ELAC Debut F5
Great big sound for the money! Clarity in all ranges- siubd very up front. Love the slim profile and small footprint!
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When renowned speaker designer Andrew Jones came to ELAC, he was on a mission. He wanted to create a new line of high-performance speakers that were affordable. The Debut series is the culmination of Jones' years of engineering magic, and the results are simply astonishing. I have never heard a family of speakers that offers such lifelike sound in this price range. The F5 towers deliver rich, sparkling detail with deep, accurate bass. Use them as the front channels of your home theater to anchor yourself directly in the movie. Or set them up as part of a two-channel music system and let the concert experience fill your listening room.
One of the secrets behind the F5's incredible performance is its custom-designed 10-element crossover. Jones uses this important component to ensure smooth frequency distribution between each of the drivers. It routes high-frequencies to the 1" silk dome tweeter, while sending mids and lows to the powerful 5-1/4" woven aramid-fiber midrange and bass drivers. The result is full, natural sound that won't break your budget.
Andrew Jones made a name for himself designing phenomenal high-end speakers across the industry. Lately, he's turned his attention toward creating speakers that offer excellent performance at very affordable prices. The Debut F5 floor-standing speakers are his latest triumph. They make a perfect match in a surround sound setup with the entire ELAC Debut line, all of which were designed by Jones.
Great big sound for the money! Clarity in all ranges- siubd very up front.
Love the slim profile and small footprint!
Howard, Long Branch, NJ
Average Customer Review(s):
Great big sound for the money! Clarity in all ranges- siubd very up front. Love the slim profile and small footprint!
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I purchased these based on my experience with the small pioneer bookshelf speakers Mr. Jones. Those pioneer bookshelves developed quite a reputation for their amazing sound and puny price, and they did not disappoint. I have owned Proac and still own Reference 3A DeCapo speakers, well known high end audiophile units. And the pioneers sound amazingly competitive. So on that basis I purchased the Elac F5s. Again Mr. Jones did not disappoint! Another giant killer from Andrew Jones. I drive the F5s with a Quad 909. You will want to have at least 50wpc, and 5 to 10 times that would not hurt. These speakers like power. Very even "balance" between bass, mid bass, and treble. Treble is totally sweet, no harshness. Mids don't have quite the realism of my $3,000 Reference 3A speakers, but look at the cost difference! Bass is extended and eliminates the need for a sub except perhaps if you are watching a nuclear war movie and want the house to shake. All in all, if your amp has enough power to drive these properly, I know you will love them
Pros: Bass extension Sweet highs Natural mids Even balance throughout the frequency range Fantastic value for the $$
Cons: Need a bit of power to sound their best. I drive them with 120 wpc and I feel anything less would weaken the bass response.
Very impressive. Andrew Jones comes through with a great design at a reasonable price point.
Pros: Quality. Packaging
Cons: None
Bought a pair of these for a 2-channel set-up in my office. I told my Crutchfield advisor, Doug (great help!), that I wanted great sound and he said the Debut F5 would accurately present the recorded sound without sound modeling or shaping. They are outstanding! These are perfect for my office but based on the full sound I'm sure they would also fit a much larger venue.
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Excellent speakers, loud, crisp and clear! finding a bit of a hard time for best placement, whether right up against wall or 2 feet out.
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Forget the price tag when considering the quality of these amazing speakers. I hate the comment that "for the price" these are great. Regardless of price these are fantastic. Very detailed and amazing soundstage. Only about 30 hours of listening with classic rock and metal. Some brief hip hop and EDM as well. If you're considering spending more you're probably just throwing away money. Unless you're looking for a particular sound profile for a particular genre this speaker will satisfy almost anyone.
Pros: Great quality sound, love the imaging.
Cons: If you take the main grille off then it would look cleaner if the tweeter didn't have it's own metal grille. Easy enough to remove after a YouTube search.
Loved the new Elac Floorstanding Speakers. The sounds are great, clear lows mids and highs. I used to own the bose 321 gs all I hear is the lows, the vocals are muffled no matter how i adjust it. But now I am stoked with this speakers. Andrew Jones is very creative in designing this one. You can't go wrong with this Elac speakers. Highly recommended.
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Wonderful clear and rich sound. Very clean looking design. Fast shipping. Love the built in notch to tie the speakers to the wall.
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These are the speakers that you could recommend to anyone and not have to worry about the choice. I don't think you can get a better speaker for the money they are simply amazing for what they cost!
