Short answer: the Revel M126Be for better sound quality, the ELAC DB63 for the lower price. The Revel M126Be ranks #28 of 100 bookshelf speakers at $4400. The ELAC DB63 ranks #33 at $499, $3901 cheaper.
What the Revel M126Be offers: Two-way design pairing a 6.5” midwoofer with a 1” beryllium dome tweeter, the smaller sibling to the reviewer’s favorite Revel F226Be. Watch for: At $4,400/pair, the reviewer doesn’t consider it a strong value - an improvement over Revel’s less expensive M106 and Performa3 models, but not proportional to the price jump.
On the ELAC DB63 side: 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. Set against that: A dip in the lower midrange (300-600Hz, about 1.5dB) reduces vocal warmth and can make voices sound slightly hollow.
Buy the Revel M126Be if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the ELAC DB63 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Revel M126Be | ELAC DB63 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4400 | $499.00 |
| Ranked | #28 of 100 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #33 of 100 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 103Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 76Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.2"H x 8.3"W x 10.3"D (386.1 x 210.8 x 261.6 mm) | 13.3"H x 7.7"W x 11.7"D (337.8 x 195.6 x 297.2 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (4.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) Aluminum Cone with cast frame woofer, 1" Beryllium dome with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter | 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 22 lbs / 10.0 kg each | 17.2 lbs / 7.8 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs JTR Noesis 210HT
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs JBL HDI-1600
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Philharmonic BMR (v1)
- Revel M126Be vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- ELAC DB63 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
The Two Speakers In Full
Revel M126Be: $4400 Crutchfield
Pros: Two-way design pairing a 6.5” midwoofer with a 1” beryllium dome tweeter, the smaller sibling to the reviewer’s favorite Revel F226Be. Wide, immersive stereo imaging - hard-panned sounds in test tracks localized 2-3 feet outside the physical speaker positions without losing pinpoint precision. Horizontal radiation of about 60-70°, landing right in the reviewer’s preferred range for an enveloping yet still well-focused soundstage. Extended bass-shelf tuning (similar in concept to the KEF R3 Meta) combines with in-room gain for a more linear low end rather than a boomy hump. Diffraction dips visible on-axis around 3kHz and 7kHz largely disappear in the estimated in-room response, since they fill in as you move off-axis. Distortion stays within 3% down to about 100Hz at both 86dB and 96dB output - strong performance for a 6.5” bookshelf woofer. Can be driven by a standard AVR thanks to a manageable 4.9-ohm minimum impedance.
Cons: At $4,400/pair, the reviewer doesn’t consider it a strong value - an improvement over Revel’s less expensive M106 and Performa3 models, but not proportional to the price jump. Bass tops out around 50Hz in-room; a subwoofer is still needed for real low-end extension. Vertical placement is fairly critical - there’s a notable hole in the response around the 1.7kHz crossover if you sit above the tweeter axis. Toeing the speaker out to a full 30° introduces a roughly 1dB discontinuity in the midrange along with high-frequency rolloff; the reviewer recommends staying close to on-axis or within about 10°. An unexplained jump in distortion appears right at the 1.7kHz crossover point under compression testing, which may be linked to an occasional “glaring” quality the reviewer noticed in the 2-3kHz region at very high volumes (92-93dB from 2 meters). A mild 2-3kHz forwardness occasionally stood out on some tracks, correctable with about 1dB of EQ, though the reviewer considers it minor.
Full Revel M126Be review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 103Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.2"H x 8.3"W x 10.3"D (386.1 x 210.8 x 261.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) Aluminum Cone with cast frame woofer, 1" Beryllium dome with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.1dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 22 lbs / 10.0 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Revel M126Be vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Revel M126Be vs Wharfedale Linton 85
- Revel M126Be vs Selah Audio Purezza
- Revel M126Be vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- Revel M126Be vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Revel M126Be vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- Revel M126Be vs JBL HDI-1600
- Revel M126Be vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- See all 10 comparisons
ELAC DB63: $499.00 Amazon Crutchfield
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.
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 DB63 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 76Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| 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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons