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expired Posted by dlfdr43 • Feb 28, 2021
expired Posted by dlfdr43 • Feb 28, 2021

ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair), Black (UB52-BK) $490.07

$490

$600

18% off
Amazon
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Probably the best you can get at this price range.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FF7K...PDKIKX0DER
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Probably the best you can get at this price range.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FF7K...PDKIKX0DER

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Model: ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 3-Way 5-1/4" Bookshelf Speakers, Black, Pair

Deal History 

Sort: Most Recent
Post Date Sold By Sale Price Activity
05/09/25Amazon$483
1
11/03/23Amazon$462
2

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Sort: Lowest to Highest | Last Updated 5/14/2025, 11:05 PM
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Amazon$482.99
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13 Comments

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Feb 28, 2021
80 Posts
Joined Oct 2013
Feb 28, 2021
BrianB7036
Feb 28, 2021
80 Posts
Excellent speakers, I think this is the lowest price I've seen them.
Mar 1, 2021
892 Posts
Joined Dec 2016
Mar 1, 2021
palmoyas
Mar 1, 2021
892 Posts
Quote from BrianB7036 :
Excellent speakers, I think this is the lowest price I've seen them.
Def lowest I've seen them.
Original Poster
Mar 1, 2021
118 Posts
Joined Sep 2017
Mar 1, 2021
dlfdr43
Original Poster
Mar 1, 2021
118 Posts
Quote from BrianB7036 :
Excellent speakers, I think this is the lowest price I've seen them.
AJ did it again, theses are great 3-way speakers even at 600 dollar point. They need some time to break in, though. Give them about 50 hours or so, they will sound great.
1
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Joined Dec 2012
Mar 1, 2021
JimBanville
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Quote from dlfdr43 :
AJ did it again, theses are great 3-way speakers even at 600 dollar point. They need some time to break in, though. Give them about 50 hours or so, they will sound great.
According to the man who designed these very speakers (Andrew Jones), speaker break-in is a myth. Lol. There's an interview he did with Steve Guttenberg, where Andrew tried to be as diplomatic as possible while debunking the myth. Ppl like Guttenberg are the type that thinks power cords that have been frozen make an audible difference in sound too. Hahaha!
I must commend Andrew for being so truthful. Speaker manufacturers know it's your ears that break-in (get accustomed to) to the sound of the speakers after a while, so it's in their interest to push the myth.
Last edited by JimBanville March 1, 2021 at 05:32 AM.
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Joined Dec 2012
Mar 1, 2021
JimBanville
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
If you prefer a "exciting" (dynamic), less warm sound compared to these ELAC's, I'd recommend the SVS Prime bookshelves for $500.
1
Mar 1, 2021
513 Posts
Joined Jan 2006
Mar 1, 2021
nsdjoe
Mar 1, 2021
513 Posts
Quote from JimBanville :
According to the man who designed these very speakers (Andrew Jones), speaker break-in is a myth. Lol. There's an interview he did with Steve Guttenberg, where Andrew tried to be as diplomatic as possible while debunking the myth. Ppl like Guttenberg are the type that thinks power cords that have been frozen make an audible difference in sound too. Hahaha!
I must commend Andrew for being so truthful. Speaker manufacturers know it's your ears that break-in (get accustomed to) to the sound of the speakers after a while, so it's in their interest to push the myth.
My anecdote is re: headphones, but I got a pair of Audioquest Night owls that I positively detested the moment I put them on my head. I was determined to return them immediately but a card in the box said to break them in for 150 hours, so I stuck them in a drawer with music playing 24 hours a day for a week and then put them back on my head and they were the best headphones I'd ever heard. No time for my brain to "get used" to the sound. So chalk me up for believing moving parts (e.g. rubber surrounds) can change somewhat over time.

Can't say I've experienced it with speakers as pretty much all the speakers I've owned have been second hand, but for what it's worth the nightowls' drivers are supposed to be especially speaker-like.

Furthermore Andrew Jones, while a respected loudspeaker designer, is no omniscient God, it's just his opinion and experience that break in doesn't occur.

