Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 Review - Try to Beat It... I'll wait

[@glaflamme]

I went ahead and took the plunge, got the center channel as well. I’m 54 years old and I’ve lost quite a bit of hearing so I decided to move away from my NHT 1.5 front system and invest in these these speakers and I’m glad I did. I’m having the same experiences you mentioned listening to my favorite test songs. After two days, they are starting to relax and perform. It’s like you said, it happens very rapidly during a listening session. What a cool experience to notice on my own. I can finally hear “air” again, sitting here smiling listening to Martina McBride “anything and everything“. Lots of detail in those voices accompanied by light conga taps and deep bass provided by my 10” Klipsch sub. The blend is remarkable and solid base notes from that sub do not damage the detail coming from the Elacs. Awesome.. Regarding 5.1 movie sound, The center channel brings softer voices to the forefront with plenty of low tones on the deeper male voices . I will know more in a week or so but I am really enjoying this investment! Thank you for the fun and accurate information.

[@chrisjordan6498]

I’ve just broken these in. Incredible. Listened to Hendrix electric ladyland... the holographic imaging is beyond belief. Wow.

[@zeekyaw]

Thanks! Bought it after watching your review and enjoying it.

[@cheapaudioman]

Thanks so much, Zee. You’re awesome

[@MrAaron08642]

Your reviews are great and helped to point me in the direction of the uni-fi ub52s for my first bookshelf purchase. I snagged them for 490 on amazon the other day and can't wait to hear them!

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hey Randy, this is a great review. As you fleshed out your thoughts about the 2.0's, I was over here nodding my head in complete agreement with every word you said. Even more, you tossed in the nugget about break in which is something I missed. Also, nearly every praise you gave these speakers is quantifiable and seen in measurements. The 2.0s are a text book example of what happens when on axis, horizontal and vertical axis are all spectacular. Not to mention, the spectral decay on those speakers are some of the best i've seen out of any speaker, at any price. But hey, for those who don't give a rip about objective data, Randy just nailed this review without even touching a microphone. Essentially, we were clearly hearing the same speaker and you celebrating the sense of scale was the shining star of those speakers for me. Oh, and clarity. And soundstage. And tone. The Unifi 2.0s are honestly the "british flavor" of salsa. Authentic and true! Wait, that doesnt make any damn sense. Ok, they are just really amazing speakers, regardless of price.

[@yoyodyneartworks4867]

Ron, your review is what prompted me to order these on the day of your review and the day they were announced to the public by ELAC, September 1st. I’ve now had them for four months, and I agree with all of the praise you and Randy have given them. It’s not hype, they really are that good. And yes, they sound veiled and closed-in until they are broken in for 50 hours or more.

[@cheapaudioman]

I feel like you're making up words... Thank you though.

[@jeffbriggs7022]

Yes, I have British Salsa in the SP SB-41-LR......delicish 🤤

[@mcjonner]

Could you possibly share how these compare to xls encore?

[@ufarkingicehole]

@@cheapaudioman Ron is a master of the English language. The man would be a great writer.

[@ITonOccasion]

I was just thinking today that I really am more important than I look. Thank you Randy for that sponsor to help me fill that void of how to show everybody else!

[@dicmccoy]

There are people who will argue that break in isn't a thing. I'm here to say, they are wrong! I experienced it with the Q950's. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep them. I wasn't liking them. Then after 100 hours of play time, something just clicked. So the other day I was wondering if it was just my ears getting use to them or if it really was breaking in. I decided to bust out my Uni-fi's that's I've had and listened to for the past 2 years. After 2 days of A/B testing, it wasn't my ears getting use to the KEF's. They broke in and became buttery smooth while keeping all the detail. They were not smooth out of the box and I didn't like that, and that's why I almost returned them. I'm glad I held out and gave them some time. Break in is a thing! Great review Randy. I kind of wish I gave these a chance when I upgraded from my BSU5's but I wasn't a fan of the choice of finish, and no magnetic grill. ELAC should have released a premium version along side this version for those of us who want to pay a little extra for something that's more appealing to the eye.

[@thefactor6909]

Agreed !

[@briansimmons5363]

I had the UB5, sold them and got the Encore X-SLS kit. Yes, vertical off axis is awesome on Encores and UB52s. The X-SLS are very good but some issues for me so got the UB52 and now have both. Wow UB52s are really nice speaker, better than the UB5. I can where see Mr. Jones saved some costs to put more into the speakers performance. Traded binding posts, finish, grill attachment to apply to better crossover, cabinet bracing and bass driver.

