Jamo E670 Auditioned, Please read this.....

Abhi,

1) avoid any dealer who says a mass market avr would beat an audiophile stereo amp(depends which amps you are refering to)

2) The 5 yr warranties given by jamo are very enticing. Wonder if your dealer is passing on those warranties to you.

3)Wait for the wharfedale diamond 9's. Their floorstander I was told goes for 28k.

4) Go to a dealer who knows his onions !

Manek.

Abhi,
go for speakers which do it for you...thats what music is all about. Before you take a decision be very sure of it as you are going to read thousands of reviews and hear many more saying what they feel about speakers and that does tend to affect you.
if you are not sure, build it step by step by getting components you are really sure of forst and saving up for the others..

BTW, I chose a speaker (Klipsch RF3II) after 3 months of auditions..and felt they were the best for me..there are oppsing views on Horn speakers but i felt they played by music the best and am happy with them. onece I had them i just built the rest of the system around them.

Very much agree with maneks views..there are wise words there.

Although I am personally not sure if Sonodyne is able to give the midrange the Jamos would be able to give..and the beauty of music is all in the midrange

Hi! Abhi
Looks like ur totally confused and getting more confused dude.

You have not followed my advice! Just buy what you like. Period Especially in ur budget.

When you can afford a Maruthi, no use you going for a test drive of a MERC, as then you will never buy the Maruthi. Get it. Hurry up and buy ur system & dont repent or look back.

Rgds

Prithvi

arj,

You are right.....the sonodyne midrange is not quite upto the mark compared to he wharfies, ....and you are right, the magic is in the midrange, always was, always will be.

Manek.

Hi Abhi pani,

I suggest you have a good look at what's at Absolute phase and if you intend to cough up 50 - 70 k .pritvi has something beautiful to offer .forget the floor standers .Listen to Dynaudio's and you'll be surprised as to how much tech is packed into these beautiful book shelves.and the stands made by murthy at 10k is just superb.

hi abhi,

check out the diamond 9.1s before you decide. available with designer audio. designer-audio.com. and apparently they're selling like hotcakes! call them up they've got a branch in bangalore infantry road somewhere. i'm planning to shift there myself so will be visiting them when i'm down.

i was bang against wharfedale cos it sounded like a cheapo brand and left it among the last to audition but i was quite won over by the sound. the only negative i could pick out was it was a tad laidback. wonderful value for money! lovely wide soundstage quite deep and typical british sound. these were only the second brand after cadence that made me want to play more cds. and thats a test i think you should go by..

go by your ears and what you like. every speaker has its own drawbacks. buy a pair of speakers whose drawbacks are in areas least important to you. so if huge bass is not on your list of desirable qualities and if you find a bookshelf that doesnt deliver huge bass but has other qualities you like, like soundstage, imaging, airy sound. then you're more likely to like the speaker and be comfortable with the drawback.

by the way i liked the 9.1s much better than the 28k 9.5 floorstanders. personal opinion for what its worth.

Hi All,
Thanks for your instant replies...BTW no one mentioned about the performance of Jamo in detail Especially this model E670 ? Has anyone auditioned Jamo speakers while there Hi-End hunt journey ? I could listen to those speakers only for 15 mins (Thanks to the Store guys for their patience ) and that too without my test CDs . But those 15 mins were great for me especially when I knew that if I could stretch my current budget by 10k I could get these . So guys please throw some more light on the specs of these speakers .

