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.

Listening to the beautiful black jubilee edition speakers the following words come to mind: transparent,high resolution,fast,snappy,powerful,big,uncolored....... Connected to the following: transparent cable,proceed hpa 2 amp,adcom gfp-750 pre amp,marantz cd-17mkII cd player ,definitive technology pf 15 sub .

Finishes:Jamo Concert 8s come in various finishes, American Cherry, Sapele Mahogany and the Special Edition Jubilee Piano Black.

The Piano Black speakers are stunning. This is the finish to get if you can, although the cost a bit more (See note below however!). The American Cherry is also a quality finish, and is a fairly light colour. The Sapele Mahogany isn't that great a finish in my opinion, but is slightly darker than the cherry. Build quality is exceptional.

I have experienced some problems with quality control on the finish of the piano black speakers. Please make sure you check your speakers carefully and look for cloth marks and grazed edges. I'm not sure how long this finish will be available or if Jamo's quality control will be better, but I hope they will sort this out since this finish really is very beautiful.

Sound Quality:
The Concert 8's are supreme. Bass is amazingly low and tight and the high and mid range are exceptionally clear. These speakers will suit all types of music, whether you are into Dance, Classical, Jazz or Reggee. Put some Dub bass on, and you will have to check to see if your sub is working or not - I have a Rel Stadium II and the Concert 8's have fooled me once or twice into thinking the sub was on, when in fact is wasn't.
Vocals are also very neutral and clear and the sound stage gives the effect of having your surround sound amp turned on - very three dimensional. Care should be taken in setting up, however, best results are obtained with some toe in (as already suggested).

In home cinema applications, together with the Jamo Concert Centre, these speakers excel also. I originally had some KEF TDM THX speakers, but the Concert 8's wiped the floor with them. The car explosion in "Ronin" physically threw me backwards with a surging sound pressure wave, leaving me checking to see if everything was alright with the system afterwards (of course it was!). The only other time this has happened to me was when the helicopter exploded in "The Matrix" whilst watching it in a very good THX certified cinema (Warner West-End, UK). What's even more amazing was that this came from a 12W Valve Amp!
"Contact" is equally inspiring during the controled explosion of the first transport pod. "Armageddon" leaves you ducking and diving as the shuttles make their way to the asteroids. And finally, the Diva scene in "The Fifth Element" brings tears to your eyes, a fine example of the capabilities of Dolby Digital.

TV Material is also very good. The BBC News is very clear and consise and natural sounding through the Concert Centre. There is no hint of bass boom which is present in so many centre speakers, possibly due to the lack of bass ports. Bass extention for the Concert Centre is not as tight or controlled as the Concert 8s, and the centre should be used in "Narrow Mode" on your processor if possible. Tonal matching with the mid and high end is very good with the Concert 8s, bass quality is not so good.

The Concert Centre is the weak link in the Concert range. The Concert 8s and 11s are just *too* good to be partnered with the cheaper centre (less than half the price of the Concert 8s). If you can, stick to all concert 8s across the front and use the extra Concert 8 speaker for a rear centre if you want. If all you watch are movies, the Concert Centre will be more than enough, if you listen to multi-channel music with a high end processor and other high-end equiptment, you will be better off with another Concert 8. The Concert Centre is very good, however compared to the rest of the competition if all you are looking for is a centre speaker, it just is not up to the quality of the Concert 8's or 11's.

Summary:
The Concert 8s are fantastic - you really can't go wrong. They are the best bookshelf speakers I have heard, although you should audition the B&W Nautilus 805s as well. Partner with good cable and stands to make the most of the detail available. These speakers are also very compatible with valve amps. Make sure you give them plenty of time to break in! (the speakers, not burgulars silly!)

System:
Pioneer DVD
Marantz CD player
Meridian 565, 7.1 DD/DTS
L,R Amp: Valve amp (EL84 based, 12W)
Speaker Cable: Flatline Blue Heaven
C Amp: Nad (Bi-amped centre)
Surrounds Amp: Kenwood THX (Using all 5 channels of amplification, 8.1 setup)

Suggested Speaker System:
Concert 11s / 8s Front Left and Right,
Concert 8 / Concert Centre Front Centre,
Concert 8s Rear Left and Rear Right,
Concert 8 / Concert Centre Rear Centre (Surround EX Mode)

Ratings:
Concert 8s - 5 stars
Concert Centre - 4/5 stars if used with Concert 8s or 11s with music, 5/5 stars if used as a centre speaker in home cinema applications.

