Thanks for the comparison to the KEF R3! My search for a new speaker pretty quickly led me to the KEF R3, then further to Buchardt S400 mk2 as it can allegedly be positioned closer to the wall. Afterwards I found a Buchardt S400 mk 2 video that made a comparison to this Elac UBR62, and I learned that the Elac is even better suited to near wall placement due to its bass reflex opening towards the front, and that it is no worse than the S400 mk2 overall. I futher learned that it seems to be better suited for lower volumes and is less demanding towards the amp. Finally you now tell me that the Elac's characteristic resembles the KEF R3 - where I started! This is marvelous! So it seems the Elac UBR62 is exactly what I was looking for: Balanced open characteristics of the KEF R3 but with additional advantages on near wall placement, low volumes and lower demand to the amp. And as if this is not enough, it is 2.8 times cheaper than the KEF R3 here in Germany!!! Well, it seems it is a no-brainer for me now - Elac UBR62 all the way. Thanks again for your video!
I still have the Elac B6.0. Oh man, it stills surprise me. Smooth top end, nice tight bass, great imaging and soundstage. Hoping this UNI FI reference could be my next upgrade. I'm a great fan of Steve and Andrew Jones.
Elac reference series, all of them, by AJ, just sounds REAL. There is no better than that unless you add a tube amp. Now it souns live. Period. Spookie chilling real. Can not beat the price either. What else can I say? Oh I do play live music so I know what real live music sounds like. Elac reference sounds like that. I like THAT. They look good too.
I love the Cure Mixed Up album - it's very textured & draws you into the music 👍 I have definitely shortlisted this speaker especially as it looks as though it will be relatively easy to drive with my 45 ( 8ohm / 60 watt 4ohm ubiquitous Marantz amplifier 🙂
Andrew Jones $600 Dual concentric Uni fi's sounded amazing when a friend brought them by a few months back. This new model sounds like a winner too. Love to listen to them at RMAF.
@@oryxgto I asked that question earlier and no one had any experience with it. I imagine the wrap needs to go on a smooth surface not unpainted MDF however, with some primer and sanding you should get a suitable surface.
Thanks for the review. The original Uni-Fi was remarkable for the money, especially at the low sales price. I used it in my HT system and people were blown away by the sound.
I'm still loving my original Uni-fi uf5 towers. For the $600 they were charging right when the v2 was coming out, I don't think I could have done better.
@@keplermission4947 What could I have found new in a tower that was on par with the Uni-fi uf5 for less than $600 a pair in the US? I'm legitimately curious. Bookshelves sure, and DIY absolutely, but a production pair of towers? I didn't find much when I was looking last year. Just the Tekton Lore comes to mind, but I wouldn't call that "better" just different. I was originally planning on the magnepan lrs, but sadly couldn't find an amp I could afford to drive those well.
@@keplermission4947 Not a big problem finding speakers in Denver ;) . I'm currently using an XTZ Edge A2-300 power amp, and a minidsp shd as my dac/streamer/pre-amp. I am using dirac for room correction below 200hz. Recently integrated a rythmik L12 sub crossed over at 60hz with my towers crossed over for everything above 60hz by using the minidsp to set the crossover points.
@@JC-lk3oy had to comment: bought the Tekton lore Reference, had them for 40 days and returned them. extremely flat, boring sounding speakers! yes, they can go low, and the low register is 'organized'...but that's about it. a really over hyped speaker. mids and highs are just lifeless. the original Uni-fi UF5 are way superior in every department. integration is so much better. they're fun to listen to (yes, they need power), and offer amazing definition for the price.
I just purchased the Unifi Reference Towers, arriving today. Paired with, Technics 1200 ( reworked with silicone dampening tray, magensium headshell and a Denon 103R), Denon 300LC SUT, Schiit Freya, Project Tube Box DS, and an Iotavx PA3. I'm so excited! Huge upgrade from some Polk Audio ti's.
In order to adhere to your suggested amp/speaker cost ratio perhaps you should have driven this with your Denon reference. Nonetheless this seems like an exciting speaker.
The way I describe tube amps is that they are more experiential compared to common solid-state or digital amps, because they color the sound and provide a degree of signal smoothing without losing an unreasonable amount of detail or texture. Typically, they'll smooth out the treble and add in some degree of warmth. Obviously YMMV depending on how your amp is configured and what tubes you're using. It's like the vinyl records of amplification. It's not the most accurate, but it sounds nice and if that's a sound you like then that's all that matters. Plus, they look awesome, so that's always a bonus. Personally, I love the sound of a tube amp for a lot of vocal and instrumentation-focused tracks. And the best part is that you don't even necessarily need to get a beefy tube amp, which can cost upwards of $600 to get that characteristic sound. You can totally get away with using a tube phono pre-amp fed into a solid state amplifier and you'll be between 70 and 90% of the way there, so it isn't always uneconomical either.
