Elac B5 vs B6 — Comparing Two Small Yet Powerful Bookshelf Speakers (2023)

Elac speakers are the definition of affordable price yet premium performance. If you’re on a budget and in a dilemma deciding between the Elac B5 and B6, don’t worry. Here, our experts will help ease your decision-making process by comparing the Elac B5 vs B6.

Elac B5 or B6?

Best Sound Clarity
Elac B6
Best Compact
Elac B5

Features of Elac B5 and B6

Design and Size

The all-new Elac B6 and debut B5 are bass-reflex speakers, made of MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard) cabinet with a black vinyl finish, so you can say that Elac didn’t make any new changes regarding the design of the B6 [1]. They come with a removable grille to protect the drivers from dust and damage.

The Elac B6 is a slightly larger bookshelf speaker compared to the B5. Of course, you may attribute this to the B6 being newer, but that doesn’t say it all.

Elac B6 measures 8.5 inches in width X 14 inches in length X 10 inches in depth. The B5 measures 7.7 inches in width X 12 inches in length X 9.11 inches in depth. Both are ideal to connect into your car audio system as well. 

Sound Quality

The two Elac speakers produce excellent sound quality via their woven aramid-fiber woofers, as we found in this Elac B6 vs B5 comparison. Our experts played several pieces of music to test the bass quality and treble quality of the B6 and B5.

Our team became impressed with the bass level and bright, clear voice on the B6. Even after cranking the volume a little higher, our team noticed minimal distortion.

The B5 produced precise sounds like other high-quality speakers including Bose SoundTouch 30 and Sonos Play 5, and the tonality of the musical instruments was accurate with some deep stereo soundstage like the B6. However, the B5 recessed in soundstage and bass quality as the music went further.

Frequency Response

Elac B5 has a frequency range of 46 Hz – 20 kHz, while the B6 is 44 Hz- 20 kHz. With these frequency response ranges, Elac B5 will have a slightly better treble quality with shabby bass than the B6.

In terms of delivering both bass and precise treble quality, our experts relatively prefer the fuller sounds produced by the B6, even though the voices will not be as crisp as the B5. Due to the lower frequency response of the B6, it will produce better bass quality than the B5.  The former will produce better sound clarity like the audio made by Harmon Kardon Onyx Studio 3 and 4.

Nominal Impedance

Both Elac bookshelf speakers have low nominal impedance, leading to crispier audio performance. The Elac B6 and B5 speaker’s impedance are rated 6 ohms, which you normally found even in high-performing slim tower speakers. It is very impressive compared to other bookshelf speakers within its price range.

Elac B5 and B6 Sensitivity

The Elac B5 and B6 are extremely sensitive to tonal changes. Both speakers produce the best of sounds when placed in a significantly tall floor stand because the speakers’ tweeters will be above the average level of the human ear. They can serve as high-quality tower speakers when setup at a higher level. 

However, when low, the sound becomes somewhat unbalanced and thinned out. Further changes in height position (if it goes significantly lower) will result in tonal imbalance and sound changes.

Price of the Elac B5 and B6

Bigger doesn’t always equal more expensive, but that’s a different case in the Elac B6. It costs more than the Elac B5, although the B6 comes with better features. Judging by the prices of other bookshelf speakers with similar features, the Elac B6 is real value for money. It is one of the best bookshelf speakers below 1000 with impressive audio quality. 

Overall Winner: Elac B6

The debut Elac B5 gave the B6 some real competition in this comparison review. Despite this, our team of experts concludes that the Elac B6 is the winner here.

Elac B6 produces a more precise and crispier treble sound quality, and the instrument’s tonality is excellent, as evident in this Elac B5 vs B6 review. Furthermore, it has a low nominal impedance, which means less sound distortion. 

 Are you on a budget and looking for basic speakers for your sound system? Check out our review of Logitech Z313 and Z323, great options to add to current audio system. 

Writer

Picture of Willie Greer
Willie Greer
Willie Greer is the founder of The Product Analyst. A cinephile, he has made it a personal quest to achieve the awesomest home theater possible. He now shares what he has learned through the years on the site, and has enlisted the help of tech-savvy colleagues in providing more insight about today’s most sought-after gadgets.