Short answer: the ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 for better sound quality, the Dynaudio Emit 20 for the lower price. The ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 ranks #40 of 84 bookshelf speakers at $1199. The Dynaudio Emit 20 ranks #50 at $1049, $150 cheaper.
What the ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 offers: True three-way stand-mount using a 1-inch tweeter concentrically mounted in a 4-inch aluminum midrange plus a dedicated 6.5-inch aluminum woofer. Watch for: Erin measured very low 83dB/2.83V/1m sensitivity; his 110W Parasound was insufficient for the high-level test and the more powerful HINT 6 was needed.
What the Dynaudio Emit 20 offers: Two-way design with a 28mm Esotar soft dome tweeter (Hexis-damped) and an 18cm mid-woofer, using a first-order crossover on the tweeter and second-order on the woofer. Watch for: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact - confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and…
Buy the ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Dynaudio Emit 20 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 | Dynaudio Emit 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,199/pair | $1,049.00 |
| Ranked | #40 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #50 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension | 41Hz manufacturer specified; Erin’s response-linearity graph shows limited high-output bass headroom | - |
| Sensitivity | 83dB/2.83V/1m (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms minimum near 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 1" tweeter coaxial with 4" midrange; 6.5" woofer | 7.1" Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1" Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Dimensions | 14.1"H x 8.2"W x 13.1"D | 14.6"H x 8.1"W x 12.3"D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual front slot vents | ported, rear |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | - | 12.8 lbs / 5.8 kg |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs ELAC DBR62
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- SVS Ultra Bookshelf vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 vs SVS Ultra Bookshelf
The Two Speakers In Full
ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62: $1,199/pair Amazon
Pros: True three-way stand-mount using a 1-inch tweeter concentrically mounted in a 4-inch aluminum midrange plus a dedicated 6.5-inch aluminum woofer. Erin found the directivity and overall tonality well controlled, with dual front slot vents minimizing placement sensitivity and cabinet bracing suppressing obvious coloration. The mostly 5-ohm-or-higher load is manageable for a genuinely 4-ohm-capable amplifier, and the coherent concentric upper range supports stable imaging across seats.
Cons: Erin measured very low 83dB/2.83V/1m sensitivity; his 110W Parasound was insufficient for the high-level test and the more powerful HINT 6 was needed. Impedance reaches 4 ohms near 50Hz (Erin), while woofer excursion and bass output were less capable than expected for the cabinet size. A broad 500-700Hz rise and associated lower/female-vocal coloration were audible, and the slightly subdued listening-window treble is necessary to avoid an overly bright in-room balance rather than evidence of ruler-flat axial tuning.
Full ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension | 41Hz manufacturer specified; Erin's response-linearity graph shows limited high-output bass headroom |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 14.1"H x 8.2"W x 13.1"D |
| Drivers | 1" tweeter coaxial with 4" midrange; 6.5" woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms minimum near 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83dB/2.83V/1m (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual front slot vents |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Dynaudio Emit 20: $1,049.00 Amazon
Pros: Two-way design with a 28mm Esotar soft dome tweeter (Hexis-damped) and an 18cm mid-woofer, using a first-order crossover on the tweeter and second-order on the woofer. Exceptional bass extension for a bookshelf speaker - reaches a clean, authoritative 40Hz in-room, rare enough that the reviewer says most listeners could skip a subwoofer for typical music. Very low distortion across the board, staying below 1% THD down to 40Hz at 86dB and below 3% even at 96dB - unusually clean bass performance where most two-way bookshelf speakers start rising in distortion around 80Hz. Wide, remarkably consistent horizontal directivity (about ±50-60°) that holds steady up to roughly 13kHz - rare for a speaker in this format, thanks to a beveled tweeter edge that acts as a mild waveguide. Excellent compression and dynamic-range linearity at the frequency extremes, actually showing slight bass enhancement rather than the sharp low-end compression common in similarly-sized bookshelf speakers.
Cons: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact - confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and attempts at constrained-layer damping didn’t resolve it. A peak around 4kHz adds a sharp, edgy quality to some male vocals. A roughly 5dB boost above 10kHz gives cymbals and hi-hats excess shimmer that can sound unnatural, especially pointed directly on-axis. Vertical dispersion shows two separate crossover-related notches (above and below the tweeter reference line around 5kHz) rather than the usual single one, a direct consequence of the shallow crossover slopes used on both drivers. Multitone distortion is elevated in the midrange, possibly due to the woofer’s magnet structure lacking a shorting ring. Best aimed slightly off-axis (about 10-15° of toe-out) to tame the excess high-frequency shimmer, rather than pointed straight at the listener.
Full Dynaudio Emit 20 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.6"H x 8.1"W x 12.3"D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 7.1" Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1" Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83.5dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 12.8 lbs / 5.8 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons