Experiencing Jamo c803 and Monitor Audio gold GX50 and ELAC 184

lucksin

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Sharing my experience on auditioning Three speakers

1. Jamo C 803
2. Monitor Audio Gold GX50 and
3. ELAC 184

I started looking for my HT setup and have been on run from one showroom to another since last around 3 weeks trying to finalize front pair of bookshelf with a decent budget. after listening to few brands i straight away write of warfedale, klipsh, focal.

I am a complete novice, a lay man when it comes to sound. The best i have listened to is sennheiser PX 100 classic (Headphone) which still stands as a benchmark. i brought and broke 2 of them and the new one i tried in India were not as good comparatively. so for me i never know what soundstage was and how can different brand of amp can can completely change the sound signature of same speaker. Anyhow here is the tale and overall experience.

1. Monitor Audio Gold GX 50 : I went to get audition for MA and right from the moment i entered the place it was a pleasurable experience. The ambience was warm and people even warmer. they took care of every single query of mine however small or irrelevant it was. Speakers themselves were very small and with glossy finish gorgeous looking bookshelf. I auditioned many track on 2 different speakers(gold and bronze BX2). what amazed me more than speakers were, the etiquette with which these gadgets were handled. office boy wearing proper gloves placed the speakers/AVR on stand with utmost care. I really appreciate how respectfully these gadgets were taken care. Anyways, back to sound the monitors were plugged to Marantz AVR 7007 in stereo mode. I requested the track from barfi "main Kya karu" and the moment vocals started to come out i was in love with it. Clear, Transparent and totally controlled is how i would describe. close your eyes and you might just find yourself sitting in a recording room listening to it live. as we started proceeding further with other tracks including dire strait' sultans of swings the guitar strings were very well articulated and it was sharp and clear. even the very minor screeching sound on strings could be heard but somehow it missed on to Mid front. Lower end of bass was completely missing to say it, it was non existent. even though it was missing bass the driver seems fast and capable of reproducing fast drums perfectly. every single musical instrument could be heard so easily and it looked like as if they have a space of their own in air. On listening to summer of 69, it become a little muddier if i may say. i felt a little chaotic listening to it. after around two hours i left with a very good taste of sound and even beautiful taste of hospitality and patience but still wanting more from the bass end.

2. Jamo Concert series : I was booked for an audition of C 803. i have almost always heard good things for Jamo concert series. though i never got to hear them in flesh and blood. The place seems old with old carpet and with floor standers all around giving a sense of cluttery ness. The moment i entered the place i saw the bookshelf i was suppose to audition they being kept on another floor stander. not sweet at all. i couldn't stop myself comparing my previous day experience with monitors. how dutiful these things were handled. but in here they were just an object in a showroom. ready to be sold. We started with audition and Jamo's were clubbed to Denon integrated amp PMA 1001(not sure). Initially without a sub with just Jamo placed randomly on top. And we started with Hotel California. since i wasn't carrying my USB i had no songs to compare it with MA. and the showroom had only 1 good CD "Eagles". so we started and after that it was one of the most beautiful hour of my non musical life. The speakers were so musical. complete and relaxed. listening to them were like relaxing my brain. the vocals were deep not as smooth as MA but they were in a league of their own. i never knew what laid back sound is when i used to read in this forum when people used to say the sound is laid back. Now i know what they meant. The speakers themselves were Big in comparison. and with even bigger sound. close your eyes and one can mistake it for a much bigger loudspeaker(i guess thats what it called bigger soundstage). later in audition i requested a sub to be attached. since there was only one CD we played Hotel California once again and the room was alive. it was 'magnificent' listening to these speakers. Jamo's are easily in the category of producing Royal sound. They don't seem to be very fast speakers as MA but i can feel they were work horse. with whatever limited tracks we had with us we tested vocal and there was a sense of depth to the voice. i literally miss listening to Jagjit Singh and i couldn't stop wondering what sound they might just create. i also had a chance to audition C 809 FS and comparing side by side with 803 the Mids and the highs were exactly same as compared to younger sibling the only different being the bass since FS have tremendous amount of bass in them. I am no more a Bass Head so 803 checks all the marks. calm and pleasant, which one can come home to every single day.

