Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 Review - Try to Beat It... I'll wait
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ม.ค. 2021
- #elac #speakerreview #hifi
This review was long in the making and I hope I did this speaker justice. Please watch and consider this product if you're new to this hobby or if you've been listening for 60 years.
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 B52 amzn.to/3s3srPG
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Recommended Speaker List
Around $100 (These prices will fluctuate between $75 - $150)
Sony SSCS5 - Lively amzn.to/3pZNnGk
Pioneer AJ First Gen - Laid Back
Neumi BS5 -Neutral amzn.to/3q0SR3B
Around $200
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ - Crystal Clear and Punchy emotiva.com?aff=9
Elac Debut b5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/2WPNQxw
Wharfedale Diamond 11.2 (In and Out of Stock) - Laid Back/Bassy/Detailed amzn.to/37W8hPA
Around $400
Klipsch RP600M - Neutral amzn.to/3pBoXCf (This speaker’s price can fluctuate between $440-630 which is really dumb)
Jamo C93ii Bit - Boosted on Top amzn.to/3beIG6F (Can also be found cheaper at Crutchfield)
Around $600
Elac Uni-Fi UB5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/3s3srPG
Elac Debut Reference - Buttery but Detailed amzn.to/39bt6WC
Recommended Amp List
Around $130
SMSL AD18 - DAC/Amp Lively on top but solid tone controls amzn.to/3rVZxkN
Around $400
Emotiva TA-100 - DAC, Phono Stage, Pre Outs - Balanced and Tasty emotiva.com?aff=9
Hey Randy, this is a great review. As you fleshed out your thoughts about the 2.0's, I was over here nodding my head in complete agreement with every word you said. Even more, you tossed in the nugget about break in which is something I missed. Also, nearly every praise you gave these speakers is quantifiable and seen in measurements. The 2.0s are a text book example of what happens when on axis, horizontal and vertical axis are all spectacular. Not to mention, the spectral decay on those speakers are some of the best i've seen out of any speaker, at any price.
But hey, for those who don't give a rip about objective data, Randy just nailed this review without even touching a microphone. Essentially, we were clearly hearing the same speaker and you celebrating the sense of scale was the shining star of those speakers for me. Oh, and clarity. And soundstage. And tone.
The Unifi 2.0s are honestly the "british flavor" of salsa. Authentic and true! Wait, that doesnt make any damn sense. Ok, they are just really amazing speakers, regardless of price.
Ron, your review is what prompted me to order these on the day of your review and the day they were announced to the public by ELAC, September 1st. I’ve now had them for four months, and I agree with all of the praise you and Randy have given them. It’s not hype, they really are that good. And yes, they sound veiled and closed-in until they are broken in for 50 hours or more.
I feel like you're making up words... Thank you though.
Yes, I have British Salsa in the SP SB-41-LR......delicish 🤤
Could you possibly share how these compare to xls encore?
@@cheapaudioman Ron is a master of the English language. The man would be a great writer.
I’ve just broken these in. Incredible. Listened to Hendrix electric ladyland... the holographic imaging is beyond belief. Wow.
I went ahead and took the plunge, got the center channel as well. I’m 54 years old and I’ve lost quite a bit of hearing so I decided to move away from my NHT 1.5 front system and invest in these these speakers and I’m glad I did. I’m having the same experiences you mentioned listening to my favorite test songs. After two days, they are starting to relax and perform. It’s like you said, it happens very rapidly during a listening session. What a cool experience to notice on my own. I can finally hear “air” again, sitting here smiling listening to Martina McBride “anything and everything“. Lots of detail in those voices accompanied by light conga taps and deep bass provided by my 10” Klipsch sub. The blend is remarkable and solid base notes from that sub do not damage the detail coming from the Elacs. Awesome..
Regarding 5.1 movie sound, The center channel brings softer voices to the forefront with plenty of low tones on the deeper male voices . I will know more in a week or so but I am really enjoying this investment! Thank you for the fun and accurate information.
Your reviews are great and helped to point me in the direction of the uni-fi ub52s for my first bookshelf purchase. I snagged them for 490 on amazon the other day and can't wait to hear them!
I was just thinking today that I really am more important than I look. Thank you Randy for that sponsor to help me fill that void of how to show everybody else!
You are the Ron Swanson of the audio world! I bid on a pair of "elac speakers" on an auction, thinking they were the debuts. I got these instead for $100!
