smooth, sweet, clear, great imaging and soundstage, fullness of sound.

bass doesn't hit the lowest levels, but this is not a problem for me.

Fantastic speaker here. I've been living with these speakers for the last 3 weeks, and I've never enjoyed music so much. It was a tough choice between the Cobalt 810 and the 820 - both were available as floor models at a substantial discount, and I auditioned both thoroughly. The sonic differences were not as great at the price difference would suggest (retail for the 820's is somewhere around $2500, while the 810's are closer to around $1350). The law of dimishing returns certainly applies here!

With the 820's, I could detect slightly more transparency and air around the instruments. Other than that, difference were minimal, and in some of the test tracks I used, I actually preferred the sound of the 810 - it struck me as a little fuller, sweeter, more solid, more "there" (both speakers were run side-by-side using the same source components.) In the end, I couldn't justify buying the 820's, when the 810's sounded so good. With the 810's I got 95% of the speaker that the 820's are for about half the price.

These speakers sound very sweet and very smooth. Perhaps a little on the bright side, and a touch more forward than average, but that is the way I like it. They are detailed but not edgy - the sound manages to be clear and forward, yet also relaxed. Both the 810's and the 820's were imaging and soundstage champs - first class in every respect. The sense of spacing and imaging I now get is truly phenominal - not only side to side, but front to back. On some recordings, such as Gergiev's recording of "The Nutcracker" on Philips, the pinpoint imagining is so realistic that I get goosebumps.

As far as the other models I seriously tested, the Vandersteens 2CE's were nice, but nothing about them gripped me. Everything sounded all well and good, but I was not drawn into the music. Plus they are large and cumbersome, and quite ugly to boot. Not for me.

The B&W Nautilus 805's were great speakers. Their sonic character was similar to the JM Labs, but perhaps a touch more agressive. They were also very attractive. But I preferred the more relaxed sound of the JM Labs, and at $2000 for the B&W's, the JM Labs at $950 were truly a steal.

By the way, JM Lab has recently come out with a new line of Cobalts. The 810 has been replaced by the 816, which retails for somewhere around $1650. I saw one of the new models last weekend, and the line has undergone a major cosmetics change. The beautiful wood cabinets of the 810's have been replaced by vinyl in the 816's, and the grills are made of an ugly gray metal, and are not detachable. I have to say, the new line looks considerably cheaper and tackier than the old line, which was very attractive. I have not yet heard the new Cobalts, but plan to soon. My understanding is that the sonic changes are not significant, but I will have to see for myself. But in terms of appearance, the new Cobalts get a C-.

My advice is this: If you see any dealers trying to get rid of their old line of Cobalts, snatch a pair of 810's as fast as you can. You might be able to get a discount like I did. The 810's are a beautiful speaker and truly a great deal, especially considering that the price of the new entry level Cobalts has been jacked up by several hundered dollars, while becoming considerably uglier to boot!

My other equipment:

Arcam Alpha 7se CD Player
Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amp
Synergistic Research Alpha Interconnects
Synergy 4 speaker cable (bi-wired)

I plan on biamping soon...I hope this will make the 810's sound even better!

Similar Products Used:

JM Lab Cobalt 820, Vandersteen 2CE, B&W Nautilus 805.

I really enjoy visiting this site and feel that there is some good information relayed between people. However, there probably should be some type of IQ test before you can actually post a review. These speakers are truly one of the most musical speakers I have enjoyed in quite a long time. The crossover blends the woofer and tweeter so easily. Imaging, when properly set up is fantastic. Lean on the bass, buy real equipment and this problem will not show itself. Use thicker MDF, who is this woman? Mathew Polk's wife? And are we building a sub box for a car? Get real...
JM Labs does not make a bad sounding speaker period. The true fun with this hobby is properly matching components. Being in the business for 10 years myself, I have listened to about everything out there. The Cobalt, Electra, and Utopia lines are a true statement in todays audio technology. The 810 when used with tubes or solid state are amazing. I have listened to speakers at twice the price that cannot touch these.

The bottom line is that everyones ears are different. Some people have finely tuned ears which makes them harder to please. My ears are this way and I will be the first one to disagree with the past two average to bad reviews. I haven't heard any speaker that will shine when hooked up to a Sony Stack, have you? Anyway, I am rambling and will stop. Audition these speakers and let your ears be the judge. They are truly amazing when properly paired. It's all relative when you actually think about things.

Superb sound and superb design. What else can I say? JMlabs` Cobalt serie are, in my opinion, the best speakers in their price range.
I would like to give more than 5 stars, but...

These speakers at twice the price are a deal. The driver and the tweeter are seamlessly matched. Imaging is pinpoint yet soundstaging is open and full of life. Low-end response is tight and accurate. The optional base mount stands are a must for proper set up. Using Audio Refinement Complete for amplifier, Pioneer ELITE PD-65 CD Player with AudioQuest Diamond for Interconnect and Tara Labs Temporal Cont. for Speaker wire. Also upgraded jumpers on speaker terminals with Silver Jumpers. Big Improvement. 5 Stars, no doubt,no question. Audition these before you buy.

I had a chance to audition the 810 while shopping around for Energy C8s.Other than them being slightly mild on the bass, they were just magnificent.
Everything was just right. Highs, mids and lows were very defined but smooth, definitely no listener fatigue with these speakers. Image was also well defined. Soundstage was seriously deep, compared to the Energy C6s. The Energy's are not average speaker by any means, but these Cobalt 810 really stood out.
I'm sold. $1100/pair for these 810s is amazing come to think of it.
Just to add a sense of reference to this review, let me mention that I've also auditioned Paradigm Reference 80, Jamo Concert 8 and Magnepan 1.6 and 12.
I think only the Mag 1.6 rivals the Cobalt.

i listened this speaker with 820s..i enjoyed...they are not as good as 820 werebut overall sound quality was very good..for the many i think you have to make an audition at least..