Love ELAC speakers! Recently bought the ELAC Carina 247.4 floor standing speakers and was blown away, especially using them with a REL T/7i subwoofer. These are paired with a Rotel A14 integrated amp. Would love to get your take on the Carinas, which also come in a stand-mounted version.
Thanks for your comment. I'm planning to get these along with the new Rotel A14 MKII. The combo is costing me 1800 euros, here in Europe. Seems like a steal to me, considering both components are bought new from a store.
Thanks for the great review. I have a set of the the Uni-Fi UF51 which I recently bought and love, sounds like the Uni-Fi Reference would be a nice step up sometime down the road. Also, thanks for reminding me to go find a copy of Delta Kream on vinyl. My local Portland source of vinyl, Music Millennium, sold out in a few days. Luckily my backup "semi-local" source, Easy Street Records in Seattle, still had some in stock.
I currently have the Unifi 2.0 UB52'S. I am torn between keeping them and upgrading to the Unifi Reference. What would you say the Unifi Reference's do better than the UB52's? Is there that much of a difference between the two, or would you say it's minimal? Thanks Steve!
And it's older but smaller half brother the Pioneer SP-BS22-LRs (on sale for $99 at the 'Yellow Tag' store on also on sale $99 Audio Advisor 24 inch stands) still holds up well. All hail Andrew Jones, hero of audiophiles of all socio-economic strata. Leaves more of limited financial resources for new recordings desired by an unrepentant physical media kind of guy.
@@keplermission4947 And I know someone (me) that is quite satisfied. True, I still have my venerable and beloved ADS L520s, but they simply overpower the admittedly problematic room in my current down-sized apartment. So tell 'somebody' that I agree to disagree. Your mileage may (will) vary, but in my here (hear?) and now with my system to my ears, they work nicely. Happy listening!
Hi Steve, I meant mention that these speakers are like the meta r3, I took the plunge and now have the Elacs ubr62 , and agree with your findings , they sound really good but I do have a sub connected in for sub bass , because my rotel A11 tribune has 2 sets of speaker outputs so I can play my old Dm 602s3 as well I can play ubr62, great review. Regards mark
I desperately need to find a shop in my area where I can listen to some of these. I'm just so curious how they sound. I've heard lovely things about them, like they have a warm, yet detailed sound with better than average amounts of bass. They also look great, which is a bonus. I love concentric coaxial designs, too, so that just endears it to me even more so I want to hear them sometime to see if they can live up to expectations.
Obviously ELAC engaged Andrew Jones to get attention in the US market. This worked pretty well. ELACs main competence nonetheless is situated in Kiel, Germany. Their better speakers are developed and constructed there. Made in Germany.
This is crazy. I can get a pair of actively powered 3-way studio monitors with tri-amps in each and with 10-inch woofer and 4-inch midrange -- for just under USD $1,000. For the pair. These home theater and home music room passive jobs are priced at highway robbery prices by comparison.
Hey steve! Great review Seeing as you reviewed the elac navis arb 51 amd the design seems similar, do these sound like a passive version of those? And if not how do they compare?
"The Walk" from The Cure's "Mixed Up" CD, with its 41 Hz content, is actually a pretty good track for testing the Elac's capabilities, particularly compared to other speakers of similar size that can't "get down" :-)
That's a dam good album. I recently picked up the remastered Vs on vinyl having had the cd vs previously. I prefer slot of the songs over the originals.
I totally agree on the new Black Keys album. Last Saturday I went for a little Earman TR-AMP for my Denon AH-D9200 headphones. There was also the new Feliks Echo mk2 and we connected both to my iPad pro. When I played Going down South and Coal Black Mattie 🎧 I was sold and bought both. It's a great little combo that let this album really shine. Thank you for all the great reviews, looking forward to many more. Greetings from the Netherlands. Norman Saarloos
Am waiting for this UBR62 to be available in our country so I can purchase it. I have the DBR62 and I super love it. But I think this speaker brings the reference series i to another level of performance.
@@keplermission4947 Nothing you say can be taken seriously, when you don't even know the name of the company, which is Jolida, not Jolinda! DUH! Furthermore, they changed the name. It's no longer Jolida, it's Black Ice
Great review Steve! I wonder how it compares to the Tekton Lore Reference which does not require a stand and costs less. This should really be a speaker you have in your room to compare other speakers
I absolutely agree with you on this! I would love to see Steve take your advice and compare this new Elac to the closest Tekton in price and particularly the Lore Reference.
Andrew Jones is great designer but not the only one. Look at the original Elac speakers from Kiel, Germany. They are even better with their JET-Tweeters.
I’d like to thank whoever at Elac decided to sell a single new pair of these in white for 45% off on Amazon one night. It’s been a love affair ever since. 🥰
Dear Steve I have the ELAC UNI FI 2.0 UB52 and I like it. If I do an upgrade to the REFERENCE UB62 I do a really Upgrade or not? What is the best thing you can mention about the differencies Thank you
Steve, how does it compare to Polk r200 or have you had a chance to listen to the uf52 towers for not much more money and 3 5 1/4" drivers? Nice review!
