transparency, low bass compare to other bookshelf speaker, non coloration, soundstage, detail ,quick response, built quality, biwireable

little too bright

My system are:
CD player: Kenwood CDP-3020
Preamp: Sound Valves VTP-101 (upgrade to Mullard CV4004 tube)
Power Amp: Sound Valves M40 tube monoblock
Speaker stands: Atacama SE24 filled with sand
Intercon: ED Acoustic Pure Silver 1 feet (preamp to power)
DIY Silver 0.5m (CD player to preamp)
Speaker Cable: Nordost Super Flatline Biwire 4m

I've auditioned many bookshelf speakers before I bought Jamo Concert 8 in Singapore in January 2000. I bought this speakers at really low price (US$1500) new condition. Actual price is abt US$2500.
This speakers are really weight (>40 lbs per pair). Speakers like disappears when play the music. Sounds great.

I consider Eminent Tech LFT-VIII if i upgrade my power b'coz it need 250w power to earn bet sound.
Thinking to upgrade my CD player to AH!Tjoeb 99.

Highly recommended bookshelf speaker.

Similar Products Used:

ProAc Tablette,ProAc Response One, Acustik Lab Stella Melody,JPW Ruby,Mission,Eton,Mirage ,B&W 601 S2,KEF Cresta,KEF Q35,KEF K120,Rogers LS3/5A,Rogers DB101,Eminent Tech LFT-VIII,Audio Note,Magnat,Visonik, others Jamo bookshelf, Mordaunt-Short

Clarity, soundstage, detail, speed.
Well-built - very heavy

Slightly bright and a slight low midrange suckout

I have been using my mbl323S, which are very open airy speakers with a slightly slow bass and some excess sonority. Rest of the system

Rotel RCD 971 CDP
Kimber Silver Streak 0.5m
ARC LS-7 pre amp
Kimber Silver Streak 1.0m
Hafler 9500 power amp
Tara Labs RSC Prime Biwire
Atacama SE24 stands

I stumbled upon a pair of Concert 8's for USD 850 which were about a year old. Bought them.

Sound:
Very clear treble
Fast bass - well defined and quite deep for size
Midrange - clear and detailed but not harsh, quite sweet
Soundstage - quite large

So, they do sound better than the mbl 323s, which they should. However, in terms of musicality and life they bring to the music, it strangely feels slightly less musical than the 323s. Perhaps it is the slight brightness.
So what I will do is to lower the tweeter by putting a resistor between the tweeter terminals and experiment until I get better balance and I think they will sound better then.

Certain instruments (plucked guitar) seemed a bit recessed and reserved but perhaps again, the brightness may be masking it.

Other than the slight brightness, these are really great speakers that are especially good value second hand.

Similar Products Used:

MBL 323S, LS3/5A, Mission753, JMLabElectra905

Transparence and precision

They are soo good that bad recordings are dreadful to listen to.

After a few tests with various pieces of eqipment, the following set up made those speakers just sound great:

Amplifier Classé CAP 151
CD Player Sony CDP-CX350
CD Player Classé 1.5
2 NHT Subwoofers with 2 SA1 Amplifiers
Speaker Cable MIT 4

Try it and I'm quite sure you'll agree to rate them a good 5

Similar Products Used:

ProAc

System Components

Jamo Concert 8
M&K MX-70B Powered Subwoofer (130 watts)
Rotel 981 Amplifier (130 watts)
Rotel 972 Preamplifier
Rotel 975 CD Player
MIT Terminator 2 Interconnects
MIT Terminator 2 Bi-wire Speaker Cable

Accessories and Tweaks

Musical Fidelity X-10 CD Buffer Stage
AudioPrism Wedge II
.51 Ohm Wire Wound Resisters (25 watts)
Rubber Stoppers under speaker corners (Home Depot)

The Rest of the Story

I spent spring 1998 shopping for a new audio system to replace my 14 year-old Yamaha/Denon/Polk system. I hoped that newer and more expensive equipment would offer much better sound. I often go to orchestral concerts and chamber music recitals and I hoped that the new system would make my classical CD’s more engaging and less colored.

