Anyone hear these...ELAC debut B6?

K_M
K_M Posts: 1,627
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-bookshelf-speakers/


https://www.stereophile.com/content/elac-debut-b6-loudspeaker

Interesting reviews. How do they compare to similar sized Polk offerings?

Seem to be fairly good for the price no doubt!

Comments

  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    edited June 2017
    I believe @halo has, maybe not that specific model (I can't recall) but he didn't like them.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    Have not heard them but would like to .They certainly generated a lot of hoopla when they debuted.
  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,776
    Green woofers add colouration to the mids.
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    The Debut B6 is different from the Uni-Fi UB6. I heard the latter along with the matching center channel and the UF5 floor standing speakers. I was not impressed by the uni-fi line at all. I did hear the Debut series floor standing speakers and I liked them quite a bit but that at was at a demo and not in my home.
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • mpitogo
    mpitogo Posts: 475
    I own a pair of Elac B6 and can only compare to two Polk types I own, the T15 bookshelf and the larger RT55. The Elac B6 sounds much, much better than T15 and is a better value than the RT55.
    • Living Room Music-2.0 Polk Legend L800 | McIntosh C70 | McIntosh MA5200 (Treble) | McIntosh MC452 (Bass) | Sublimeacoustic K231 Active xover | Denon DP-2500A | Denafrips Ares II | Belkin Soundform Connect | iPad Air USB to DAC
    • Media Room Ht-7.2.6/13.1 (Atmos/Auro-3D) Polk LSiM707, LSiM706c, LSiM702 F/X [x4], height LSiM703 [x6], HSU VTF-15H MK2 Dual | Marantz AV8805A | Rotel RB-1590 (L/R) | Appollon NC500 11ch | Sony UBP-X800 | AppleTV 4K | JVC RS2100
    • Game Room-5.1 Polk LSi25, LSiC, LSiF/X | Marantz SR7009 | AppleTV 4K | Xbox One S | Sony PS2, PS3 | Nintendo Wii | Gaming PC | Sony 75" LCD
    • Master Bedroom Music-2.0 Totem Hawk | Marantz PM-10 | Marantz SA-10 | SONY PS-HX500
    • Office-2.0 Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX, DSW microPRO3000 | Rotel RA-1570 | Marantz HD-CD1
    • Daughter's Bedroom 1-2.0 TBD Martin Logan Forte
    • Guest Room 2-2.0 Klipsch RP-600M | Martin Logan Forte
    • Guest Room 3-3.0 Martin Logan Motion 40, 50XT | Onkyo TX-SR705 | Apple TV | Samsung 55" TV
    • Guest Room 4-2.0 QAcoustics 3030i | Sansui AU-6900 | Topping DX7s | Sansui FR-1080 | TV
    • Maintenance: Pro-Ject VC-S Record Cleaning Machine
  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    halo wrote: »
    The Debut B6 is different from the Uni-Fi UB6. I heard the latter along with the matching center channel and the UF5 floor standing speakers. I was not impressed by the uni-fi line at all. I did hear the Debut series floor standing speakers and I liked them quite a bit but that at was at a demo and not in my home.

    Yes, at home would be quite different, and more telling for sure of their true sound quality.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    lightman1 wrote: »
    Green woofers add colouration to the mids.

    Not when playing Blue Note pressings, nor Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    For some reason, Andrew Jones gets the rock star treatment and his products get professionally reviewed and recommended quite frequently. I don't know if they are the real deal or a real over-hyped deal. Maybe buying from an online seller that offers a 30 day trial period is the way to go. Some people will buy two or three different pairs of speakers at the same time and send back those that don't measure up.