Yet i couldn't stop my self missing the smoothness of GX50. sharp yet not razor sharp, smooth yet now slippery. only if these highs clubbed with Jamo's depth could be brought together !! I wish. A perfect world. Later i tried Jamo with an AVR this time 7005 and it was simply pathetic. suddenly there was no liveliness in music it was dull boring and missed something. i asked it to be plugged with a sub and even the sub started farting. i was in a shock. i guess AVR can never compete with an Integrated amp. i literally had to request them to play some songs on denon amp again just to get back to being sane again. They are like the muscle cars of 1960 made modern.

3. ELAC : i read somewhere about ELAC being premium german engineering and frankly i am a fan of german engineering so thought of giving it a shot. have personally worked with germans so i know how they work towards perfection. The showroom was small and OK looking with sales person being completely unaware of what is being sold in it. i literally had to ask them to show me the best speaker they have and then they demoed me ELAC 184. requested them to club with Amp since Onkyo since brand they keep. again i was not carrying my collection so asked them to play whatever they have and they started with mixed Bollywood. it took me only 2 mins to completely reject the speakers. they were just bad. i started to make my move out of the showroom and luckily i just went closer to the speaker out of curiosity as to how come a 40 grand speaker can sound so bad and figured there was sound dampening foam on back port blocking air and sound. i asked them to remove it and play songs again which they did and everything changed from there on. the sounded smooth same as MA. the vocals were nearly identical to MA's vocal with a punchy mids and some Bass. i listening to 3-4 numbers and liked them. For the price they are very very good. the sound stage is big. but somehow it still feels something was missing. provided i was there in the range of 40k i would have undoubtedly brought them over that very same minute but after listening to jamo and monitor it somehow faded. i don't know why i want to love these speakers but yet i cannot come to an understanding with my own self. so i guess i would pass them for now.


And now i find myself confused between Jamo and MA and i just cant think clear and in a single way about which one to buy. i am still trying to demo few more brands this week. I am hoping to find a better speaker in my price range if not then i will be completely confused between the two. Also after listening to integrated stereo amp i don't want to go AVR way and without an AVR there can never be a home theater.

any suggestion on what to do.. for both speakers and Amp/AVR
 
Nice review. Expecting more speakers reviewed.

If possible, , please mention the cost of speakers too.
 
You had some experiences of lifetime. AVRs are crappiest possible thing for music.
Laid back sound is one signature that some likes and some don't. But people who like laid back can never settle for an upfront speaker.
Magical liquid mids and big deep and wide soundstage is addiction. You can't do without it once you have experienced it.

Wish you could get to hear some old B&W models. I am quite surprised that you didn't like Focal. I am sure this is due to some faulty presentation from showroom guys.

I would humbly suggest you to listen to b&w and dynaudio before finalising.
 
Hi Joyous : Thanks will update this as soon as i audition more. the price for speakers quoted(all in INR) are :

Jamo C 803 : 80,000
Monitor Audio : 81,000
ELAC : 38,000 after discount (48,000 MRP)
Marantz 7007 : 1,14,000
Marantz 5007 : 56,000
Denon integrated amp : 64,000

Koushik : Yes it was indeed one experience, specially when i got to hear 5 Jamo floor standers one after another with same track with just a flick of a button :). all of them including the bookshelf they carry the same signature sound but the lows differ a lot. my only apprehension for jamo's are that they are made in China.

Infact i myself have started liking the laid back sound. Regarding Focul, i heard them in Dubai 3 months back and frankly there was nothing interesting about them. it might be cause the sharaf DG had a sale going on and the audition were in a big hall. i will give them a try again if i can figure where can i get an audition here in Delhi and same goes for B&W i am not aware who sells B&W here in delhi.

can anyone help me point who all stocks Focal, B&W and dynaudio. since last three weekend i have been moving from one place to another my wife has started complaining about it as weekdays i am working and now on weekends i am out for whole day. so i would take this weekend out as well(somehow) and will finalize it as otherwise i will get an ultimatum from my family :d
 
The GX50s were paired with an AVR where as the Jamos were paired with an Amp. So i feel its not a fair comparison for the GX 50s.

Also if you want more bass on GX and if you can slightly increase the budget go for GX100. They have a larger driver.
 
The GX50s were paired with an AVR where as the Jamos were paired with an Amp. So i feel its not a fair comparison for the GX 50s.