Hi. After watched your review the elac uni-fi 2.0 ub52. I bought the speaker and very happy. I also bought and pair the elac with audiolab m one. Sound great but I feel it lacks of power? Can you help to suggest the best amp can pair with elac uni-fi 2.0 ub52. Many thanks
As for the 600M vs whatever debate: I recently had an email promo for the 600M for $377.00 USD. For me there is always a spreadsheet in my head with price on one scale and goodness on the other. The 600M may not be absolutely better than product X but at the price the scatter chart goes nuts.
These 2 speakers are polar opposites, in my opinion. The 600M are bright, lively, and eventually fatiguing, to my ears. The Unifi Reference are more mid range focused, neutral, rolled off on the top end, MUCH more well rounded speaker. Not even close to me. If you want something similar sounding to the Unifi Reference (warm, laid back, full bodied, rolled off on the top end), the Wharfedale Diamond 225 is on sale at Music Direct for only $299 and the smaller 220s (5 1/4" woofer) are only $199, from Music Direct and Amazon. Good luck.
If you want something that sounds in between, and still even less expensive, check out the Sony Core SSC-5's for about $119 a pair. Those are BEST HIFI bargain that I believe I have ever found!!!! I've got Wharfedale, Definitive Technology, Pinnacle, Boston Acoustics, all in the closet, and FAR more expensive than the Sony's. Guess which ones are STILL on my set up for over 6 months now, and still keep wowing my every time I turn them on? I love the Sony's soo much I bought a 2nd pair, just because.
@@jamescox4823 How can you say they are absolutely not fatiguing? Sound is subjective and just because your a fanboy of klipsch, does not mean that someone else can’t think differently. I have heard many Klipsch in many setups whether it be stores or in homes and to me, they ALL sound like nails on chalkboards. They are fatiguing, irritating and ugly.
@@jannafrost6426 Not a fan boy have owned many different speakers. If that's your honest opinion you either have crap electronics or you need a diff hobby
Steve, All Bi-wireable speakers will sound best if using a single speaker wire when you plug your speaker wires into the mid/high frequency terminal. The jumper between the bass and mid/high terminal will veil the sound. Better to veil the lows than the mid highs. Also, you can get much better sounding jumpers online from high end speaker companies or make your own out of super wire using tinned ends. This will be quite noticeable at the level you are playing. Just plug the speaker wires into the top posts.....pretty simple. If you do not hear a difference then you need to up level your stereo........one up leveling thing you can do is to use speaker wires with spades or tinned wire (sonically better than spades, get your wires off the floor using cable lifters.....can be made in minutes from cardboard, get some serious footers for your equipment.....I recommend the top of the line $300 a set Mad Scientist footers. The Kef's have the advantage of having one terminal.....so no loss of info with one cable. Of course, if you bi-wire the Elac's then you have eliminated the veiling jumper. I will be doing upgraded xovers for both the Kef's and the Elac's.....besides using a hardwired xover and super parts, it will feature my binding post bypass system and hardwiring the xover wires directly to the voice coil wires of the drivers (neither thing has ever been done in a commercial speaker). This should be fun. tweakaudio.com
I'm going to purchase these speakers. Now I need the proper receiver to power it. How many watts would you suggest? 70 watts, 80 watts, 90 watts? Or more.
in reality i wanted to buy some focal aria or sonus faber sonetto bookshelf speakers but recently discovered these elac also the velas and the dali oberon 3 now i wonder what woud work best with my naim nait 5si amp i heard only the 2 first conected to a naim unity atom and liked it.
Since impedance varies with frequency, you can't assume anything with a single nominal figure. Also you need to look at phase angle to determine the difficulty for a speaker to be driven. 85dB is a little below average but room size and preferred volume level play a large part in determining wattage requirements. Learn to interpret an impedance and phase graph as it's not really difficult and this will help with future speaker/amp choices.
Hi Steve, another great interesting video, I wish Elac was wood veneer, I am tempted I recently have b&w 606 s2 although sound petty giid but I still prefer my old dm602s3. Trouble is so many now decent speakers available, I would if I could kef r3 meta is the speaker I would dealy like to have . Regards mark
Try the Uni-Fi series. Any of them. They're all better than any Debut series speaker. It's a different world with the three way concentric driver. Imaging is unreal
Any opinion on pairing it with an AV receiver rather than discrete amp, like Denon X3700H/X3800H, Marantz SR5015/Cinema 60 or Onkyo TX-RZ50, to name a few?
