Elac Unifi Reference vs Debut Reference - A tale of Two Elacs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- Elac Debut Reference amzn.to/3gEjcBV
Elac Unifi Reference bit.ly/3xuPzZq
Monoprice Speaker Stands (sold as singles) amzn.to/35I82Wp
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Finally somebody who doesn't think wrapping a piece of electric furniture in cheap vinyl is the most sane thing to do. 🤩 Have a beautiful day.
I was waiting and requesting this review for a while! Thanks for doing it!
Am I the only one who was looking forward to Elac doing a 4" driver release so they could call it the UB40, and release it in red... Red wine?
Nice😅
LOL
Yes, in the UK it's sold as the Simply Red edition.
For Electro I recommend the German version of the U96 (waterproof).
But please skip the portable U2, no Bono.
Haha!!!!!
have to drink a bit to forget the increased distortion though :D
It's awesome to see a grown man sweat so much while saying he's trying to look nice and professional 🤣 Randy, you're the funnest [sic]!!! Seriously dude, you kill me, I've loved everything you've done. Hope you and Ron will talk about the unifi reference in contrast to the Polk reserves someday on your podcast. Keep it up, Chuck! 🤘
The showdown we've all been waiting for 😍😍😍
Your videos are getting better and better! Have you thought about adding simple in-room measurements? Because I've noticed that many of the sound descriptions you give can be seen in some frequency responses in the internet (less extended but more neutral base, more neutral upper midrange).
I’ve thought about it. I do have a mic so maybe I should start doing that
Nicely done, sir. Great video quality, too those lights make a difference.
They need to use names that don't all sound the same, so people can differentiate one model from another
Great review, man seeing u sweating like that sure made me thankful that I actually had a room with working fans. Keep up the good stuff and humor. 😎
Fantastic review Way to go brother
I can attest that even with my setup being nearfield PC use at just over 2' distance, for both music and gaming, even after hours of listening at loud volume to really enjoy the content I never once had any fatigue what so ever with the Unifi Reference.
I have them paired with the IOTAVX SA3 & PA3 since they sort of need that extra power and they really shine, also added an SB1000 Pro for when my neighbors are not home and it just blends perfectly with these speakers.
Same scenario here, PC , nearfield ELAC's and a sub. I thought my UniFi 2.0's integrated great with my single SB-2000 Pro, until I replaced it with a REL HT1003 mk2. I had no idea. Music is even more enjoyable now. Try it out. I don't even miss the app.
@@efrainl Agreed, the REL's work like magic with these speakers, well every speaker I have played with them actually. I have since bought into REL, started with the 1205 mk1, then got the 1508 because the 1205 was so impressive.
I bought the 1508 purely for movies, but I was not expecting this 15" subwoofer at low volume to blend and sound so brilliantly with music as well.
Sold the SVS and put the 1205 in another system for my gf.
Thanks Randy, great review. It is great Elac learns from their years of experience with the Debut Reference to improve on what they had. It always cost more to pay for that next 10% or so improvement.
I bought some of the Unifi Reference on the pre-sale, based on yours and a few other's reviews. With the Monoprice stands, did you fill them with kitty litter, or do any of the other recommended treatments to them, like some recommend?
Congrats on getting this comparison out early. Answers most questions about these 2 speakers. However, can you speak about dialogue clarity, I assume that the the Uni-Fi would excel ?
Thanks for the comparison, I've been waiting for this review since unifi reference released. I have debut reference and have been upgraded the tweeter capacitor with Jantzen alumen Z, the treble now are more detailed, more opened and smoother than standard.
Very cool. Would love to know a bit more about that.
@@cheapaudioman I only replace the tweeter caps which has 2.7uF value, the replacement caps - Jantzen alumen Z was so big, so I glued the caps on the back of the cabinet just bellow the crossover and I extend the wire about 15cm so it can reach the crossover section.
First impression was it sounds smoother than the original caps, it need about 50-80 hours to reach it's potential.. The high more open and improved clarity and yet still neutral. Overall the original speaker's character was still like the original
I listened to a Bob Dylan cd on Elac speakers. It sounded like an old man whining out of time and off key. I investigated further and discovered the speakers were giving a perfect reproduction of Bob Dylan, that is how he sounds.
Ha, LOL, that's exactly what I thought when I read your 2nd sentence.
What the speakers? What the amp? You said nothinh
Are you sure it wasn't Neil Young as that sounds like his description too 😂
😂😂😂
When you did the knock test - I heard a BIG difference!!
