Jamo S807 Floorstanding Speakers Review

[ErinH]

I ordered this speaker last week in hopes that it would be a diamond in the rough and that if it were, people might be interested enough to buy it through my Amazon affiliate link and I could use that money to get some real cool speakers to test. Well, that isn't gonna happen. You can read my review in the link below:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/jamo_s807/

Some highlights (or lowlights, really):

 

[ryanosaur]

Oof. Talk about lipstick on a pig! I like the wood grain accent of the base and the Wave Guide. Too bad that's where the beauty ends.

BTW, I like your inclusion of the ±1.5dB and ±3dB windows on the FR!

 

[highfigh]

I ordered this speaker last week in hopes that it would be a diamond in the rough and that if it were, people might be interested enough to buy it through my Amazon affiliate link and I could use that money to get some real cool speakers to test. Well, that isn't gonna happen. You can read my review in the link below:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/jamo_s807/

Some highlights (or lowlights, really):

Did you listen to them? What was your impression?

Wilson Audio Sasha FR graph-

I guess people like them, even with this.

 

[ErinH]

Did you listen to them? What was your impression?

I can tell you didn't read my review.

There's a whole section about my subjective thoughts under "Subjective Evaluation".

 

[shadyJ]

Another amazingly comprehensive review, very nice! The response reminds me of the Dayton MK402. That could be greatly alleviated with a typical treble tone control knob with knocks down output above 3kHz. Maybe these could be made to sound a lot better with a simple tone control knob change. I liked the Mk402 overall but one reason for that was that it was $60/pair when not on sale, and the fix for them was easy. The problem with this Jamo speaker is that even if you tamed the highs, there is still that bass boost. It is just too aggressive for the shape of that curve.

I would be interested in seeing measurements for the Jamo C98 II that Andrew Robinson has very high praise for in this review.

Again, outstanding review, and I am looking forward to seeing more of your efforts!

 

[ryanosaur]

Can’t help but wonder what kind of XO work might it benefit from, if any... I’ve seen some of the results of Dennis playing with such things, and heard of other projects he’s taken on. Of course, maybe it’s just a dog and nothing much can be done. *shrugs

 

[Gmoney]

I ordered this speaker last week in hopes that it would be a diamond in the rough and that if it were, people might be interested enough to buy it through my Amazon affiliate link and I could use that money to get some real cool speakers to test. Well, that isn't gonna happen. You can read my review in the link below:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/jamo_s807/

Some highlights (or lowlights, really):

nice work!

 

[Verdinut]

Can’t help but wonder what kind of XO work might it benefit from, if any... I’ve seen some of the results of Dennis playing with such things, and heard of other projects he’s taken on. Of course, maybe it’s just a dog and nothing much can be done. *shrugs

Any crossover modification would not improve this speaker's high frequency performance. The purpose of a XO is to divide frequencies between drivers but it cannot correct a driver which fails to have an almost linear frequency response. IMO, it's just a poor design.

When I build speakers, I always look for drivers which can match to each other while having been shown as having a relatively linear frequency response when tested on their own. That's why, when you know how speaker drivers are built and work, you can build speaker systems that can have a better performance than commercial speakers costing many times the monies that you put with the DIY route.

 

[Gmoney]

Did you listen to them? What was your impression?

Wilson Audio Sasha FR graph-

View attachment 37591

I guess people like them, even with this.

Wow, little bit of a mess uh? I've seen well never mind.

 

[ryanosaur]

Any crossover modification would not improve this speaker's high frequency performance. The purpose of a XO is to divide frequencies between drivers but it cannot correct a driver which fails to have an almost linear frequency response. IMO, it's just a poor design.

When I build speakers, I always look for drivers which can match to each other while having been shown as having a relatively linear frequency response while tested on their own. That's why, when you know how speaker drivers are built and work, you can build speaker systems that can have a better performance than commercial speakers costing many times the monies that you put with the DIY route.

Totally agree. I've seen where he has gone in and fixed some issues before... and in other instances replaced a tweeter, say... But sometimes, there is nothing that can be done, as you illustrate.
For me, its more of a curiosity. A lot of buzz right now with his Monoprice "fix" being discussed over at that other site.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I laughed at some of the responses you got on r/budgetaudiophile

so a bad speaker isn't a bad speaker as long as it's cheap? Plus they look like furniture.

 

[highfigh]

I can tell you didn't read my review.

There's a whole section about my subjective thoughts under "Subjective Evaluation".

To be honest, I didn't even see the link to the review but if you're going to write that Jamo is owned by Klipsch, you should probably mention that Klipsch is owned by Audiovox, who would, ultimately, be responsible for the cheapening of the brand. The photo of the crossover tells me they no longer care about sound quality.

I hated Jamo being sold to Klipsch- I worked for the second US dealer of Jamo and dissolving the management to move operations to Indianapolis meant that paying a visit to people I had known for well over 20 years was over. However, I can't blame the founders of the company for wanting to retire, since they started it in 1967 and grew it to the level that made it attractive, with the help of the head of US operations.

 

[KEW]

To be honest, I didn't even see the link to the review but if you're going to write that Jamo is owned by Klipsch, you should probably mention that Klipsch is owned by Audiovox, who would, ultimately, be responsible for the cheapening of the brand. The photo pf the crossover tells me they no longer care about sound quality.

Your point is well taken; Audiovox/Klipsch has milked Energy and Mirage dry and Jamo is probably next.
Yet Klipsch seems to be steadily improving their own speakers.

 

[shadyJ]

Your point is well taken; Audiovox/Klipsch has milked Energy and Mirage dry and Jamo is probably next.
Yet Klipsch seems to be steadily improving their own speakers.

While the RP-8000F turned out to be good performers, measurements for other modern Klipsch speakers are turning out to be a mixed bag. Some decent, but others have significant flaws. I would want to measure more Klipsch speakers to get a better grip on what is going on with the brand before giving a blanket recommendation to Klipsch or even any particular series within Klipsch.

 

[KEW]

While the RP-8000F turned out to be good performers, measurements for other modern Klipsch speakers are turning out to be a mixed bag. Some decent, but others have significant flaws. I would want to measure more Klipsch speakers to get a better grip on what is going on with the brand before giving a blanket recommendation to Klipsch or even any particular series within Klipsch.

Which ones measured poorly? I missed those reviews.
There is a lot of positive hype going around about the new Heresy 4 - which underwent a major design change including going from a sealed to a ported cabinet!
However, I haven't seen any measurements to know what has changed!

 

[shadyJ]

Which ones measured poorly? I missed those reviews.
There is a lot of positive hype going around about the new Heresy 4 - which underwent a major design change including going from a sealed to a ported cabinet!
However, I haven't seen any measurements to know what has changed!

Look at any of the measurements from Stereophile or Audio Science Review from the couple years. Those speakers had some problems. On the other hand, Soundstage's measurements of the R-280F were actually not bad for a budget speaker. So who the hell knows what is going on with Klipsch. These poor measurements aren't hurting them anyway, they have been doing quite well for a speaker manufacturer recently.

 

[ErinH]

Another amazingly comprehensive review, very nice! The response reminds me of the Dayton MK402. That could be greatly alleviated with a typical treble tone control knob with knocks down output above 3kHz. Maybe these could be made to sound a lot better with a simple tone control knob change. I liked the Mk402 overall but one reason for that was that it was $60/pair when not on sale, and the fix for them was easy. The problem with this Jamo speaker is that even if you tamed the highs, there is still that bass boost. It is just too aggressive for the shape of that curve.

I would be interested in seeing measurements for the Jamo C98 II that Andrew Robinson has very high praise for in this review.

Again, outstanding review, and I am looking forward to seeing more of your efforts!

Thank you, sir.

I looked at the MK402 review. I would have expected better from Dayton. :/

I also looked at the Jamo C98 review by Andrew. I skimmed it but I noticed where he mentioned the high treble... sounds familiar.

 

[ErinH]

I laughed at some of the responses you got on r/budgetaudiophile

so a bad speaker isn't a bad speaker as long as it's cheap? Plus they look like furniture.

Man, I don't even know why I bother posting there. The people who replied don't belong on an "audiophile" group. They obviously have no idea what hi-fi is. There are cheaper options that perform better. This speaker has the worst FR of any speaker I have tested to date. Why is it the ignorant are the ones to reply with their unintelligent opinion?

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Man, I don't even know why I bother posting there. The people who replied don't belong on an "audiophile" group. They obviously have no idea what hi-fi is. There are cheaper options that perform better. This speaker has the worst FR of any speaker I have tested to date. Why is it the ignorant are the ones to reply with their unintelligent opinion?

It should just be called "budget audio." But I try to post there and troubleshoot because many noobs with connection problems do post, and I know we all had to start somewhere.

 

[ErinH]

First video review is up. It ain't perfect but it's a start. Hopefully these will get a bit better and easier as I complete more.