In this review, we will be comparing two different type 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.
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 5.25" Aramid fiber Woofer
- 42-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 140watts
- Weight:16.77kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1031.0" x 9-1/8" x 11-1/8"( 1031.0 x 232.0 x 283.0mm )
ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" aramid fiber Woofer
- 55-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 120watts
- Weight:10.14kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 188.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and ELAC Debut Ref DCR52 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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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.
| 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.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
DFR52 can handle a max power of 140 watts RMS from the amp the whereas DCR52 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the DFR52.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 loudspeakerGrille4 Outrigger feet (spikes installed)4 Rubber feet4 Dials8 ScrewsHex-key
What's in the Box of ELAC Debut Ref DCR52?
Here are the items that come with the DCR52:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrilleOperating Instructions
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Low Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Nominal Impedance 
Port Position 
Height 
Price per pair*