After encountering ELAC’s Uni-fi UB5 bookshelf speakers — the best pair of $500 bookshelf speakers we’ve seen to date — and being wowed by the company’s Argo B51 speakers at CES, it’s fair to say that when ELAC releases new speakers, we pay attention. This week the company announced the Debut 2.0 line of home speakers, which builds on the original Debut lineup with new materials and technologies.
There are a total of nine new models in the line: two models of 2-way bookshelf speakers, two models of 2-way center speakers, two models of 3-way floorstanding speakers, two 2-way on-wall speakers, a concentric Dolby Atmos add-on speaker, and a 400-watt powered subwoofer. The bookshelf, center, and floorstanding speakers each come in two different sizes, letting you tailor them to your room. Paired with a Dolby Atmos-capable A/V receiver (which most are these days) you’ve got all you need for a truly awe-inspiring home surround sound system.
“Based on feedback from dealers and end-users, along with changes in the market, we have completely re-designed the entire lineup with newly developed drivers, waveguides, cabinets, and networks resulting in a line that is easier to set up and offers significant performance improvements,” ELAC vice president of engineering Andrew Jones said in a statement.
The Debut 2.0 line uses a new woven aramid-fiber woofer that ELAC says offers improved stiffness and damping, while the silk-dome tweeters now offer response up to 35.000 Hz for clear, glassy highs. As these are high-quality but not ultra-expensive speakers, ELAC redesigned the center channel speaker to minimize the power requirement from the receiver, making for more dynamic impact from lower-cost A/V receivers.
Not all of the improvements are strictly for sound quality; some instead focus on usability. The black ash vinyl finished MDF cabinets have had the bass port moved to the front, letting you place the speakers closer to the wall or even in bookshelves without negatively affecting the sound quality. ELAC has also addressed one of the most common requests from customers: With the new SUB3010 subwoofer, customers can now control multiple subwoofers from SUB Control app, available on iOS and Android.
The ELAC B5.2 and B6.2 bookshelf speakers sell for $250 and $300 per pair, respectively, while the C5.2 and C6.2 center speakers differ more in price at $200 and $280 per individual speaker. The F5.2 and F6.2 floorstanding speakers sell for $300 and $400 each, respectively, while both the Dolby Atmos add-on speakers and 2-way on-wall speakers sell for $250 a pair. Finally, the SUB3010 subwoofer sells for $450.
All of these new models go on sale beginning March 15. For more information, see the ELAC website. In the meantime, if you’re looking for an A/V receiver to use with them, make sure to check our list of the best receivers available right now.
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