[@wneubert2]

Randy, you are a genius - BREAK-IN IS REAL! I also heard the argument that break-in is a myth. I bought those Fluance Signature Bookshelf you reviewed. I wasn't loving the way they sounded, then I saw this and thought, what the heck let's try to break them in, I have nothing to lose. I figured the more they moved the faster they break in, so I put the bass up full and cranked up the volume so loud I couldn't stand being in the room. They vibrated so hard they shook themselves off the stands and were laying on the floor when I came back! I did this for 3 hours after which I tried listening again. It was significantly better, and there is no way it's due to me getting used to the sound, seeing as I wasn't even in the room. Still not perfect but at $140 I paid (open box from Amazon warehouse) the Elac are 4x the price and hopefully enough better to justify it.

[@mttpalmer]

Interesting. Randy has spoken about "brain burn" in other videos. How to tell if the speaker is breaking in, or you're just getting acclimated to it?

[@r423fplip]

All that's breaking in is you. You just get used to the sound. Especially when it comes to speakers, as they have the greatest effect on your system.

[@richardvdm724]

Thank you Randy. I purchased these speakers based on your reviews. I have been listening to them for multiple days now and I love them. I can not stop listening to these speakers. Thanks again.

[@chrisboylan4599]

Randy; I bought these because of your regard for their incredible sound reproduction. I would say the bass is dialed back 45% the 1st 5 weeks of play. After getting the coil hot for the nth time it changed night to day as if there was a floor stander instead! Then the bass extends daily for another 3 weeks and it is overwhelming and stunning by then, even though they still had room to settle in or break in more. Neutral, full, spacious and wonderful to build a system around as these begged me for...yes they scale, show system ineptitudes, and show minor changes well. Best speaker until you spend $2000...or more!!!

[@jvburnes]

I thought the bass was pretty fantastic on my pair within the first few days. I was just listening to misc audio streams and switched over to The Jazz Groove. Their on the hour annoucement came on which is just their DJs saying "The Jazz Groove". One of these DJs has a voice like Barry White and when he says The Jazz Groove it blew me away. Full rich, accurate and deep male voices. Diana Krall sounds great on them also, so the upper bass and mids are very nice.

[@Doinstuff1]

You are the Ron Swanson of the audio world! I bid on a pair of "elac speakers" on an auction, thinking they were the debuts. I got these instead for $100!

[@qbaqban]

Thanks to you I purchased the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52, they sounds amazing, thanks!

[@jimkingselectronics]

Randy, thanks for reviewing these speakers. After watching your review, I purchased them and paired them with the SMSL A12. I rip all my CD's to WAV so I put all my music on a 3.0 thumb drive and plugged it into the A12. I was VERY impressed. I haven't even touched the treble or bass controls. Sitting in front of them pointed at me at about 8 feet with the SMSL volume a little over half is a great experience and as you pointed out, loud but no fatigue. Clear and crisp is how I would describe them. Exactly how Sean described them. For personal music listening, these would be hard to beat at any price. I believe these would be excellent rear channel speakers in a big audio/video system because of their accuracy.

[@alainbesario6679]

I like the way how you review things very unorthodox but not pointless I love it keep up your work cheapaudioman

[@michaelbreeland8823]

I bought the complete set of 5 for less than $1200 including tax and I'm very pleased with the purchase. The sound from these speakers is amazing and like Randy said in the review, I challenge you to find better sounding speakers even remotely close to the cost of these UB52's. I can't wait till I break them in fully.

[@r.debats8784]

Hi Randy, i’m a big fan of your channel, the way you do your thing is really authentic and i like it very much. I bought the KEF-Q350, however due to Black Friday i found a bargain on these ELAC’s too. After listening for four days it was clear: The Q350’s are nice, a lot of bass and clarity, however the ELAC’S are from a complete different category! I breathe everything you say about soundstage, 360 degrees, neutral, and in my opinion the best timing i ever heard in a speaker. On many parts they are even better than my 3x more costing flloorstanding B&W’s. So the KEF’s are back to the shop, great speakers but not for me, after listening these. This is an really excellent speaker, and your video’s are great! And the humor is also fantastic. All the best from the Netherlands, and keep on doing what you do. Would love to hear your opinion on ideal amplifier match here too.

[@Armalite223]

A friend of mine has these. We have hooked it up to my much more expensive electronics, and they scale with the high end gear extremely well.

[@tomwilker2861]

So glad to have found your channel and ELAC Uni-Fi UB52s. My last new speaker purchase were New Advents in the last century. We needed small speakers for our retirement bungalow…dang! These are phenomenal even through my decrepit Pioneer receiver that had more beer spilled on it than I drank in college. I’m really enjoying breaking them in with my equally decrepit record collection…I may even clean a few of them.

