Neat, affordable and great-sounding hi-fi is becoming increasingly rare but Elac’s Debut ConneX DCB41 ticks all of those boxes.
Our team of expert testers reviewed the Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 back in 2022 and the system not only earned a glowing five-star rating but it also managed to pick up a coveted What Hi-Fi? Award for the past two years. And all of this at the full asking price of £529. So, you can imagine our delight now that the price has dropped to £339 at Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson.
We've seen the Elacs at this price before - during Black Friday last year to be precise - but they went back up and we are pleased to report that they are back to being an absolute bargain.
Current What Hi-Fi? Award winners, these Elacs are flexible standmount speakers, 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.
Set-up is fuss-free: 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 Elac's HDMI ARC input. You can also hook up a turntable thanks to the built-in switchable phono stage.
It's all a very well-made, well-thought-out package 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 either. In our Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 review, we explain that we found the speakers to be clear, balanced and insightful performers, with pleasing levels of detail and proper levels of musical organisation and cohesion. In fact, we went so far as to say we could find "no obvious areas of weakness". High praise indeed!
These fantastic Elac-powered speakers are wonderful value at their full price, but this excellent £339 deal at Richer Sounds makes them a bargain that deserves serious attention.
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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