Blue Calx.
Remember, these are my opinions and no one elses!

These speakers are a joy. The only trick to them is that they should be well toed in. Very good-looking, and very transparent without sounding too laid-back.

Finally Jamo has entered the Major Leagues with these babies. Soundstage is huge (only if you lacate them at least 2 meters apart from each other and 40 to 50 cms far from the surrounding walls), image is well defined and sound, well sound is just what is in the recording. That's what a pair of speakers are meant to do. Design is what everyone expects from this Danish company... beautiful pair of speakers with a beautiful sound... rock me baby, rock me all night long...
My system:
Concert 8 front speakers over ST-60 stand
Concert center speaker
Acurus A5X125 amplifier
Acurus ACT-3 preamplifier
Arcam Alpha 8 CD Player
Monster cables and interconnect

Low distortion, very revealing, excellent imaging, impresssive bass. Speakers seem to dissapear

sounds harsh on poor recordings.

I originally reviewed these speakers about a year ago however since that review of the Jamo Concerts I have been able to listen to them with movies and here are my conclusions:
They are very accurate and the soundstage is impressive. The sound does not seem to come from the speakers.
My friend has PMC FB1 speakers (around same price as the Jamos) which are monitor floorstanding speakers. (PMC speakers are used many film studios for monitoring films such as matrix, titanic etc) When we compared the two speakers the Jamos brought out more detail had better sounstaging and much better bass. The PMC’s however were more dynamic and were more powerful on loud scenes. However the Jamos were much easiar to listen to and offered a smoother sound. In fact my friend was so impressed by the Jamos that he is now in the process of swapping over his PMC’s (only two months old) and getting the Jamo’s.
In terms of music the Jamos offer excellent bass (even compared to similiar priced floorstanders and in fact have more slam and depth than the mission 753F’s) excellent soundstaging and layering of instruments. When you play a classical piece you can hear each instrument in the orchestra and even identify its location. However I feel their best ability is how they handle the midrange / vocals. Voices sound exceptionally realistic and have a smoothness about them, neither harsh nor aggressive.
The Jamos do however have afew weaknesses: To bring out their best you need high end components which are very powerful. (Or use valve amplification). To match with these speakers it is best to use uncoloured amplifiers. I have tried the Jamo’s with Tag Mclaren (previously known as Audiolab), Bryston, Musical Fidelity amps and they really made the Jamo’s sing. However I also used the Jamo’s with the Yamaha DSP A1, Marantz, Technics and they sounded dreadful. Very harsh and the treble painful on my ears.
This is perhaps the biggest problem with the Jamos, if you cannot be bothered to try the Jamos with different combinations or do not have the money to partner them with high-end gear then leave well alone. Stick to an easiar speaker to drive like the B & W nautilus 805, Sonus Faber Concerto or the Proac tablette signature 2000. However if you get the combination right then these speakers will bring you enjoyment far in excess of any speaker under £1500. In fact having spoken to many dealers about the Jamo’s they are all in agreement if you can afford the Jamo’s then there really is nothing else that can match them.
BY the way I am currently using as my sources:
Tag mclaren AV32R (as DAC, pre and processor)
Tag 100x5R 5 channel amp
Pioneer 717 DVD
Audiolab 8000CD (functioning as transport)
Cables are Van Den Hul and Tag.
reviews of these products are going to appear soon)
My room is basically square 25ftx 20ft
The Jamos work best about 0.5-1m from the side walls and 30-50cm from back wall.
Therefore make sure that you have enough room to allow for this space.
(Otherwise bass boom can occur)
Also if you listen to badly recorded music then the Jamos will highlight this in the recording and will be difficult to listen to. The Jamos sound best for Classical, Acoustic, Vocal based music. If you want to listen to rocky guitar based music then you will need to audition warmer sounding amps to calm the treble.
Finally if you are going to be using speakers also for home cinema then the Jamo’s are ideal since they offer an excellent centre speaker which matches well and is not too expensive. When i listened to Matrix, Desperado and Bugs life the detail and power of the scenes is exceptional. I have heard a top spec Lexicon/Genelec system and a Meridian+Active 5000DSP system and they could not compare. The Jamo's (used with a Rel strata III sub) offered greater detail, attack and sounded more realistic. However I feel that if the room was bigger then perhaps the Meridian would have sounded more impressive. They offered a greater soundstage and better bass but in a small room this was wasted.