[@moonytheloony6516]

I just got these speakers and hooked them up to my Pioneer SX-3700 (1980) receiver. Listening to Foreigner on cassette (yes that’s right, CASSETTE, must have gone completely daft!) it’s suddenly 1980 all over again. and that’s fine with me... 😎😜😎 Thanks Cheap Audioman!

[@cheapaudioman]

That warms my heart, brother. Break in break in break in on those and they'll blow you away

[@matthewberard1199]

On your Saturday speaker shoot out with the originals include the DEBUT REFERENCE! They are the same price! Would be nice to know the difference. Thanks great job, new favorite reviewer!

[@cheapaudioman]

Good idea

[@paulwg2112]

@@cheapaudioman yes please.

[@tomhamilton6377]

Looking forward to the shootout, didn't know you had kept the elac reference so that should be a good comparison as they are about the same price I think.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@tomhamilton6377 yeah the reference was my favorite speaker. And really still is when I just chill and listen to music. I did a bit of comparison already with them and they’re quite different

[@ziggy8757]

include the elacs 6.2 also and original 6.0, why not.... a elac special shootout

[@samcooper4516]

Building my first HiFi system. On your suggestion, I ordered an open box pair of DB5.2 from Amazon. Much to my surprise, a brand new pair of UB5.2s show up on my doorstep 😃 happy birthday to me

[@test40323]

Aside from the break-ins, the Uni-Fi 2.0 is a 6 ohm speaker, slightly easier to drive than its older brother. Emotiva TA-100 is rated at 90 watts at 4 ohms, a decent match. Not all amps have 4 ohms ratings. I've heard B&W speakers that sounded good but never came to life until it was paired with a high current amp. Good review, glad you bonded with your son!

[@manolo__yt5136]

Hey I just ordered the ub52. How long is the break in time approximately?

[@manolo__yt5136]

And do they also sound good when not breaked in? :)

[@gBoogie47]

You sir are an insanely down to earth kinda guy with just the right amount of sanity to get by with. If I'm ever in your neck of the woods I'm buying you a drink. Great review on the speakers, basically what I expected, and more. Perhaps I should grab a pair. Thanks for the morning wake up shot with your comedy. Keep writing in your pretentious leather bound book there 👍

[@gupdaddy]

He also answers questions by his viewers, I’d call him a mensch

[@mikehanks1399]

You got the INSANE part right. And I don't think our challenged friend needs anymore alcohol.

[@donpettit7107]

@@mikehanks1399 Didn’t like the review on your line of Specialty Pads? He wasn’t saying that pretension was a bad thing, just that they endured it would be conveyed.

[@mikehanks1399]

For the LAST time, it was Hank's he was referring to, not Hanks'. Big difference ok?

[@bretttaylor1669]

Great review! I just picked up the floor standers on sale…. Can’t wait to hear them.

[@uncleono1239]

Thats the same thing that happened with my original unifi b5’s. I didnt know what’s the big deal was until about a week in. They just blossomed. Amazing.

[@sean_heisler]

Nailed it, Randy! I’ve owned this speaker since it came out. It’s just an incredible speaker. Break in is absolutely key here. They take a couple days, literally 48 hours, before they start to open up but they keep opening up 200-300 hours in. Absolutely balanced, highly detailed, huge soundstage, no fatigue, amazing bass for their size. So good. That soundstage and imaging though. Thanks man!

[@Mat-hr1dg]

Break in is bs.

[@JMJM75257]

@@Mat-hr1dg speaker driver surrounds do break in and loosen slightly. normally it doesn't take anywhere near as long as some claim. Bit "break in" definitely exists!

[@gBoogie47]

It's like breaking in a new pair of shoes

[@Audioloon]

Sean, I visited the Elac website and read the db efficiency rating is 85 and I think it's listed at 4 ohms. In your experience are these speakers hard to drive? How many watts is you amp pushing out on these speakers?

[@sean_heisler]

@@Audioloon Hey, Leroy. They are actually 6 ohm on this version which makes them a lot easier to drive. The amp I am using is 160 watts into 6 ohms. I also have a 100 watt amp I have used as well. Both drive them perfectly fine. While they aren't the most efficient speakers at 85 dB, they have a true 6 ohm impedance with only one small narrow band of upper bass frequencies that dip down to about 5 ohms and that makes them easier to drive. I don't think you need a huge amp to drive these but I think a more quality amp will drive them best. Bottom line is these do not require a big, beefy muscular amp to sound good.