Just my $0.02 to counterpoint yours :-)
1
Mar 1, 2021
250 Posts
Joined May 2007
Mar 1, 2021
BigGreenMat
Mar 1, 2021
250 Posts
Deal is already dead an hour later. Same price as on elac site now.

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Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Joined Dec 2012
Mar 1, 2021
JimBanville
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Quote from nsdjoe :
My anecdote is re: headphones, but I got a pair of Audioquest Night owls that I positively detested the moment I put them on my head. I was determined to return them immediately but a card in the box said to break them in for 150 hours, so I stuck them in a drawer with music playing 24 hours a day for a week and then put them back on my head and they were the best headphones I'd ever heard. No time for my brain to "get used" to the sound. So chalk me up for believing moving parts (e.g. rubber surrounds) can change somewhat over time.

Can't say I've experienced it with speakers as pretty much all the speakers I've owned have been second hand, but for what it's worth the nightowls' drivers are supposed to be especially speaker-like.

Furthermore Andrew Jones, while a respected loudspeaker designer, is no omniscient God, it's just his opinion and experience that break in doesn't occur.

Just my $0.02 to counterpoint yours :-)
No one called Andrew jones a speaker god. He's a well respected speaker designed who actually designed the speakers in this deal. You're free to believe what you want, as is anyone.

So you're a speaker/headphone manufacturer who as spent millions upon millions of dollars, building facilities, hiring audio engineers, and everything else required to design, build, ship, and advertise your products. You want (I assume) your customers to be happy with your product. So, if your product created a sound that customers "detested" unless the product was SIMPLY played (broken-in) for 50-100 hrs, why on earth, after spending millions of dollars to make the best product you could, wouldn't you SIMPLY set up a system where you did that "burn in" BEFORE shipping the product? The products have to be plugged into an audio source and be tested anyway. Just leave them plugged up and playing for a few days. Problem solved. Now your customers will now put on their brand new headphones and think they are the best sounding headphones ever! No more negative out-of-the-box experiences, thus way less product returns.

If the materials in your headphone drivers is so malleable that they went from being "detested" to best thing evar within just a few days, they would surely wear out and fall apart within a few weeks of heavy use. Solid materials that change that fast don't just stay at that state. They would continue to change. The sound would also change. Your headphones could go back to making you "detest" the sound in just a few weeks because now the solid parts are too lose. Lol.
1
Mar 1, 2021
513 Posts
Joined Jan 2006
Mar 1, 2021
nsdjoe
Mar 1, 2021
513 Posts
Quote from JimBanville :
No one called Andrew jones a speaker god. He's a well respected speaker designed who actually designed the speakers in this deal. You're free to believe what you want, as is anyone.

So you're a speaker/headphone manufacturer who as spent millions upon millions of dollars, building facilities, hiring audio engineers, and everything else required to design, build, ship, and advertise your products. You want (I assume) your customers to be happy with your product. So, if your product created a sound that customers "detested" unless the product was SIMPLY played (broken-in) for 50-100 hrs, why on earth, after spending millions of dollars to make the best product you could, wouldn't you SIMPLY set up a system where you did that "burn in" BEFORE shipping the product? The products have to be plugged into an audio source and be tested anyway. Just leave them plugged up and playing for a few days. Problem solved. Now your customers will now put on their brand new headphones and think they are the best sounding headphones ever! No more negative out-of-the-box experiences, thus way less product returns.

