The ELAC Debut F6.2 floor standing speakers are a reboot of the affordable Debut line. We previously tested the 5-inch version of these speakers, and were impressed with the dialogue clarity and high-frequency effect reproduction. We tested the larger version this time around to see if the newest upgrades offered any improvements in the low-frequency and efficiency departments. Although the 6.5-inch woofers are noticeably better than their smaller siblings, they’re still lacking compared to the best speakers we tested. While we no longer review speakers, try our guide to the best soundbars for more up to date audio.
During our movie test, we watched an action sequence from the movie “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and ranked each speaker’s dialogue clarity. The best floor standing speakers project dialogue that isn’t drowned out by special effects. We found that the ELAC towers’ midrange and treble accuracy make them some the best for dialogue quality, because they projected smooth and balanced speech patterns during the loud chase scenes. The 1-inch cloth dome tweeter is an impressive update, and offered noticeably better resolution than its predecessor.
Movie dialogue is important, but to get a true theater experience, you also need to feel the rumble of bass frequencies, especially when watching action movies. The F6.2 towers struggled to project bass compared to larger floor speakers like the Klipsch R-28F. The 6.5-inch low-frequency drivers didn’t distort, but they were overshadowed during some of the louder chase scenes.
In our music listening test, the F6.2 towers again delivered smooth and accurate treble and midrange content. We were particularly impressed with the tonal quality of brass and woodwind instruments when we listened to selections from Karl Denson’s album “Dance Lesson #2.” When our reviewers rated vocal reproduction quality during our music test, the F6.2 ranked among the best in our review.
The Debut line of floor standing speakers is affordable compared to the rest of ELAC’s catalog, but due to the noticeable lack of their low-frequency performance we recommend you consider pairing the F6.2 with a subwoofer.
