“Are you looking for a neat, good-sounding but affordable hi-fi system? If so, Elac’s Debut ConneX DCB41 might just be perfect for you.” That is how our expert in-house reviews team enthusiastically opened our Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 review. Considering they cost £529 back then, you can imagine our delight now that their price has fallen by 35 per cent off.
The Debut ConneX DCB41 are just £341.65 at Amazon, beating the £399 discounted price we saw them drop to on Amazon, Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson in February.
Current What Hi-Fi? Award winners, these Elacs are some of the best desktop speakers we’ve tested, combining best-in-class sound quality with Bluetooth for easy wireless streaming and a phono stage for accommodating a turntable. They can easily double up as a soundbar alternative for your TV setup thanks to an HDMI ARC socket, too.
Elac’s excellent Debut ConneX DCB41 powered speakers are a fuss-free setup, in which one speaker in the pair contains all the electronics, amplification and connections, and the other sports a more conventional passive design. The speakers are then linked together with a cable.
You don’t get any fancy network streaming smarts included here as there is no wi-fi (see the Triangle AIO Twin and KEFSX II LT systems for wi-fi streaming setups), but you can stream tunes wirelessly from your phone or laptop thanks to Bluetooth. Optical and USB inputs offer alternative wired connections to an external music source, while you can connect your TV courtesy of the ConneX’s HDMI ARC input. You can also plug in a turntable directly thanks to the built-in switchable phono stage.
It’s all very well-made, well-thought-out and, of course, very convenient, removing the need for external amplification and boxes along the way.
The added convenience of having nearly all you could want in one place doesn’t seem to have impaired the sound of the DCB41. During our review, we found the speakers to be clear, balanced and insightful performers, with pleasing levels of detail and proper levels of musical organisation and cohesion, which prevented unwanted muddying or sonic blurring during listening sessions. You don’t win Awards for sounding mediocre, after all.
These fantastic Elac powered speakers are wonderful value at their full price, but this excellent £341.65 deal at Amazon price truly makes them bona fide bargains.
MORE:
Here’s our full Elac Debut Connex DCB41 review
Want streaming smarts included? Check out our KEF LSX II LT review
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