If the materials in your headphone drivers is so malleable that they went from being "detested" to best thing evar within just a few days, they would surely wear out and fall apart within a few weeks of heavy use. Solid materials that change that fast don't just stay at that state. They would continue to change. The sound would also change. Your headphones could go back to making you "detest" the sound in just a few weeks because now the solid parts are too lose. Lol.
Automobile engines have a break in period of something like 1000 miles and don't go on to fall apart after the next 1000. I'm not saying my opinion is 100% correct, just relaying a personal anecdote that seems to have shown that my headphones broke in. I can't imagine any other reason for such a drastic change in perceived quality over a week without listening to them in between.
1
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Joined Dec 2012
Mar 1, 2021
JimBanville
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Quote from nsdjoe :
Automobile engines have a break in period of something like 1000 miles and don't go on to fall apart after the next 1000. I'm not saying my opinion is 100% correct, just relaying a personal anecdote that seems to have shown that my headphones broke in. I can't imagine any other reason for such a drastic change in perceived quality over a week without listening to them in between.
Lol. I'm not taking about a couple pieces of constantly lubricated metal that rub together while "breaking in". I'm talking about a solid rubber/foam surround and a woven fabric spider. Those are the "wear" items on a driver. They are not rubbing against other materials. They simply flex. If that flexion, over the course of a few days, caused them to "wear" so much, what would stop that accelerated wear? Wear of solid materials due to flexion doesn't stop unless the material stops flexing. What material was once too tight (when new), and is now "perfect", would surely continue to flex/wear to the point of becoming too loose.
Mar 1, 2021
513 Posts
Joined Jan 2006
Mar 1, 2021
nsdjoe
Mar 1, 2021
513 Posts
Quote from JimBanville :
Lol. I'm not taking about a couple pieces of constantly lubricated metal that rub together while "breaking in". I'm talking about a solid rubber/foam surround and a woven fabric spider. Those are the "wear" items on a driver. They are not rubbing against other materials. They simply flex. If that flexion, over the course of a few days, caused them to "wear" so much, what would stop that accelerated wear? Wear of solid materials due to flexion doesn't stop unless the material stops flexing. What material was once too tight (when new), and is now "perfect", would surely continue to flex/wear to the point of becoming too loose.
We're debating something that has been discussed since time immemorial (at least as far as the internet is concerned), and I don't think we're treading any new ground here.

My only point was to give a personal anecdote as a counterpoint to your reporting on AJ's stance on the matter and I believe I've done that.

Everyone should listen to their ears and if their speakers sound better to them after 50 hours, whether it's due to break in, adjustment, or placebo, they should just be happy. I know I am with my headphones.
1
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Joined Dec 2012
Mar 1, 2021
JimBanville
Mar 1, 2021
9,243 Posts
Quote from nsdjoe :
We're debating something that has been discussed since time immemorial (at least as far as the internet is concerned), and I don't think we're treading any new ground here.

My only point was to give a personal anecdote as a counterpoint to your reporting on AJ's stance on the matter and I believe I've done that.

Everyone should listen to their ears and if their speakers sound better to them after 50 hours, whether it's due to break in, adjustment, or placebo, they should just be happy. I know I am with my headphones.
No one is saying anyone shouldn't be happy. I'm simply relaying the fact that the highly regarded audio engineer who designed the speaker in this deal has debunked the myth that his speakers need break-in... after someone here suggested that they do. Lol.
I'm also saying that the entire idea of such short term (50-100 hrs is not a long time in the lifetime of a speaker) break-in of solid materials by simple flexion within their designed parameters would mean that continued use over the long term, would result in ever increasing wear, to the point of a very short lifespan of the material. Not to mention the continuous alteration of the sound they would produce in the case of speaker driver surrounds and spiders.
Last edited by JimBanville March 1, 2021 at 08:43 AM.
Mar 1, 2021
3,585 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
Mar 1, 2021
wighty
Mar 1, 2021
3,585 Posts
Quote from nsdjoe :
My anecdote is re: headphones, but I got a pair of Audioquest Night owls that I positively detested the moment I put them on my head. I was determined to return them immediately but a card in the box said to break them in for 150 hours, so I stuck them in a drawer with music playing 24 hours a day for a week and then put them back on my head and they were the best headphones I'd ever heard. No time for my brain to "get used" to the sound. So chalk me up for believing moving parts (e.g. rubber surrounds) can change somewhat over time.

Can't say I've experienced it with speakers as pretty much all the speakers I've owned have been second hand, but for what it's worth the nightowls' drivers are supposed to be especially speaker-like.

Furthermore Andrew Jones, while a respected loudspeaker designer, is no omniscient God, it's just his opinion and experience that break in doesn't occur.

Just my $0.02 to counterpoint yours :-)
You have to wonder if the manufacturer believes the sound signature is going to change so significantly, why do they not break them in as part of the manufacturing process? I mean I get that will cost money but I can't imagine it would be more expensive than taking unnecessary returns?

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