Jamo also offers a Concert surround to match the concert 8's and they are bringing out a new 400Watt concert subwoofer. However Jamo are trying to change there image and so the name of the Concert range is going to change. As far as I know they are to be called the D range. (Standing for Dynamic). Therefore the Concert 8 is going to be called the D830. This however might only apply to the European market. Also I think they are upgrading the centre speaker but I have yet to have this confirmed.

Similar Products Used:

Tag calliope speakers, Mission 753F, PMC FB1's, B&W's

Great looking, has soul, heavy, quality connectors and overall design, bright and detailed, goes as deep as 40Hz in practice (tried through PC & Sound Forge). Very dynamic, can make you literally jump at times.

4 Ohm (this could be a good thing though, I suppose), no good as Large when placed close to a corner with plenty of bass-boom, needs a few days burn-in which may put testers or buyers off since initial impression is pretty weak compared to what's to come, seems powerhungry (try different amps to avoid harsh brightness) ?

Bought the speakers together with the rest of the D8 family just before Christmas 2000 - D8 Surround, D8 Center, & D8 Subwoofer. Cherry, basically like the picture above of the review page. Coupled with a Pioneer VSA-E08 and optically connected DVD/CD player brand Pioneer DV626D, I'm basically in heaven. Initial impression was not a good one, and pretty much embarassed me in front of an audiophile friend who has a set of B&W Matrixd 805, B&W 12" sub ASW2000, (unknown rears) and Yamaha DSP-A2 I think.

Turned out one of the speakers had faulty wiring and only the tweeter was partially enabled - after two days, it was back in place and that's when the tweaking began... Room is 4m X 6m large, cement floor (with carpet of course, cellars are damn cold this time of year!!) and tree paneled walls. All speakers visually ......blend in. Even the subwoofer. Since I also have a computer and a 325l aquarium in here, I can't move around too much and ended up with the speakers about 4m apart on the wide side of the wall with TV& D8CEN in the middle, sitting 3.5m apart. Placing the front speakers closer than half a meter beside my Sony 32" fx60 caused display distortions after only a few minutes, altough the WEGA is unfortunately oversensitive to this (great image though)... The D8CEN is heavily shieled, and causes no problems. The D8SUB is right behind the left one in the corner, and the D8SUR is in the wall 0.3m above ears with the sofa placed close the wall. Wires are just your ordinary type, nothing serious.

Now, none of the D8 speakers themselves carry any THX logos, but it doesn't matter. Get a THX amp if you really need it. These front speakers (D830) for example are small, but do go down to 40Hz after burn-in. Perhaps not as smooth as the 12" 400W D8SUB, but you can use these speakers by themselves easily without any subs. Just be aware of corners - I'm having bass boom problems where the bass sounds are 'extended / prolonged' even at 2x2m off side and rear walls. Only the one speaker is affected by this, but that is enough to ruin the experience with unbalanced bass... Therefore I have now, in spite of how capable they really are and what JAMO recommended me, set them as SMALL (cutoff at 80Hz) and let the subwoofer handle the rest. In a perfect room you'd set them as LARGE since the speakers are indeed capable of very fast and accurate bass (bass drums, gunshots, orchestral music) which the sub may not be, but my room does not concur.. Some may think of this as a good thing coupled with a sub since this will allow the front speakers more room for midrange, altough with the D830 they should definetly be set as LARGE if you can afford it (my experience that is). I'm also using the ST60 stands, which looks and feels very nice. Don't even dare of putting these speakers on a bookshelf :))) Get a proper stand for them, that will place them at listening height for optimal listening experience in brightness & image - and make them easy to clean for dust. Having them at proper height is crucial for treble and stereo image in my experience. Use of spikes - I don't know...my floor is of cement. I tried both with and without, and wasn't able to detect any differences at all. Without spikes you -are- able to more easily move the speakers around and try various locations without ruining your carpet. I may apply rubber domes later on, but I doubt it.