Love your videos (and Elac speakers). Good job!
I like the way how you review things very unorthodox but not pointless I love it keep up your work cheapaudioman
A friend of mine has these. We have hooked it up to my much more expensive electronics, and they scale with the high end gear extremely well.
I'm not sure that I've so eagerly awaited a review of a speaker before .. thanks, Randy!
Thank you Randy. I purchased these speakers based on your reviews. I have been listening to them for multiple days now and I love them. I can not stop listening to these speakers. Thanks again.
The wookiee to scale perspective helped me get a feel for how they will fit in my living space. THANK YOU!
Everyone needed a frame of reference and wookie action figure is such a common item I thought it couldn't go wrong.
Another great and entertaining review Randy !
If I didn’t heart my RP600m’s so much you’d a had me sold !! Think my next will be some 8000F’s. But man you got the juices flowing with these Elac’s 👊🏻👍🏻
I could listen to podcast versions of these reviews all day long!👍🏼
Wow - Randy what a call! Nice review. Also quite interesting art on the wall behind you. Thanks dude.
Great review! I just picked up the floor standers on sale…. Can’t wait to hear them.
Great entertaining, funny and really emotional review. The part with your 360 degrees sound experience is Mega explanation. Thanks Bro 🙏
Randy, thanks for reviewing these speakers. After watching your review, I purchased them and paired them with the SMSL A12. I rip all my CD's to WAV so I put all my music on a 3.0 thumb drive and plugged it into the A12. I was VERY impressed. I haven't even touched the treble or bass controls. Sitting in front of them pointed at me at about 8 feet with the SMSL volume a little over half is a great experience and as you pointed out, loud but no fatigue. Clear and crisp is how I would describe them. Exactly how Sean described them. For personal music listening, these would be hard to beat at any price. I believe these would be excellent rear channel speakers in a big audio/video system because of their accuracy.
Thats the same thing that happened with my original unifi b5’s. I didnt know what’s the big deal was until about a week in. They just blossomed. Amazing.
There are people who will argue that break in isn't a thing. I'm here to say, they are wrong!
I experienced it with the Q950's. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep them. I wasn't liking them. Then after 100 hours of play time, something just clicked. So the other day I was wondering if it was just my ears getting use to them or if it really was breaking in. I decided to bust out my Uni-fi's that's I've had and listened to for the past 2 years. After 2 days of A/B testing, it wasn't my ears getting use to the KEF's. They broke in and became buttery smooth while keeping all the detail. They were not smooth out of the box and I didn't like that, and that's why I almost returned them. I'm glad I held out and gave them some time. Break in is a thing!
Great review Randy. I kind of wish I gave these a chance when I upgraded from my BSU5's but I wasn't a fan of the choice of finish, and no magnetic grill. ELAC should have released a premium version along side this version for those of us who want to pay a little extra for something that's more appealing to the eye.
Agreed !
I had the UB5, sold them and got the Encore X-SLS kit. Yes, vertical off axis is awesome on Encores and UB52s. The X-SLS are very good but some issues for me so got the UB52 and now have both. Wow UB52s are really nice speaker, better than the UB5. I can where see Mr. Jones saved some costs to put more into the speakers performance. Traded binding posts, finish, grill attachment to apply to better crossover, cabinet bracing and bass driver.
Randy, you are a genius - BREAK-IN IS REAL! I also heard the argument that break-in is a myth. I bought those Fluance Signature Bookshelf you reviewed. I wasn't loving the way they sounded, then I saw this and thought, what the heck let's try to break them in, I have nothing to lose. I figured the more they moved the faster they break in, so I put the bass up full and cranked up the volume so loud I couldn't stand being in the room. They vibrated so hard they shook themselves off the stands and were laying on the floor when I came back! I did this for 3 hours after which I tried listening again. It was significantly better, and there is no way it's due to me getting used to the sound, seeing as I wasn't even in the room. Still not perfect but at $140 I paid (open box from Amazon warehouse) the Elac are 4x the price and hopefully enough better to justify it.
Interesting. Randy has spoken about "brain burn" in other videos. How to tell if the speaker is breaking in, or you're just getting acclimated to it?
All that's breaking in is you. You just get used to the sound. Especially when it comes to speakers, as they have the greatest effect on your system.
I really hope your having fun with this channel man cuz I love these reviews So much lol, thanks buddy!
having a ball!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣@@cheapaudioman
I love your approach! Much respect! I enjoy your videos and was quite curious how you like these Unifis. I guess (know) the us elac team is already working on the unifi reference.