Great review Randy
Good morning Randy. Since you mentioned that you're using the Monoprice stands. Did you fill them with sand/kitty litter? If not, you should do it. It will deaden the stand.
Great review, can't go wrong with Elac.
Great if you can mention the partnering electronics you used with the speakers :)
Been listening to my new DBR62's (Scratch and dent sale) for a few hours and they are fantastic. Not Pure Direct, but Straight (DSP'd) through a Yamaha 3060 AVR. Listening primarily to trance/new age/instrumentals/jazz. I thought the bass was going to be dull, but the bass is actually very present, accurate and tight. I'm very impressed. At times I think I'm going to have an eargasm the sounds are sooooo good. I will paint that tweeter grill black though.
Love my Debut References, so glad you did this comparison. I feel a little less envious of the new ones. The Debut's are the ones for me.
I'm in the same boat. I appreciate Randy's comparisons too.
How is the bass responce??Really deep/strong or just good for a 6.5'' woofer?
@@andreassouth1523 If you want deep/strong, you're going to need to add a subwoofer. They're really nice speakers but they can't do everything.
@@andreassouth1523 Add a Sub. I have a REL T5 to dig down there with my DBR-62s. I've come to realize that most rooms don't like bass in the speaker position anyhow and you can put your subs anywhere. So bookies and subs are great.
Very deep bass. I do not want a sub for example.
I can attest to the break in period for the elacs. I ran them with a sub for a long time because I wasn’t happy with the bass. After a month like that I unplugged the sub and couldn’t believe my ears. I unplugged the sub and haven’t used it for the past 3 years. I’m running the Debut 6.2’s
I had two subs on two stereos with b&w's. Got rid of both subs. Elac dbr reference shakes my couch with just a small hybred tube amp. Plays 35 htz just fine. Thats low enough for music and movies IMO.
LOVE the debute as a center channel.. the warmness is AMAZING
I was thinking the opposite, believe that the Uni-Fi Ref is better because of clarity. Guess that I'll have to A/B them as upgrade to my Elac Debut 5.2c
@@great100m what’d you find out?
@@JaredSchumaier Old ears & damaged hearing makes dialog a major issue. I purchased a SVS Ultra center channel speaker and imagined a clarity improvement (on-axis) but off-axis clarity was significantly improved. Likely similar results from 3-way Elac cc but only guessing.
How does the Unifi reference compare to the kit speakers???????
Hey, I enjoyed the video, I'm looking yo upgrade from debut 2.0 b6.2's and am between these two speakers leaning towards the uni fi reference. Would the Cambridge cxa81 run these to their potential? Would appreciate it if anyone could steer me in right direction.
Randy a great acoustic song to use as a demo is Christ Cornell's I am the highway form songbook live. Really shows off his gravelly resonate? voice. Of course I'm partial to that song😄. Thanks nice comparison!
imo, i found the tweeter on the uni-b52 to be veiled and kind of heavy. dullish. the mids are the b52's strength.
is the tweeter improved with the new uni reference? is there 'air'? can it soar?
Do you consider upgrading to Unifi reference from Debut 2.0 is a big step forward? Can the upgrade justify the improve of doing quality?
Upgraded from Debut 2.0 B6.2 to Uni-fi reference about a week ago. And could say, it's a huge step forward for listening hard rock and especially black metal, for this genres midrange is very detailed on unifi compared to harsh noise on debut. But for pop, EDM, DnB, ambient, blues or jazz - Debut was pretty good, and it's speed and details was fairly enough.
Sounds like the perfect speaker.
Good stuff, loved the Debut Reference, but I was a bit surprised when they announced the $999 pricing on the Uni-Fi Reference. Are the Uni-Fi's really $400 or 40% better than the Debut Ref's?
66.666666666666666% 🥸
I've seen this markup not only for Elac but on newer models (somewhat same series) from other manufacturers and like you I have my doubts. I think there is an increase in the cost of materials due to the times we're living.
I'd like to know too. I have to admit 400 dollars is alot.
3 way speakers are way more difficult to design and test. Fact. They usually need more power to drive also. I expect to pay minimum 2x to 3x the price of a two way design to see or hear any improvement with a 3way speaker over a great two way element design. How do I know this....
@@peterbaugh51 aren’t these both 3-way?
i get the sense that mr. jones knows what he's doing. front ported practical speakers with basic cabinets and serious drivers & crossovers. $600 gets you good not so neutral non-fatiguing sound and $1k gets you full on accurate airy non-fatiguing sound.
