ELAC Debut 3.0 DB53-BK Bookshelf Speakers, Black Ash (Pair) - 1” Aluminum Dome Tweeter & 5.25” Aramid Fiber Woofer - 2-Way Bass Reflex - 48Hz to 38KHz Response

Was looking for some bookshelf speakers that were under $1000 that would be a good fit for my modest Yamaha AS501 stereo amp, Yamaha CD S-303 player and Fluance RT85 deck. I started noticing rave reviews for the Elac Debut 3.0 DB63 speakers on YouTube a couple of months ago, but wasn't very familiar with the Elac brand. I've owned speakers by Infinity, Polk and Klipsch in the past, and while at the time they all seemed pretty decent, I became tired or bored of them after a couple of years for one reason or another.I have pretty broad musical tastes ranging from jazz, classical, rock, ambient and electronic, so I guess I'm probably a little more critical of speaker performance, although I really don't consider myself an audiophile but wanted something to deliver believable music reproduction. So when I saw a wide range of YouTuber reviews rave about the accuracy and neutrality of these speakers that could produce shimmering highs and impressive, tight bass I was intrigued, but also a bit skeptical of the hype. A couple of reviewers mentioned that these speakers sounded as good or better than speakers twice or three times the price.I resisted pulling the trigger until after the holidays, partly to see what kind of budget I had left over, and also to evaluate whether they were going to be a good match for my needs. I figured the $450/pair price point was a pretty low risk and if they didn't perform to my liking, I could still return them.Well, I have to say I'm pleasantly shocked at the performance of the Elacs. They delivered in spades! Full disclosure, I mounted the speakers on a pair of Monoprice easel speaker stands that brought the Elacs to ear level and followed their general guidelines for optimal speaker placement. Yowzers! These things were incredibly impressive in every way. The highs were well balanced, yet detailed without fatiguing. Midrange was melodic and accurate while the bass was authoritative and punchy, but not sloppy or boomy. Surprisingly, you can crank these puppies without them breaking up; remarkable considering their size. I think the rear porting of the speaker helps deliver the low end and the weird silver phase plug over the tweeter and intersecting wave guide helps keep the brightness of the aluminum dome construction in check while dispersing the highs more realistically.Some music observations:Chris Isaak - Wicked Game:The acoustic instruments, subtle drums and vocals sound totally believable with impressive sound stage and subtle "air". Isaak's vocals are spectacular with beautiful low growl and attention-grabbing falsettos being in center while the slide guitar riffs drift across the room as if it was carried by a breeze. Beautiful and haunting reproduction, revealing details and nuances I hadn't heard before.GoGo Penguin:This avant garde nu-jazz trio's self titled album is an exploration in acoustic sounds highlighting piano, drums and upright bass. The recording has a very "live" feel to it and through the Elacs, the trio sound like they're in the room with you. The hypnotic staccato piano passages have a natural, subtle resonance and space that reflects the place it was recorded. Drums sound tight and and at times explosive without distorting. Kick drum delivers punch and authority while cymbals sound crisp with wide dispersion. The upright bass pumps the rhythms with authority while capturing the squeak of the fingers as they slide on the strings. Mesmerizing delivery and wonderful sound stage showing exact placement of instruments in the room. The Elacs really elevate the whole presentation that borders on astonishing.Fritz Reiner - Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra:This RCA Red Seal recording is my go to demonstration record for its incredible dynamic range, explosive percussion, bold brass/woodwinds and soaring strings. Acoustic / classical music can reveal how well a speaker can accurately deliver conventional instruments and the Elacs give the perfect concert hall presentation where other speakers would often fall short.The Elacs exceeded my expectations and has actually surprised me by revealing musical details that my other speakers couldn't deliver. If you're a fan of EDM or hip hop, you might want to supplement with a sub, but for most listeners, I really don't think you need one.In summary, I think these speakers are incredible at this price and would easily recommend to anyone who appreciates exceptional music reproduction at a very reasonable price.