Great choice of music, and fantastic review.
Good review Randy!! Congrates!!
Randy; I bought these because of your regard for their incredible sound reproduction. I would say the bass is dialed back 45% the 1st 5 weeks of play. After getting the coil hot for the nth time it changed night to day as if there was a floor stander instead! Then the bass extends daily for another 3 weeks and it is overwhelming and stunning by then, even though they still had room to settle in or break in more. Neutral, full, spacious and wonderful to build a system around as these begged me for...yes they scale, show system ineptitudes, and show minor changes well. Best speaker until you spend $2000...or more!!!
I thought the bass was pretty fantastic on my pair within the first few days. I was just listening to misc audio streams and switched over to The Jazz Groove. Their on the hour annoucement came on which is just their DJs saying "The Jazz Groove". One of these DJs has a voice like Barry White and when he says The Jazz Groove it blew me away. Full rich, accurate and deep male voices. Diana Krall sounds great on them also, so the upper bass and mids are very nice.
Glad you like them. I bought myself a pair and some monolith stands for xmas. I love em so far.
I just receive a set of these yesterday. Randy dude pushed me over the audio cliff! These are fabulous little speakers. I'm running them on a 2.3W Decware tube amp effortlessly. My reference speakers are the Heresy IVs and they'll be taking a break for awhile. Thanks Randy :)
Ok so I was here because NRD shared your video. I like your quirky style but I was absolutely sold in sticking around when you said Chocolate Chip Trip, love TOOL. I need these speakers...
You sir are an insanely down to earth kinda guy with just the right amount of sanity to get by with. If I'm ever in your neck of the woods I'm buying you a drink.
Great review on the speakers, basically what I expected, and more. Perhaps I should grab a pair. Thanks for the morning wake up shot with your comedy. Keep writing in your pretentious leather bound book there 👍
He also answers questions by his viewers, I’d call him a mensch
You got the INSANE part right. And I don't think our challenged friend needs anymore alcohol.
@@mikehanks1399 Didn’t like the review on your line of Specialty Pads? He wasn’t saying that pretension was a bad thing, just that they endured it would be conveyed.
For the LAST time, it was Hank's he was referring to, not Hanks'. Big difference ok?
Hi Randy, i’m a big fan of your channel, the way you do your thing is really authentic and i like it very much. I bought the KEF-Q350, however due to Black Friday i found a bargain on these ELAC’s too. After listening for four days it was clear: The Q350’s are nice, a lot of bass and clarity, however the ELAC’S are from a complete different category! I breathe everything you say about soundstage, 360 degrees, neutral, and in my opinion the best timing i ever heard in a speaker. On many parts they are even better than my 3x more costing flloorstanding B&W’s. So the KEF’s are back to the shop, great speakers but not for me, after listening these. This is an really excellent speaker, and your video’s are great! And the humor is also fantastic. All the best from the Netherlands, and keep on doing what you do. Would love to hear your opinion on ideal amplifier match here too.
Great review I have to put my hands on these ones.
Thanks to you I purchased the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52, they sounds amazing, thanks!
Thank you for this Mr Cheapaudioman !
I'm in the process of upgrading my HT, and was hesitating between SVS Prime, and Unfi 2.0.
This vid sold me the 2.0 !
Just received my center channel, and I'm very impressed .
The bookshelfs will fallow this summer. and the receiver a little later ...
My front stage was the Andrew Jones Pioneer SP-BS22LR with the matching center channel.
That new center channel just blend perfectly ! And actually upgraded the hole surround experience.
Even the 2 surround channels sounds better (I'm having a hard time understanding why ... but it's a fact) !
The breakin time was about the same as what you mensioned : 50hrs of listenning time at various volume levels and then Whouaaaaaahhh !
Can't wait to get the bookshelfs !
Keep up the good work !
these are so awesome. glad you like them.
So glad to have found your channel and ELAC Uni-Fi UB52s. My last new speaker purchase were New Advents in the last century. We needed small speakers for our retirement bungalow…dang! These are phenomenal even through my decrepit Pioneer receiver that had more beer spilled on it than I drank in college. I’m really enjoying breaking them in with my equally decrepit record collection…I may even clean a few of them.