Also if you want more bass on GX and if you can slightly increase the budget go for GX100. They have a larger driver.

if possible carry your amp and audition them with that. as said above, AVR's are not the right ones for listening to music and at the range you are looking at the impact of a quality amp will be felt more.
 
arj : i am going to audition them once again, all on integrated amp. unfortunately i do not have an integrated amp with me since i am in the market for it as well.

Jagdish, i accept it wasn't a fair comparison i will visit with my collection once again and will demo. GX100 is beyond my budget. i was quoted 1,28,000 or around this price. i will also demo B&W this week. and dynaudio if i can figure where to audition them.
 
There are others in this range you could try and listen to
Quad, Epos , Spendor . ATC, Proac and Usher are 2 other speakers as well you can think of..although i am out of sync with the prices these days

For me the top preference would be an ATC if i were to get in your price range. Epos and spendor are other brands you must hear.

you will not go wrong with any choice as the imp thing is to match it to the right amp (and dont discount the need for a good stand)
 
Any specific reason for looking at only bookshelves - yes they give the best SQ for a given budget. But since you expressed the need for more Bass I was wondering if a Floor stander will suit your needs better.
 
arj : i have already demoed Quad couple of months back, but somehow i felt something was missing and hence i am not looking at quad. I have heard the ATC need much higher source of amplification that would add to amp cost. i am currently looking to buy a Mid range amp and later add a mono block(thinking of cyrus). rest of the brand i will have to do some research where to audition them. I totally agree to last point you mentioned combination is a must.

Jagdish : i am looking at bookshelf as i have constrain in space since i am going to place them in a 19x11 living room. i barely have space enough for speakers since i have bookshelf(for my books ;) ) and to be frank its the center of my house so it actually acts like a passage to other areas of my house including kitchen, parents room, my room and a balcony. However i listened to Sonus Faber today and they were very good but frankly not that good for the price point(1.5L). i am told to audition toy towers from SF which i will do this weekend. now toy towers are sleek and very neutral sounding towers and hence inclined to audition them.

i also auditioned B&W 685 today but i guess i was hungover with sonus faber so dint quite like it infact i like jamo C803 just a bit better then 685. also to add B&W were already broke in whereas jamo's were not.

i do not like too much bass that is the reason klipsh and focul are out from the list. i just like the depth that the bass creates in sound which not every speaker can do to my taste. Jamo's certainly did and so does sonus faber. but sonus were clubbed to 250 Watt mono block and pre DAC. i played them over rotel and the sound died same goes for peach tree hybrid of tube and mono block. The Cyrus were one hell of an amplification. the next upgrade which will be soon will be cyrus no matter what that much how i likes them.

will write todays experience for sonus faber and B&W tomorrow since i have to go and sit for dinner with family and my wife is yelling. plus i dont want to miss the cheese cake that i brought ;)
 
ATC SCM11 are 1.1L and yes, amplification adds significantly to over all budget for them. ProAcs Studio 115 were 1.15L almost a yr back and would be priced crazy rt now. I have almost stepped of the ProAc bandwagon due to the crazy prices. But they are easier to drive than ATC.
 
A lot depends on the place you are auditioning the speakers. I always suggest auditioning the speakers at one location if possible.

Room acoustics, placement of speakers, presence of speakers have the biggest impact on how the speakers sound in showrooms rather than the speakers themselves, Amps/AVRs used, frontend etc...
 
arj :
Jagdish : i am looking at bookshelf as i have constrain in space since i am going to place them in a 19x11 living room. i barely have space enough for speakers since i have bookshelf(for my books ;) ) and to be frank its the center of my house so it actually acts like a passage to other areas of my house including kitchen, parents room, my room and a balcony.

A word of caution most of the high end so called bookshelf speakers are actually stand mounts and will not perform well if placed on book shelf !

They need space all around for bringing out the sound quality
 
Milestoneseeker : apparently that is the only reason putting me off ATC, however i am still trying to get hold of someone how deals in ATC. If PRoAcs were 1.15 a year back i am sure they will be around 1.5 now and with the sliding rupee i might not want to get into that territory just yet.