After reading reviews and recommendations from audio magazines, I decided on the Rotel electronics which offered good sound & looks at a modest price. The really difficult task was finding the speakers which met my expectations.

I auditioned many, many ‘recommended’ speakers including B&W Matrix 804 & 805, PSB Stratus Gold, PSB Stratus Mini, ProAc Response One, Platinum Audio Solo, Martin-Logan Aerius i , Castle Severn, Diamonte, Spendor, Mordant-Short, Vandersteen, JM Lab, Hales Revelation Three.

I eventually decided on the Jamo Concert 8’s (pronounced Yah-Mo) which are made in Denmark. While I listened to each of my test CD’s, these Jamo speakers sounded so different and good that I didn’t want to move on the next CD. I think the most impressive qualities of the speakers are the lack of coloration, the extremely quick response to changes in sound pressure levels, and the sense of air (reverberation detail) which seemed to transport me to the site of acoustic recordings. The ProAc Response One also exhibited these qualities, but I thought they sounded a bit smaller and the tone of Miles’ trumpet was not quite as magical. The Jamo Concert 8’s are particularly good at reproducing the human voice and acoustic instruments like piano, violin, cello, guitar, trumpet, sax… all my favorites.

The problem that I discovered with these speakers is that they sound too bright and a bit harsh on less than perfect recordings. (I assume that a tube amp might be a better match for these speakers, but I think you would want some serious power.) I spent much of last year trying to fix this problem. I found that a combination of adjustments was required.

1. I first tried to use cables to decrease the brightness. Using MIT Terminator 2 wire throughout helped somewhat to control the problem, but the sound was still a bit harsh.

2. Next, I added a Musical Fidelity X10-D CD Tube Upgrade which added some warmth to the sound without sacrificing any significant detail information. I had read a recommendation on the internet which suggested that the X10-D could be used to improve the sound of my Rotel CD player. I liked the effect but I wanted more. I wondered if more deep bass might help to reduce the perceived brightness of the sound.

3. I added the M&K subwoofer, which gave a very solid bass foundation and offered a better overall balance to the sound. Buying the Jamo Concert 11 would be another approach to getting more bass, but I hoped that a subwoofer would give me more control in adjusting for room acoustics. The subwoofer was a huge improvement, but I still had to use the tone control to reduce the treble.

4. Finally, I tried inserting small-value high-power resistors between the tweeter terminals of each speaker. This effectively reduced the volume of the tweeter relative to the midrange driver. The result was similar to using a tone control to turn the treble down. I tried resistors of different values (.51-2.26 ohms) and eventually decided to use the .51 ohm resistor. The Jamo Concert 11 uses a similar method to provide for treble adjustment at each speaker. The Concert 11 has two pairs of tweeter terminals; this allows one to fine tune the treble response to some degree by attaching the speaker cable to the various terminals as shown in the user manual.

Now I can happily listen with the tone control defeated. The sound is much better than I had hoped for.
I really enjoy listening to my old CD’s which now sound like I’m hearing them for the first time.

I am now finished with buying audio stuff… except CD’s of course.

If you listen to mostly acoustic music, please listen to these Jamo speakers before you buy anything else.

very balanced sound,firm bass.It can really rock.good price.

The price in India is high compared to US,but thats coz of
govt duties on all imports. mid range not very defined

These speakers give you sound thats clear , crisp and balanced.these speakers are good for detailed sound and home theatre set up.excellent for rock music .gives you all the bass you need.you will not get this sound for this price. jamo classic 8 and classic 10 are real value for money.
If you are looking for rich sound for jazz ,rock or classical listening for a price as low as 500 dollars in US,grab these beauties.
audiophiles,pl note that these can be driven well with a denon 1500rII.THEY would have been excellent if the mid frequencies were a little more visible.

Similar Products Used:

bose 501

Naturalness, great bass, midrange: plenty of detail, treble: not overbright, very sweet, after trying several other standmounts over a period of 6 months chose these, above all the others.Great rhythm

Expensive for build quality, stands supplied with them not suitable for the room.

