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 superb sound quality with Bluetooth streaming and a phono stage for accommodating a turntable. They can easily double up as a clever soundbar alternative for your TV setup, thanks to their 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 it doesn't get simpler than playing tunes wirelessly from your phone or laptop over Bluetooth, which is what you get here.
Optical and USB inputs offer alternative wired connections to an external music source, while the Elacs can do the job of a soundbar thanks to the provision of an HDMI ARC input.
The Elac package is very well-made, brilliantly executed 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 sacrificed the sound stakes, either.
In our Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 review, we explain that we found the speakers to be "controlled and even-handed" with a clear, balanced and insightful sound. In fact, we went so far as to say we could find "no obvious areas of weakness". As you can tell, we are pretty big fans of this talented speaker pairing.
These fantastic powered speakers are great 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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