Very nicely stated.
Except these are not basic cabinets... They are heavy and well braced. Stand behind them and listen. Most of the sound is going forward. The room becomes the speaker.
You said the criton would be thee speaker to compare all others against. Unifi are more expensive, so how do they compare and which would you own long term?
I actually would love to see some comparison between the Elac and the Kef Q Series. For some reason, I could not find anyone who put the UniFi up against the Kef... although it seems like a no-brainer since they are both concentric designs
@@rolandrohde If I recall correctly, the Audiophilic (Guttenberg ?) mentioned the Kef in his review of the Uni-fi Ref.
@@great100m Thanks. He did mention KEF, but it was the R3 he compared it to which is a different price point...
@@rolandrohde Ok, now I recall that. I was surprised that he compared the Elac favorably to the R3. Tough competition.
At this price maybe the Adam A7X would be worth a listen, bi-amped and can mix on them for hours. Love your presentation.
Hey Randy! Can you please give your impressions on each speaker you review, about low volume listening, I think many of us listen music about 1/4 volume or so, and you know speakers can sound different at different levels.
What? I crank it up to 11. That's why my neighbors hate me 🤟
randy coming with the content we fiend
Been off grid gfor a few days, so I'm a bit behind, but these look fantastic!!
Great 👍 review. 3 way against a 2 way also. Unifi is the way !!
I am going to try the Unifi's I think. I have been looking for a great speaker around 1K ish give or take.
You a funny man, keep it sasquatchy!
UBR62 is double the price of DBR62.
But it is worth it if you like detail. (and the coax setup tweeter-mid) give you HUGE soundstage.
It gobbles current like crazy (D class Hypex, Purifi, etc are the most cost effective way to feed them)
And the DBR62 are FANTASTIC for the price.
What amp you use for ubr62?
Weird. So no mention of the concentric 3way design on the spendy ones.
I miss in your recommendend List the Topping MX3 and the Jamo S803 and S 805. Aren't they good anymore?
Better options are available
Hey dude. How this unifi reference compare to KEF Q350? I have kef Q350 and unifi 2.0. Thinking abiut upgrade to unifi reference.
What kind of dac would do the Elac Unifi Reference justice? Warm, neutral, bright? What price point would bring out the best without being overkill. Opinions appreciated.
Ditto. I am quasi-committed to the unifi ref UBR62 but am uncertain of an appropriate integrated amp to do them justice. Cambridge cxa61 / Onkyo tx8270 / Marantz nr1200 / other?????
@@famdesj Which amp did you end up choosing?
How do they compare with SVS Ultras or other speakers at their price point?
Absolutely, this review answered the obviously first question about the DBR, now bring on the Kef's and the SVS's.
I'm waiting for the Debut Unifi reference 2.0
Sir Randy, what do you mean with painful "ooph" @13:40 when switching back to the Unify References? Is this a negative or a positive "ooph" for the Unify References? Love your reviews!
Good thing for the Uni
@@cheapaudioman Thx Randy 👌
Hy Randy, pleas tell us: how does Unifi Reference compare with UNifi 2.0 UBS5.2?
Happy Father’s Day sir cheers to a good day to you
I did purchase (2) pairs of the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB53-P52 X-Wing Silver Surfer model for $800.
How does this compare to the monitor Audio bronze 100 ?.
I have the debut reference, when I listen to them sometimes I like to play them loud and I do find the woofer to start coming apart. Do you think the Uni-fi reference Can play louder and stay together I have a good quality amp and everything going to them they sound great. But sometimes fall apart a little bit and I know I’m asking a lot out of these.
Kinda sounds like a subwoofer could solve your little problem with ease ^^
@cheapaudioman the website says depth dimension is 13 1/16", does that include speaker terminals? I have the DBR62 and its 10 1/8" deep.
Keep ‘em coming Ron, you rock. Elac needs to work on their naming structure, so confusing. I actually BOUGHT the wrong speaker (debut 6.2??) due to this. Maybe it’s my own stupidity and nobody else has a problem with it? I would be curious about your comparison to the (new) reference vs. those kit built speakers you were raving about….thoughts?
Keep ‘em coming..see, I am an idiot(fixed above)
I have the debut 6.2 as main for the past 2 years, don’t worry you’re good, just remove the grills on the tweeters and place some foam on bottom.
