budget speakers? Jamo or Energy?

[gistwaterboy]

Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of setting up a budget audio system for the purposes of 80% music and 20% movies.
I will be playing this in a small to mid sized room though a yamaha RXV 1900 or similar (yet to purchase).
I like a bright kind of sound (but not too harsh) with tight bass and I listen to a wide range of music.

I am currently trying to decide what fronts (floorstanding and centre) and sub to purchase.

I am currently looking at either the Jamo c605 with c60 and Jamo sub250 or
Energy c500 (or even the c300) with the matching centre and sub.

Or are there any other speakers that I should be cosidering? maybe Polk audio (the TS130 is in a similar price range)? Or also looking at mission M66i. Any comments?

Thanks in advance,
Ross.

[Geoffcin]

Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of setting up a budget audio system for the purposes of 80% music and 20% movies.
I will be playing this in a small to mid sized room though a yamaha RXV 1900 or similar (yet to purchase).
I like a bright kind of sound (but not too harsh) with tight bass and I listen to a wide range of music.

I am currently trying to decide what fronts (floorstanding and centre) and sub to purchase.

I am currently looking at either the Jamo c605 with c60 and Jamo sub250 or
Energy c500 (or even the c300) with the matching centre and sub.

Or are there any other speakers that I should be cosidering? maybe Polk audio (the TS130 is in a similar price range)? Or also looking at mission M66i. Any comments?

Thanks in advance,
Ross.

Hi Ross,

As budget systems go, I can't praise the Axiom systems enough. I've lived with them in several permutations and reviewed this one.

http://www.audioreview.com/AXIOMSURROUNDcrx.aspx http://www.audioreview.com/channels/audioreview/images/EpicGrandMasterV500CherryGrilleOff51.jpg



It could be exactly what your looking for!

[manlystanley]

Hi Everyone,

[SNIP]
I like a bright kind of sound (but not too harsh) with tight bass and I listen to a wide range of music.

I am currently looking at either the Jamo c605 with c60 and Jamo sub250 or
Energy c500 (or even the c300) with the matching centre and sub.
[SNIP]




Hello Ross,
I'm not sure if the Jamo's are right for you if you like a bright sound. While not dull, there are many other speakers that are more brighter. I got my Jamo's because they were not as bright (as say a B&W). In my room, with my equipment, and for my ears --> I love them!

I'd really suggest that you spend sometime going to various shops listening to various setups. I did for months and I learned a lot about my tastes.

Also, if you do get Jamos, I'd suggest that you pay a little more and get the C607's. You can get them for around $500 for the pair.


https://www.electrocloseout.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=JMC607BK


Best Regards,
Stan

[D. Paul Navigator]

I'm not sure where the bright Jamo evaluation came from unless someone is making that based on sound right out of the box. The woofers are stiff (rubber), and it does take 20-30 hours to limber them up a bit. Obviously, if the woofer is not up to speed the tweeter would be more audible, but that's a problem time takes care of. My feeling is that all good speakers take some break in time (Fluance has noted that with their Canadian speakers), but speakers are like wine, they mature with time.

[manlystanley]

I'm not sure where the bright Jamo evaluation came from unless someone is making that based on sound right out of the box. The woofers are stiff (rubber), and it does take 20-30 hours to limber them up a bit. Obviously, if the woofer is not up to speed the tweeter would be more audible, but that's a problem time takes care of. My feeling is that all good speakers take some break in time (Fluance has noted that with their Canadian speakers), but speakers are like wine, they mature with time.


I've had my Jamo 809's for about 2 months and have played them *A Lot*. The previous speakers that I had: B&W 684, B&W Nautilus 803, Magnepan 1.6's: in my room, with my equipment and my ears were too bright. Particularly the B&W 803's.

I like the Jamo's because there warmer and not fatiguing at all. But, with certain 'strongly dissonant' sound passages my Jamo 809's don't reproduce well. I've noticed this on 3 small passages of my many CD's.

In other words, when the musician wants to get a chalk board like grating sound across, the Jamo's mellow it out. Not a huge problem, just that they are warmer sounding.