[@angrygirl7083]

Incredible: it takes 4 days to break them in, exactly as you said. I listened to music all day, you can't stop anymore. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's I heard countless times; however it's like I heard it REALLY for the first time today; all instruments, voices, sound-effects are separate and easy to follow. Then A Hard Days Night: I hear NOTHING to the left, I hear NOTHING to the right; it is all in front of me about 15-20 feet. AMAZING, the first time I heard imaging and what a BEAUTIFUL sound. Piano, Cello, Voices, Orchestras, it is ALL heavenly. Thank you so much, Cheapaudioman.

[@Kiddenreal]

I really hope your having fun with this channel man cuz I love these reviews So much lol, thanks buddy!

[@cheapaudioman]

having a ball!

[@BillyDean-b9b]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣@@cheapaudioman

[@michaelknibbs]

Great review. I will say they can be beat now for $1000. I just bought a the Unifi floor mounts for less than a grand. They are everything you describe here, but more bass, volume and even faster. Very warm without being syrupy. Plenty of detail and sound stage is fantastic. I’m a music lover. But my family loves them as TV movie speakers. They disappear.

[@robertwoodward9231]

Man, you were so serious in that review and when you mentioned the rooms and after all the detailing of these speakers, I ordered them the same day and they are incredible sounding. Whoever commented "keep breaking in^ is exactly right. Four Hundred! Ima get another pair. Thanks for directing me Randy and not only this but other gear as well.

[@cheapaudioman]

Glad you like them!

[@jameswhite1692]

Wow - Randy what a call! Nice review. Also quite interesting art on the wall behind you. Thanks dude.

[@youtubeuser5424]

I could listen to podcast versions of these reviews all day long!👍🏼

[@MrPoots12]

Ok so I was here because NRD shared your video. I like your quirky style but I was absolutely sold in sticking around when you said Chocolate Chip Trip, love TOOL. I need these speakers...

[@boballard6040]

I just receive a set of these yesterday. Randy dude pushed me over the audio cliff! These are fabulous little speakers. I'm running them on a 2.3W Decware tube amp effortlessly. My reference speakers are the Heresy IVs and they'll be taking a break for awhile. Thanks Randy :)

[@Jeffiefly]

I have been waiting for you to catch up to this speaker. Yes this is a JAWA of a speaker! Funny how the higher you go up the Andrew Jones ladder the more sublime and refined the speakers get. While its true that some speakers scale up better than others, Andrew Jones offerings seem to do it more. Sometimes the room won't even match the focal point or sweet spot of speakers imaging capabilities so the crossing streams thing is a good way to keep it even at least. I KNEW YOU'D LIKE THIS SPEAKER! Glad you finally got your hands on it. Always enjoy your reviews. We get an honest, entertaining and straightforward description of the sound bouquet. We get some zany humor too. Oops did I say that out loud? :)

[@billb4567]

My favorite speakers to date and I've owned the UB5, deftechs, Bowers and wilkins, Klipsch. These are keepers, love em. So clear and great bass. Bought them on sale, so, great for the money. Still breaking them in but sounded great out the box.

[@mark17840]

well my favorite speakers are JBL AND KLIPSCH THAY ALL SOUND AWESOME FOR A LO BUDGET SPEAKERS,

[@alanwiley1349]

Bought a pair on Amazon for$400. Absolutely great sounding pair of speakers!

[@rjzlwop3153]

Huge sale on these at Best Buy and Amazon. I believe if I remember correctly $419. I hope it’s the same speaker because it’s what I ordered.

[@kyleappleby8407]

Glad you like them. I bought myself a pair and some monolith stands for xmas. I love em so far.

[@larrystark433]

Hey Randy I purchased the Unifi b5.2 thru Amazon sale last week plus got some monies off by applying for a Amazon credit card. Got’em really cheap! These do need a break in , at first listen the bass was detached from the mids but after 5 hours that went away. Even though they sound a bit green still they sound good, great imaging! Thank you for your honest review of these you are spot on in your reviews.

[@cheapaudioman]

Mine went to live with a viewer and I think I’m buying another pair just because I love them so much

[@Chapterrifik]

Can't wait to hear you compare them to the previous version

[@briansimmons5363]

Owned the old for a couple of years, own the new. The new is a better speaker for sure but also not the same cost so there you go. Higher cost, higher performance.