As for Prithvi's advice, its good to know that you dont want me to be confused and stay away from my goody goody system for long time but you see if you are thinking about a Maruti, you can always test ride a Santro to see whether it is worth spending that extra buck over Maruti or not (most of the people who have a bit flexible budget do it), especially so when you have all sorts of Offers and Finance scheme available around you .
Moreover Prithvi, for me my floorstanders will be the most important, valuable, attractive,... component of my total setup (which I am building up right now) so I can spare a few extra bucks and cut down on other components or else wait and save for the least priority component but but but I dont want to buy anything in a hurry thinking that I may be confused if I see a lot of stuff. Actually I like shopping in this manner, going from one shop to another (sometimes it takes weeks for me to select a decent Jacket of my choice) and choosing the best one that suits me (even at a higher price) . Now its a matter for thousands of bucks and a matter of my taste, if I have to do justice to both then I have to spare time and patience. But yes, I am not in the process of auditioning enything and everything but I will surely not leave any stone unturned before I go for the final purchase . Ok now Prithivi, have you seen the speakers I have mentioned in this posting ? If yes, then please let me know what you have to say, for 42k is it worth buying or you suggest something else ? I know you dont do low end but in your journey of High-End products you might have come across this product or its just higher siblings.

Thanks Sub-Boss,
I would definitely visit Prithvi's place very soon but I dont think I will be sparing 50k - 70k for speakers, the Jamos I have mentioned is 42K and that is almost closest to the Tissue-Tearing limit of my Budget (for Towers) so there is no point discussing about above 50k stuff but yes I will surely listen to them and other high ends so that I dream about them in future and that will inspire me to save for them . But for now tell me something within 40k range that can beat the Jamo E670. Have anyone of you auditioned them ?

E670 fr 42K ? wait a minite,,, I thought the E855 were 42K are are much better than the E670.

did you hear the jamo E855 ? much better speaker to my ears !

Manek.

Manek,
What is the price of E855 ?

Abhi.Pani
what kind of music do you listen to?

Krishnan

as i mentioned before, the e855 were around 42k-43k. Thats what I was told by the jamo guys a few months ago. They are definately far better than the e670.

Nice looking...and nice sounding..... ! what amp do you plan to use with the speakers you buy..any idea abhi ?


manek.

May the Force be with you too Manek.

Abhi,

Since you are in Bangalore. There is Jamo showroom Cinebels. I think it's in Millers Road if I am not mistaken. Otherwise the closest land mark I can give is Wockhardt Hospital . You have to take a right from the Junction before Wockhardt Hospital.

They are quite helpful and they have a full fledged Demo Setup

Best regards
Deepu

Abhi,

Let me share some of the information that I have gathered in my hunt for good floorstanders:

1. Places like Modern World are no good. (I started my search there as well )

2. Jamo has a showroom - Cinebels - at the end of Cunnigham Road/Millers Road crossing. Dinesh is the manager and is very helpful about demos etc.

They are planning to introduce the new range of Jamo speakers - E6 and E7 series. Suggest you spead sometime on the jamo website. Most of the older models are being phased out.

I found that the Jamo 3 way designs are better for clarity compared to their 2.5 way designs. But watch out since some of them are 4 ohms.

3. Dali - another danish brand which is beginning to make its presence felt in India. They have a floorstander model called Concept 6 (around 30k) which has got good reviews. I am plannin to go and listen to them soon. There is a dealer called Pro Audio on St.Marks Rd near the old Mainland China joint.

4. Besides the Diamonds, Wharfedales also make the Evolution series which is expensive but good. Their sister concern makes the Quad speakers. In summary - Wharfedale is a good brand!

Have fun and keep us updated on the reviews!!

Cheers
Joy

how true..joy in hifi....modern world has one hell of a sickest guy who's incharge of the audio stuff at 1st floor. He feels he's doing us a favour by giving a half minute demo.....bugger i would've slapped him on his chest and choked him when he tried looking away when my friend was enquiring. if these clowns behave the same way they would be begging on roads in a short while.......or i feel it's not at all a place for us.. ;)c'mon guys we are shelling thousands and these guys can't talk to a customer and the first big fart which comes out of his mouth is output and next comes price....any technical queries he puts up such an expression where you feel he has been made to eat shit....they have solid margins in hifi components...........

