Spot on review! Bought and returned these. Tried them with different amps and they just didn't sound right at all. Too bloated in the bottom end, too rolled off on the top end and the mid range was harsh/boxed in. I have the Sony speakers and love them, way better than these. Thank you Nemo!!! God bless and Happy Holidays!!!
The BS stands for exactly what it is. I listened to these in my friend's house and armed with all the good reviews I expected it to be something else. Man, these sound very much like my old and cheap EQed Edifier.
I felt the same, I put them them in the bottom of a 4 speaker comparison and a few people acted like I was crazy. I paid the low 68, still wasn’t thrilled with myself. Thanks for the review!
you're not crazy, people just like to believe that hidden gems are very common and that a sub $100 speaker can compete with a $350+ speaker and that anyone who spends more on speakers is just an idiot all in an attempt to justify their meager budget and personal purchases. It's a fairly odd habit some audiophiles have, to put others down so they feel more finanically confident.
I own these and I actually really like them. I did get them at the ~$60 price range, but like Nemo said I would not give them a second look at the $150 price. They are fairly easy to drive though I use a fosi bt30 with them and had no problem driving them. I also used an old (pronounced vintage) 75 watt stereo receiver and they really opened up. I don’t think they would fair well with anything over 90 watts. I believe Elac set the max recommendation at around 75 or 80 watts. I like them better than the Sony’s mostly because of they sound fuller and hold together better at higher volumes. However I did remove the tweeter grill and use eq to dial them in a little.
I'm surprised you found them easy to drive, could it be possible that most of your speakers are harder to drive so you just didn't notice? These were down around 6dB compared to something like the Triangle BR03.
@@NemoPropaganda I was surprised that the fosi was able to drive them but I used them with a sub. The Teac is usually set to around the 9:00 position. I do use a fosi pt1 preamp and that might help a little. My other speakers that the RSL cg5’s and and I have an older set of Boston acoustic micro 80’s but those are 89db and are crossed over at 120
@@NemoPropaganda I now understand what you mean by hard to drive. I swapped my elacs with my old Boston acoustics which are 8 ohm 89db sensitive and the fosi really opened up. I now think the bs 41s are great if they are your first speakers and don’t want to compare a bunch of speakers but just a $50 bump in budget will land you in a much better place
Gosh, I have to disagree, at least for my purposes. They seem perfect for my small bedroom system. Warm, articulate and not fatiguing. Mine are paired with a Fosi Audio V3 and a Wiim Pro. Might be the best value system I've ever had. I'm quite pleased. My main listening system consists of a Hypex Nilai 500 Stereo Amplifier, Mini Dsp Flex, Revel Performa3 F206s, and 2 Emotiva RS11s that Nemo sold me on :)). I kind of like the Harman Curve.
it's all good brother, as long as you enjoy them that's all that matters, historically I am a bit of an elac hater, I liked the DBR62 but every other elac product I've covered I've felt was underwhelming.
I own the psb image b4 micro speakers. I paid 330 dollars for them in 2013 but they look similar to the baby elacs. The psb has bumped up bass and rolled off highs so that would be a interesting comparison between the 2 pairs. At the end of the day you get what you pay for. It’s that simple.
They were $85 a few weeks ago on sale for a few days but then right back to insane $165 price. I was tempted to pick them up but I have nowhere to put them at the moment and I'm saving for a DAC.
Great review, I wasn't a fan of these speakers. It's crazy how hard they were to drive even with a Crown XLS 1502 and my old Parasound 200 watt beast amps.
@@stevelouie5928 Sorry for the late response, I would recommend saving for a more expensive speaker, maybe $300 or maybe $600. it also depends what sound signature you like this is why I can tell you an exact speaker model. Nemo Propaganda and Cheapaudioman have some good reviews on lower priced speakers. I am not crazy about the Sony CCS-5s(Which I own also), at the end of the day the Sony's are a small boxy speaker - they can't be played at loud volumes and they are limited to Bass. The Sony's are ok when pared and crossed over with a sub - Pre-amp cuts off at 80hz -> that will take away the boxy sound and let them play a bit louder before they break up. If you get a more expensive speaker with bigger drivers it's just going to sound better. It depends if you like a lot of treble or rolled off treble. There are lots of speakers out there You have to find the best one for you in your price range! Nemo and Cheapaudioman can help, even Andrew Robinson. Also Nemo has a free discord! Good luck on your Journey!