So, the OP was saying that they wanted 'bright' speakers, and I assumed they wanted higher end full transparency.

Best Regards,
Stan

[gistwaterboy]

Cool, thanks for the input, unforuntatly I don't think I can get the Axioms in my country (New Zealand).

Would the Energy c500s be a more suitable front, maybe coupled with a Jamo sub250?

Also how does the Mission M66i compare? or the Polk Audio range is easily availabe, as are wharfdales, though I have heard that they are a more mellow sound.

Sorry for the questions but in my part of the world HIFi shops are few and far between and they all stock one brand or the other so it is difficult to try out speakers next to one another.

Thanks in advance,

Ross.

[manlystanley]

Popps???? --> Mission M66i compare?

[gistwaterboy]

Thanks guys, at this stage I am favouring the Energy c500 and the c10 for centre. They seem to be pretty good value and maybe the sound I am after, will try to find some to listen to tomorrow.
Am thinking of coupling these with the Jamo sub250.

Any thoughts? other speakers I should consider?

Ross.

[manlystanley]

Thanks guys, at this stage I am favouring the Energy c500 and the c10 for centre. They seem to be pretty good value and maybe the sound I am after, will try to find some to listen to tomorrow.
Am thinking of coupling these with the Jamo sub250.

Any thoughts? other speakers I should consider?

Ross.

As a suggestion, don't buy anything unless you can have an extended home trial. I've had speakers that sounded tremendous in one location *but* sounded sub-par in my listening room with my equipment.

Secondly, do you really like bright speakers? Many people find them fatiguing to listen for long periods of time.

Thirdly, I'd be prepared to buy and sell equipment for some period of time, until you get what integrates as a whole system and suites your tastes..

Best Regards,
Stan

[Geoffcin]

Cool, thanks for the input, unforuntatly I don't think I can get the Axioms in my country (New Zealand).

Ross.

Axioms are a direct order speaker. I'm sure you can get them anywhere.

[D. Paul Navigator]

Axioms are a direct order speaker. I'm sure you can get them anywhere.


That's a good point, but the shipping to Australia may be more than the speakers cost.

[Geoffcin]

That's a good point, but the shipping to Australia may be more than the speakers cost.

Surprising you say that. Most things that we get cheap here in America comes from China. How much is shipping from there?

Any speaker he buys in New Zealand (where he's from) will have to be shipped in unless it's produced locally. That puts them ALL on an even footing.

Axioms are worth the chance you take in ordering them. I only heard them first when they arrived at my home. There's no better place to hear a speaker than in your own home. Axiom has made there living proving their speaker there.

[D. Paul Navigator]

Surprising you say that. Most things that we get cheap here in America comes from China. How much is shipping from there?

Any speaker he buys in New Zealand (where he's from) will have to be shipped in unless it's produced locally. That puts them ALL on an even footing.

Axioms are worth the chance you take in ordering them. I only heard them first when they arrived at my home. There's no better place to hear a speaker than in your own home. Axiom has made there living proving their speaker there.

Shipping tons at a time is not like shipping individual items. Most internet companies won't ship to Hawaii, or if they do you get international rates (not cheap). Where do you get your information from?

[LeRoy]

Hi Everyone,
I like a bright kind of sound (but not too harsh) with tight bass and I listen to a wide range of music.

I am currently trying to decide what fronts (floorstanding and centre) and sub to purchase.

Or are there any other speakers that I should be cosidering? Any comments?

Thanks in advance,
Ross.

Hello, just read your post and thought I might be able to offer a couple of possibilities.

If you "really want bright" then you may want to consider speakers from Kef. I am assuming you want to stay in the budget class so you may want to consider the Kef IQ1 or IQ3 bookshelf ( both are now discontinued models but you can still find them online). I had a pair of IQ3's but for my tastes they were too bright for me and I gifted them away. FYI, the current editions are the IQ10 and IQ30.

Another speaker line that you might have an interest in is Rega. Rega makes the RS1 bookshelf and the RS3 small floorstander. I've heard the Rega speakers before on an all Rega system and to me they sound bright too. You might like them.