👍👍💪💪👏🏻👏🏻Wow Steve you made me just put a purchase order I have to have the speaker because your enthusiasm I know they will be great because you said so I also know Andrew Jones is totally amazing he does create magical speakers at fantastic prices really you could live with them for years to come❤️❤️🌹🌹😍😍
Stephen, your channel is invaluable to those of us building/rebuilding a high fidelity sound system. I'm rebuilding mine, and I hope you have a moment to give me a bit of advice. I'm using an NAD C700 streaming system with an 80 watt per channel hybrid amplifier. Is that enough amplifier to bring the Unify reference to life at low and moderate volumes? Would the UB 52 be a better fit for the NAD C700? Thanks.
So is a (conservatively rated) 50w/ch integrated amp going to be able to get close to full potential out of these speakers in a med-small listening room? I don't listen at super-loud volumes, but I don't want to cheat the speakers of what they need. How did they sound at lower listening volumes? They still deliver?
I used a 20 W tube amplifier and was happy with the sound, the 150 W amp could obviously play louder and be more dynamic. A lot more dynamic. But my room is relatively large, so unless you are into cranking your music 50 W will do fine. Of course the quality of the power is at least as important as the quantity of the watts
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks Steve. The IA is a Vincent S-500, which seemed like an attractive choice for my budget at the time, and I'm still a fan.
I'm considering ordering these with the UCR52 center speaker, I listen to classic rock and bands like Metallica, which has lotta double bass, would you say that these could handle that fairly well? thanx
Thanks for the comparison to the KEF R3!
My search for a new speaker pretty quickly led me to the KEF R3, then further to Buchardt S400 mk2 as it can allegedly be positioned closer to the wall. Afterwards I found a Buchardt S400 mk 2 video that made a comparison to this Elac UBR62, and I learned that the Elac is even better suited to near wall placement due to its bass reflex opening towards the front, and that it is no worse than the S400 mk2 overall. I futher learned that it seems to be better suited for lower volumes and is less demanding towards the amp. Finally you now tell me that the Elac's characteristic resembles the KEF R3 - where I started! This is marvelous! So it seems the Elac UBR62 is exactly what I was looking for: Balanced open characteristics of the KEF R3 but with additional advantages on near wall placement, low volumes and lower demand to the amp. And as if this is not enough, it is 2.8 times cheaper than the KEF R3 here in Germany!!! Well, it seems it is a no-brainer for me now - Elac UBR62 all the way.
Thanks again for your video!
Are you happy with the Elacs?
@@Kukkema Pretty much so. They are not perfect of course and are lacking some "punch" of the impulse response I think, but are open and wide.
Listening to this a second time on my Uni-fi References. Love these speakers
I still have the Elac B6.0. Oh man, it stills surprise me. Smooth top end, nice tight bass, great imaging and soundstage. Hoping this UNI FI reference could be my next upgrade. I'm a great fan of Steve and Andrew Jones.
Thanks Steve , I Appricate all your hardwork you put in for us all ,
The vocals sounding "correct" is massive, love Andrew Jones.
Steve, for anyone who has watched your Meta review, which was your speaker of the year for 2020, this is a bold statement.
I like when you give us the songs you listen to i wish more reviewers did that.
It’s a big part of this channels value!
Elac reference series, all of them, by AJ, just sounds REAL. There is no better than that unless you add a tube amp. Now it souns live. Period. Spookie chilling real. Can not beat the price either. What else can I say? Oh I do play live music so I know what real live music sounds like. Elac reference sounds like that. I like THAT. They look good too.
Thanks for comparisons to KEF speakers as they are logical alternatives.
I love the Cure Mixed Up album - it's very textured & draws you into the music 👍
I have definitely shortlisted this speaker especially as it looks as though it will be relatively easy to drive with my 45 ( 8ohm / 60 watt 4ohm ubiquitous Marantz amplifier 🙂
Randy, the Cheap Audioman, just posted his review too, and he says that it's the best production speaker that he's ever heard
Andrew Jones $600 Dual concentric Uni fi's sounded amazing when a friend brought them by a few months back. This new model sounds
like a winner too. Love to listen to them at RMAF.
I loved my DBR62s but the brown wrap looked definitely like a Walmart bookshelf. I'd personally get the light oak with white face.
Go to a professional shop that wraps cars, pick out your choice of vinyl (may have to find it yourself) and have them wrap it.
@@oryxgto I asked that question earlier and no one had any experience with it. I imagine the wrap needs to go on a smooth surface not unpainted MDF however, with some primer and sanding you should get a suitable surface.
Thanks for the review. The original Uni-Fi was remarkable for the money, especially at the low sales price. I used it in my HT system and people were blown away by the sound.
I'm still loving my original Uni-fi uf5 towers. For the $600 they were charging right when the v2 was coming out, I don't think I could have done better.
@@keplermission4947 What could I have found new in a tower that was on par with the Uni-fi uf5 for less than $600 a pair in the US? I'm legitimately curious. Bookshelves sure, and DIY absolutely, but a production pair of towers? I didn't find much when I was looking last year. Just the Tekton Lore comes to mind, but I wouldn't call that "better" just different. I was originally planning on the magnepan lrs, but sadly couldn't find an amp I could afford to drive those well.