Yes guys it was mistake that I had been to Modern World but it was a sweet mistake as it helped me introduce to a good product which I can buy if I try . But anyway, I know about the Cinebels and had already planned to be there next week. Actually I was avoiding Cinebels because I had an impression that Jamos are very expensive and will be way above my budget for a decent pair of floorstanders but I think I should have given it a try long before...

Manek,
Most probably I will be playing these speakers with a good Stereo amp, the hunt for which is yet to begin but most probably it will be like the Cambridge Audio/NAD/HK kind of stuff but not very high end, pricing around 20k.
I will check out E855 as you say, lets see how it performs to my ears. Basically what are strengths of Jamos?

jamo strengths are looks, HT, music in that order. being scandinavian(some of them made in china) they have very good looks....more of a lifestyle product but they have a few speakers which sound as good as they look. E855 is one of them.

manek.

Manek,
Did you audition the E670 thoroughly ? What is your clear opinion on them ?

yes sir....I've heard them a couple of times at jamo shop bombay...E850/E855 are better in every way to my ears.

manek.

Great....I will audition them this weekend pacca....
I will also have an idea about your taste....

Manek,
BTW did it sound harsh to you (E670), what is it do you think it lacked ? Jus to know your opinion on them

Krish,
I listen almost all kinds of music (English, Hindi etc) except for Jazz, Classic, Country stuffs. I dont feel shy saying that I love great Technos and Trance too. Normally I listen to Rock, Pop, Reggae...stuff....

I found it boomy in the bass.....lacked a convincing midrange for my kind of music. A bit of more boom and tizz and less of the midrange

Instrument timbre was also not upto scratch....piano sounded like a synthesizer. Did'nt like the overall tone of the speakers as well.

I assume it would be good for rock/pop/indipop/trance etc but not for the jazz and classical I like to listen to.

E855 are far smoother in their presentation, good construction, nicer midrange....better tonally balanced overall.

if you really want an idea on my taste in sound then hear the cadence arita or the avita....they will point you in the direction of sound my humble ears crave for

manek.

Yah, I will surely look into the Cadence, not just to know your taste but also to see if it fits in my budget and taste...Anyway now that you know the kind of music I listen to, how far do you think the E850/855 will perform for this kind of music ?? I have seen a few speakers (not from Jamos stable) which are recommended mainly for people who listen to Jazz and classics but I find them high on midrange. I dont know but maybe thats my illusion. Anyway I will surely look at E855 since you rate them so high above E670.....

As I mentioned before, for Jazz and Classical, the midrange is extremely critical. Cant impress upon you enough how much the midrange means to me for my kind of music.
It does not have to be overly accentuated in the midrange, just a good clean midrange with maybe a slight emphasis on it....a touch of warmth...is what I like.

My ears tell me the E855 will drfinately beat the E670 but then I'm not the one who is buying them, you are so go with your ears.

Secondly do an AB comparo using the same set of cdp, amp and cables in the same shop with the same music....

manek.

Abhi,

Another point regarding the amplifier - a lot of folks like to get that first and then audition the various speakers.

From a logistics point of view its easier to cart around the amp. rather than 2 15kg floorstanders.

I am solidly in favour of the NAD 320BEE. Its a great amp. and more musical than the competition.
If you are looking for more power than go for the NAD 352 which will provide better control of the larger floorstanders plus option of 2 speakers.

But you won't be able to get any NADs in Bangalore easily.

Btw you can also listen to the KEF Q4 at Pro FX. There is a possibility that they may drop the price to around 30K especially if you buy the amp. (Denon) from them. The KEFs are a little bright for my ears - so I am steering clear of them.

Acoustic Energy Evo 3 is also another good speaker.

Cheers
Joy

Hi Abhi,

Am new to this forum but have read your posts with interest as you remind me of what I went through when I was first initiated into hi-fi some 15 years ago, and do so even now, whenever I feel the urge to upgrade.