Current system: Pre Amp Naim 82 (2 hi-caps): Power Amp Naim 250 Cables and Interconnect all Kimber, as are all power cords & extension cables. Sugden Optima CD: Pink Triangle GT turntable.
The Jamo concert 8 to my ears suits this system, in the room that it is in, had lots of problems with uneven sound, having to sit in the centre of soundstage, but with the Jamo's, the problem went away the first time I fired them up.The floor in the listening room is a suspended floor acting like a giant bass bin, although carpeted throuhgout. Standmounts are the only speakers that work in it. With the Jamo's there was no boom, no thump from the floor,crossheaded screws screwed into the floor,with the speaker stand spikes positioned in the slots stopped all of the vibration from the floor,plus its very easy to get them level

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio, Ruark,Proac and Keswick audio Figaro's

Sweet highs, great mid range & unbelieveable base

none

These speakers are about the best kept secret Europe has. The sound is world class. The detail and imaging is second to none in this or double the price range. Better yet they don't take up a lot of floor real estate and are easy on the eye with the classy cherry cabinet. If you are looking for a quality speaker that won't break the bank and your not caught up in the "mine is bigger than yours" game, check them out. You will not be disappointed. My wife even likes them!

Current gear
Sim Moon I5 Intigrated
California CL15 CD
Magnum Dynalab Tuner
Kimber Silver Streak & PBJ
Kimber 8TC Biwired
Jamo D830(Concert 8) w/Jamo Stands

Similar Products Used:

B&w Nautilus 805

My system consisted of an Audiolab 8000S Amplifier, 8000PX Power amp and 8000CD.Cabling used is Sonic Link AST 200x2 cabling, with Van den hul 102II HB interconnect. (cabling soon to be upgraded)

I needed some speakers that would bring out the best in my revealing system. I initially had some excellent Mission 753F speakers but felt that I wanted a pair which was clearer and would suit my medium sized room. (I felt that the missions were more tailored for a bigger room).

The speakers on my list included: Dynaudio 1.3 II, Quad 77-L and the Jamo Concert 8's. All of which have received excellent reviews Worldwide.
I felt that because I needed a pair which would be equally suited for AV purposes the obvious choice was the Jamo Concert 8 (since it has a matching concert centre speaker and Jamo offers a good choice in surrounds and subwoofers).

Anyway on with the review. Jamo is a Danish company and is the fifth biggest speaker company in the World (largest in Europe). They have been prominant in Europe but are less known in the states. The Concert range (Concert 8,11 and centre)are Jamo's attempt to move into the high end of hi-fi and hopefully brake into a wider International market. The concerts are said to use state of the art speaker components: Reasonance free casing and baffle; die-cast magnesium loudspeaker diaphragm to reduce vibrations by effectively controlling the movement of the voice coil; solid copper phase plug to eliminate distortion and conduct heat away from the magnet system; sophisticated yet simple crossover to keep acoustic and the electrical phase delay as low as possible; OFC oxygen free copper cables offering low resistance, capacitance and self-inductance.
To be honest some of this means nothing to me (I put it in to please the techno-audio nuts out there.)All I care about is how it sounds- if it happens that the quality of components is also good then hurray!

The concert range has won many awards and been praised by seemingly everyone. I felt that I just had to listen to these "gems" to see what all the fuss is about. The concerts can actually be put on a bookshelf but for best results I recommend you get a good quality stand. Jamo Does its own stand especially for the Concert 8 (ST-60 - $350/£250) but you can get away with getting a cheaper stand - although it will not look as good.