@@keplermission4947 Not a big problem finding speakers in Denver ;) . I'm currently using an XTZ Edge A2-300 power amp, and a minidsp shd as my dac/streamer/pre-amp. I am using dirac for room correction below 200hz. Recently integrated a rythmik L12 sub crossed over at 60hz with my towers crossed over for everything above 60hz by using the minidsp to set the crossover points.
@@JC-lk3oy had to comment: bought the Tekton lore Reference, had them for 40 days and returned them. extremely flat, boring sounding speakers! yes, they can go low, and the low register is 'organized'...but that's about it. a really over hyped speaker. mids and highs are just lifeless. the original Uni-fi UF5 are way superior in every department. integration is so much better. they're fun to listen to (yes, they need power), and offer amazing definition for the price.
I just purchased the Unifi Reference Towers, arriving today. Paired with, Technics 1200 ( reworked with silicone dampening tray, magensium headshell and a Denon 103R), Denon 300LC SUT, Schiit Freya, Project Tube Box DS, and an Iotavx PA3. I'm so excited! Huge upgrade from some Polk Audio ti's.
In order to adhere to your suggested amp/speaker cost ratio perhaps you should have driven this with your Denon reference. Nonetheless this seems like an exciting speaker.
This might be the ELAC model I've been waiting for.
Andrew Jones speaker and reviewed by Steve = MUST WATCH 👍
G/Day Steve, seat jiggling is what I do these days, perfectly fine..I now know i'm not the only one who partakes in this activity
The way I describe tube amps is that they are more experiential compared to common solid-state or digital amps, because they color the sound and provide a degree of signal smoothing without losing an unreasonable amount of detail or texture. Typically, they'll smooth out the treble and add in some degree of warmth. Obviously YMMV depending on how your amp is configured and what tubes you're using. It's like the vinyl records of amplification. It's not the most accurate, but it sounds nice and if that's a sound you like then that's all that matters. Plus, they look awesome, so that's always a bonus. Personally, I love the sound of a tube amp for a lot of vocal and instrumentation-focused tracks. And the best part is that you don't even necessarily need to get a beefy tube amp, which can cost upwards of $600 to get that characteristic sound. You can totally get away with using a tube phono pre-amp fed into a solid state amplifier and you'll be between 70 and 90% of the way there, so it isn't always uneconomical either.
Delta Kream Black Keys album is a really sweet listen if you dig the delta blues sounds of electric guitar wizards 👍 (some guest guitarists🙂)
Andrew Jones and another piece of an engineering masterpiece. Yes please :)!
i need to spend more time listening to music then reading audio reviews
Sure what about watching Reviews??
I have that feeling of being there also with my Elac Unify UB5 amd paid 300 USD for them. Thank You Andrew Jones!!! 😂
Love ELAC speakers! Recently bought the ELAC Carina 247.4 floor standing speakers and was blown away, especially using them with a REL T/7i subwoofer. These are paired with a Rotel A14 integrated amp. Would love to get your take on the Carinas, which also come in a stand-mounted version.
Thanks for your comment. I'm planning to get these along with the new Rotel A14 MKII. The combo is costing me 1800 euros, here in Europe. Seems like a steal to me, considering both components are bought new from a store.
Try a tube amp. Warning: you will never go back. You will be addicted to tubes. It could be worse.
Thanks Steve for this nice review and music tips. Love the Wilco album. Just got the UBR62 paired with 50W Rega Brio.. This combo sounds like gold.
Thanks for the great review. I have a set of the the Uni-Fi UF51 which I recently bought and love, sounds like the Uni-Fi Reference would be a nice step up sometime down the road. Also, thanks for reminding me to go find a copy of Delta Kream on vinyl. My local Portland source of vinyl, Music Millennium, sold out in a few days. Luckily my backup "semi-local" source, Easy Street Records in Seattle, still had some in stock.
I currently have the Unifi 2.0 UB52'S. I am torn between keeping them and upgrading to the Unifi Reference. What would you say the Unifi Reference's do better than the UB52's? Is there that much of a difference between the two, or would you say it's minimal? Thanks Steve!
Great review as always,,Thanks for the music tip,, listening for the first time the Black Keys,,,Brilliant stuff,,,
Jack Nance is haunting my dreams lately....thanks Steve.
Exciting stuff coming from Mr. Jones once again. Nice one Steve.
And it's older but smaller half brother the Pioneer SP-BS22-LRs (on sale for $99 at the 'Yellow Tag' store on also on sale $99 Audio Advisor 24 inch stands) still holds up well. All hail Andrew Jones, hero of audiophiles of all socio-economic strata. Leaves more of limited financial resources for new recordings desired by an unrepentant physical media kind of guy.
@@keplermission4947 And I know someone (me) that is quite satisfied. True, I still have my venerable and beloved ADS L520s, but they simply overpower the admittedly problematic room in my current down-sized apartment. So tell 'somebody' that I agree to disagree. Your mileage may (will) vary, but in my here (hear?) and now with my system to my ears, they work nicely. Happy listening!