@@knobbshots you are good with the debut 6.2, if you want to have the best of this speaker make sure to have a good power amp, or integrated amp and you will enjoy the most of it. I have a set of this speaker powered by QSC GX3 they are wonderfull sounding speakers
The question is, as a Debut Reference owner, should I sell and trade up to a Unifi Reference?
double the price ? You can get a subwoofer for the difference
@@joeygonzo No you cant....a sub doesent replace a dual conentric design...even with a sub they wont be better than the Unifi Reference
Seems like you should include the Polk R200's since you're looking beyond the $550-$600 of the old unis and the DBR62 . Napilopez published a spino on ASR for the R200 and from what I've saw it measures better than the ELACS (both of them). I know you liked the R100 but the R200 is only $100 more (=$700) than the L100 or the DBR62 and it keeps the comps in the 6.5 inch range (apples to apples) :) I think JoeNTell's (in room) measurement of the UBR62 suggested it was a little bass deficient and you glossed this as being "more honest or neutral" than the DBR62. How sure are you about that? How do you know what the bass on your test tracks should sound like?
So how does the unifi reference fair vs Aperion Novus speaker?
Luv your videos.
Still watching these videos in Germany about Debuts and Unifis and thinking:
This is not ELAC. Not really. These are AJ speakers sponsored by Elac Franchise US office. Nevertheless I like both series. Loving the Vela🤤
Edit: the Carina is dope and besting the Unifi Ref at the exact same price point in my opinion.
You like the Carinas over the unfi ref? What about over the debut ref?
@@charlesking678 imho AJ‘s best sounding speakers for Elac are Carina an Adante
@@DigitalPhilosophers I found a used set of adantes at a good price. Would you say a Marantz 9.2 receiver is enough to drive them or need a separate amp?
Which one is better for watching movies in a 2.1 setup?
Idk how, but this started playing in my pocket and let’s just say I watched it through 😂🤘🏻
Kind of like a train wreck. Can’t turn away can you?
Just got a promotion, I'm now into jet ski range for gear.
Would This Speaker be good fpr Rock Bluesrock and Acustic Stuff? i need a Speaker to have fun and good times with not very Audiophile or listening Classic , But i love Classic Rock Metal and stuff . but im not sure if the UBr62 or a Dynaudio Emit 20 would be my thing . someone can help me?
Great job as usual! I need some of that Sasquatch deodorant!
Does AJ work on Elac Vela or Carina?
I am quasi-committed to the unifi ref UBR62 but am uncertain of an appropriate integrated amp to do them justice. Cambridge cxa61 / Onkyo tx8270 / Marantz nr1200 / other????? Suggestions would be appreciated.
MacIntosh ma252
For the price on the sq… unifi or css criton?
Almost GURENTEE the Critons
Uni Fi reference has different speakers, different wave guides, difference speaker distances as the Unifi tweeter is blended into the bass speaker, and probable a lot better materials in the crossover. Its probably tuned way more neutral also. Debut reference is probably voiced to be a little more excitable presentation for the people who buy in that price range and the Unifi is probably voiced as neutral as possible for the audiophile...
Most likely not a significant difference in crossover parts quality. Both are probably at the low end.
Three way Xovers are more expensive. And so are concentric drivers.
I surely hope that the Unifi's are sound better they are almost twice the price of the Debut...
I would so appreciate if I can hear ur thoughts on the Evo 4.1 ?
4.2 video is going up tomorrow morning
@@cheapaudioman Wow nice. You assume they have similar sound..?
So which is your fav speaker from Elac. What would you recommend to someone looking out for bookshelves ? Debut or reference?
Also, if dinosaurs on the moon came across Andrew Jones sunbathing, would they eat him or hold him up to the skies as their King and saviour? Because as anyone would tell you, the Elac sound is very easy on the ears, totally great for long listening sessions and especially sweet to the sensitive ear drums of the T Rex.
Not only double the price point but also a 3-driver vs a 2-driver. These can't be compared realistically. $999 borders on not affordable for many. I'm wondering with the Uni-Fi 2.0 available around $400 in Amazon Warehouse and is also a 3-way, unless the UR drops into the $600 range then what's the point even considering it? Might have a tad better low end but we "all" have subs so it's not necessary IMO. I like it but I'll wait for a cosmetically damaged pair.
Are you in Maryland?
Would double Reference, as Reference - Reference, be better?
These or Polk reference R200?
Thks for comparison.
I bought them just today. My amplifier is a McIntosh MA6500. I use these speakers on the Chanel B. I love the sound but there a lot of bass…sometimes too much and I have the suspect that this amplifier is not the perfect match…
The McIntosh amps look awesome and probably sound awesome but I don't want another mortgage:)
But is it as good as these reviewers are making out overall?