Thoughful review.. no therapist needed lol Yeah, I have a pair of these and at the $100/pr I paid, they are worth that, but certainly NOT more, and only IF you’re looking for a cheap pair of small bookshelf speakers that you can live with the type of compromises mentioned. Very warm laid back presentation that can and need be EQ’d to work well for near field up to almost 90 dB SPL. They’re also great for night time thaw. The 5.2’s and 6.2’s are also high on MSRP and should only be purchased at 40% if desired, as they’re not worth full price either .. If you like a bright, razor focus presentation speaker, you will certainly hate the cheap Elacs. I mostly will buy/listen to large floor speakers for stereo, and don’t buy bookshelf speakers unless small, cheap, and mostly full range, and won’t pay big bucks for 2-way ported bookshelf speakers, but that’s just me. I’d say the sweet spot for a nice pair of passive bookshelf speakers would be around $600/pr.
I bought them for $68.00 on Amazon and sent them back - vinyl wrap was peeling right out of the box. Sony SSCS5 right now is $99.99 on Amazon. To be honest, you could still get the Polk TSI100 for $100.00 on Amazon, and this speaker with a 5 1/4 woofer kicks the shit out of either of them.
@@NemoPropaganda I agree with your - but this older model ( still in production ) has a silk dome tweeter that I don't think you'd find harsh. The build quality for $99.00 is exceptional - 3/4" MDF and beefy. You want me to send mine to you to see if they're worthy of a review?
Oh, trust me those reviewer’s still say that this is a fantastic speaker. Thanks for a great review and I noticed that some of the more expensive ELAC, Speakers in my ear feel the same way. Or should I say sound the same way. Have a great day.
I'd rather go for the RSL CG3M especially since you'll have a subwoofer. The RSL has a much more open sound. Or the Emotiva B1+ are on sale right now and that's an easy choice.
Would really like it if you could give their uni-fi line (3 way) a chance. Have the ub52 and the ubr62 and love them both (thay actually sound very different) On the cheaper side of things, the Neumi bs5 seem like a really good option. And on a more affordable side of things (speakers that is) the Q Acoustics 3020i, the Dali Spektor 2 and the Mission LX-2 are all very well regarded. (quality and price wise they seem like good competitors to the Elac debut b5.2)
Randy bought them when they were "mistakenly" priced on Amazon for something like $60 so his expectations for them were most likely fairly low. I don't think we would love them as much at the time of his review if the price was the $140+ they normally sell for but I could be wrong.
I wouldn't but not everyone has the budget. Those of us that can look at a speaker that is so cheap as an obvious "hard pass" are blessed and we should be grateful of our financial situation :) Also someimtes people just have other expenses. Maybe a man earns good money but has a large family so not much is left over for his hobby or perhaps someone is looking for cheap speakers for a secondary bedroom or garage system :)
I don't know why people love those sony speakers. They sound weak imo. Those were also probably raved because they sold for dirt cheap once. I got the Elacs for around 100 and I really like them. I just use them for back ground music. I mean, who sits down and critically listens to music? Ain't nobody got time for that.
@@stevelouie5928 you probably listen too loud for the Sony's, they're a great 70-80dB small room speaker. They're not doing anything good past that or in larger rooms.
@@NemoPropaganda I don't associate sony with great speakers. Sony used to be a great innovator of electronics. I remember they came out with interesting square shaped speakers in the 80s. Maybe these Sony's are good for classical music. I just don't see them as being a good stand alone speaker. I remember listening to them when they first came out and was not impressed. The Elacs are basically the same as the vaunted Pioneers. It's a great overall speaker for the price.
![[ ออกกอง ] วัยหนุ่ม 2544 โลกหลังลูกกรง..ทัวร์กองถ่ายหนังใน "คุกของจริง" | JUSTดูIT.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vB--aOkZCpw/mqdefault.jpg)
Spot on review! Bought and returned these. Tried them with different amps and they just didn't sound right at all. Too bloated in the bottom end, too rolled off on the top end and the mid range was harsh/boxed in. I have the Sony speakers and love them, way better than these. Thank you Nemo!!! God bless and Happy Holidays!!!
The BS stands for exactly what it is. I listened to these in my friend's house and armed with all the good reviews I expected it to be something else. Man, these sound very much like my old and cheap EQed Edifier.