Pros: So musical, the midrange is so clear and delicate with tight bass that's not muddy. One of the best value for money speakers you can buy.
Cons: None.
I didn't expect such nice sound for the price. These are a great deal!
Pros: Great sound, easy to upgrade to Atmos for home theater
Cons: None
Fantastic sound for the price.
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These are amazing speakers. I'm impressed by the clarity and transparency that you usually expect from speakers that are way more expensive.
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nice speaker good base ..
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Love them!
Pros: So glad I upgraded from my 20 year old towers. Makes a world of difference! And, they came within 36 hours from when I placed the order!
Cons: None.
Elac F5's are the gem! Beat bang for the buck!
Pros: Excellent spacious sound
Cons: Zero
After two months of use, I am still thrilled with these speakers. So much sound from such a little footprint. They easily fill a 16x28 foot room with crystal clear. well balanced sound. Old songs have new life. The clarity and frequency response reveal nuances in the music that I never heard before. All that and a great price too, how can you go wrong?
Pros: Clarity, balance, size, price
Cons: None
I love these speakers. Moved up from some Polk bookshelf speakers to these and my listening pleasure has increased 10 fold. Great value for the dollar. Crutchfield team was very keen on these and they have not disappointed.
Pros: clarity, range, space
Cons: none that I have found in my two weeks of ownership.
Use them for music, movies and gaming. The sound is awesome. The music detail is impressive. I powered them with a Marantz SR7010.
Pros: Everything
Cons: None
I had almost forgotten how enjoyable it is to just sit and listen to music through such well-crafted speakers like the Elac Debut F5s. Yet even with a room as problematic as one 26'x30' with a vaulted ceiling, these speakers create as intimate or as open a listening experience as you'd like. Their ability to fill the room with beautiful, accurate sound is a testament to their high engineering and balancing standards. After spending so much time researching and considering various speakers I am thrilled with the performance of my final choice.
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First I want to give Crutchfield 5 stars for their service and shipping. I received my speakers in only 2 days to Arizona and in perfect condition, thanks. Now let me get in line to join the Andrew Jones fan club, as these speakers are something to behold. I am a really old guy with some high frequency hearing loss. I had been using Polk Audio Monitor 60 series II for front right and left, as well as a Polk Audio CS20 for center. After I installed the ELACS I immediately heard things I had never heard with the Polks, even the higher frequencies. Initially I was worried about the bass represention but was very surprised when I fired these F5's up, as the bass goes very deep, it is concise without being overly colorful. just the way I like it. I really cannot say enough good things about these F5's these are great speakers for the price and is probably has the best cost/benefit to the end user.
Pros: Super highs, mids and very nice bass response. Soundstage is unbelievable.
Cons: None
Soundstage is huge! Dimensionality is excellent with very good imaging! Highs, Mids, and lows are excellently balanced. Can listen to music, movies, and TV all day without ever feeling fatigued. High's do not get harsh or too bright. High's don't roll off either and have good extension with the grills off. Mid's provide very good clarity and with certain songs provide a magical kind of airiness to both male and female voices. Bass is tight, and can pack a punch, when called upon. Speakers are dynamic with voices up front, and not laid back, just the way I like it. Music, Movies, and TV all sound terrific. For 2 channel stereo, I do not feel the need for a sub - the bass goes quite deep and extends lower than the given specs, but does not get boomy, or bloated. Advantage with these speakers over the bookshelf versions is the bigger sound-stage, increased 3D like dimensionality, more dynamic, and bass can go deeper. Speakers do need time to break-in. Voices sounded a little muffled for the first 30 minutes. Took about 20 to 40 hours to fully break in. This pair of speakers do not sound dark at all, but the first pair did have a kind of sound, I could call dark. Appearance wise, the speakers actually look better in person and quite pleasing. Upon close inspection the build quality can use improvements. Using a Marantz SR5010 (100 watt per channel receiver) with 12awg speaker wire to drive the speakers and have plenty of power.
Pros: 3D sound with big sound-stage, and good imaging. The mid's produce that special kind of airiness. When listening to good recordings of live performances, the goose bumps never stop! Movies are so much more immersive. All around great speakers for music, movies, and TV! Speakers do not take up a lot of space and look sleek. The feet that come already installed on the speakers provide good footing and balance on hard wood floors.