Here are some websites that may help you out.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio

http://www.whathifi.com/Review/KEF-iQ10/

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/kef/iq30.html

http://www.kef.com/

http://www.rega.co.uk/

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/hi-fi-and-av-speakers/rega-rs1-96496/review

Good luck with your research and selections.

LeRoy

[gistwaterboy]

Thanks again. Listened to the c500 today and loved the sound of them. However I do not like the whole glossy thing that they have got going on.
I really like the Jamo c605s as a whole package. They look nice and I can't see myself out growing them in a hurry. The centre speaker is nice and compact too. I just can't find a good place to really test how they sound. I think I would quickly get used to the "lack" of brightness, or make it up by adjusting the equiliser on the amp. I'm just worried that if I get them I will wish I had gotten the Energys.

Any thoughts?

[Geoffcin]

Shipping tons at a time is not like shipping individual items. Most internet companies won't ship to Hawaii, or if they do you get international rates (not cheap). Where do you get your information from?

Axioms ship everywhere in the world. The drop down menu lets you pick your country and the shipping charges are automatically adjusted into the price.

[LeRoy]

Thanks again. Listened to the c500 today and loved the sound of them. However I do not like the whole glossy thing that they have got going on.
I really like the Jamo c605s as a whole package. They look nice and I can't see myself out growing them in a hurry. The centre speaker is nice and compact too. I just can't find a good place to really test how they sound. I think I would quickly get used to the "lack" of brightness, or make it up by adjusting the equiliser on the amp. I'm just worried that if I get them I will wish I had gotten the Energys.

Any thoughts?

Maybe you should take a couple of weeks to let the audio notes you've heard settle a bit into your psyche and then reflect on how your listening experience made you feel. Maybe the one to pick is the one you want to hear again to confirm what you think you heard and miss hearing it. Or maybe its the one that made you forget that you were listening critically and you simply relaxed and enjoyed the music.

Based on what I've read in the reviews of Jamo in the Audioenz webstite the Jamo are regarded favorably for bang for the buck. I've owed Energy speakers before and I always thought the were good for HT but not my cup of tea for music...but again that's just my take on it.

So, unless you're in a hurry to buy, just wait a bit and see how you react to which one you want to listen to again and again, and how it make you feel/react once you have a second listen.


LeRoy

[frenchmon]

Thanks again. Listened to the c500 today and loved the sound of them. However I do not like the whole glossy thing that they have got going on.
I really like the Jamo c605s as a whole package. They look nice and I can't see myself out growing them in a hurry. The centre speaker is nice and compact too. I just can't find a good place to really test how they sound. I think I would quickly get used to the "lack" of brightness, or make it up by adjusting the equiliser on the amp. I'm just worried that if I get them I will wish I had gotten the Energys.

Any thoughts?

Hi gistwarterboy...I've listened to the c500 as well as most of the Concert line and I found them to be a very nice speaker. I did not think they where bright and certainly not boring. they where a more balanced speaker with a nice bottom end. Mine you that when that speaker line was introduced a few years back, they where much more expensive than they are now. I hope you get a chance of listening to them before you buy seeing it may be to expensive to send them back if you don't like them...but overall I thought the Jamo Concert line was a very good line....even more sonow that they have dropped the prices a lot.

[D. Paul Navigator]

Axioms ship everywhere in the world. The drop down menu lets you pick your country and the shipping charges are automatically adjusted into the price.


I never disagreed that Axiom would ship to New Zealand, but that international shipping and duties would apply. I actually set up a correct address in Wellington, but no shipping cost was given. A note said call the business number and get a quote. Like I said in the beginning, shipping internationally is not cheap. But if you desire to get a brand and have it shipped, more power to you.

[Bluey]

G'day Gistwaterboy,
I have been using Energy C-300, C-C100, C-100's,and an ESW10 in a 7.1 Home Theatre setup for around 4years now; Powered by an Onkyo TX-SR 705. I have no hesitation in saying Energy is what you get from "Energy" - I use the system for music and movies.
The speakers I bought from West Coast Hi-Fi on the west coast of that big Island across the water from you and dont regret it.
Cheers.