I love the black drivers.
I will buy these speakers if they throw in Steve's shirt! (Not his shirt, but one just like it in my size)
Hi Steve, I meant mention that these speakers are like the meta r3, I took the plunge and now have the Elacs ubr62 , and agree with your findings , they sound really good but I do have a sub connected in for sub bass , because my rotel A11 tribune has 2 sets of speaker outputs so I can play my old Dm 602s3 as well I can play ubr62, great review. Regards mark
And I thought my Amphion Argon 2's were low sensitivity at 86db... Thanks!
Steve thank you and the Cheapaudioman. Im getting this speaker.
There are a lot of good speakers at low prices these days....The tech has gotten REALLY good out there. Amazing.
Still no bass
StreamC must have a hearing problem.
How does this compare to the Elac Debut Reference series ?
I desperately need to find a shop in my area where I can listen to some of these. I'm just so curious how they sound. I've heard lovely things about them, like they have a warm, yet detailed sound with better than average amounts of bass. They also look great, which is a bonus. I love concentric coaxial designs, too, so that just endears it to me even more so I want to hear them sometime to see if they can live up to expectations.
The sound will change with different amps. More power is better for the reference series.
Torn between the Uni-fi Reference and Wharfedale Evo 4.2. I was committed to the Evo 4.2 until I heard about these lol.
Also Polk R600
Which did you get?
Enjoyed the review, would older equipment (NAD 7155 recapped, updated) be sufficient to bring out the capabilities of the Elac’s?
Obviously ELAC engaged Andrew Jones to get attention in the US market. This worked pretty well.
ELACs main competence nonetheless is situated in Kiel, Germany. Their better speakers are developed and constructed there.
Made in Germany.
Love the passion Steve! Look forward to hearing this speaker.
This is crazy. I can get a pair of actively powered 3-way studio monitors with tri-amps in each and with 10-inch woofer and 4-inch midrange -- for just under USD $1,000. For the pair. These home theater and home music room passive jobs are priced at highway robbery prices by comparison.
That shirt🏆
Steve thank you for the Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here Symphonic its sound amazing.
Indeed! That was a gem I had overlooked. THANKS!! I discover new (and old) music from Steve's videos all the time....
Hey steve! Great review
Seeing as you reviewed the elac navis arb 51 amd the design seems similar, do these sound like a passive version of those? And if not how do they compare?
Hi Steve, I would like to hear your opinion about this Unifi Ref VS Debut Ref because I'm planning to add another speakers. Thanks
"The Walk" from The Cure's "Mixed Up" CD, with its 41 Hz content, is actually a pretty good track for testing the Elac's capabilities, particularly compared to other speakers of similar size that can't "get down" :-)
That's a dam good album. I recently picked up the remastered Vs on vinyl having had the cd vs previously. I prefer slot of the songs over the originals.
super compressed audio even if it goes to 41hz.
@@themastroiannis The remastered version of the album seems more compressed than the original. I have access to both via Deezer...
I totally agree on the new Black Keys album. Last Saturday I went for a little Earman TR-AMP for my Denon AH-D9200 headphones. There was also the new Feliks Echo mk2 and we connected both to my iPad pro. When I played Going down South and Coal Black Mattie 🎧 I was sold and bought both. It's a great little combo that let this album really shine. Thank you for all the great reviews, looking forward to many more. Greetings from the Netherlands. Norman Saarloos
Redoing the TV room setup and just bought Klipsch RP-600M for it - can't wait to hear them!
Congraz! How do you like the speakers so far?
@@758-s7j Won't know for a week or two - room is in deconstruction mode.
@@danielwilliams1921 I see. Plz keep me updated when you get a chance! 👍🏻
Am waiting for this UBR62 to be available in our country so I can purchase it. I have the DBR62 and I super love it. But I think this speaker brings the reference series i
to another level of performance.
Steve, I really enjoy your reviews. Especially the way you tell the stories on music. I enjoy discovering new songs.
@@keplermission4947 Nothing you say can be taken seriously, when you don't even know the name of the company, which is Jolida, not Jolinda! DUH! Furthermore, they changed the name. It's no longer Jolida, it's Black Ice
They need a painted version, matte or satin. Not into vinyl raps. Reminds me of 70’s Cadillac interiors or rented furniture.
Yeah, a cream white and a nice soft gray. If vinyl then skip the wood grain.
Great review Steve! I wonder how it compares to the Tekton Lore Reference which does not require a stand and costs less. This should really be a speaker you have in your room to compare other speakers
I absolutely agree with you on this! I would love to see Steve take your advice and compare this new Elac to the closest Tekton in price and particularly the Lore Reference.
Andrew Jones is great designer but not the only one. Look at the original Elac speakers from Kiel, Germany. They are even better with their JET-Tweeters.