[@Chapterrifik]

@@briansimmons5363 I presently own the B6s and the Uni-fi B5. Love them both, Andrew Jones is a rock star. Really excited to hear the Uni-fi B5. 2

[@fredericfournier5190]

Thank you for this Mr Cheapaudioman ! I'm in the process of upgrading my HT, and was hesitating between SVS Prime, and Unfi 2.0. This vid sold me the 2.0 ! Just received my center channel, and I'm very impressed . The bookshelfs will fallow this summer. and the receiver a little later ... My front stage was the Andrew Jones Pioneer SP-BS22LR with the matching center channel. That new center channel just blend perfectly ! And actually upgraded the hole surround experience. Even the 2 surround channels sounds better (I'm having a hard time understanding why ... but it's a fact) ! The breakin time was about the same as what you mensioned : 50hrs of listenning time at various volume levels and then Whouaaaaaahhh ! Can't wait to get the bookshelfs ! Keep up the good work !

[@cheapaudioman]

these are so awesome. glad you like them.

[@royd7984]

Please compare these to the CSS TD1 and Encores. Thanks for all your videos/reviews.

[@hermesjr.pascual3066]

For me ELAC is the best for music, JBL for movies. Even the Elac debut B6.2 is already awesome for music.

[@wonderboy7768]

The wookiee to scale perspective helped me get a feel for how they will fit in my living space. THANK YOU!

[@cheapaudioman]

Everyone needed a frame of reference and wookie action figure is such a common item I thought it couldn't go wrong.

[@califmike2003]

Wow Randy you sold me , this is my next speaker for sure, not to thrilled with the looks but its not really to bad.

[@n815e]

Hoping to see these compared to the Q150s!

[@hemantmudgil726]

sir, I love your way of explaining aspects and unbiased review. sadly none of these gears aren't available in India. I'm just looking to buy a speaker for an all-day listing while coding. Till now I've planned marshall Stanmore 2, here marshall is available only. I am not a pro audiophile but I love to listen to music the whole day.,especially old 70s American songs. Please do a review of marshall and compare it with another set of speakers, it will be really great to know your point of view.

[@paznewis107]

Try Edifier. Or similar Chinese powered speakers. Sat Siri Akal. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🐙🎱

[@MarcChevalier]

I'm not sure that I've so eagerly awaited a review of a speaker before .. thanks, Randy!

[@GianniVignola]

Love your videos (and Elac speakers). Good job!

[@stevensmith1881]

Break in is definitely a thing now. I bought some Polk Monitor 60 Series II towers used, but they were only used for home theater and not broken in by the previous owner. I thought about selling them because they were too harsh and left me gritting my teeth with fatigue after listening. I like them so much more now after about 3 months, but they shouldn't have taken so much break in to sound good. I should have put them on a loop playing Intergalactic on day one for 8 or 10 hours!

[@JamesHLee-un8un]

Good review Randy!! Congrates!!

[@CitizenKirkwood]

I am daily driving my UB52's with the Sony STRDH190 I got during the $99 sale to hold me over while I try to make up my mind about what "real" amp to buy and am having a little trouble justifying a replacement for it as they sound remarkable in Pure Direct mode.. You pretty much nailed everything I feel about the UB52's and that is with this super budget amp. They also sound incredible being driven by my Crown Xli-1500 that I usually use for some PA cabs.

[@jorgeparada1088]

Hey! I’m about to pair them with the same receiver. Any additional thoughts or information after all this time having them paired?

[@jduke989]

@@jorgeparada1088 no additional thoughts shall be given..........

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

If you want to hear a really trippy 2 channel "surround" effect, try I Love You Like a Ball and Chain by Eurythmics from Be Yourself Tonight. The crazy part comes in around 2:55

[@andrewbrazier9664]

It certainly does 🎶 💃🕺😃

[@timothymoorman7437]

The guy that wrote the most instructive text, back in the day, named Sound Reproduction was Floyd Toole, lead guitarist in the band Tool! Not really. I made the last part up. And Earl Geddes was the man that suggested the extreme toe-in on speaker placement. Some of Earl's work is still online. That part's a no-shitter.

[@josaphcj7199]

I Love your reviews dude! Very great but still i need some advice to pull the trigger on choosing the speakers I

[@eleckson]

I'd implore anyone considering these to read the ASR review on them. They have a defect that causes bad rattling out of the concentric driver. I picked up a pair and one of them had the rattle. It shows up clear as day when listening to "Getting Older" by Billie Eilish, first 10 seconds. I tested the same song on JBL 305p, Polk R200, Revel M106, and headphones. Zero rattle. I ended up returning mine and went with Revel M106 speakers. Huge improvement overall, and no rattle. The UB52 did sound great though, despite the big scoop out the low-mids that I noted when A/B testing them against the Polk R200 and Revel M106 (used Fosi LC30 to A/B test). I vote the Elac's over the Polk's for clarity and tight dynamics though. The Polk R200's sounded closed off and sloppy in the low-end comparatively. Soundstage was amazing though. If you do end up getting these, make sure there's a return policy. You may have to go thru several pairs before you find one that's rattle-free.