Cons: First pair of speakers received had what I feel were some quality control issues, which included some sound frequencies being out of wack or absent. Thanks to Crutchfields outstanding customer service dept. I was sent replacements, which sound fantastic!
Awesome sound ! Highly recommend it.
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Speakers arrived on time. Shipping boxes were pretty beat up but the speakers survived undamaged. I'm very happy with the sound of these speakers. They've received stellar professional reviews and live up to the raves. Rich, full and accurate sound.
Pros: Outstanding quality for the money.
Cons: None so far.
I ordered these Elac F-5 floorstanding speakers out of a growing curiosity to see if they were as good as the reviews suggest. These Elacs sound great, but they are not obviously better than the Polk floorstanding speakers (Monitor 70s, RTi8s) I've been using for a couple of years. The Polks are much more attractive, in my opinion. The Elac vinyl veneer is the textured black industrial look that Klipsch has also adopted. The F5 build quality seems solid and the drivers look well made. The Polk speakers are truly great buys, but so are the Elacs. For the money, you get a well-engineered speaker that sounds better than speakers costing many times the cost. These Elacs would be very easy to live with. One caveat - the pair I purchased were listed by Crutchfield as a discounted "scratch and dent" pair. Crutchfield defines "scratch and dent" as "open-box items [which] have minor cosmetic damage". The speakers I received had clearly received some very rough handling and arrived with two very obvious dents in the front and back edges of the cabinets (with some veneer separation), a slightly torn grill, and one foot partially detached from the bottom of the cabinet. I would not characterize this damage as "minor" and, in retrospect, should not have opted for the modest discount I received. A word to the wise.
Pros: Solid build, quality drivers, impressive engineering, excellent high end
Cons: Very plain appearance, small discount received for damaged speakers not a good idea
I bought these to replace some bookshelf speakers I have had for 18 years. The difference in presence is amazing. At first, I thought there wasn't much difference but when I sit and listen; the sound is more natural, beautiful. Symphonic right out of the box. When I want a little more punch, I can increase the bass on the receiver and I get it. No distortion (with phase mod on my Onkyo selected even more so). On that note, I also listen to low levels. I am missing some low end rumble but the tight punch is worth it. Now that I know what I know, I would have spent the extra $200.00 on a pair of F6s.
Pros: Value for the dollar. Good all around sound with little adjustment. Wonder what their top of the line 24,000 towers sound like?
Cons: Handle with care. Easy to smudge and scratch. The reviews on this are true. I was careful and all is well.
These speakers sound great. Crutchfield pointed me in the directions of these speakers after I had told them my budget for a complete 2.1 setup. ELAC has some serious performers building their speakers and it truly shows when listening to music, or loud heart racing movies. Sound is very clean and responsive. I am very pleased with these speakers.
Pros: Clean sound, powerful, cost vs quality is superb
Cons: Not the nicest looking speakers. Would be nice if they were offered in solid wood.
I used to listen music with onkyo speakers that came with my receiver. I know that I am missing something.. As I was searching I came across this one by Andrew Jones. The sound is amazing.. I am finally enjoying music.
Pros: sound is so real and natural
Cons: expensive
I purchased these are the recommendation of Crutchfield and friends who are music geeks. I also got to talk to Andrew Jones prior to purchase, who described me in great detail on how he builds these speakers. You cannot go wrong with these.
Pros: Excellent value for money.
Cons: Yet to see one.
General | ||
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Enclosure | Bass Reflex | |
Finish | MDF/Vinyl | |
Color | Black | |
Tweeter | Soft-dome | |
Tweeter Size (inches) | 1 | |
Midrange Size (inches) | 5.25 | |
Woofer Size (inches) | 5.25 | |
Woofer Composition | Woven Aramid-Fiber | |
Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
Built-in Powered Sub | No | |
Video-Shielded | No | |
Connector Type | 5-way post | |
Bi-amp Inputs | No | |
Parts Warranty | 3 Years | |
Labor Warranty | 3 Years | |
Specifications | ||
Power Range | 140 | |
Frequency Response | 42-20k Hz | |
Sensitivity | 86 dB | |
Impedance (Ohms) | 6 | |
Subwoofer Amp Power | --- | |
Height (inches) | 38-9/16 | |
Width (inches) | 7-15/16 | |
Depth (inches) | 9-7/8 | |
Weight | 32.8 lbs |
Three-Way Driver Design: The Elac Debut F5 floorstanding loudspeaker features a three-way driver design with a 1" tweeter, one 5.25" midrange drive, two 5.25" bass woofers, and a 100Hz/3000Hz crossover network. The tweeter, midrange driver, and woofers have been custom designed by Andrew Jones to deliver an exceptional audio experience that can't be delivered with typical off-the-shelf parts.
Bass Reflex MDF Cabinet: The Elac Debut F5 floorstanding loudspeaker uses a bass reflex cabinet with three rear-firing flared ports for greater efficiency and bigger bass response. The tweeter and midrange driver are isolated from the rest of the speaker cabinet. The cabinet is made of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) with two horizontal braces to strengthen and stiffen the cabinet, helping minimize unwanted vibrations that can discolor music or movie content. The MDF outer walls of the cabinet are covered with a textured vinyl black finish. A detachable cloth grille is included.
5-Way Binding Posts: The Elac Debut F5 floorstanding loudspeaker is fitted with a set of 5-way binding-post terminals which will accept bare-wire (up to 10AWG), pin-connectors, spade-lugs, and banana plugs (single or dual).
Rubber or Spike Feet: The Elac Debut F5 floorstanding loudspeaker features integrated rubber feet for safe placement on hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile floors. Four spike feet are also included for secure placement on carpeted flooring. The spikes screw into the bottom of the speaker's rubber feet and add approximately 0.875" of height to the speaker.
Note: There is a pre-installed safety clip on the back of the speaker cabinet for securing the floorstanding speaker to a wall to prevent tip-over. Wall-mount hook, screws, and cord are all sold separately and can be found at your local hardware store.
Applications: The Elac Debut F5 floorstanding loudspeaker can be used in a 2ch stereo application, or used as your front speakers and/or rear surround speakers in a multichannel home theater application.
Note: In either application, the speaker should be placed 1' to 2' away from boundaries such as wall and corners. Close proximity to a side or rear wall will enhance bass performance, but being too close may result in bass that is unnatural.
Elac Debut Series: The Elac Debut series family of loudspeakers consists of two bookshelf speakers, two floorstanding speaker, a center-channel speaker, a Dolby Atmos enabled speaker, and two powered subs.
At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team. They verify what’s in the box, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.
Meets my needs snd wants [ Louis Mar 01, 2018 ]
reviews [ Reza Feb 27, 2018 ]
good price [ Scott Feb 14, 2018 ]
Ordered on a recommandation from Adam. The speakers appear to have outstanding performance and at a reasonable price, but obviously I'll know more once I get them delivered, up and running. [ Michael Jan 02, 2018 ]
CES [ Hal D. Dec 02, 2017 ]
good reviews and worth trying out given the 60 day return policy... [ Britton Dec 02, 2017 ]
AWESOME PRICE BIG SOUND [ FRANK Nov 29, 2017 ]
I was looking for a great speaker but wanted to get more than my money's worth. [ Lance Nov 24, 2017 ]
I was planning to buy them in the near future, but the current Black Friday deal made me pull the trigger a bit early. [ William Nov 23, 2017 ]
They were highly recommended by your advisor JC [ George Aug 20, 2017 ]
I picked the ELAC F5 because of the ratings and customer reviews. [ Yader A. Mar 17, 2017 ]
Good reviews [ Gary Mar 10, 2017 ]
Good reviews everywhere. [ Hector Oct 06, 2016 ]
Multiple glowing online reviews [ B Sep 29, 2016 ]
The wirecutter recommended the speakers. That's pretty much all I need to know. [ Devin Aug 14, 2016 ]
I've read great things about these speakers. [ Milton Aug 07, 2016 ]
Good reviews [ Casey Aug 05, 2016 ]
Excellent value speakers. They sound fantastic and easily rival others at 3x the cost. [ Brian Jul 31, 2016 ]
Great online reviews and price. [ chris Jul 09, 2016 ]
Selection and money back guarantee [ Richard Jun 04, 2016 ]
It could be used but Elac makes a center channel to match these speakers. [ RYAN Aug 28, 2017 ]
Thanks for your question. This is for one individual speaker. Hope this helps. [ Kenny Jul 28, 2017 ] Staff
I placed them about 3-4 feet away and they sound great. I read some reviews that said 5 was ideal to prevent "booming" [ ROBERT Aug 06, 2016 ]
a 6-1/2" midrange and two 6-1/2" woofers for powerful bass and mids
bass response down to 39 Hz
power handling up to 150 watts