ELAC vs Dali (Debut F5 vs Zensor 7) & (Debut B5/6 vs Zensor 1/3)

abhay2603

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So let me start off by asking my requirements : I want to create a good 5.1 system, but for the sake of this conversation i am not considering central speakers or sub-woofers. Because sub-woofer can be added later on depending on the demand. And as for central speaker, that will depend on which brand of front & rear speakers i end up with.

I want the speakers to be on the same page, Driver wise and sound profile wise,. Hence i am thinking of this as a buy as per company and over all performance. So its ELAC vs Dali (Debut F5 vs Zensor 7) & (Debut B5/6 vs Zensor 1/3).

So which one is better : buying the Zensor 7s & Zensor 1/3 as the front & rear speakers respectively or going for ELAC Debut F5 with B5/6.

In the US the price difference is massive. The Dalis are more than double of the ELACs. But in India its the opposite, Dalis are cheaper than the Elacs in most cases. I talked to distributors or both companies and went through various forums on this site.

These are the prices i found out till now:
Zensor 7 : (Price on website : 69k , Distributor Price : 63k)
ELAC F5 : (Price on site : 70k, Distributor : unknown)

Zensor 3 : (both prices : unknown)
ELAC B6 (Distributor : 35k)

Zensor 1 (Price on site : 24, Distributor : 21k)
ELAC B5 (Both prices : 28k)

Which combination will be better to buy. The AV receiver i intend to buy is : Yamaha RX-V479
 
^ Think of the entire 5.1 package as a single unit.

The center speaker is the most important in a home theater, it takes care of 90% of the important audio, especially the dialogues. The rears will only kick in for surround SFX like background vehicles, doors creaking, etc.

The fronts can be bookshelves if you have a good sub that takes care of all LFE. In other words you don't need floorstanders for a purely home theater setup. However, if you plan to also listen to music on it then FS can be considered.

If you consider everything as a package deal then you can make a better and a more informed decision i.e. whether to go for FS (don't need sub) or BS (need sub). Personally, I'd go for BS + sub especially if there is not going to be much music played on the home theater.

PS: Between the two brands I'd for Dali, more value for the rupee.
 
Thanks

I listen to a lot of music. Maybe more than i watch movies. Thats y i want to go for FS. Woofer i can decide late, but i dont think i will need it
But in a straight up comparison.. Which will produce better sound Dali or ELAC ?.. That's the main question ??
 
Hi

Everyone has a different taste in hearing the quality of sound or depth of sound....so bottom line is that you need to audition with the same media content (song / movie) and decide...

More or less everyone has being praising Dalis for a long time....ELAC has come now over the last couple of years making a good impression for some....like this there would be many competing brands with new style and kinds of speakers......you need to decide for yourself.

Audition and decide....all the best!
 
Dali will be safe bet and many happy owners in the forum. What I have experienced is that Dali has pronounced top end or bright sound signature wih Yamaha. Z1 may not do very good job as fronts and as main 2 channel speakers. You can consider Z3 for fronts.
As you stated Elac price in India is 2x US price.

Wharfedale is also good match wih Yamaha 479. Pls demo the 200 series if you get a chance.
 
Dali was more musical for me. I've got chance to demo both Zensor 5 & Elac simultaneously 6 months back for the same content (checked for both music & movie),I felt more details and clarity ,soundstage was there in Zensor than Elac .
The AVR used for demo was Yamaha AVENTAGE series.
Therefore make an audition of both and decide.
 
RegeHA has put it very nicely, indeed.
Get the centre with the fronts and surrounds later. The centre is more important than the surrounds.
Take an audition with the centre and surrounds switched off alternately and then take a call.
 
Thanks for all the advice.
I think there is some confusion. i want to eventually build up a 5.1. But dont wanna spend all the money as of now. That is y i was thinking of buying the AV receiver + 2 front speakers and maybe the subwoofer right now.
Rear and central speakers is phase 2. thanks everyone for the advice on central speakers. but right now wanna setup a 2.1 system or 2.0. lets see how the the 2 front sound. depending on that i will buy a subwoofer if needed. then maybe after 3-5 months go for rear and central speakers.

A member of this site give me a number of a shop which is selling the zensor 3 for 28k. and the Yamaha 479 for 34.5k. My room is not that big so will see if these are adequate for base..

So the final plan is go for 5 speakers of Dali. For front 2 - Zensor 3, Rear - Zensor 1 and central - Zensor Vokal.
Subwoofer : not decided till now.. still confused..
If i need 1 for me room then the choices are
Klipsch R-12W
BIC America F12
BIC PL-200
ELAC - S10 - Debut Series
Dali Sub E12F
 
You may also want to check out upcoming Elac Uni-Fi. Its got rave reviews so far. It is isnt out yet, but wait could be worth it.
 
You may also want to check out upcoming Elac Uni-Fi. Its got rave reviews so far. It is isnt out yet, but wait could be worth it.

Uni-fi series is $500 in US. going by the illogical pricing they have done for B6. The UB5 will be 60k.. which is too high for bookshelf speakers. for my budget at lest . that is zensor 7 price range
 
CNET has reported a slight mismatch on tonality between the F5, B5 and C5.
ELAC Debut F5 review - Page 2 - CNET



spiro, did you mean the Debut F6 is better than the Debut F5 or the Zensor 7?

Yes,F 6 is much better than F5.Heard both in recent hifi show.
Zensor 7 is little brighter than F6.F6 has better bass and has warm signature.
If possible, demo both.
 
Uni-fi series is $500 in US. going by the illogical pricing they have done for B6. The UB5 will be 60k.. which is too high for bookshelf speakers. for my budget at lest . that is zensor 7 price range

I think one shouldn't judge the speaker or put a price based on whether its a bookshelf vs floor standing. But to each his own.
 
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I think one shouldn't judge the speaker or put a price based on whether its a bookshelf vs floor standing. But to each his own.

ELAC UF5 is for $1000 dollars. So it will be above 1 lac rupees. judging from the logic to ELACs pricing in India. I really dont thin i want to spend that much on 2 FS speakers. Thy might be amazing, and they chances are they will be. But then i go way over my budget.
 
Look at UB5. Its $500 a pair in US. With UF5, you will gain some low end extension (42 Hz) compared to UB5 (46 hz). You are planning to go with sub woofer later. Might as well save that $500 now and put towards sub.

Floor standing speakers are nice if you run them full range. If plan is to use a sub then its low end capabilities stay unused. Another angle to look at.
 
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makes sense.. that is y i am plannign to get the zensor 3 as my front 2 speakers. and maybe add a subwoofer later if and when needed.
 
makes sense.. that is y i am plannign to get the zensor 3 as my front 2 speakers. and maybe add a subwoofer later if and when needed.

How much are you getting the Zensor 3 for? Did you check Q Acoustics 3020 or Concept 20 models? I am planning to replace my Front speakers and considering these three models.
 
How much are you getting the Zensor 3 for? Did you check Q Acoustics 3020 or Concept 20 models? I am planning to replace my Front speakers and considering these three models.

Zensor 3 is for 28k. Q Acoustics 3020 sounds like a good deal. i am not sure what is the price of that and if its better that zensor 3
 
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