New Hi-Fi Releases Worth Watching: Exposure 3510 Separates, Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 and PSB Alpha iQ

Introduction

The past few months have brought a run of new hi-fi hardware after a much quieter start to the year, and two themes stand out: refreshed British amplifier ranges and a new generation of powered speakers that aim to bridge lifestyle convenience and proper stereo performance.

This roundup covers five products worth knowing about, spanning three Exposure 3510 separates, Elac’s first model in a new powered speaker series, and PSB’s Alpha iQ active speakers.

Between them they cover a wide span of budgets and priorities, from a pre-amplifier and power amplifier pairing built around low-noise circuit design and discrete output stages, through to compact active speakers with HDMI ARC, switchable phono stages and multi-room streaming built in.

Exposure 3510 Pre-Amplifier

Exposure added the 3510 pre-amplifier and stereo power amplifier to its range on 25 July, joining the 3510 integrated amplifier that was already in the line-up. The 3510 series replaces the outgoing 3010 series and is available in black and titanium finishes.

The pre-amplifier offers six line inputs, with the option to substitute one of them for either a moving magnet or moving coil phono stage or a plug-in DAC. Two RCA outputs and a tape output handle connection to recording devices, and the AV input can be set to fixed gain so it integrates cleanly with a home cinema receiver.

Inside, input source selection uses high quality relays, while the output stage relies on discrete transistor Class A output buffers. The gain stage is fully discrete as well, married to a hybrid power supply intended to keep noise very low.

The 3510 pre-amplifier retails at £1,590, matching the stereo power amplifier exactly.

Exposure 3510 Stereo Power Amplifier

The 3510 stereo power amplifier delivers 110 watts per channel into 8 ohms. In design terms it is essentially the power amplifier section of the 3510 integrated amplifier, housed in its own chassis.

That makes it a natural route for owners of the integrated model who want to bi-amp for more power or firmer control of their speakers. It works equally well as a standalone power amplifier paired with a different pre-amplifier.

At £1,590 it matches the pre-amplifier, so a complete pre and power combination can be assembled for a predictable total.

Exposure 3510 Monoblocks

September brought the 3510 monoblocks, which share a number of design elements with the range-topping 5010 series. The circuit is DC coupled throughout, which removes capacitors from the signal path, and the monoblocks add XLR balanced inputs that the stereo power amplifier does not offer, widening the range of pre-amplifiers they can be paired with.

Power output may drop from 110 to 100 watts per channel compared with the stereo power amplifier, a difference unlikely to be noticeable in practice.

Exposure’s designer Tony Brady has confirmed that the 3510 monoblocks carry an amplifier circuit taken directly from the 5010 series. The 5010 monoblocks retail at £5,500, so the 3510 version effectively pairs the same circuit with half the output stage and a smaller power supply: fewer transistors, a smaller transformer and slightly less smoothing capacitance. At £2,990 for the pair, that could represent strong value for anyone who does not need the additional power.

Elac Debut ConneX DCB41

Elac has launched the first model in a new series of powered speakers, the Debut ConneX DCB41, available in three finishes. US pricing is $599, and UK pricing has not been confirmed, with expectations sitting around £500.

The primary speaker houses the amplification for both cabinets, with Class D power rated at 250 watts per channel, and the secondary passive speaker connects in the traditional way using speaker wire between the terminals.

Connectivity is a clear strength. HDMI ARC lets a television control the volume through its own remote as long as the TV supports HDMI CEC, and a dedicated remote control is included as well. Vinyl listeners get a moving magnet phono stage, which can be switched to a regular line-level input for other analogue sources. There is an optical digital input, plus a USB input that accepts audio up to 24-bit/96 kHz from a computer, Mac or streamer, along with a dedicated subwoofer output and Bluetooth aptX. Streaming support covers the usual platforms, including Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and Amazon HD.

A USB input is not always offered at this price point, so its inclusion is worth noting for anyone with a local music library. The DCB41 sits in the same territory as other compact powered speakers from established speaker brands, which makes the final UK pricing worth watching.

PSB Alpha iQ

PSB’s Alpha iQ speakers are built to bridge the gap between lifestyle systems and hi-fi stereo. They go on sale online from 19 October, with stock expected to reach retailers in late November, priced at £1,299 in satin black and satin white finishes.

This is not simply a powered speaker but a proper active DSP design. Rather than a passive crossover, frequencies are divided by the DSP engine, and each driver has its own dedicated amplifier: 60 watts of Class D power for each woofer and 30 watts for each tweeter. The DSP approach should deliver more bass output and extension than a four-inch polypropylene mid-bass driver would ordinarily manage, while the 0.75-inch aluminium dome tweeter sits in a waveguide to achieve better integration with the larger driver.

There is no wired connection between the primary and secondary speaker. The wireless link is reported by PSB to have low latency, so lip sync issues should not appear when watching television.

On the input side, the Alpha iQ includes a moving magnet phono stage, HDMI ARC, optical digital and analogue 3.5 mm auxiliary inputs, plus an ethernet port, Wi-Fi and a USB port for music stored on external drives. Bluetooth aptX HD and Apple AirPlay 2 handle direct streaming, and the BluOS streaming module from sister company Bluesound is built in, giving access to one of the most polished streaming platforms in the category.

Overall Buying Advice

The Exposure 3510 separates make the most sense for listeners who already value Exposure’s approach to circuit design. The pre-amplifier and stereo power amplifier are a straightforward pairing at £1,590 each, while the monoblocks target buyers who want the 5010 circuit architecture without the £5,500 outlay. Choosing between them comes down to whether balanced XLR inputs and a monoblock layout matter more than the extra 10 watts per channel the stereo power amplifier offers.

For the powered speakers, the decision is simpler. The Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 sits at a lower price, uses a wired connection to the second cabinet and covers a broad set of inputs. The PSB Alpha iQ costs considerably more but adds active DSP, dedicated amplification for each driver, a wireless link between cabinets and BluOS streaming.

Anyone who wants a compact system covering television, turntable and streaming without a rack of components will find both speakers relevant. The choice rests on budget and on how much weight to give the streaming platform and the active design.

Conclusion

The 3510 series gives Exposure a coherent set of separates with clear roles: a flexible pre-amplifier, a 110 watt stereo power amplifier that doubles as a bi-amping route, and a pair of monoblocks that borrow their circuit from the range-topping 5010 series at roughly half the price of that flagship pair.

On the speaker side, the Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 looks like a well-connected entry point for a compact system, while the PSB Alpha iQ pushes further with active DSP, per-driver amplification and BluOS streaming for under £1,300.

If you are assembling a system this autumn, the useful question is not which product is best in isolation, but which one matches the sources you actually use and the space you have for them.