I felt the same, I put them them in the bottom of a 4 speaker comparison and a few people acted like I was crazy. I paid the low 68, still wasn’t thrilled with myself. Thanks for the review!
you're not crazy, people just like to believe that hidden gems are very common and that a sub $100 speaker can compete with a $350+ speaker and that anyone who spends more on speakers is just an idiot all in an attempt to justify their meager budget and personal purchases. It's a fairly odd habit some audiophiles have, to put others down so they feel more finanically confident.
I own these and I actually really like them. I did get them at the ~$60 price range, but like Nemo said I would not give them a second look at the $150 price. They are fairly easy to drive though I use a fosi bt30 with them and had no problem driving them. I also used an old (pronounced vintage) 75 watt stereo receiver and they really opened up. I don’t think they would fair well with anything over 90 watts. I believe Elac set the max recommendation at around 75 or 80 watts.
I like them better than the Sony’s mostly because of they sound fuller and hold together better at higher volumes. However I did remove the tweeter grill and use eq to dial them in a little.
I'm surprised you found them easy to drive, could it be possible that most of your speakers are harder to drive so you just didn't notice? These were down around 6dB compared to something like the Triangle BR03.
@@NemoPropaganda I was surprised that the fosi was able to drive them but I used them with a sub. The Teac is usually set to around the 9:00 position. I do use a fosi pt1 preamp and that might help a little. My other speakers that the RSL cg5’s and and I have an older set of Boston acoustic micro 80’s but those are 89db and are crossed over at 120
Compared to the other supposed internet gem, the micca, these are way better.
@@NemoPropaganda I now understand what you mean by hard to drive. I swapped my elacs with my old Boston acoustics which are 8 ohm 89db sensitive and the fosi really opened up. I now think the bs 41s are great if they are your first speakers and don’t want to compare a bunch of speakers but just a $50 bump in budget will land you in a much better place
@@raulgarcia1718 totally agree :)
Gosh, I have to disagree, at least for my purposes. They seem perfect for my small bedroom system. Warm, articulate and not fatiguing. Mine are paired with a Fosi Audio V3 and a Wiim Pro. Might be the best value system I've ever had. I'm quite pleased. My main listening system consists of a Hypex Nilai 500 Stereo Amplifier, Mini Dsp Flex, Revel Performa3 F206s, and 2 Emotiva RS11s that Nemo sold me on :)). I kind of like the Harman Curve.
it's all good brother, as long as you enjoy them that's all that matters, historically I am a bit of an elac hater, I liked the DBR62 but every other elac product I've covered I've felt was underwhelming.
Great disclaimer at the beginning.
Some Speakers to test maybe?:
Mission LX-3 II
Heco Aurora 300
Dali Oberon 3
Triangle BR03
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2
Q Acoustics 3030i
maybe...
I own the psb image b4 micro speakers. I paid 330 dollars for them in 2013 but they look similar to the baby elacs. The psb has bumped up bass and rolled off highs so that would be a interesting comparison between the 2 pairs. At the end of the day you get what you pay for. It’s that simple.
I got them for $97. I use them near field for my desktop. I feel like they are fair for what paid and that use.
They were $85 a few weeks ago on sale for a few days but then right back to insane $165 price. I was tempted to pick them up but I have nowhere to put them at the moment and I'm saving for a DAC.
good idea, saving money is a better idea for sure.
Great review, I wasn't a fan of these speakers. It's crazy how hard they were to drive even with a Crown XLS 1502 and my old Parasound 200 watt beast amps.
I used a Aiyima a07 amp paired with the A02 dac and it gets way too loud. What speaker do you recommend for 100-150.
@@stevelouie5928 Sorry for the late response, I would recommend saving for a more expensive speaker, maybe $300 or maybe $600. it also depends what sound signature you like this is why I can tell you an exact speaker model. Nemo Propaganda and Cheapaudioman have some good reviews on lower priced speakers. I am not crazy about the Sony CCS-5s(Which I own also), at the end of the day the Sony's are a small boxy speaker - they can't be played at loud volumes and they are limited to Bass. The Sony's are ok when pared and crossed over with a sub - Pre-amp cuts off at 80hz -> that will take away the boxy sound and let them play a bit louder before they break up. If you get a more expensive speaker with bigger drivers it's just going to sound better. It depends if you like a lot of treble or rolled off treble. There are lots of speakers out there You have to find the best one for you in your price range! Nemo and Cheapaudioman can help, even Andrew Robinson. Also Nemo has a free discord! Good luck on your Journey!
I got these for 100 on Amazon and I think they're fine. I listened to the Sony's and didn't like them. For around 100 what do you expect?