Shivam : auditioning speakers at one place seems a distance dream since no one will travel from their showroom to my place caring 30KG speakers and if they start doing that everyone would want that. I am sure moving high sensetive speakers every day is not a good idea. so i give it to them on this part. however everyone has now a days have tried creating a normal listening environment barring few which are designed for a theater but they still give audition for BS as well. I guess i have to take this much chance with my purchase after auditioning them and rely on my ears.

Jagdish : i have buffered few grands for stand. I am 100% getting a stand for my BS, i am not going to place my speakers just anywhere. i will try to post a bird eye view of my room. you can see where i tend to place them. the listening distance will be around 8ft if not more.
 
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Milestoneseeker : apparently that is the only reason putting me off ATC, however i am still trying to get hold of someone how deals in ATC. If PRoAcs were 1.15 a year back i am sure they will be around 1.5 now and with the sliding rupee i might not want to get into that territory just yet.

.
Isn't there a used pair of proac FS speaker for sale here ?
 
Isn't there a used pair of proac FS speaker for sale here ?

I remember reading Studio 140s being available from someone in the recent past but the real meat lies in Response series. D2s come highly recommended as stand mounts. I believe they are upwards of 2L as D18s were 2.7L a couple of months back :sad:
 
arj : i tried looking for them in classified section but couldnt find any.. infact i am still going time to time if incase i might just get some good speakers which are affordable at my price point for second hand's

milestoneseeker : 2.7L .. wish i could spare that much stash just for speakers.. may be in near future who know. sonus faber are 1.4L and i am seriously contemplating going for them but something is also pulling me towards Jamo.. i think its the laid back characteristic.. and also to the fact how would they perform once married to better amplification.. going to audition Dali this week as well..i guess they are in Noida.
 
Regardless of what people say about auditioning, it is of no use especially in our situation.
Each and every room has its own sound signature. Our own audio memory is very short and tends to be exaggerated.

I had read and auditioned Wharfedale 10 series and NAD and everyone was against the combination. It sounded dull in the showroom where I heard it. Later I bought it and in my room it really was superb.
Heard NAD with PSB speakers in Delhi and was impressed by them. Heard the same combination at a friend's house and the bass was very over-powering.
Tried Parasound amp with Definitive speakers at another friend's house and the same combination in my house sounded terrible.
Tried Marantz amplification with Definitive speakers and the sound was excellent in one place. After a day I again heard the same system and found it terrible with midrange.

I can can go on and on. My suggestion is to borrow a system from a friend and listen to it in your room. You will understand the difference in sound quality. Running around will just make you loose money.

Go for a blind purchase ? Yes if you can afford to experiment and sell. No, if you can't do that. In that case, try to learn about the sound in your room and then buy a system and acoustic treatment as per your requirements.

A very live but small room will prefer a laid back bookshelf. A largish dull room might do well with bright floor standers. A squarish room might be happy with rear bass ports with speakers well in the room. Somewhere else you might require speakers near the walls with front or side firing bass port/drivers.
 
arj : i tried looking for them in classified section but couldnt find any.. infact i am still going time to time if incase i might just get some good speakers which are affordable at my price point for second hand's

milestoneseeker : 2.7L .. wish i could spare that much stash just for speakers.. may be in near future who know. sonus faber are 1.4L and i am seriously contemplating going for them but something is also pulling me towards Jamo.. i think its the laid back characteristic.. and also to the fact how would they perform once married to better amplification.. going to audition Dali this week as well..i guess they are in Noida.

See these -

http://www.hifivision.com/sale-owner/45922-proac-studio-140-mk2-speakers.html
 
arj : i tried looking for them in classified section but couldnt find any.. infact i am still going time to time if incase i might just get some good speakers which are affordable at my price point for second hand's

milestoneseeker : 2.7L .. wish i could spare that much stash just for speakers.. may be in near future who know. sonus faber are 1.4L and i am seriously contemplating going for them but something is also pulling me towards Jamo.. i think its the laid back characteristic.. and also to the fact how would they perform once married to better amplification.. going to audition Dali this week as well..i guess they are in Noida.

sonus fabers..are keepers. i have not heard the new ones, but till now every one i have heard i have been impressed...just that you need to give them the right amplification in quality. they can get too laidback with warmish amps..at least the models i have heard in the past.
they also retain good value during a resale
 
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