[@scottbennett3119]

Great review! Do you still love these? If you are using a subwoofer with these UB52`s, do they compare to the newer uni-fi reference? Looking forward to more of your vids!

[@vicg5323]

How does this compare to the Elac reference you reviewed?

[@potst1cker]

Want to know this as well, but it sounds like based on his previous reviews, the elac reference is a smoother, warmer speaker where as this one is more neutral.

[@Simplicity165]

@@potst1cker I have both of these speakers and your right the reference is a warmer speaker.. Just got the Uni's recently and they are more detail and definition oriented.. A lot depends on the type of music you listen to.. Can't go wrong with either.. Check Randy's Elac shootout video..

[@amirm6052]

I have replaced my Elac reference with these and I must say the Unifi's 2.0 sound significantly better with my gear(Marantz PM6006, Allo Digione player). The bass response is more controlled, imaging is better and there is overall more coherence and detail. Not sure but maybe some of these differences has to do with less room reflections from the Unifi's.

[@BatteryAz1z]

Randy! I just found these for €340 for a pair on Amazon. It looked like an erroneous listing since it didn't say "pair" in the title, but the box dimensions/weight hinted at it and it was sold diretly by Amazon so I took the shot and lo and behold, two of these beauties just arrived. Can't wait to try them out.

[@wicomms]

So you got them, and were looking at them. You didn't unbox and listen but decide to to tell us you got them but you hadn't tried them. I don't think I would have that kind of will power. I would have ripped that box and got my speakers out.

[@neccros007]

I got the original UB5s at ELACs B-stock sale and use them near field and love them!!

[@thefactor6909]

Another great and entertaining review Randy ! If I didn’t heart my RP600m’s so much you’d a had me sold !! Think my next will be some 8000F’s. But man you got the juices flowing with these Elac’s 👊🏻👍🏻

[@raymoore8435]

Great choice of music, and fantastic review.

[@akersquarteracre8002]

I'm noticing a pattern with ELAC speakers, seems a person can't go wrong with any of them. You sure make it easy to justify spending hard-earned money on speakers. Sounds like they are worth every single penny and then some. Very cool.

[@cheapaudioman]

Brett, the first generation debuts blew me away and so did this one. I think the b6.2's are good and a safe speaker to get, I personally prefer the b5.2's but These are something spectacular if you can get over their finish. Previous to this speaker the Debut Reference was my favorite speaker. I was really luke warm on these then one day they just broke in and it was nothing short of amazing. They're excellent in the near field but if you can get them into a bigger room it's something else.

[@TwoLastNames]

Just ordered these for rears, the towers for fronts, and the center for my home theater. Upgrading from the Andrew Jones Pioneer line that I’ve had since it was released.

[@pcfreakx]

excellent review. I'm going to buy a full 5.1 system this year and looking for a good system.

[@mikehanks1399]

Yay!! First to comment. Sheesh...I forgot what I was going to say.

[@Corrupted-file]

😆 nice.

[@jusjash]

(🤣) ×2=>>>>>>🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@JeffB1961]

was that your paper ?

[@mikehanks1399]

No. That was Hank's paper, not Hanks'.

[@paterdoloris]

Clarity, sound stage, bass, all of these are very achievable in modern speakers even budget ones! The real challenge is how they are tuned, specially the low end region. The thing that makes an acoustic guitar soung big and full, not like a jr/children guitar.

[@landonporter77]

Thanks brother, I've found my new speakers

[@josephmasotta9579]

How about a review of uni-fi if 5.2? Would love to hear your thoughts

[@williamvezina1944]

Can't wait to hear it in rm.!

[@film-producer]

Great entertaining, funny and really emotional review. The part with your 360 degrees sound experience is Mega explanation. Thanks Bro 🙏

[@carlsitler9071]

Bold review. I have Klipsch Mirage OM-9 4-way towers. Each speaker has 1 set of front firing and 1 set of rear firing 1" silk tweeters and 6" woofers. It sounds as if you were at the concert in the 10th row. And they crank (120 watts) though my old Fisher receiver is only 65 watts per. Now I know what to buy next. P.S. My wife only likes it below 5 watts.

[@williamvezina1944]

Got mine for 489.00 yesss! Still breaking them in, day 3 today, they are improving 😁

[@Eron55555]

And now?

[@steamonwheels]

Hi there, I bought those speakers based on your review. Could you recommend the best suiting amplifier for them?