I have been waiting for you to catch up to this speaker. Yes this is a JAWA of a speaker! Funny how the higher you go up the Andrew Jones ladder the more sublime and refined the speakers get. While its true that some speakers scale up better than others, Andrew Jones offerings seem to do it more. Sometimes the room won't even match the focal point or sweet spot of speakers imaging capabilities so the crossing streams thing is a good way to keep it even at least.
I KNEW YOU'D LIKE THIS SPEAKER! Glad you finally got your hands on it. Always enjoy your reviews. We get an honest, entertaining and straightforward description of the sound bouquet. We get some zany humor too. Oops did I say that out loud? :)
My favorite speakers to date and I've owned the UB5, deftechs, Bowers and wilkins, Klipsch. These are keepers, love em. So clear and great bass. Bought them on sale, so, great for the money. Still breaking them in but sounded great out the box.
well my favorite speakers are JBL AND KLIPSCH THAY ALL SOUND AWESOME FOR A LO BUDGET SPEAKERS,
Thanks! Bought it after watching your review and enjoying it.
Thanks so much, Zee. You’re awesome
Building my first HiFi system. On your suggestion, I ordered an open box pair of DB5.2 from Amazon. Much to my surprise, a brand new pair of UB5.2s show up on my doorstep 😃 happy birthday to me
Man, you were so serious in that review and when you mentioned the rooms and after all the detailing of these speakers, I ordered them the same day and they are incredible sounding. Whoever commented "keep breaking in^ is exactly right. Four Hundred! Ima get another pair. Thanks for directing me Randy and not only this but other gear as well.
Glad you like them!
I really liked the KEF R3 when I had a chance to listen to it. I find the compact 3-way / concentric design to be great performance/space, but the KEF is too pricey for my wallet. Can't wait to hear this speaker. Seems like a great but affordable implementation of the same basic design idea. Would be cool if Elac did with this what they do with the Debut series and have both a 5.25" and a 6.5" version for a hundred or two more, maybe with a 5" midrange on the bigger one.
Wow Randy you sold me , this is my next speaker for sure, not to thrilled with the looks but its not really to bad.
Great review. I will say they can be beat now for $1000. I just bought a the Unifi floor mounts for less than a grand. They are everything you describe here, but more bass, volume and even faster. Very warm without being syrupy. Plenty of detail and sound stage is fantastic. I’m a music lover. But my family loves them as TV movie speakers. They disappear.
sir, I love your way of explaining aspects and unbiased review. sadly none of these gears aren't available in India. I'm just looking to buy a speaker for an all-day listing while coding. Till now I've planned marshall Stanmore 2, here marshall is available only. I am not a pro audiophile but I love to listen to music the whole day.,especially old 70s American songs. Please do a review of marshall and compare it with another set of speakers, it will be really great to know your point of view.
Try Edifier. Or similar Chinese powered speakers. Sat Siri Akal. 🏴🐙🎱
Aside from the break-ins, the Uni-Fi 2.0 is a 6 ohm speaker, slightly easier to drive than its older brother. Emotiva TA-100 is rated at 90 watts at 4 ohms, a decent match. Not all amps have 4 ohms ratings. I've heard B&W speakers that sounded good but never came to life until it was paired with a high current amp. Good review, glad you bonded with your son!
Hey I just ordered the ub52. How long is the break in time approximately?
And do they also sound good when not breaked in? :)
Hey Randy I purchased the Unifi b5.2 thru Amazon sale last week plus got some monies off by applying for a Amazon credit card. Got’em really cheap!
These do need a break in , at first listen the bass was detached from the mids but after 5 hours that went away. Even though they sound a bit green still they sound good, great imaging! Thank you for your honest review of these you are spot on in your reviews.
Mine went to live with a viewer and I think I’m buying another pair just because I love them so much
Very nice and detailed review !!!
Glad you enjoyed it
I just got these speakers and hooked them up to my
Pioneer SX-3700 (1980) receiver.
Listening to Foreigner on cassette (yes that’s right, CASSETTE, must have gone completely daft!)
it’s suddenly 1980 all over again.
and that’s fine with me...
😎😜😎
Thanks Cheap Audioman!
That warms my heart, brother. Break in break in break in on those and they'll blow you away
Bold review. I have Klipsch Mirage OM-9 4-way towers. Each speaker has 1 set of front firing and 1 set of rear firing 1" silk tweeters and 6" woofers. It sounds as if you were at the concert in the 10th row. And they crank (120 watts) though my old Fisher receiver is only 65 watts per. Now I know what to buy next. P.S. My wife only likes it below 5 watts.