The speakers - importance of proper burn in: It took me a week to notice differences, altough leaving it on for say 10 hours with radio noise should do the trick for starters. I did -not- have the patience to do this though, and simply enjoyed music of different types for a few days, along with a few DVD movies at increasingly higher volume ;> They will evolve, and the sound _will_ change if you allow them. The speakers will after a quick burn-in probably sound less harsh with more midrange and definetly lower bass. Response and dynamics also improved. They do sound bright, but not that bright! Initially they are overly bright to the point of being painfull, but as the hours and days pass, they'll sound fuller, more open and less harsh. And infinitely more pleasant at higher volume, this surprised me - even at high volume in say Gladiator 2000, they were dynamic but not painfull to listen to! As the weeks pass by, you learn to appreciate the different sound of the D830s, and after a month both of you should be fully adjusted.

Reading the other reviews here leads me to believe the brightness issue is definetly an AMP problem - try with different amps before you buy, and get a powerfull & clean one able to actually handle 4Ohm. I did not have the luxury of being able to do this, altough was recommended the Pioneer VSA-E08 and took their word for it.

Image is excellent with these speakers - vocals are crystal clear and in the middle instead of 'both sides', with everything else perfectly panned left & right. This will allow users without center speakers to use these front speakers in a HT setup, as the center speaker will then be mixed with the front ones and imaged perfectly in the center. A real center speaker will sound better though.

Soundstage - The proper word would probably be disappear - the speakers seem to have an impressive soundstage. I've recently found myself closing all lights, and just enjoy music at 01:00 being unable to actually see the speakers but easily able to visualize where the sound is coming from (3D space).. Stereo image probably is AMP related, but is amazingly rich and detailed anyway :) I also find myself able to actually detect nuances I've never heard before.. It's a scary experience, much like changing glasses for the first time when you look out of a window and suddenly are able to pinpoint single grass straws by summer. At first it's overwhelming and exchausting, but you eventually grow used to it and gradually adjust.

I'm not sure my audiophile friend reads this (hope not!), but compared to say B&W Matrix 805 I found these speakers more pleasent, brighter and with more bass. While off topic though, I found the D8SUR to be excellent (5 stars), the D8CEN to be very balanced and excellent for vocals (but nowhere as crystal clear as the D830, 4 stars..they intentionally use a filter for a dry vocal). The D8SUB is exceptionally accurate, pleasant for music and blends in perfectly (5), but at this point I still think my friend's cheaper 12" B&W ASW2000 is superior for movies (3.5 stars for DSUB in movies). However, if you set all speakers to LARGE, you -will- get cinema-type sound with painfully loud volume if you REALLY want to, -without- distortion. If I where able to use LARGE for all speakers, I'd probably get a better experience for movies as well, and would be able to push the sub harder at lower cutoff (50). Speakers highly recommended! Upgradable to HT, if you can afford it.

Similar Products Used:

Tandberg top-of-the-line, old school 150W & 75W fulltone. At least 20 years old, but still amazing sound and esily beats my D830 + D8SUB -grin-

Transparency, highs

Midrange drop, highs

cd: Copland cda288, amp: copland501, cables: vdh first, vdh cs122hb


I admit these speakers are good, but after all these years (3), I have not accustomed to them. They a bright. The highs are at the same time exaggerated, detailed and pure. Bright but natural, I could say. I use heavy Target stand, which may not be the best combination. I got the Targets because the Jamo concert -stands looked too strange and I had doubts about their quality.

People say imaging is good, but I don't get it. Maybe the concert 8 is so revealing, that the problem lies elsewhere. I don't use the 401 amplifier anymore and I think the speaker cables too lack definition.

Careful system balancing needed, as always.