And is the bass just deep or is there some decent upper bass?
Review Totem Acoustic please
So which elac is better ?
I enjoy your price comparison more and more.
People buy jet skies and never say much about the cost and still think it's outrageous to put the same amount on hifi
Mr Cheap, drinking coffee in my Stark Ironman cup without nanotech and without the dynamite stick of Sasquatch 1000. I will be OK.
Did he say.. Wheelyy excited..?
This is not really a good comparison because the Unifi's are 2 times the price of the Debut Reference. Should have compared it with the Unifi 2.0 instead. They retail for the same price of $699.
In this price range I would go to the Edifier active 3000 with usb in.
Do a unifi ref vs kef 350
What made your friend go "Uuhh" about the unifi ref?
I wonder what it would cost to send my Polk r 200s to Randy to check out ? 43 pounds in total weight. My speakers would Famous for being on the show 😆 Plus I want to know how they stand up to these Elacs. I live in Oklahoma close to the Fort smith Arkansas border.
Wrong person. Send to Amir from ASR and get some actual facts. Then you will know exactly how they sound, and WHY.
@@fwabble Incorrect, Randy is the right person to send them to. At the end of the day, measurements don’t mean anything. If a manufacturer has managed to make a product sound good, then it is good, period.
@@zer0dave LMFAO
I'm wondering the same thing, as the R200's are my babies. I mean, current bookshelf speakers in my home office.
@@fwabble ASR has become a meme.
How do these two speakers compare with the X-LS Encore?
I have the new unifi ub52 and encore X-SLS ans have a few comments my X-SLS build video if interested.
@@briansimmons5363 I'm interested.
@@briansimmons5363 how do they compare. Iam willing to bet the encore is on another plane
@@ufarkingicehole In many ways, yes. Both have good bad points.
@@briansimmons5363 I'm really curious how the upgraded encores compare to the Criton 2x upgraded model. Thats probably going to determine the next speaker I buy.
Iol very entertaining vid and love the speakers too!
Amplifier matching....? :)
Butn Randy - UniFi Ref UBR62 or R200??
r200
I ended up with a pair of the UBRs. B stock for 1/2 price. Was not noticeably better than my old Monitor Audio Silver S2 so I fixed what was making them B stock and flipped for a little profit. Ended up with a pair of Heco Celan Revolution’s scratch and dent for $600. Awesome speakers!
Metallica - so what.
The best song
Uni Fi reference in the UK is double the US price: it's over $2000!! But the Elac Vela BS 403 ($2500 in the US i.e. 1.5x the UFR) in the UK costs just $350 more than the UFR @$2350).
What's going on?? This is crazy pricing - it makes more sense in the UK to get the Vela as it's supposed to be more 'high-end'.
I like Sasquatch 1000 because it has pre-biotic oat hulls that gently remove stink, hair and skin. And it's made in Lompoc, so you know it's good.
My goodness. I’ve forgotten about Sasquatch 1000
@@cheapaudioman Yes, well since subscribing I've been browsing some of your "back issues". Good stuff! I really liked your Garbage Audio about the Pioneer Quad. Posted a comment offeringf to send you a quad Lp disc I got for 5 bucks. Thought you might want to play a garbage quad disc on your garbage amp. Let me know how I can get this classic Doobie Brothers record to you.
@@77Cardinal I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, the quad is at the doctor and the bill seems to be a bit higher than what I’d feel comfortable spending. So the pioneer is probably being put to sleep…
If you're standing by now, I'll post my phone # so you can copy it to swap info and then delete the post.
@@77Cardinal you can shoot me an email if you’d like but I don’t even have the pioneer right now. It quit working and I replaced the filter caps and then the relay wouldn’t stay closed. The guy who I took it to quoted me a stupid high number and I just left it there
So, where the audio test?
They passed
This or KEF R3?
I have the unifi 2.0 52 and I've heard the Kef R3. Kef R3 is not even in the same universe. The Kefs are superior
@@ufarkingicehole but they are also twice as expensive
Please compare to the klh3s.
Oh wait these are $1,000 speakers and pre-order only! That's way I can't find them anywhere. Must have missed that somehow. They are slightly on different levels to compare since the Uni-Fi should come out on top else the project is a failure.
Is this Adante 2.0 in disguise?
😂 Sasquatch, genius marketing language. I wonder how well it works