Love your reviews! Thank you and God bless!
Steve how does this compare to the Debut Reference?
How will these perform sitting on a shelf 3 inches away from the wall? Also, I love the log cabin quilt in the background.
I’d like to thank whoever at Elac decided to sell a single new pair of these in white for 45% off on Amazon one night. It’s been a love affair ever since. 🥰
Dear Steve
I have the ELAC UNI FI 2.0 UB52 and I like it.
If I do an upgrade to the REFERENCE UB62 I do a really Upgrade or not?
What is the best thing you can mention about the differencies
Thank you
So what stands are appropriate to use with these new Elac Unifi Reference standmount speaker?
Steve, how does it compare to Polk r200 or have you had a chance to listen to the uf52 towers for not much more money and 3 5 1/4" drivers? Nice review!
I was going to ask the same question on the comparison with Polk Reserve R200 :-)
I bet this will be a close comparison
Polk is Rad
Imagine that with a 10" woofer and floor stander .
Hi. After watched your review the elac uni-fi 2.0 ub52. I bought the speaker and very happy. I also bought and pair the elac with audiolab m one. Sound great but I feel it lacks of power? Can you help to suggest the best amp can pair with elac uni-fi 2.0 ub52. Many thanks
Hi Steve who would win among these speakers ... the polk audio R200 .... and the b & w 606? thank you very much
As for the 600M vs whatever debate: I recently had an email promo for the 600M for $377.00 USD. For me there is always a spreadsheet in my head with price on one scale and goodness on the other. The 600M may not be absolutely better than product X but at the price the scatter chart goes nuts.
These 2 speakers are polar opposites, in my opinion. The 600M are bright, lively, and eventually fatiguing, to my ears. The Unifi Reference are more mid range focused, neutral, rolled off on the top end, MUCH more well rounded speaker. Not even close to me. If you want something similar sounding to the Unifi Reference (warm, laid back, full bodied, rolled off on the top end), the Wharfedale Diamond 225 is on sale at Music Direct for only $299 and the smaller 220s (5 1/4" woofer) are only $199, from Music Direct and Amazon. Good luck.
If you want something that sounds in between, and still even less expensive, check out the Sony Core SSC-5's for about $119 a pair. Those are BEST HIFI bargain that I believe I have ever found!!!! I've got Wharfedale, Definitive Technology, Pinnacle, Boston Acoustics, all in the closet, and FAR more expensive than the Sony's. Guess which ones are STILL on my set up for over 6 months now, and still keep wowing my every time I turn them on? I love the Sony's soo much I bought a 2nd pair, just because.
@@ramondelgado6778 600's are absolutely not fatiguing, better check on some other aspect of your sys
@@jamescox4823 How can you say they are absolutely not fatiguing? Sound is subjective and just because your a fanboy of klipsch, does not mean that someone else can’t think differently. I have heard many Klipsch in many setups whether it be stores or in homes and to me, they ALL sound like nails on chalkboards. They are fatiguing, irritating and ugly.
@@jannafrost6426 Not a fan boy have owned many different speakers. If that's your honest opinion you either have crap electronics or you need a diff hobby
Andrew Jones has a GREAT name
Steve,
All Bi-wireable speakers will sound best if using a single speaker wire when you plug your speaker wires into the mid/high frequency terminal. The jumper between the bass and mid/high terminal will veil the sound. Better to veil the lows than the mid highs. Also, you can get much better sounding jumpers online from high end speaker companies or make your own out of super wire using tinned ends. This will be quite noticeable at the level you are playing. Just plug the speaker wires into the top posts.....pretty simple. If you do not hear a difference then you need to up level your stereo........one up leveling thing you can do is to use speaker wires with spades or tinned wire (sonically better than spades, get your wires off the floor using cable lifters.....can be made in minutes from cardboard, get some serious footers for your equipment.....I recommend the top of the line $300 a set Mad Scientist footers. The Kef's have the advantage of having one terminal.....so no loss of info with one cable. Of course, if you bi-wire the Elac's then you have eliminated the veiling jumper. I will be doing upgraded xovers for both the Kef's and the Elac's.....besides using a hardwired xover and super parts, it will feature my binding post bypass system and hardwiring the xover wires directly to the voice coil wires of the drivers (neither thing has ever been done in a commercial speaker). This should be fun. tweakaudio.com
Steve, How do these sound compared to the Uni-fi 2.0 UB52's? are they worth double the price?
The same question I would like to know
I'd love to know how this speaker compares to the Paradigm Founder 40B you reviewed earlier. Different market segments, I know.
Steve you are a soldier man. Like 5000 videos already.
I'm going to purchase these speakers. Now I need the proper receiver to power it. How many watts would you suggest? 70 watts, 80 watts, 90 watts? Or more.
Thank you!
in reality i wanted to buy some focal aria or sonus faber sonetto bookshelf speakers but recently discovered these elac also the velas and the dali oberon 3 now i wonder what woud work best with my naim nait 5si amp i heard only the 2 first conected to a naim unity atom and liked it.
