When it comes to reproducing great sounds, having a high-quality bookshelf speaker comes in handy. But it would seem difficult for a buyer on a tight budget to purchase a high-performance bookshelf speaker.
All hope isn’t lost, however, as our experts discuss and compare two budget bookshelf speakers — the KEF Q100 vs Elac B6. Let’s see which one delivers better audio quality.
KEF Q100 or Elac B6?
Features Comparison:
Elac B6 Versus KEF Q100
Design and Build
Elac B6 and KEF Q100 are very compact bookshelf speakers that will take less space when mounted anywhere, although KEF Q100 is slightly smaller. Nevertheless, our team considers this a great plus for both products.
Speaking of design, both have two-way bass-reflex bodies and a grill, offering some high-degree of durability. The construction also makes the speaker less prone to resonance [1]. KEF and Elac’s fabric grill covers the speaker’s front surface to offer the dome tweeters and woofers better protection.
For other bookshelf speakers with unique designs, you can check our list of high-quality vintage speakers under 500 available in the market.
Audio Quality
Like Sonos Play 5 and Play 3 that can be placed vertically, KEF Q100 and Elac B6 are two outstanding, quality bookshelf speakers widely regarded by users to be the best budget category. Despite their low prices, they come with exceptional features that will maximize sound clarity and bass quality.
These two bookshelf speakers produce high-quality sounds in different ways. For instance, KEF Q100 has a frequency range of 49 Hz – 40 kHz compared to Elac B6 with 44 Hz – 20 kHz. That means KEF Q100 will deliver better treble performance than Elac B6.
The sound output emanating from the woofer of KEF Q100 will be crisp, detailed, and precise, although they sound slightly too bright at times, which can be painful to the ear. It takes some time before getting used to it anyway.
Since the Elac B6 has a lower frequency range just like other high-rated bookshelf speakers under 500, they can produce better bass quality compared to KEF Q100, but the sounds and voices will not be as articulate as those produced by KEF Q100.
Performance of the KEF Q100 and Elac B6
KEF Q100 and Elac B6 have low impedance, resulting in better sound delivery. KEF Q100 has a slightly higher impedance at 8 ohms, while Elac B6 impedance is similar to ELAC Uni-Fi UB52 with 6 ohms. With this, Elac B6 will barely produce higher sound levels.
Connections & Setup
Both speakers are easy to set up unlike a 5.1 speaker system such as Onkyo HT-S3900. Connections are made easy via the included speakers’ cables. You don’t need to be an expert to connect the speaker cables to your music system.
Elac B6 and KEF Q100 Price
The prices of the Elac B6 vs KEF Q100 are the same. They are both budget bookshelf speakers below 1000 that you can add to your home to improve sound production. Judging from their relatively low price point, they’re relatively inexpensive compared to other bookshelf speakers, and are great for those looking for their very first set.
Overall Winner: KEF Q100
Despite the tight comparison between these two budget bookshelf speakers, our experts consider the KEF Q100 a better option.
KEF Q100 produces better treble and midrange sound quality than Elac B6, as evident in this KEF Q100 vs Elac B6 article.
Additionally, KEF Q100 is more compatible with a subwoofer than Elac B6, meaning you have more options for improving sound quality.
Want to boost the audio quality of your home theater? Check out our list of top-performing floor standing speakers less than 1000 for a better listening experience.