Randy, Thank you for the content! I’ve only been a subscriber for a week or so and I think I’ve now watched all of your scripted videos. By that, I mean that I haven’t had time to watch your recorded live streams. Your “down to earth” / quirky video style is a warm welcome to someone that is new to the audiophile world and appreciates someone not trying to talk over their head. My only constructive criticism would be that you should be a little more clear if you think these speakers are worth purchasing, LOL 😂. Thanks again sir!
I Love your reviews dude! Very great but still i need some advice to pull the trigger on choosing the speakers
I
Great stuff! 👍
Great and entertaining review as always. You're costing me money! How about including the Debut Reference on Saturday?
yup. it's in now.
Great review. These were designed by Andrew Jones, weren't they? I think that explains it. And I think you're absolutely right about Elac spending money where it makes them sound better.
All the best from Switzerland, Rob
I skied in the alps one time and spend a very nice couple of days in Zurich. Beautiful country, my friend. Thanks for watching.
This is why I hope Hsu sends you some speakers to review. With their concentric drivers, their recommended setup is for the "crossed stream" point to be in front of the listener. That's apparently when the soundstage magic happens and several reviewers back in the day didn't RTFM regarding this.
I got the original UB5s at ELACs B-stock sale and use them near field and love them!!
Sweet speakers. 😎 thanks for sharing
Break in is definitely a thing now. I bought some Polk Monitor 60 Series II towers used, but they were only used for home theater and not broken in by the previous owner. I thought about selling them because they were too harsh and left me gritting my teeth with fatigue after listening. I like them so much more now after about 3 months, but they shouldn't have taken so much break in to sound good. I should have put them on a loop playing Intergalactic on day one for 8 or 10 hours!
Hey Randy! Just want to drop a comment saying your suggestion about letting these speakers 'burn-in' really turned the table for me. I bought the UB52 along with the Debut Reference and almost wanted to return the prior after a few days. It took approximately a week to understand what exactly you and others like so much about the UB52. I'm picking the UB52 (paired with a Yamaha A-S301) as my first ever proper audio listening setup over the Debut Reference due to the great vertical off-axis, the amazing details, and the holographic imaging. Thanks for the the recommendation and for all of the videos that you've been putting out. Great contents!!
Randy! I just found these for €340 for a pair on Amazon. It looked like an erroneous listing since it didn't say "pair" in the title, but the box dimensions/weight hinted at it and it was sold diretly by Amazon so I took the shot and lo and behold, two of these beauties just arrived. Can't wait to try them out.
So you got them, and were looking at them. You didn't unbox and listen but decide to to tell us you got them but you hadn't tried them.
I don't think I would have that kind of will power. I would have ripped that box and got my speakers out.
Cheap Audio Dude does it again! Nice review. I'm a bit of a Jones fanboy myself, lol!
I have the Pioneers and the B6.2s. Always thought the B6.2s were a little too bright for me. Detailed yes, depth of soundstage? Great. Bass, OK, tight, fairly fast but not eye-popping. So I added an 8" Def Tech
sub to these the other day. And, surprisingly, the top end mellowed a little and the speaker got a little fuller and warmer, a bit closer to my wheelhouse. Hmmm! So, if you're hankering after a little more warmth from your Debut 6.2s, whip an 8" sub on them, or two?
Would love to try that with these new Uni-fis!
Your take on the 6.2's is exactly the experience I had with them too. I'm a fan but I'm a fan of AJ because he's just flat out better than anyone else at making affordable speakers. They don't just punch above their weight class they just lay waste to everything around them.
new subscriber here, appreciate the review!
excellent review. I'm going to buy a full 5.1 system this year and looking for a good system.
Nailed it, Randy! I’ve owned this speaker since it came out. It’s just an incredible speaker. Break in is absolutely key here. They take a couple days, literally 48 hours, before they start to open up but they keep opening up 200-300 hours in. Absolutely balanced, highly detailed, huge soundstage, no fatigue, amazing bass for their size. So good. That soundstage and imaging though. Thanks man!
Break in is bs.
@@Mat-hr1dg speaker driver surrounds do break in and loosen slightly. normally it doesn't take anywhere near as long as some claim. Bit "break in" definitely exists!
It's like breaking in a new pair of shoes
Sean, I visited the Elac website and read the db efficiency rating is 85 and I think it's listed at 4 ohms. In your experience are these speakers hard to drive? How many watts is you amp pushing out on these speakers?