[@ablerauer]

I justed picked up the original UB5's or $280. I have the Pioneer FS52 Towers so I can't wait to A/B test them.

[@mdocod]

Hey ELAC... I'd like to see a high EBP (bigger woofer motor, lower Qes, higher tuning) version of this speaker for more dynamic applications with subwoofers planned. A few more dB of sensitivity and maximum output would be nice. Target 60hz as the bottom end reach and crossover point. I'd also like to see a low EBP version of this speaker actually able to play below 30hz in-room for less dynamic, non-sub paired scenarios. Low to medium listening levels in a den, office, or bedroom. Lots of "hi-fi" bookshelf speakers these days seem to target a middle ground that makes them poorly suited for either of these applications. They aren't loud enough for home theater or loud music listening with a sub, and they can't dig low enough to go without a sub for low output applications.

[@HungryEatNow]

It's really rare to hear such high praises you have for a pair... I have to reassess my options... Thanks

[@net_news]

Great review I have to put my hands on these ones.

[@jtaheri223]

Just ordered my dad a pair of these for $450 on Amazon today along with the matching center speaker, pretty stoked for him

[@rolandrohde]

Elac and KEF are doing a great job. I wonder why so few others do Concentric designs...

[@rodrigoffdsilva]

Hi, man! I have a pair of Polk's TSx220B and I'm thinking of upgrading to these Elac speakers. I imagine it would be a noticeable change, but if you had a take on those TSx's I'd be more sure about upgrading them. Love the channel btw.

[@ericr.3759]

I wanted so much to buy this speaker but 2 days after your review, Audio Science Review did an instrumented test where the speaker failed miserably due to loud resonant squeaks.

[@cheapaudioman]

Someone just pointed me to that. I couldn't hear any of the resonances over the gorgeous life changing musical enjoyment I was having.

[@gerum009]

I am pretty sure someone somewhere is figuring out a scientific way to quantify and rate the seduction level of women. Then we will have an objective way to choose our flings, dates, mates or future wives depending on which score fits which category.

[@davidlowland4618]

Andrew Jones's reply to this testing. He engaged with ASR to investigate the issue himself with the exact speaker Amir used. To say the speaker "failed miserably due to loud resonant squeaks" is a gross overstatement. The test was conducted at 96db. To generate the noise required 2-3x the rated power capacity of the speaker, using a tone generator centered on the specific frequency at question. At normal power inputs and normal listening no issues were found. Read the full reaponse : www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/elac-uni-fi-2-0-review-bookshelf-speaker.19216/page-23#post-690938 I've had these speakers for 6 months playing them between 55db and 85db at about 9ft (measured with a phone app). My amp is an Audiolab 6000a. I listen to a wide variety of musical genres. I've never once heard a resonant squeak. YMMV.

[@tycheesey]

I'm so happy with mine. Pure bliss.

[@briansimmons5363]

Same! Glad I sold the old ones and now have the new.

[@theoriginalcraig]

What the hell is that picture in the background? BTW, GREAT review!

[@demontraitor69]

So very tempted to get these for my CXA61 in a 12ft room.... Thoughts please.... ? 😁

[@sauhamm3821]

i own them both. emotiva t0+ is more speaker than the ub52 by a factor of 2. yes it’s a tower vs a book but for the money the emotivas are “better” speakers.

[@RoccoXYZ1]

What do you put in your coffee?

[@nguyenla2770]

Hey Randy! Just want to drop a comment saying your suggestion about letting these speakers 'burn-in' really turned the table for me. I bought the UB52 along with the Debut Reference and almost wanted to return the prior after a few days. It took approximately a week to understand what exactly you and others like so much about the UB52. I'm picking the UB52 (paired with a Yamaha A-S301) as my first ever proper audio listening setup over the Debut Reference due to the great vertical off-axis, the amazing details, and the holographic imaging. Thanks for the the recommendation and for all of the videos that you've been putting out. Great contents!!

[@buffal0bilious]

I really liked the KEF R3 when I had a chance to listen to it. I find the compact 3-way / concentric design to be great performance/space, but the KEF is too pricey for my wallet. Can't wait to hear this speaker. Seems like a great but affordable implementation of the same basic design idea. Would be cool if Elac did with this what they do with the Debut series and have both a 5.25" and a 6.5" version for a hundred or two more, maybe with a 5" midrange on the bigger one.

[@Eron55555]

Audiosciencereview torches these speakers. The Debut reference is the same price and is much higher rated by some.

