ELAC’s Sonos-rivalling bookshelf speakers get a seriously powerful audio upgrade

ELAC's acclaimed powered bookshelf speakers return with even more power and better Bluetooth

ELAC ConneX DCB61 speaker on a desk next to a monitor and a pot plant
(Image credit: ELAC)
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Quick Summary

The ELAC ConneX DCB61 bookshelf speakers claim impressive power with dedicated amps for each driver.

There's excellent connectivity for TVs, turntables, consoles and computers, and they'll set you back £699 / $899 / €799 (about AU$1,465) for a stereo pair.

ELAC's DCB41 powered bookshelf speakers attracted five-star reviews when they launched in 2022, and now they have a bigger, more powerful sibling: the ELAC ConneX DCB61.

Like their predecessors, the ConneX DCB61 are two-way powered speakers with one of them containing the inputs and electronics. They're powered by dedicated Class D amplifiers, and sport increased power.

They're even better connected than before too. There's Bluetooth LC3+ for high quality wireless audio, making them a possible alternative to Sonos for stereo enthusiasts.

In addition to the on-board controls, there's a comprehensive companion app for iOS and Android that enables you to fine-tune the EQ, optimise the placement and enable or disable features such as the extended bass.

It also enables you to activate a neighbour-friendly Night Mode for late-night listening.

ELAC ConneX DCB61 on a window sill with a laptop in the foreground

(Image credit: ELAC)

ELAC ConneX DCB61: key features and pricing

Each speaker has a 165mm polypropylene long excursion woofer with its own 60W Class D amplifier, and above the woofer there's a 19mm soft-dome tweeter with its own 20W amp and a precision-engineered waveguide.

The speakers include ELAC's proprietary Xbass Enhancer to boost the low end, and there's a rear-firing S-shaped bass reflex port. ELAC says that the result of the drivers, amps and reflex port is "a rich, balanced soundstage" for music, movies, and more.

There's a good selection of connection options here, too. You get HDMI eARC for your TV, Bluetooth LC3+, a built-in MM phono stage to work with the best turntables, optical inputs for consoles or media players, and USB for PC and Mac.

The USB connection supports audio up to 24-bit/96kHz and the speakers have on-board Dolby Digital decoding.

The ELAC ConneX DCB61 speakers are available now from Hi-Fi retailers with a price tag of £699 / $899 / €799 (about AU$1,465) for a pair.

Carrie Marshall
Carrie Marshall

Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).

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