In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by ELAC. ELAC Debut Reference DFR52 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the DCR52 is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 | ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Aramid fiber | 2 x 5.25" aramid fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-35k Hz | 55-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 140 watts | up to 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.77kg / 36.9lbs | 10.14kg / 22.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-9/16" x 9-1/8" x 11-1/8"
1031.0 x 232.0 x 283.0mm | 7-3/8" x 20-13/16" x 9-9/16"
188.0 x 529.0 x 243.0mm |
|---|
DFR52 and DCR52 are members of ELAC's Debut Reference series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
ELAC Debut Reference Series
History
What size room are the ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 |
ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that DFR52 is a 3-way design whereas the DCR52 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52ELAC Debut Ref DCR52
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 |
ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
DFR52 features a 1" cloth dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Aramid fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the DCR52 features a 1" cloth dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" aramid fiber Woofer.
Frequency Response
DFR52 has a frequency range of 42-35k Hz whereas DCR52 has a frequency range of 55-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the DFR52 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the DCR52's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
DFR52 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the DCR52 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 87 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
DFR52 can handle a max power of 140 watts RMS, whereas DCR52 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the DFR52.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
DFR52 features 5-Way post type posts and DCR52 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52's 5-Way post terminals
ELAC Debut Ref DCR52's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
DFR52 has a rear firing port whereas DCR52 has a front firing ports. ELAC Debut Ref DCR52's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare ELAC Debut Ref DFR52's and ELAC Debut Ref DCR52's external dimensions. ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 has external dimensions of 1031.0 x 232.0 x 283.0mm (40-9/16 x 9-1/8 x 11-1/8inch) whereas ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 has external dimensions of 188.0 x 529.0 x 243.0mm (7-3/8 x 20-13/16 x 9-9/16inch).
ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 is 843mm shorter and 40mm less deeper than ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 but it is also 297mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 is approximately 656.6cm2 / 101.8inch2 and base area of the ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 is approximately 1285.5cm2 / 199.3inch2. The DFR52 requires 49% less surface area than the DCR52 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of DFR52:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (spikes installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Dials
- 8 Screws
- Hex-key
What's in the Box of ELAC Debut Ref DCR52?
Here are the items that come with the DCR52:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Operating Instructions