Elac Debut B5.2 Shelf Speaker, Black Decoration

Whilst I have a nice set of floor standers in the lounge, I actually do most of my music listening in my study, so have put some time into improving the audio experience. I have an old AV Receiver running 4.1 surround on my PC, and I enjoy listening to music and playing games. And have a dedicated sound card. Previously I was running some rather old Tannoy 603 bookshelf speakers, which certainly sounded ok. My dilemma was, would more modern day budget speakers improve on older-day budget speakers? Before buying anything, I popped in some old 3-way Sony Hi-Fi speakers, which on the face of it should have been better, they weren't. I also tried some Wharfdale 9.0 speakers, which whilst nice and small, couldn't reproduce bass very well at all. I finally plumped for the Elac Debut 5.2 for £175 on Amazon, notably cheaper than anywhere else at the time. Broadly speaking, the frequency response seems the same as the Tannoys, but I'm pleased to report that the quality and detail of the sound is much improved. The Elac's are reasonably deep in construction at 25cm which is a bit tight on my desk, but slimmer than most the alternatives at this price point. They aren't the lookers either, with a single bass port on the front. And if you happen to glance down the tube you'll see the white foam stuffed in the speaker, black would have looked better, or even something to hide the view. As my speaker placement is close to walls, I was on the look out for a front-firing bass port. The tweeter grill can be removed with a paper clip which improves the look, but leaves the tweeter vulnerable from knocks. In terms of sound, the bass is warm and present, but these are still relatively small units. They knock the spots off something smaller like the Warfedale 9.0, but need reinforcing with a separate sub. I haven't taken any measurements yet, but I feel they lack punch under about 85Hz, but will still produce bass below this. The mids are clear and I can hear a lot more detail in music than previously, but they're also not massively pronounced, it's enjoyable to listen to. Highs seem clear and crisp. The sound seems quite engulfing, and I feel much more part of the music than I did before. So whilst these can't compete with something bigger and more expensive, for the money, they're absolutely superb, and I've never had such good sound at my desk before.

Well this is a superb pair of bookshelf speakers. I am no newbie to the world of proper hifi. Over the years I have had speakers from the likes of wharfedale, Boston, linn, b and w, pmc, ruark, Polk to name but a few and these are right up there with some of the best offerings (within price limitations). I actually purchased these to replace an ageing pair of Linn Kans and knew that technology has moved on since I purchased my Linn's but didn't expect to get a sound quality anywhere near what I have been getting with the Linn's. How wrong could I have been. I read countless reviews so I knew I was getting a reasonable speaker but I never expected them to be this good. I think they even have an edge over the Linn's and other bookshelfs ive owned. Even straight out the box they sounded very tight and open but now having run them in the last few weeks they have started to really open up and are sounding better and better. They are being fed by a Rega Brio R amplifier, and the sources are a completely pimped Rega planar 3 and a bluesound mqa DAC and I have been totally blown away by their performance. Based on the sheer analagy of sound per pound I don't think you will find better. Yes they are never going to compete with the likes of a £2000 floorstander but then one couldn't expect them to bit in all honesty they out up a very good fight and argument lol. Lovely crisp and not too overbright top end, a good controlled bottom end and a very pleasing and stunning vocal mid range performance. Fantastic build quality and finish. I couldn't have asked for more. My only minor criticism if asked would be the 1980s style grilles but hey I don't use them so I'm not really bothered but they just make the speakers look a tad dated. Not such a bad thing I guess but the rest of the speaker is distinctively modern. Well done Elac. Fantastic set of very pleasing speakers.

I was torn between choosing these Debuts or the new Wharfdale 12.1s. But ultimately I was put off by the 12.1s rear porting so less flexibility with near wall placement. They arrived yesterday to replace my much smaller Wharfdale Diamond 9.0. Right off the bat the difference was enormous. More bass, extended highs and much crisper across the full bandwidth. I was hearing things I never noticed before, even on TV audio you can hear much more detail in people's voices, the lip smacks and saliva crackles that were mute before. I was worried the 5.2 wouldn't have enough bass compared to the 6.2 but those worries were soon dispelled. These go plently low for my needs and I wanted to retain as much detail in the mids with 5.25' main cones. These are also a better match for the ELAC DEBUT C5.2 Centre Speaker when I upgrade my surround sound. I am driving with an aging Arcam 10 DAVE that also previously drove a pair of Mission 774 floorstanders and these Debuts surpass the sound I remember from the Missions. I've never heard my system sounding this good. Highly recommend at this price point. Unbeatable value especially with the current deal on Amazon. They were shipped from Germany in 4 days with free delivey.

Nice clear, balanced sound, which makes also them good for TV. Spoken voice and other natural sounds are not affected by exaggerated bass/treble as with many speakers. Quiet sounds are clear and detailed, which makes them good at handling ambience and other subtle sounds. This balance makes them good for a wide range of music types, but if you only listen to a specific type of music there might be another pair of speakers that is more specifically designed for that. Eg, there is not enought bass for most electronic dance music without adding a subwoofer. Indy music can sound a bit dull as is often recorded in low quality and these speakers do not try to artificially embellish it. Treble is very clear without being harsh. Mids have a lot of subtlety and detail. Recommend adding a subwoofer to cover the lower end, but bass is sufficient for most natural sounds.

I feel the need to write this, as I was looking for a particular warmth and depth of sound, and these just didn’t perform. They’re great for tech/techno, but for blues, 80s etc, the mids just simply aren’t there. I’ve used various equalisers but they just can’t reproduce that range. I’ve bought a Polk Audio CS10 centre speaker which really brings forth the missing frequencies, so I think I’ll use these Elacs as the rear surrounds and find something more fulfilling to complement the centre stage.

What an outstanding speaker the 5.2 is! There’s a rich depth of bass, punchy and wonderful mid range and lively treble...I can’t fault it! This comes from an individual that has owned Nakamichi, Krell, Magnaplanar, Linn and Mission as such I’m sound fussy. For the price (now in a smaller room) and my ear for a good sound these ‘little’ speakers blow me away. Out with the Sonos, in with proper, worthy champions... The Elac Debut B5.2. Make no mistake, like me, you’ll be totally blown away. I like to just sit quietly and listen to the actual music and not focus on how good or bad the quality is as I’ve been there so many times before and now I’m finding sounds in music I’ve been listening to for years that I’ve never heard before. They’ve just wiped the floor with Linn Kans! Highly, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. +++++++ BTW, Richer Sounds were fifty quid less than the next lowest cost and around a hundred quid better than others. Brilliant service! I’ll return time and time again. +++++++

If like me you are a base level vinyl enthusiast then these speakers are fantastic, they also now double as my new tv speakers without needing a sub woofer. Also being front ported means that I can place them in a tight space. At the price paid these are by far the best speakers you could possibly buy. My Vinyl now sounds as it should to the best of my affordability and I am truly impressed.

My only gripe is only one colour choice, and that's it . The overall quality and clarity of sound that comes from these speaker is simply superb. I used them as an upgrade to my Brennan JB7 unit. I really was staggered at the brilliant sounds coming these speakers. I always use random playback and so i hear Mozart, ZZ Top, Beatles, The Exploited, Vivaldi, Rockabilly, Trance, Rave, Dave Brubeck, Trad Jazz etc all mixed up and they can handle anything. They sound so good i havent had to use my sub woofer with them at all. So pleased i took what i thought was a risk and bought them. I have since watched some utube reviews and they seem to back up my thoughts.