I am currently running a Sprout100 with the Elac Debut 6.2s and would like to upgrade to the Strata, but feel I should upgrade my speakers first. Hard to make a good buying decision without listening at a dealer, so I wanted to see if anyone is running bookshelf speakers with their Strata.
I’m running a Sprout100 too, and had first been using Debut 2.0 F62 and then later B52 speakers. I recently switched to the new Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 bookshelf speakers, and the improvement is huge…this is not a subtle upgrade. Vocals are much smoother and more natural sounding, without the slight harshness both Debut 2.0 speakers had. The soundstaging is vastly better too. You can get the UB52 with a 30-day trial direct from ELAC or even better, a 60-day trial from Crutchfield. I highly recommend you check them out, you may find the little Sprout100 is more capable than you think!
Thanks for this tip! I just discovered the UB52 bookshelf speakers and they are now definitely on my radar. I was always intrigued by the original UB5’s, especially the 3 way design, but was worried about what I heard in terms of power requirements to drive them.
I have been looking for an upgrade path for the Debut 2.0 F62s and this looks viable, especially with how much I have enjoyed those speakers.
I will say, I do so love the Sprout100.
Yes. Using Wharfedale jade 3.
I’m running B&W bookshelf/stand-mounts with a GCD and M700s. I could still hear a night and day difference vs running a regular integrated. I feel like there’s a lot of audiophile buzzwords that get thrown around a lot, but I really understood what people mean when they say it sounds more ‘relaxed.’ It’s like there was a tension that is gone in the music. At some point I’ll upgrade my speakers, but I’m in no rush; I haven’t heard the Stellar, but I would imagine it has a similar effect on the music.
Good to know. I grew up in a house with very large Wharfedale cabinets in the 1960’s (SFBs?) and have always wondered about them now. I have been researching for a new speaker and have heard favorable things about the Dentons.
I have been wrestling a bit about the upgrade path for my Sprout. I noticed that the Stellar Strata and GCD with S300 is basically the same price. I am in a small room so I don’t need too much power as I can only run bookshelf speakers, so you can see the reason for my question.
I am starting with speakers as part of the upgrade as Paul always states that is the most important place to start. I just don’t think the Elac Debut 2.0s are “worthy” of pouring too much hardware in to them, thus my inquiry of what folks are running with their Stellars (Strata). Whatever I buy, I want to match up well with the Stellar family.
The new Elac UB52s certainly look very promising and I like the idea of a 3 way. I have often thought, after the speakers of slowly upgrading the Sprout by using it as a preamp in to the S300, then moving on to the GCD. But then, the Strata came out. 
I think that’s the same effect I’ve heard from my M700s that I describe elsewhere as “effortless” sound, and “ease of presentation,” that I’d read in various equipment reviews over the years. I can’t really articulate it, but it makes perfect sense now that I’m hearing it.
I have the Stellar GCD and the S300 which are probably similar to the Stellar Strata.
My speakers are Elac Carina BS 243.4 bookshelf speakers and they sound great.
I also have a system similar to yours with a Sprout 100 and Elac Debut 6.2s. The Elac Carina is much better to me and they are beautiful speakers unlike the Debut’s.