[@gregiep123]

Funny you explain the break in period, my first pair of Klipsch, immediately I thought, what is everybody smoking? Used them in my bedroom TV set up, left music on as I went to work all day for a couple of weeks, and then magic🍻

[@cheapaudioman]

bingo. some people say that it's not a thing. Multiple products have proven that to be untrue. I had some focal car speakers that I had to crossover at 120hz and then 100hz and then finally 80hz. no way was that my brain getting used to the sound.

[@hgamba46]

Many thanks for your videos, they are very informative and useful, I would like to know what your choice would be between these ELAC speakers and some KEF Q350? thank you so much

[@paolocruz8392]

In TopGear they have a leader board with regards celebrities driving a cheap car around their track. Can that be done with regards to speakers? Even if it's subjective. Or like the Cool Wall, also from Top Gear. That would be a fun way to talk about speakers. Best of all you can have a summary of previous judgement of all the speakers you tried.

[@factio11]

Too bad no one has reacted to this comment, it's an awesome idea!

[@NefariusDeus]

Just got them for 320 bucks... Thanks Randy! You make the choices so easy for us, the ones that ride on the same wavelength 😉🤘 Always a pleasure even if I'm not interested in the product 😁

[@danilofeliciano235]

Listening to Dream Theater’s A Dramatic Turn Of Events, hearing detail I’ve never heard before, speakers are truly incredible for the price🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@Simplicity165]

All the DT stuff sounds awesome..

[@therahu12]

Hey Randy! Awesome review! I had question regarding driving these speakers, what the most affordable great sounding amp I could use with these?

[@darkpatches]

This is why I hope Hsu sends you some speakers to review. With their concentric drivers, their recommended setup is for the "crossed stream" point to be in front of the listener. That's apparently when the soundstage magic happens and several reviewers back in the day didn't RTFM regarding this.

[@Audioloon]

Thanks for this rave review. Over the years I've listened and watched a bunch of reviews on Elac speakers but had never been impressed enough to really consider getting a pair of any kind of Elac...until now. I will investigate this Uni-Fi lineup further. Thanks again for the details of the speaker performance. [Edit] Went back 3 weeks and again listened to your review of the Jamo S805 (currently $197/pr). So, $402 more for these UB5.2, what are the attributes that clearly make this Elac worth spending the extra $?

[@taho88]

Thanks for the review sir. I was leaning towards the Debut Reference but now I'm seriously considering these guys. Maybe you could throw in a few thoughts in that shoot out video or possibly give those two their own shoot out. Ive seen many people asking how they compare in various reviews for this speaker but these poor people get no responses. Andrew Jones apparently commented to someone that its like comparing a top of the line BMW 3 series to an entry level 5 series. Clever , but what the hell does that sound like?

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

Star class designers get to know their cars, I guess. ;-) Sporty and playful vs smoother and refined? But which is which? LOL. I like both. (the speakers! ;-) Is the DBR the 3 series and the UBI52 the 5 series, out of sheer balance? But it's also quick and snappy, like a squirrel. And it's lean and small, like a 3 series. I guess the UBI52 is the best of both worlds, (and scales up very well) so that's the one I picked. But the DBR sounds smooth and great, also!

[@ReflectedMiles]

The key is in the word "reference." When marketers use that kind of term, it isn't worth the paper it's printed on. When engineers like Andrew use that in a phrase, it means that he had a different goal than just "best sounding" to the average rock 'n roll consumer. He was aiming for as uncolored reproduction as possible for the size and price. Could he let you listen to what the JBL 4350's actually sounded like in the control room? Of course not, but the aim was to get as reasonably close to that experience as a relatively tiny consumer-market speaker could at that price point.

[@mattyj3051]

Great review! I’ve been trying to decide on a speaker for 2 months! It’s between these ones , Wharfedale diamond 12.1 and the B+W 607s anniversary. The uni 2.0 and B+W’s are $800+$900 here in Canada, so I’m waiting for a few more reviews before pulling the trigger. Hoping you review the Diamonds and Bowers+Wilkins soon.

[@cheapaudioman]

I'd love to give the Wharfedale's a listen. I raved about the 11.2's

[@mattyj3051]

@@cheapaudioman yes you did rave about them...and then I saw a review of the 12.1s and now I'm really intrigued. BTW Audiophiliac picked the Bowers+Wilkins and Kef metas(your arch enemy) as his speakers of the year. Just sayin. :)

[@cheapaudioman]

@@mattyj3051 He loves him some KEFs. He's awesome and I love him. I'll give the Meta's a chance for sure. I'm just not buying them. He knows what he's doing for sure and I love the 600m's which he also loved. I just don't get the LS50's. I see where they can be brilliant but I don't get their bass.