@@Audioloon Hey, Leroy. They are actually 6 ohm on this version which makes them a lot easier to drive. The amp I am using is 160 watts into 6 ohms. I also have a 100 watt amp I have used as well. Both drive them perfectly fine. While they aren't the most efficient speakers at 85 dB, they have a true 6 ohm impedance with only one small narrow band of upper bass frequencies that dip down to about 5 ohms and that makes them easier to drive. I don't think you need a huge amp to drive these but I think a more quality amp will drive them best. Bottom line is these do not require a big, beefy muscular amp to sound good.
I am daily driving my UB52's with the Sony STRDH190 I got during the $99 sale to hold me over while I try to make up my mind about what "real" amp to buy and am having a little trouble justifying a replacement for it as they sound remarkable in Pure Direct mode.. You pretty much nailed everything I feel about the UB52's and that is with this super budget amp. They also sound incredible being driven by my Crown Xli-1500 that I usually use for some PA cabs.
Hey! I’m about to pair them with the same receiver. Any additional thoughts or information after all this time having them paired?
@@jorgeparada1088 no additional thoughts shall be given..........
On your Saturday speaker shoot out with the originals include the DEBUT REFERENCE! They are the same price! Would be nice to know the difference. Thanks great job, new favorite reviewer!
Good idea
@@cheapaudioman yes please.
Looking forward to the shootout, didn't know you had kept the elac reference so that should be a good comparison as they are about the same price I think.
@@tomhamilton6377 yeah the reference was my favorite speaker. And really still is when I just chill and listen to music. I did a bit of comparison already with them and they’re quite different
include the elacs 6.2 also and original 6.0, why not.... a elac special shootout
Incredible: it takes 4 days to break them in, exactly as you said. I listened to music all day, you can't stop anymore. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's I heard countless times; however it's like I heard it REALLY for the first time today; all instruments, voices, sound-effects are separate and easy to follow. Then A Hard Days Night: I hear NOTHING to the left, I hear NOTHING to the right; it is all in front of me about 15-20 feet.
AMAZING, the first time I heard imaging and what a BEAUTIFUL sound. Piano, Cello, Voices, Orchestras, it is ALL heavenly.
Thank you so much, Cheapaudioman.
Thanks brother, I've found my new speakers
Great review! I’ve been trying to decide on a speaker for 2 months!
It’s between these ones , Wharfedale diamond 12.1 and the B+W 607s anniversary.
The uni 2.0 and B+W’s are $800+$900
here in Canada, so I’m waiting for a few more reviews before pulling the trigger. Hoping you review the Diamonds and Bowers+Wilkins soon.
I'd love to give the Wharfedale's a listen. I raved about the 11.2's
@@cheapaudioman yes you did rave about them...and then I saw a review of the 12.1s and now I'm really intrigued. BTW Audiophiliac picked the Bowers+Wilkins and Kef metas(your arch enemy) as his speakers of the year. Just sayin. :)
@@mattyj3051 He loves him some KEFs. He's awesome and I love him. I'll give the Meta's a chance for sure. I'm just not buying them. He knows what he's doing for sure and I love the 600m's which he also loved. I just don't get the LS50's. I see where they can be brilliant but I don't get their bass.
Elac and KEF are doing a great job. I wonder why so few others do Concentric designs...
Thanks for this rave review. Over the years I've listened and watched a bunch of reviews on Elac speakers but had never been impressed enough to really consider getting a pair of any kind of Elac...until now. I will investigate this Uni-Fi lineup further. Thanks again for the details of the speaker performance.
[Edit] Went back 3 weeks and again listened to your review of the Jamo S805 (currently $197/pr). So, $402 more for these UB5.2, what are the attributes that clearly make this Elac worth spending the extra $?
I bought the complete set of 5 for less than $1200 including tax and I'm very pleased with the purchase. The sound from these speakers is amazing and like Randy said in the review, I challenge you to find better sounding speakers even remotely close to the cost of these UB52's. I can't wait till I break them in fully.
Hey Randy! Awesome review!
I had question regarding driving these speakers, what the most affordable great sounding amp I could use with these?
Everything you said about where you were standing is pretty indicative of good coaxial 3-way speakers. Imaging is significantly different than 2-way implementations. Some people like it and some people don't though so it is hard to say better, but I do like it as well. Playback is different from producing and 2-way and 3-way have their places and uses on their own.
