Sound
Contents
When we run our track-list through the Elacs we immediately notice the lack of sharpness in the high frequencies, proper detailing and sufficient bass. A pretty forgiving reproduction with a somewhat rounder mid-area. Vocals sound sufficiently full and instruments fresh and clear. The high-area turns out to be a little turned on but without becoming sharp.
The stereo image is spacious and stands like an ‘oak-tree’. The music stays between the speakers and the imaging is fine in width. This is a loudspeaker to listen to for a long time and because there is enough refinement present you stay captivated.
Of course the Elac Reference Debut DBR62 is not perfect but its shortcomings are limited and to be expected. This rather large monitor does not ‘disappear’ as well as some of its smaller competitors. The sweet spot isn’t too big and the bass, although fairly tight, comes across a bit ‘loose’, especially with certain budget amps. This speaker will match well with, for example, a Hegel H90/95 or H120 or perhaps a Class D amplifier that provides sufficient control
Listen
A fine discovery is Alice Zawadski, a London singer who plays several instruments herself and makes her own compositions. Her new album “Within you is a world of spring” mainly contains longer songs that are given time to unfold.
Zawadski’s rich instrumentation and angelic voice produce a rich radio play that never gets boring. On the contrary, we keep discovering new elements in the songs and arrangements. Because of the DBR62 we hear quite a lot of detail and the placement of each individual musician is clearly demonstrable. The stereo image is stable and wide and with more complex intermediate pieces the DBR62 seems to be able to follow the tempo very well. How much does this loudspeaker cost again?
Electronic music now from E.M.M.A. who on “Indigo Dream” conjures up nine atmospheric soundscapes from her computer. Nothing innovative but top class and pretty addictive. We hear quite a lot of information in the midbass and there is plenty of punch. The sub-bass is pretty tight and guarantees enough speed with good amplification. With a less powerful amplifier we notice a little bit of ‘fat’ in the bottom-end, but it’s not that bad. Because of the relatively large mid-driver you get quite a bit of bass from this monitor and you don’t necessarily need a subwoofer. This is in any case not a bare sounding speaker.
“Beyond the Pale” by JARV IS… is a personal favorite. Jarvis Cocker is an elusive phenomenon like few can be found today. This new album is pretty eclectic with songs that go in all directions, but there’s no doubt about the quality of every song. The characteristic voice of Cocker comes through nicely but there are speakers in this price range that show a higher intelligibility. The DBR62 chooses conviviality and lets the listener relax. On the other hand there is enough sparkle because of the slightly turned up high. A balance that only a ‘master’ designer can achieve.
New work by Flying Horseman is always good for a lot of listening pleasure. Their latest “Mothership” is, as far as we are concerned, their best to date. The inimitable Bert Dockx and his companions make incredibly exciting music that intrigues and never bores. Because of the DBR62 we don’t really miss much. There is tension, experience and emotion. There is flow and enough punch and also the more complex songs don’t end up in a mess of frequencies packed together. This is good we hear ourselves say out loud!