    His tenure with TAD buys him considerable street cred.
  • mpitogo
    mpitogo Posts: 475
    I was in the market for budget speaksers and did not know who Andrew Jones was. I bought the Debut B6's after reading online and I do agree they are great. The value for what you get is amazing for $279/pr. I went up from there, the same location is now served by a pair of Martin Logan Motion 40's but I throughly enjoyed the Debut B6.
    • Living Room Music-2.0 Polk Legend L800 | McIntosh C70 | McIntosh MA5200 (Treble) | McIntosh MC452 (Bass) | Sublimeacoustic K231 Active xover | Denon DP-2500A | Denafrips Ares II | Belkin Soundform Connect | iPad Air USB to DAC
    • Media Room Ht-7.2.6/13.1 (Atmos/Auro-3D) Polk LSiM707, LSiM706c, LSiM702 F/X [x4], height LSiM703 [x6], HSU VTF-15H MK2 Dual | Marantz AV8805A | Rotel RB-1590 (L/R) | Appollon NC500 11ch | Sony UBP-X800 | AppleTV 4K | JVC RS2100
    • Game Room-5.1 Polk LSi25, LSiC, LSiF/X | Marantz SR7009 | AppleTV 4K | Xbox One S | Sony PS2, PS3 | Nintendo Wii | Gaming PC | Sony 75" LCD
    • Master Bedroom Music-2.0 Totem Hawk | Marantz PM-10 | Marantz SA-10 | SONY PS-HX500
    • Office-2.0 Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX, DSW microPRO3000 | Rotel RA-1570 | Marantz HD-CD1
    • Daughter's Bedroom 1-2.0 TBD Martin Logan Forte
    • Guest Room 2-2.0 Klipsch RP-600M | Martin Logan Forte
    • Guest Room 3-3.0 Martin Logan Motion 40, 50XT | Onkyo TX-SR705 | Apple TV | Samsung 55" TV
    • Guest Room 4-2.0 QAcoustics 3030i | Sansui AU-6900 | Topping DX7s | Sansui FR-1080 | TV
    • Maintenance: Pro-Ject VC-S Record Cleaning Machine
  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    For some reason, Andrew Jones gets the rock star treatment and his products get professionally reviewed and recommended quite frequently. I don't know if they are the real deal or a real over-hyped deal. Maybe buying from an online seller that offers a 30 day trial period is the way to go. Some people will buy two or three different pairs of speakers at the same time and send back those that don't measure up.

    He has worked for several notable speaker manufacturers, and seems to be able to create high and low priced offerings that have great sound for the money.

    I would say he is the real deal, and a nice guy also!
  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,640
    edited June 2017
    K_M wrote: »
    I would say he is the real deal, and a nice guy also!

    FINALLY! Something I actually agree with you on. I got to meet him at my buddy's shop and he is very humble and down to earth. Easy to talk to.

    Alon Wolf is another one that is great to talk tech with...but his offerings are definitely not in "budget" realm. Hehe

    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    ZLTFUL wrote: »
    K_M wrote: »
    I would say he is the real deal, and a nice guy also!

    FINALLY! Something I actually agree with you on. I got to meet him at my buddy's shop and he is very humble and down to earth. Easy to talk to.

    Alon Wolf is another one that is great to talk tech with...but his offerings are definitely not in "budget" realm. Hehe

    oh I bet there is a lot we agree on!
  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    nbrowser wrote: »
    For some reason, Andrew Jones gets the rock star treatment and his products get professionally reviewed and recommended quite frequently. I don't know if they are the real deal or a real over-hyped deal. Maybe buying from an online seller that offers a 30 day trial period is the way to go. Some people will buy two or three different pairs of speakers at the same time and send back those that don't measure up.

    Go buy a pair of these,

    https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Speakers/Pioneer+Speakers/SP-BS22-LR

    Hook them up to something half decent, let them burn in for a few days then give the beans...report back when you realize how much you paid and what they can do. Amazing little speakers for the money.

    Maybe in a year or three. I already have too much stuff taking up too much space. I have 7 JBL speakers, a pair of BIC and a pair of Fluance bookshelf speakers, and a extra receiver to get rid of.

    What models of JBL do you own?

    We have a couple, have to look at the model numbers. I remember liking them in some ways, but not great overall. They were both smaller bookshelf models.
  • guildenstern
    guildenstern Posts: 2
    edited June 2017
    Greetings -- my first post in Club Polk – I’ve just tried a pair of the Elac Debut B6 at home for a week and thought I’d report my impressions.

    I agree with many reviews that describe them as excellent speakers for the money. I placed them on heavy 24-inch stands and drove them with either a Naim UnitiQute 2 (all-in-one streamer-DAC-amp, 30 solid watts) or an old NAD 314 integrated – both had no trouble driving the B6’s. Music—mostly classical and jazz (mostly from NAS, occasionally from Tidal).

    PROS:
    • Big soundstage for such little speakers.
    • Smooth and natural midrange. Good piano recordings have a rich realistic timbre. Vocals sound natural, no hard edge or exaggerated chestiness.
    • Able to play surprisingly loud while remaining composed and controlled. For example, on piano transients, the B6's strike hard and clean, while my Polk RT35i’s get a little buzzy.
    • A presentation that I’d describe as more musical than hi-fi. Not in-your-face impressive but inviting you to listen to the music more than analyze the sound.