The most sensible thing to do first is to fix your budget; for only then will you be able to compare apples to apples. There is a vast ocean, in terms of what is available to you, out there, you could get a decent sounding system consisting of separates for as little as 40K or go to the other extreme at 2 crores and beyond, with a multitude of levels in between. Also, the audio field nowadays is so intensely competitive, you can not really compare something costing ‘x’ to something costing ‘2 times x’. I am talking general here, and not specifically about Sonodyne or Jamo. The general rule is that, expensive gear contains more expensive (read better) components than the cheaper gear and therefore sounds better, because the more expensive components preserve the purity of the signal better. Also, a lot more man-hours would have gone into the designing / testing of the more expensive gear, logically rendering it a better product. Of course, some companies have grown extremely rich by palming off substandard stuff at ridiculously high prices purely on marketing hype in the past, but with the advent of internet, and the easy exchange of information across the globe, it has become difficult to do so any longer, and these companies would be getting butchered now.

So fix up your budget first and then look for whatever sounds best to you, at that price point. Taking up the analogy given by Prithvi earlier, if your budget allows you only a Maruti, you are not only wasting your time test-driving Mercs, but also heading towards major disappointment with what you will eventually end up owning. Conversely however, if your budget allows you to buy a Camry, if not a Merc, would a Maruti keep you satisfied for any length of time? You would keep having second thoughts about your purchase.

Coming to specifics, although they don’t come cheap, Dynaudio makes fantastic speakers. You may find, as so many accredited international reviewers have, their smallest models (Audience 42 / 52) knock the socks off the bigger and more impressive looking floor-standers from many other manufacturers. I don’t know what they cost in India, but that would probably be my starting point for speakers. Proac is another excellent make. Paradigm, though relatively unknown in India, offers terrific value for money, as does PSB. To answer your question on the performance of the Jamos, I haven’t heard the models you mention, so cannot really help you there, but the only Jamos I liked were the Concert 8s and the Concert 11s, and they cost a bomb. However, IMHO, Jamos wouldn’t give me much pride of ownership, I am afraid.

But, don’t rush, take your time, read as many reviews and audition as many speakers as you can before you decide what sounds best to your ears. In the end the speakers have to satisfy YOU and not anyone else.

BTW, what source and amp are you using?

Hi Manek,
were these broken in ?

regards

Manek schrieb:

I found it boomy in the bass.....lacked a convincing midrange for my kind of music. A bit of more boom and tizz and less of the midrange Instrument timbre was also not upto scratch....piano sounded like a synthesizer. Did'nt like the overall tone of the speakers as well. I assume it would be good for rock/pop/indipop/trance etc but not for the jazz and classical I like to listen to. E855 are far smoother in their presentation, good construction, nicer midrange....better tonally balanced overall. if you really want an idea on my taste in sound then hear the cadence arita or the avita....they will point you in the direction of sound my humble ears crave for manek.

was told they were broken in and was told the e855 were too...they were demo models, on demo for quite a while. The difference was night and day...both played thru the denon 1500 stereo amp.

Either way, the e855 according to jamo guys also is a bit more expensive than the e670 and a better speaker....and I found it to be so.....To my mind the jamo range starts to get interesting for stereo from E855 onwards....

Ofcourse I do love the D870(their top of the line model). Its a special speaker.

manek.

Agree witrh you on the 870..was than not called the Concert 11 earlier ?
I have heard a Concert8 (Bookshelf) with modded crossovers and it had a wonderful modrange and a very strong Bass response., especially for a bookshelf.

Good Morning All,
Manek, what is "AB comparo" ?

Big-Ears, Thanks for your suggstion Where are you based at right now ?

Joy, I have seen the KEF Q5 and Q7 and liked Q7 a lot more than Q5. But the Q5 itself is priced at 50k so I forgot about Q7 . Anyway I would look at Q4 also. I also want to know whether all the CODA models have side firing woofers ? (I dont like side firing woofers)

abhi.pani,
I listen to wide spectrum of music myself and it is my impression that there are not very many brands out there, that I know of, which will do complete and equal justice to the entire range from the purely accoustic music to electronica.

