Elac B5/B6
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Gnesen
Super Member
I just pulled the trigger on a pair of the B6's and should receive them next Monday. They're available for pre-order on Amazon now.
cjpremierfour
Active Member
I also did a pre-order for the Elac B6 speakers. I received and email from Chris Walker of Elac Audio saying that the containers are in customs and it may be a week later ( could be more ) than the first of Oct. goal. However, everyone that did pre-order does get free shipping.:yes:
Did anyone get the B5 or did we all get the B6?
Did anyone get the B5 or did we all get the B6?
Gnesen
Super Member
I'll probably try the B6's with a few different amps -- Adcom GFA-535, Marantz 2030B, Realistic STA-2080, and a DIY TPA3116. I don't have a true 'monster' amp, so one of the reasons I went with the B6 over the B5 is its slightly higher sensitivity.
FWIW, Amazon is still saying the speakers should be here by Monday. I wouldn't be surprised if they're delayed, but I'll get them when I get them.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
You might check the Cheap & Cheerful forum on Audiocircle. There have been users reports there going back to 10/15.
I'd really love to read a comparison between the Elac B5, B6 and the Pioneer SP-BS22-LRs with the Dennis Murphy mods. According to the specs, the B5s should go lower than the Pioneers and the B6s should go lower still, and be more efficient.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Also found this very positive review buried in a very unlikely place here at Audiokarma:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....ofessional-review.623013/page-44#post-9133261
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....ofessional-review.623013/page-44#post-9133261
cjpremierfour
Active Member
I have around 25 plus hours on the Elac B6's right now and just to get the negatives out of the way. I don't like the metal grill over the tweeter. The cabinet, side walls, top, especially the back panel does vibrate with bass notes, even small bass notes. The speaker weights @ 15 pounds and to hit a price point, I'm guessing the cabinet was designed to be light to save money. If this speaker's weight was 25 to 30 pounds, you would guess it to be 3 times(?) the cost after looking over the finish and a quick demo. The first hours, maybe close to 20, the speaker was less than impressive on any level. I don't know if it was a system / power issue or break end time as some don't believe in that, but the speaker has opened up and is beginning to sound much, much better with time.
Just a quick reference, I have compared the Pioneer BS 22, ( $129 ) the very good Goldenear Aon 3 ( $1k ) to the Elac B6"s ($279 delivered) this week. During one demo, I also invited my "audiophile" brother who is really into high end to be a extra set of ears.
The following is just my opinion:
The B6's are just a tad strong on the bass area and required me to bring out the speaker's front 28+ inches from the back wall or it would sound muddy / slow. When set up at that distance, they are still very dynamic. They will project power like a floor stander with ease. The speaker's sound stage is more behind the speaker than in front and it does this fairly well.
Comparing the B6's to the Pioneer BS 22 didn't take but a very few minutes as the BS 22 are out classed in every area. I also own the Pioneer FS 52 and I plan to compare them at a later date as their prices are almost the same.
I did play the Goldenear Aon 3's back to back against the Elac B6's and these are my thoughts:
The Elac's don't have the "air" in the top end frequency that the Aon 3 have. *B6's tweeter is a little rolled off compared to the Aon 3's. But the B6 never sounded unbalanced.
The mid range, (horns, voice detail, strings ) was cleaner in the Aon 3. That was the biggest difference between these two speakers. I could notice the mid range detail as it seemed more clear or something on the Aon 3. It was something I picked up after the second switch from the Aon 3's to the Elac B6's.
**When playing the CD, Showcase Eiji Oue (Minnesota Orchestra) A Reference Recordings with large dynamics:
The Elac's have power that can match the Aon 3. The Aon 3 will play just a little louder without losing it's composure before the Elac but up to that point, the Elac sound just a bit larger. This may be based on the fact that the Elac's have a rear firing port and the Aon 3's have 2 side firing passive radiators. The Elac's are a bit less clean in the lower range but it tends to have no problem matching or in some cases bettering, the large dynamic peaks and low bass impact of the Aon 3.
They both project nearly the same soundstage as I couldn't really tell a difference.
To me, the Aon 3 sound better / more full are lower volumes. When both are getting "taxed", they start to get close.
The Aon 3's do not sound good on anything other than well recorded music where the Elac's, somehow, do not have this same problem.
The Elac's, have to be out from a rear wall to sound clean. On my system, the Elac's tweeter is slightly rolled off and having them too close to the back wall make the speaker sound dry.
When set up right, the Elac's and Aon 3 were close enough where one might like to compare them more than one time to hear a difference. The Aon 3 is cleaner sounding and I did like the Aon 3's better after the comparing the two.
The Aon 3's 7" woofer driver and ribbon tweeter is the most coherent bookshelf I can remember hearing. The Elac B6 shouldn't even be close in this area. At 13.5 feet away from the listening area, they both are very good.
The comparison to the Aon 3 isn't something that I thought would be this close. The Aon 3 is suppose to be a great deal in the $1k class of speakers but I would expect most people wouldn't hear a more than $700 difference.
Final thought on the Elac B6's:
I do not design speakers and I understand that Elac had to cut corners somewhere to make a profit, but I wonder if the mid-range, lower mid-range freq. suffer from the cabinet design. If I was to brace this cabinet and line the walls with something, would the B6's give the Goldenear Aon 3's and other speakers in the $1k class a very serious run? For $279, could you buy a better speaker on the used market? I guess, if you knew what you were looking for. If this speaker had a better cabinet, I don't know you could. Certainly a speaker kit without the cabinet for $279, would get you a better dollar performance ratio as these drivers couldn't have cost much more than $25 to $30 each. But with a speaker, delivered to your door, already built and ready to play for that price is really crazy. I actually purchased the Pioneer (A.J. designs) in the past and kind of had an idea on what to expect from a "cost effective project". The Elac B6's isn't at all what I had expected!
I am impressed what Elac Audio has done with a design from Andrew Jones. In the past, I have heard people say they wish, Andrew Jones would design something to go after the Kef LS50 in a cost effective package that everyone could afford. Maybe he already has...........
Darksyde
Well-Known Member
I hadn't noticed the cabinet vibrating but that's because I don't listen at high volumes . All things considered , I think Andrew Jones did a great job on these speakers . I personally like the sort of industrial look of these Elacs. I like the sound even better. I'm using the Elacs with a Yamaha A S501 ,an Apple TV and a Sony dvd player . To me they are a well rounded speaker .
cjpremierfour
Active Member
Just some information. The Analog Planet's, Michael Fremer said the Elac bookshelfs are currently under review. He didn't say which model he was reviewing but he was impressed with the F5 at one of the shows.
ictwoody
I like vintage gear — my preamp is from 2007.
A good set of stands and getting those out into the room a bit more would probably take them up a good few notches.
- Woody
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