I do then? I offered I would pay the cost of the second exchange.
That is a fair gesture, considering it is a budget speaker with probably not a very high margin for the dealer. It does not feel right if you make someone work and he even has to pay returns (EU at least). But then again, if budget is limited and it breaks your heart if you keep something mild-heartedly, but you cannot get used to it because it feels shady, you cannot keep it anyway. I would never keep a sub par product any more. They are mass products and you cannot know if it is are seriously flaw from a missconnected wire or faulty circuit element. It is in this case either the job of the dealer to demonstrate a suspicious customer that actually everything is alright, because he has to be knowledgeable about his products. And if he cannot and you even suggested you take the shipping costs, this is super okay. Next time you will perhaps try to buy a commodity which you could actually check first. And if that is not possible because of budget, supply or availability, that is also right.
 
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