I mentioned on another video of yours, but I think you would really like the Kali IN-5 or the IN-8 V2 units. They are fantastic 3-way monitors for the price.
Everyone wishes for a 3-way ;)
I see what I did there.
I'd implore anyone considering these to read the ASR review on them. They have a defect that causes bad rattling out of the concentric driver.
I picked up a pair and one of them had the rattle. It shows up clear as day when listening to "Getting Older" by Billie Eilish, first 10 seconds.
I tested the same song on JBL 305p, Polk R200, Revel M106, and headphones. Zero rattle.
I ended up returning mine and went with Revel M106 speakers. Huge improvement overall, and no rattle.
The UB52 did sound great though, despite the big scoop out the low-mids that I noted when A/B testing them against the Polk R200 and Revel M106 (used Fosi LC30 to A/B test). I vote the Elac's over the Polk's for clarity and tight dynamics though. The Polk R200's sounded closed off and sloppy in the low-end comparatively. Soundstage was amazing though. If you do end up getting these, make sure there's a return policy. You may have to go thru several pairs before you find one that's rattle-free.
Randy, thanks for another great review. That might be the speaker set that I need to get a second job to buy. I wonder if AJ designed them.
Yep, I’m pretty sure they are, although I could be wrong.
I just watched the video on the Amazon site for these speakers and AJ gives us all of the details on these speakers. So, he surely had plenty of input on the design of them. Wishing I had the cabbage on hand to buy a pair. Oh well. My $75 Sonys work fine.
At least now we know the real reason why Randy monetized his videos...
I'm dying to hear these at the local dealer when they finally get some in. I'll be interested to hear Bruce Cockburns ' Peggys kitchen wall", some Sade, and a few rock & roll tunes.
The brother Ron at NRD doesn't talk about. Sounds like me the morning after New Years Eve. I'd get dressed if I knew where my clothes were. Gonna have to watch some more vids...but before I begin...what is going on with that picture in the background? A dissenting viewer? All in good fun. Liking your perspective. Cheers!
Hello good sir! Thank you for the wonderful review! May i ask if these speakers are great for low volume listening?
If you are near NJ Id love to bring you over my buddy's Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2. Not that I doubt your review for one second. Elacs are definitely awesome speakers!!
Thanks Randy, great review! I'll wait for the sale when they drop to $450, or so................it'll happen.
not 450, but AMZN has them at $530 until 19feb2021.
Got 3 pairs for 217 each :D
Hoping to see these compared to the Q150s!
Thanks for the review sir. I was leaning towards the Debut Reference but now I'm seriously considering these guys. Maybe you could throw in a few thoughts in that shoot out video or possibly give those two their own shoot out. Ive seen many people asking how they compare in various reviews for this speaker but these poor people get no responses. Andrew Jones apparently commented to someone that its like comparing a top of the line BMW 3 series to an entry level 5 series. Clever , but what the hell does that sound like?
Star class designers get to know their cars, I guess. ;-)
Sporty and playful vs smoother and refined? But which is which? LOL. I like both. (the speakers! ;-)
Is the DBR the 3 series and the UBI52 the 5 series, out of sheer balance? But it's also quick and snappy, like a squirrel. And it's lean and small, like a 3 series. I guess the UBI52 is the best of both worlds, (and scales up very well) so that's the one I picked. But the DBR sounds smooth and great, also!
The key is in the word "reference." When marketers use that kind of term, it isn't worth the paper it's printed on. When engineers like Andrew use that in a phrase, it means that he had a different goal than just "best sounding" to the average rock 'n roll consumer. He was aiming for as uncolored reproduction as possible for the size and price. Could he let you listen to what the JBL 4350's actually sounded like in the control room? Of course not, but the aim was to get as reasonably close to that experience as a relatively tiny consumer-market speaker could at that price point.
Love your work and your down to earth delivery Randy.
I'm currently running a set of Elac B6.2s i 2 chanel mode for music, and as part of a debut 2.0 surround system for home theatre. So two questions:
1. Will changing out the front bookshelfs to the the UB52S be a big improvement for music listening.
2. Would I need to also switch out the debut 2 centreto a matching unifi, or could I get away with it?
I use a Marantz PM6006 2 channel. A good match with the Unifis?
th-cam.com/video/IOViwROm8uU/w-d-xo.html
So Randy tell us what you really think of the 52’s? 🤣🤣 Great review and inspired me to drop the cash from your Amazon link and can’t wait to get them. Keep up the great content.