They're brand spanking new. They came in late yesterday, I got them out of the box and up on the wall today on a floating shelf system also from Amazon. They had to be put pretty high on the wall and I placed them upside down so the tweeter was more at ear level. The power plant is a recently purchased Yamaha R-S202, a very barebones receiver that features the cleanest, fastest power I've ever experienced. The 100 watts per channel @ 8 ohms is supplying more than enough juice for these speakers, so far 2/3 power is confortably loud, 3/4 I've not yet dared to tread. In other words, I have ridiculous headroom. The primary source is a Hiby R3 Pro DAC, also from Amazon which I prefer to feed hard wired, rarely Bluetoothed. The Elacs complete a pretty dreamy sounding stereo system. It ain't high-end, but at under $600 it's amazingly close. Now for the breaking-in. To inaugurate my purchase I started off with a rousing baroque fanfare for organ, brass and tympany from a sparklingly sonic, out-of-print DGG CD called Awake The Trumpet's Lofty Sound, just to let the Elacs know that their primary thrust will be classical. Then I cut loose with some Chicago Transit Authority, and the eponymously titled Pastorius, which sounded comprehensible for the first time. I went on to Up Front from David Sanborn, and Imaginary Worlds by Sammy Figueroa. Big music all, to show off the outstanding immersive power of the Elacs and to loosen up the internal workings of the drivers, an endeavor that will continue for some time. Whereas I will put off complex symphonic selections until the breaking-in process is a little more advanced, I see no reason why something like the Hammerklavier and other super dynamic pieces for solo piano should be excluded. So onwards and upwards, I'm loving these speakers. I'm absolutely blown away by these speakers and I recommend people grab 'em before the price goes up.It has now been around 6 weeks since the Elacs came in. I'm loving them, my jazz and rock sounded great from the start but I'm finding a rather lengthy break-in period to be most valuable, especially for many of my classical selections. I have not gone out of my way to push them hard or for long periods at a stretch, just normal listening. The reviewer who mentioned the shortcomings in rendering classical during a 3 speaker system comparison was absolutely correct. Much material, strings, alto recorders, certain piano notes have sounded initially on the raggedy side. I'm thinking right around the crossover frequencies, the upper registers of the woofer and lower registers of the tweeter. But much of this has worked itself out and continues to work itself out over time. The guy never gave these speakers a chance. With each passing day I grow more impressed and gratified by my purchase, particularly as I see that the cost has gone up by $90. Recently, I have had occasion to push the volume, namely on the beautifully engineered DGG Mutter recording of the Sibelius violin concerto. Wow! Wow! Words fail me. Enough said. At any rate, when I get around to it I'm going to install my other receiver, the 120 WPC Harman Kardon HK3490. After all, if 100 WPC sounds great, etc., etc.. Besides, I want to utilize my graphic equalizer, and the Yamaha lacks a tape loop. So to conclude for the second and final time, these Elacs are definitely keepers. After even an incomplete break-in period the imaging, tonal and dynamic qualities of the system are simply fantastic for their size and price, and just continue to get better still.It's now a little over 3 months of enjoyment with the Elacs. I have switched over to the 120 RMS per channel HK and it has indeed proved a better match, resulting in increased breadth, depth, separation and clarity to the musical program, a much more cogent soundstage and power to (relatively speaking, of course) inspire awe. It truly demonstrates the difference between the loudness of the Yamaha and the all together desirable volume provided by the HK. Additionally, I do believe that in the enhanced amplification of frequencies and timbres the breaking in process has been accelerated. By now only rarely do I hear a wayward tone, so I think the Elacs, after perhaps an overly long period of time can be considered just about broken in. But now that they are I can really appreciate the full capabilities of the speakers, how their innate neutrality of sound allows them to complement so many styles of music and how their power handling enables the experience of total immersion in clean, clear unsullied music. So much speaker in such a small, inexpensive package. Well, I've said all I need to say about these wonderful speakers. This is my final sign-off. My final, final sign-off. Seriously.