It's a bit like searching for the Holy Grail.

I'm told Theil is one such Brand.I have not heard one myself, though.

Cheers
Krishnan

Abhi.pani
I know the rest of the gang will take umbrage, but why don't you audition JBLs.They might just do the trick for you.

Cheers
krishnan

Lots of spekers which can do the whole thang !

Theils definitely nice but a bit difficult to drive. But look beautiful and have a very neutra midrange

Other speakers which do all sorts of music pretty well are-Dynaudio, B&W (700 series ), PMC, Totem, Revel, Vandersteen, Audio Note, Klipsch reference,Paradigm, Elac,Living Voice .. and so many more !

Hi Abhi,

Most welcome. I am in the Gulf right now. You can even check out the Infinity Primus range.

I know that and I have already gone for one round of audition First of all I didnt carry my
CDS that was my greatest blunder ( those people hardly had any good CDS for audition), also they didnt have the S310 and S312 (supposed to be good) models on display, they have committed that they will have it this weekend for me to audition. I did audition their other towers the E50, E60, E70 models, They seemed somewhat harsh to me though the Bass depth was there as well as good HF but overall didnt sound smooth (with an HK stereo Amp). Though the song played was in itself quite noisy (Brick on the wall by Pink Floyd) but then it should have been so harsh I didnt feel like listening to the song after 10 mins of continuous play....I will be going this weekend again to audition their S310 and 312 models....Any idea about these models, any experiences ????

I dont know, even if JBLs are priced in the above 35k range and a good brand overall and also not chinese even then their speakers didnt sound that high-end kinds ? As if some careless designer has forgot to remove the harshness from them, is it because of their CrossOvers ??? They look so good and also give an impression of mind blowing performance and also sound loud but seems good more for Party environment rather than Home.......

JBLs give a better performance with Tubes as they are with goodsensitivity. They should good with Warmer amps and hence the NAD320 should be better with them.

HK had some old classic amps, but these days they are not very hot on the stereo side of things as they are more focussed on HT.

YOu will find JBLs generally being demoed with JBLs as they belong to the same Group (Harman International which also owns Infonity, Revel & Lexion !), but that is not necessarily the best choice.

Arj,
I do agree.But then if sub kuch mangta to top dollar bhi lagta.

BTW are PMC, Totem, Revel, Vandersteen, Audio Note, Paradigm, Elac,Living Voice available in B'bay ?

K

Audio note cdp's and dac are available in pune. speakers..no.

manek.

Where is Klipsch available in Bangalore ? Any ideas ?

Unfortunately dont know much about the India scene..I heard all of these in Singapore which has all these speakers in One Big mart !

Krish schrieb:

Arj, I do agree.But then if sub kuch mangta to top dollar bhi lagta. BTW are PMC, Totem, Revel, Vandersteen, Audio Note, Paradigm, Elac,Living Voice available in B'bay ? K

the last i heard dealer/distributor for klipsch in india was Shemaroo.

manek.

Hello Abhi,
I had been to Cinebels showroom in bangalore. Met one person
stephen there. These guys were just too good when it comes to customer service. My budget is very tight so decided not to over board with the total budget. Here is my configuration.

Jamo E6 series - center, surrounds
Jamo E8 series - sub
Jamo E570 floorstanders

Iam plannin to buys this setup by this month. They recomend the Denon 1705 for this setup which Iam not really in for. I came across a lot of good reviews on the yamaha range of receivers. On the other hand I do not know how many ohms these speakers carry, i need to check on that too. guys suggest a good amp for the above setup and also your comments on my setup.

- vikram

hi,

am new to this forum. Heard a lot of brands being evaluated. But no Tannoys were mentioned. Had a chance to listen to Tannoy Fusion 4 with NAD 320BEE. Thought they sounded crisp and clean. What do you people think