    CONS:
    • Slighty dry and closed-in high end. Cymbals sound a little more papery than metallic.
    • A little too much action from the rear port – in my small room (about 11 X 12), the bass output from the rear port caused boomy room resonances. Only when I moved the speakers more than about two feet from the back wall could I tame the bass , but the placement of furniture in the room won’t allow the speakers to stay so far out.
    • I also tried them in my big basement room (about 12 X 22) – I thought they would be swallowed up in this space but they held their own, and here the bass from the port provided a sense of low end presence, though more of a general bassiness without much specific definition or impact (which one really can’t expect from such small drivers in such a big space). In the end, my good old Polk RT55i’s still do a better job of filling this big space.

    CONCLUSION:
    Very musical speakers that I think I could easily live with if I had a room that would allow placement a couple feet or more from the back wall. So, for me, back to the store they go. But for you, they might prove a very musical bargain.

    Recordings used:
    Volodos Plays Brahms (Sony Classical)
    Murray Perahia, Schumann Piano Sonata No. 1 (Sony Classical)
    Paul Lewis, Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 (Harmonia Mundi)
    Kate Royal, A Lesson in Love (EMI)
    Leila Josefowicz, John Adams’s Road Movies (Nonesuch)
    Pavel Haas Quartet, Prokofiev String Quartets (Supraphon)
    Quatuor Ebene, Eternal Stories (Erato)
    Manu Katche, Playground (EMI)
    Diana Krall, Turn Up the Quiet (Verve)
    Natalie Merchant, Paradise Is Here (Nonesuch)


  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    Nice post. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
    And welcome to the forum.
    Beach Audio: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Schiit Yggy * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
    Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
    Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
    Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
    Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
    Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
    Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet
  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    edited June 2017
    Greetings -- my first post in Club Polk – I’ve just tried a pair of the Elac Debut B6 at home for a week and thought I’d report my impressions.

    I agree with many reviews that describe them as excellent speakers for the money. I placed them on heavy 24-inch stands and drove them with either a Naim UnitiQute 2 (all-in-one streamer-DAC-amp, 30 solid watts) or an old NAD 314 integrated – both had no trouble driving the B6’s. Music—mostly classical and jazz (mostly from NAS, occasionally from Tidal).

    PROS:
    • Big soundstage for such little speakers.
    • Smooth and natural midrange. Good piano recordings have a rich realistic timbre. Vocals sound natural, no hard edge or exaggerated chestiness.
    • Able to play surprisingly loud while remaining composed and controlled. For example, on piano transients, the B6's strike hard and clean, while my Polk RT35i’s get a little buzzy.
    • A presentation that I’d describe as more musical than hi-fi. Not in-your-face impressive but inviting you to listen to the music more than analyze the sound.

    CONS:
    • Slighty dry and closed-in high end. Cymbals sound a little more papery than metallic.
    • A little too much action from the rear port – in my small room (about 11 X 12), the bass output from the rear port caused boomy room resonances. Only when I moved the speakers more than about two feet from the back wall could I tame the bass , but the placement of furniture in the room won’t allow the speakers to stay so far out.
    • I also tried them in my big basement room (about 12 X 22) – I thought they would be swallowed up in this space but they held their own, and here the bass from the port provided a sense of low end presence, though more of a general bassiness without much specific definition or impact (which one really can’t expect from such small drivers in such a big space). In the end, my good old Polk RT55i’s still do a better job of filling this big space.

    CONCLUSION:
    Very musical speakers that I think I could easily live with if I had a room that would allow placement a couple feet or more from the back wall. So, for me, back to the store they go. But for you, they might prove a very musical bargain.

    Recordings used:
    Volodos Plays Brahms (Sony Classical)
    Murray Perahia, Schumann Piano Sonata No. 1 (Sony Classical)
    Paul Lewis, Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 (Harmonia Mundi)
    Kate Royal, A Lesson in Love (EMI)
    Leila Josefowicz, John Adams’s Road Movies (Nonesuch)
    Pavel Haas Quartet, Prokofiev String Quartets (Supraphon)
    Quatuor Ebene, Eternal Stories (Erato)
    Manu Katche, Playground (EMI)
    Diana Krall, Turn Up the Quiet (Verve)
    Natalie Merchant, Paradise Is Here (Nonesuch)


    Great review, and A huge Diana Krall fan myself!

    Glad her latest is back to her normal sound, after "Wallflower". I did not like that one so much, and the sound was compressed a good bit.