In terms of looks alone these beauties are the business. They come in either Cherry veneer or mahogony finish and both are simply gorgeous to look at. They are also bloody heavy. One alone weighs around 15kg. The weight is due to its high quality build (1 inch thick MDF cabinet with the front baffle made of very thich and heavy material -for the techie it is a "Non-Coloration Compound constructed of two synthetic shells cast around a mixture of quartz sand and a reasonce-deadening binding agent"- Wow! what a mouthful.)It is at least re-assuring to know that you are getting something for your money. Especially when you take the front grill of and your friends gasp in awe at the gold coloured copper phase plug. You can always lie to your mates and pretend that is made of pure 24-carat gold, which I have sadly done on too many occasions now. Unfortunatly since there is no picture for you to see you are probably wondering what on earth I am talking about. However If you ever see this speaker you will understand.

Once taken out of the box and set up it was clear that even though they are small speakers they still sounded powerful and clear. However the bass was weak and the treble sounded a little harsh. I decided to warm them up by playing them through-out the day at high levels. Once complete I sat down and began the real test.

The bass had now become a lot more tighter and much more powerful. You could physically feel the effects in your stomach. The documentation claims the bass goes as low as 38hz and on listening this seemed about accurate. (To get lower bass say around 20-40hz then it is essential that you get a powerful and dynamic subwoofer (perhaps a REl, B&W or even Jamo's own, - it is no point getting a cheap and basic sub since it would not acheive results above that of the Concert 8's. Expect to pay at least $1200/£700)The bass never seemed to become boomy with the concerts keeping it well under control. I have a wide diversity of music tastes(Classical, rock -Verve/Oasis, female vocal, easy listening -crowded hose/World Party - I really am confused)and all had excellent bass reponse. From the powerful orchestral crescendos of Beethoven to the more subtle rumblings of Tori Amos.

The midrange and treble was equally impressive. Tracy Chapman and Sheryl Crow's voice was so clear that if you listened close enough you could hear them breathe-in just before they began to sing. Similarly on Vivaldi's Four Seasons you can actually hear the violinists plucking the strings and putting down the violin. I have listened to this album a thousand times and have never heard it sound so precise. This revealing nature also has a down-side. On badly recorded music the Jamo's will bring out the nasties and make certain albums almost unlistenable. You can clearly hear the hissing in the background and so if the recording to CD was from an analogue source (i.e ADD or AAD)then it is likely that the Jamos will reveal more than you really want to hear. Early albums of Crowded House and Tori Amos (which were recorded in ADD)sound weak and poorly made. This comes as a big shock to me since I had previously used Tori Amos's Little earthquakes CD as a tester for the quality of a speakers midrange. But having listened to the backgroung hiss I realise that I have to change my choice of CD tester albums. This is in fact probably the biggest problem with the Jamo's if you like old classical rock albums (Jimi Hendrix/Beatles)then you will have to look for different speakers. (Unless you can get a digitally mastered recording). For me it is only a small problem, I do like older music But am willing to make the sacrifice since on a well recorded album it sounds as though the band is in the same room next to you.

So in conclusion if you have very revealing source components (amplifier/CD) the speakers will bring out the best (or the worst)in the music. The albums are revealed to the listener exacly as they were made. This can either be a blessing or burden depending on your musical tastes. Therefore if you decide to audition this product I would seriously consider taking along the albums that you predominantly listen to.
I would like to have been able to comment on the speakers A/V capabilities, but as yet, am still searching for an ideal DVD player.

My overall score for the speakers is 4 and a half out of five but since I cannot give this score I will give them:

I purchased a pair of the Concert 8 speaker few months ago. I believed this is a incredible bookshelf speaker. First,I though that this baby never gives me a good punch of the bass for its size. But after the break in period, I have to say that I would give my respect for its performance. The bass is so natural and smooth. The midrange and treble are very impressive too, excellent details. I can believe that a small speaker like this one can give me a big sound stage with a lot of details. The built quality is a state of art, first class. I don't even need my sub on when listening to the music. I'm very happy with it and I'm thinking about buying the Concert 11 in the future. I give this speaker *****.

A few months ago, I heard the Concert 8s at a high end hifi shop at Tunbridge Wells UK. The front end was a Theta Miles CD Player via PASS amplification.(Aleph 5 and Aleph 3)

Based on that initial audition, I give it 4 to 5 stars.