For 8 years, Elac worked with popular speaker designer Andrew Jones, and the results of this partnership got a lot of attention from audiophiles. After Jones left Elac and became the head of speaker design at MoFi Electronics, Elac just faded in the background. However, Elac just came out with an updated Debut line of loudspeakers and I am very impressed with the Elac DB63.
Specs
| Speaker Dimensions | 7.7in x 13.3in x 11.7in |
| Net Weight | 17lbs |
| Speaker Type | 2-Way, Bass Reflex |
| Frequency Response -6dB | 42 to 38Khz |
| Nominal Impedance | 6 Ω |
| Sensitivity @2.83 v/1m | 87dB |
| Crossover Frequency | 2000 Hz |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 20 – 140 W |
| Peak Power Handling | 120 W |
Review
The Elac DB63 is a 2-way bookshelf speaker. It has a 1-inch aluminum tweeter and a 6 ½ inch aramid fiber woofer. It has a frequency response of 42Hz to 38kHz and a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. This speaker is only available in one finish, a Black Ash Vinyl cabinet with a Satin Black Vinyl front. The front baffle looks sleek and elevates the design, and the build quality is top-notch. On the back, you have a set of 5-way binding posts.
For setup, Elac recommends placing the speakers about 12 inches away from your side walls and experimenting with the distance from your front wall to get the best sound. Also, the distance between the speakers should be equal to the distance from your listening position. I found that Elac’s advice resulted in the best listening experience, but you should always experiment to get the best sound. As this is not a full-range speaker, you may have to get an external subwoofer to get better bass performance. If you’re setting up a home theatre with these speakers, then a subwoofer becomes mandatory. I only used an amplifier with the Elac DB63s, which was the Marantz Model M1.
‘The Elac DB63 is a very neutral speaker, it sounds amazing in the lows, highs, and midrange. It pairs well with all types of amplifiers, it doesn’t have a boosted bass response but you won’t notice it that much when using it. As you increase the sound, the frequency does not skew or distort, which results in a sound that scales well on high volumes. The inert cabinet helps keep the woofer detailed. When you hit the bass limit, the Elac DB63 will sound a little flat, but that is due to the absence of a bass boost. On their own, the Elac DB63s sound perfect, but if you add a subwoofer, then the bass and scaling become much better. The soundstage is very broad, it has good width but the depth is average.
Verdict
Coming at a price of $450, the Elac DB63s are some solid bookshelf speakers. I don’t have anything to complain about them, only that bass boost would have been nice. The speakers are neutral throughout a wide range of frequencies, and they perform well with all types of amplifiers. Some people may need a subwoofer depending on what they listen to, but by themselves the Elac DB63s handle bass very well.