Hey ELAC... I'd like to see a high EBP (bigger woofer motor, lower Qes, higher tuning) version of this speaker for more dynamic applications with subwoofers planned. A few more dB of sensitivity and maximum output would be nice. Target 60hz as the bottom end reach and crossover point.
I'd also like to see a low EBP version of this speaker actually able to play below 30hz in-room for less dynamic, non-sub paired scenarios. Low to medium listening levels in a den, office, or bedroom.
Lots of "hi-fi" bookshelf speakers these days seem to target a middle ground that makes them poorly suited for either of these applications. They aren't loud enough for home theater or loud music listening with a sub, and they can't dig low enough to go without a sub for low output applications.
It's really rare to hear such high praises you have for a pair... I have to reassess my options... Thanks
Thanks for the "Hanks". LOL. Great stuff. You have totally changed my mind about feeling ashamed being frugal toward high fidelity. I am just starting out and have been looking at above entry level speakers and gear, and have been procrastinating way too much to the point that some things I considered aren't available any more. But with these, I'm taking a chance!
I have a vintage Mitsubishi amp and preamp and all I need is a DAC and streamer but then I need all those cables!
I don't have Elac dealers around me which sucks. I don't like buying something blind but from what I read about Andrew Jones he actually enjoys making affordable speakers and he thinks it's more of a challenge to do so than over priced ones. This says a lot about the man, I think. And this is perhaps all I need to take a chance on his products.
Does anyone know about bass energy out there? I looked at speakers w/ 8" woofers, and without purchasing them, I feel that they may put out too much bass energy into my room. It measures: 25 ft long x 15 ft wide w/ a drop ceiling of only 6.5 ft. My listening distance will be about 12 ft from the source. Also, anyone familiar with the Technics SU SG 700?
Just ordered these for rears, the towers for fronts, and the center for my home theater. Upgrading from the Andrew Jones Pioneer line that I’ve had since it was released.
Hi Randy, great channel! I bought these speakers about 7 months ago because of you and I think they are great. I just ordered SVS PB1000 pro sub. Now I'm thinking about ordering another set of the UB52 and a center speaker. Would you recommend the Elac Unifi 2.0 UC52? Thanks for your time.
I’ve got to try these.
Bought a pair on Amazon for$400. Absolutely great sounding pair of speakers!
Hi, man! I have a pair of Polk's TSx220B and I'm thinking of upgrading to these Elac speakers. I imagine it would be a noticeable change, but if you had a take on those TSx's I'd be more sure about upgrading them. Love the channel btw.
Great review!
I wonder how they would perform if paired with the Audiolab 6000a amp (50 wpc 8 ohm) considering their average sensitivity. I love that amp it ticks all boxes for me.
Also pity about the aesthetics especially the non magnetic grill. Perhaps there will be a third version as with the debut reference.
This is my setup at home and they sound great, I added a Schiit Loki for tone control to be able to customize the sound to my liking, specially for streaming services cause they are not as vivid as an analog turntable, and I would say it added what was missing. Hope it helps
If you want to hear a really trippy 2 channel "surround" effect, try I Love You Like a Ball and Chain by Eurythmics from Be Yourself Tonight. The crazy part comes in around 2:55
It certainly does 🎶 💃🕺😃
Great review! Do you still love these? If you are using a subwoofer with these UB52`s, do they compare to the newer uni-fi reference? Looking forward to more of your vids!
Can't wait to hear you compare them to the previous version
Owned the old for a couple of years, own the new. The new is a better speaker for sure but also not the same cost so there you go. Higher cost, higher performance.
@@briansimmons5363 I presently own the B6s and the Uni-fi B5. Love them both, Andrew Jones is a rock star. Really excited to hear the Uni-fi B5. 2
I justed picked up the original UB5's or $280. I have the Pioneer FS52 Towers so I can't wait to A/B test them.
Can't wait to hear it in rm.!
The guy that wrote the most instructive text, back in the day, named Sound Reproduction was Floyd Toole, lead guitarist in the band Tool! Not really. I made the last part up. And Earl Geddes was the man that suggested the extreme toe-in on speaker placement. Some of Earl's work is still online. That part's a no-shitter.
I'm so happy with mine. Pure bliss.
Same! Glad I sold the old ones and now have the new.