Great. Another item I have to buy.
I see it's 6 Ohm and 85db sensitivity, do we need powerful/expensive amp to drive it? I have the Cambridge CXA80.
SG used a Black Ice F11 w/EL84 tubes...22 W/Ch and seems to have loved the sound...of course he's in a Brooklyn apartment, not a barn.
Other reviewers have stated that these speakers are more dynamic with more power.
Since impedance varies with frequency, you can't assume anything with a single nominal figure. Also you need to look at phase angle to determine the difficulty for a speaker to be driven. 85dB is a little below average but room size and preferred volume level play a large part in determining wattage requirements. Learn to interpret an impedance and phase graph as it's not really difficult and this will help with future speaker/amp choices.
Kef R3 are out of my price range. The Elac seems to be the next best thing.
2700 euro's for the little PS3........... today i would go for the Elac for 1000.......
Don't forget about the Polk Reserve R 200s. I have them and they sound like they should cost a grand a pair or more
Is Cerwin Vega making anything good these days? Ps you’re so lovable Steve! Love the channel
what mid price Amp can fit those speakers i Have at the moment NAD320BEE - can it suite ?
Hi Steve, another great interesting video, I wish Elac was wood veneer, I am tempted I recently have b&w 606 s2 although sound petty giid but I still prefer my old dm602s3. Trouble is so many now decent speakers available, I would if I could kef r3 meta is the speaker I would dealy like to have . Regards mark
Amazing Review and Reviewer! I have £1000 to spend on upgrading my current speakers(KEF q350)would these Elacs be an upgrade?
For a thousand bucks you could have the Wharfedale EVO 4.2.
I love this channel!!!
Hey Steve, thanks for the great review. Trying to choose between Elac unif reference and Buchardt S300, what would be your choice
Hmm. Im still not convinced. I bought the ELAC Debut Reference 62s and Im still not liking them.
Try the Uni-Fi series. Any of them. They're all better than any Debut series speaker. It's a different world with the three way concentric driver. Imaging is unreal
Also makes a big difference what you are driving them with. Doesn’t have to be expensive either
In direct competition with the Kef LS50.
Any opinion on pairing it with an AV receiver rather than discrete amp, like Denon X3700H/X3800H, Marantz SR5015/Cinema 60 or Onkyo TX-RZ50, to name a few?
👍👍💪💪👏🏻👏🏻Wow Steve you made me just put a purchase order I have to have the speaker because your enthusiasm I know they will be great because you said so I also know Andrew Jones is totally amazing he does create magical speakers at fantastic prices really you could live with them for years to come❤️❤️🌹🌹😍😍
Stephen, your channel is invaluable to those of us building/rebuilding a high fidelity sound system. I'm rebuilding mine, and I hope you have a moment to give me a bit of advice. I'm using an NAD C700 streaming system with an 80 watt per channel hybrid amplifier. Is that enough amplifier to bring the Unify reference to life at low and moderate volumes? Would the UB 52 be a better fit for the NAD C700? Thanks.
Love my Elacs!!!
Smart move by Steve to cover the tv screen with that 3d rug.
Mrs Audiophiliac... Very talented
Rug really ties the room together.
@@MosoKaiser ( too few likes on your comment ! )
Wich one would you prefer...... warfdale denton 85 th anniversary or These
Steve, which is better between the Elac and the new polk bookshelf?
So is a (conservatively rated) 50w/ch integrated amp going to be able to get close to full potential out of these speakers in a med-small listening room? I don't listen at super-loud volumes, but I don't want to cheat the speakers of what they need.
How did they sound at lower listening volumes? They still deliver?
I used a 20 W tube amplifier and was happy with the sound, the 150 W amp could obviously play louder and be more dynamic. A lot more dynamic. But my room is relatively large, so unless you are into cranking your music 50 W will do fine. Of course the quality of the power is at least as important as the quantity of the watts
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks Steve. The IA is a Vincent S-500, which seemed like an attractive choice for my budget at the time, and I'm still a fan.
@@keplermission4947 Some people are so friendly and helpful here. Not snobbish at all. Open. Fun at parties.
I suggest that speakers no longer get names of luxury cars or military aircraft and get cool names like "ear viper" or "sonic gazelle".
Cochlear Tickler
@@jeffn1384 someone give this man a promotion.
I'm considering ordering these with the UCR52 center speaker, I listen to classic rock and bands like Metallica, which has lotta double bass, would you say that these could handle that fairly well? thanx
Would love to see audiosciencereview measure these..
I want to know if this new Uni-fi is $300 better than the Polk R200. I can't make up my mind
how would this sound with the Rega Brio?
Sounds like a good match
@@keplermission4947 i am using Rega speakers now and its a very good marriage.
Do you have any recommendations amplifier requirements ? Wondering if the Audiolab 6000A would be enough to drive them