Short answer: the ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63. It ranks #42 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.2/5, at $499. The GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade ranks #100, rated 3.2/5, at $279, $220 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 does well: 1” aluminum dome tweeter with a distinctive partial-lens waveguide design paired with a 6.5” third-generation aramid fiber cone woofer, in a robustly built cabinet for the price. Watch for: A dip in the lower midrange (300-600Hz, about 1.5dB) reduces vocal warmth and can make voices sound slightly hollow.
Why pick the GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade: GR Research’s replacement crossover fixes the stock Klipsch RP-600M’s biggest flaw, a deep response dip around the crossover, by using gentler first-order filters. The tradeoff: This is a DIY kit, not a finished speaker: you need a pair of the original Klipsch RP-600M, which is discontinued, and must rebuild both crossovers yourself.
Buy the ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $220 saving on the GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 | GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.00 per pair | $279 per pair |
| Ranked | #42 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #100 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 40.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org ASR data) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 76Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 68.8Hz (measured, spinorama.org ASR data) |
| Dimensions | 13.3”H x 7.7”W x 11.7”D (337.8 x 195.6 x 297.2 mm) | 15.7”H x 8”W x 11.9”D (398.8 x 203.2 x 302.3 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Sensitivity | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.7dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 6.5” Aramid Fiber woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter | 6.5” Cerametallic cone woofer, 1” titanium LTS vented tweeter with Tractrix horn (stock Klipsch RP-600M drivers) |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg) each | 16.1 lbs (7.3 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported |
| DIY Kit | No | Yes |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 5.11 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 7.06 |
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The Two Speakers In Full
ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63: $499.00 per pair Amazon Crutchfield eBay
Pros: 1” aluminum dome tweeter with a distinctive partial-lens waveguide design paired with a 6.5” third-generation aramid fiber cone woofer, in a robustly built cabinet for the price. Shallow bass rolloff (F3 76Hz, F10 40Hz) allows placement close to a wall without excessive boominess, useful for smaller living rooms. Solid measured performance for the price: on-axis linearity within about 2.5dB, impedance dipping only to about 4.4 ohms (easily AVR-driven), and roughly 20-26dB of usable dynamic range. A clear improvement over its sibling ELAC DB62, which has a sibilance issue tied to the crossover that can’t be fixed with EQ. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±60°, giving a spacious soundstage. Distortion looks good at a moderate 86dB and still reasonable at 96dB. Takes well to EQ correction: the reviewer provides a specific filter set (a low-shelf boost at 650Hz plus peaking cuts/boosts at 550Hz, 660Hz, and 3kHz) that meaningfully smooths out its known deviations. Measured bass extension of 76Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.2dB.
Cons: A dip in the lower midrange (300-600Hz, about 1.5dB) reduces vocal warmth and can make voices sound slightly hollow. A high-Q resonance around 650-750Hz shows up clearly in measurements, though the reviewer couldn’t reliably hear it in his own A/B testing. A dip around 2-3kHz (roughly 1-2dB) slightly reduces speech intelligibility and attack in the upper midrange. Directivity droops above about 2kHz as the midwoofer narrows toward its beaming frequency while the tweeter’s pattern behaves differently: an inherent trade-off of physically separated drivers that can’t be fully corrected without introducing other issues. Multitone distortion crosses the reviewer’s 3% threshold in the 200Hz-1kHz range, and adding a subwoofer at an 80Hz crossover only modestly reduces it. Toeing the speaker away from the listener loses noticeable top-end air and cymbal energy, giving a softer upper register. Practical loudness ceiling is around 90dB at typical listening distance before midrange distortion and bass attack begin to degrade. Still needs a subwoofer for extension below about 40Hz.
Full ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 76Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 13.3”H x 7.7”W x 11.7”D (337.8 x 195.6 x 297.2 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” Aramid Fiber woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade: $279 per pair GR Research eBay
Pros: GR Research’s replacement crossover fixes the stock Klipsch RP-600M’s biggest flaw, a deep response dip around the crossover, by using gentler first-order filters. Audio Science Review’s measurements show listening-window smoothness rising from 0.40 to 0.78 and the preference score from 3.66 to 5.11 (5.61 to 7.06 with an ideal subwoofer), with response within 3dB from 80Hz to 20kHz. Bass reaches 68.8Hz at -3dB and about 40Hz at -10dB, and the kit also cuts ringing around 800Hz. At $279 per pair it comes with all new crossover parts, No-Rez damping, wiring and connectors. Measured bass extension of 68.8Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.7dB.
Cons: This is a DIY kit, not a finished speaker: you need a pair of the original Klipsch RP-600M, which is discontinued, and must rebuild both crossovers yourself. It does not fit the RP-600M II. Sensitivity drops about 1.5dB to 86.7dB, horizontal directivity narrows for a smaller sweet spot, and a 4.44 directivity-index deviation shows uneven off-axis sound. Average on-axis deviation of 0.49dB is rougher than the stock speaker’s 0.23dB, and the current RP-600M II scores higher (5.64) with no work at all.
Full GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org ASR data) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68.8Hz (measured, spinorama.org ASR data) |
| DIY Kit | Yes |
| Dimensions | 15.7”H x 8”W x 11.9”D (398.8 x 203.2 x 302.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” Cerametallic cone woofer, 1” titanium LTS vented tweeter with Tractrix horn (stock Klipsch RP-600M drivers) |
| Sensitivity | 86.7dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.11 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.06 |
| Weight | 16.1 lbs (7.3 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade vs DIYSG HT-10
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