Thoughful review.. no therapist needed lol
Yeah, I have a pair of these and at the $100/pr I paid, they are worth that, but certainly NOT more, and only IF you’re looking for a cheap pair of small bookshelf speakers that you can live with the type of compromises mentioned. Very warm laid back presentation that can and need be EQ’d to work well for near field up to almost 90 dB SPL. They’re also great for night time thaw. The 5.2’s and 6.2’s are also high on MSRP and should only be purchased at 40% if desired, as they’re not worth full price either ..
If you like a bright, razor focus presentation speaker, you will certainly hate the cheap Elacs.
I mostly will buy/listen to large floor speakers for stereo, and don’t buy bookshelf speakers unless small, cheap, and mostly full range, and won’t pay big bucks for 2-way ported bookshelf speakers, but that’s just me. I’d say the sweet spot for a nice pair of passive bookshelf speakers would be around $600/pr.
I bought them for $68.00 on Amazon and sent them back - vinyl wrap was peeling right out of the box.
Sony SSCS5 right now is $99.99 on Amazon.
To be honest, you could still get the Polk TSI100 for $100.00 on Amazon, and this speaker with a 5 1/4 woofer kicks the shit out of either of them.
i don't like the treble on the cheaper polks but have not heard the TSI100.
@@NemoPropaganda I agree with your - but this older model ( still in production ) has a silk dome tweeter that I don't think you'd find harsh. The build quality for $99.00 is exceptional - 3/4" MDF and beefy. You want me to send mine to you to see if they're worthy of a review?
@@Audiomainia2310 thank you for the offer bro but I try not to review discontinued models because they could be hard to find.
@@NemoPropaganda Understood. Maybe when I get my new Monolith speakers in you can check them out.
Oh, trust me those reviewer’s still say that this is a fantastic speaker. Thanks for a great review and I noticed that some of the more expensive ELAC, Speakers in my ear feel the same way. Or should I say sound the same way. Have a great day.
I’m still waiting for a 7.1 surround sound review to make my final decision.
I'd rather go for the RSL CG3M especially since you'll have a subwoofer. The RSL has a much more open sound. Or the Emotiva B1+ are on sale right now and that's an easy choice.
Would really like it if you could give their uni-fi line (3 way) a chance. Have the ub52 and the ubr62 and love them both (thay actually sound very different) On the cheaper side of things, the Neumi bs5 seem like a really good option. And on a more affordable side of things (speakers that is) the Q Acoustics 3020i, the Dali Spektor 2 and the Mission LX-2 are all very well regarded. (quality and price wise they seem like good competitors to the Elac debut b5.2)
Nothing from Elac sounds good unless it has the JET tweeter.
I have the UBR62 I will review them soon :)
Ha ha.. CheapAudioMan has these speakers on his top 10 list of speakers REGARDLESS OF PRICE!
Randy bought them when they were "mistakenly" priced on Amazon for something like $60 so his expectations for them were most likely fairly low. I don't think we would love them as much at the time of his review if the price was the $140+ they normally sell for but I could be wrong.
Why buy a speaker for 100.... I mean would you but a phone for 100.... You, can and its OK for the price.
I wouldn't but not everyone has the budget. Those of us that can look at a speaker that is so cheap as an obvious "hard pass" are blessed and we should be grateful of our financial situation :) Also someimtes people just have other expenses. Maybe a man earns good money but has a large family so not much is left over for his hobby or perhaps someone is looking for cheap speakers for a secondary bedroom or garage system :)
I don't know why people love those sony speakers. They sound weak imo. Those were also probably raved because they sold for dirt cheap once. I got the Elacs for around 100 and I really like them. I just use them for back ground music. I mean, who sits down and critically listens to music? Ain't nobody got time for that.
@@stevelouie5928 you probably listen too loud for the Sony's, they're a great 70-80dB small room speaker. They're not doing anything good past that or in larger rooms.
@@NemoPropaganda I don't associate sony with great speakers. Sony used to be a great innovator of electronics. I remember they came out with interesting square shaped speakers in the 80s. Maybe these Sony's are good for classical music. I just don't see them as being a good stand alone speaker. I remember listening to them when they first came out and was not impressed. The Elacs are basically the same as the vaunted Pioneers. It's a great overall speaker for the price.
🍻🥰🤘
Exit Andrew Jones.
Sony all day 😎
Vocals are aweful on the Sony's