Yamaha Audio vs Jamo vs Klipsch - Which speaker of these brands are the best?

[eljr]

FWIW Audiovox/Voxx Electronics owns both the Klipsch and Jamo brands as well as some others. A speaker warranty of 7 years would be exceptional, so be sure you understand the warranty involved....from what I see the HK speakers had a 5 year warranty. They all have generally good reputations but as to "best", that would be model specific as well as somewhat subject to your taste and budget.

Why these three brands only? They the only ones available to you?

Do you have any idea how you damaged your previous speakers? Played too loud or ?

don't they always clip them?

 

[stalag2005]

MilleniaOne 1.0

Single Satellite Speaker

www.paradigm.com

A pair of the above coupled with a good sub would also work well, and should be within your budget. I know this is USA dollars, but a pair falls in the $1000 USD budget you have. For a subwoofer I would suggest something like the following

PB-1000

Ported box home theater subwoofer delivers ground-shaking SPLs and subterranean low frequency extension without sacrificing detail and accuracy.

www.svsound.com

For the OP, I am only tossing ideas here. I don't know what is available in your country, what city you are in, and how shipping product is if it is in another city for you.

 

[highfigh]

Yamaha Audio vs Jamo vs Klipsch - Which speaker of these brands are the best?

Hello All,

I have Yamaha RX-V685 Amplifier & Harman / Kardon HKTS 9 speakers (5 speakers & 1 Sub Woofer). Unfortunately, I have been facing an issue with these speakers. The dialogue (vocal) sound volume level has gone quite low such that I am unable to hear the dialogues clearly especially when they whisper & speak very slowly. Before, we were able to listen to all the dialogues Crisp & Clear even at -30 volume but now the situation is such that I have to take the volume level all the way till -13 to -12 in order to hear their dialogues clearly (especially their whispering). But now the biggest issue is that the moment there is a sudden background loud sound in the scenes, "A huge explosion of sound gets created by Subwoofer" in the living room which immediately forces me to bring the volume level down back to -28 but this again brings back the issue of low dialogue volume so again increase the volume & this cycle keeps repeating. My Mom is 68yrs & she finds such a high level of background sound very irritating, disturbing & shocking.

I contacted one of the dealers of Jamo & he suggested me following speakers:

JAMO : A345 - For Front / A320 ( SATELLITE ) - for Surround / s83 - For Center.

Can any of you kindly suggest me whether these are the best one to work with my Yamaha Amplifier RX-V685 & solve my issue mentioned above?

Open the menu and check the speaker configuration- I received a call from a customer with the same complaint and I found that the receiver was set for 5 channels, when it was only using two in-ceiling speakers. I'm not sure why that happened- I had checked it when I initially started working at that house and it was fine- nobody in the family would have been able to figure out how to change it, either.

 

[Kingnoob]

I personally would say klipch
This sub is more powerful then the svs of the same price .

Monolith by Monoprice 10in THX Certified Select Subwoofer Amplifier - Monoprice.com

Monolith™10" THX® Certified Select SubwooferThe Monolith™ THX® Certified Select Subwoofer sets the standard for bass output, low distortion, and affordability. With chest thum

www.monoprice.com

What brands or models are available to you in India ?? Any ideas yet op


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[apoorvasheth]

Open the menu and check the speaker configuration- I received a call from a customer with the same complaint and I found that the receiver was set for 5 channels, when it was only using two in-ceiling speakers. I'm not sure why that happened- I had checked it when I initially started working at that house and it was fine- nobody in the family would have been able to figure out how to change it, either.

Well, it was the owner of Yamaha Service Center who visited my house & I am sure he would have for sure checked whether this AV Receiver is using all 5 speakers & it is when I had checked in the menu option...it is only that these Harman Kardon speakers are more then 7 years old so possible the parts inside have gone weaker so, I am now planning to upgrade these speakers to a better one...

 

[apoorvasheth]

I personally would say klipch
This sub is more powerful then the svs of the same price .

Monolith by Monoprice 10in THX Certified Select Subwoofer Amplifier - Monoprice.com

Monolith™10" THX® Certified Select SubwooferThe Monolith™ THX® Certified Select Subwoofer sets the standard for bass output, low distortion, and affordability. With chest thum

www.monoprice.com

What brands or models are available to you in India ?? Any ideas yet op


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, I need not require to change the Sub woofer of Harman Kardon as it works pretty well...I think someone told me that the voice quality of Klipsch is a bit harsh as opposed to Jamo speakers which shall sound sweet just like my existing Harman Kardon HKTS 9 speakers...so most probably, I will check & take Jamo speakers only...

 

[apoorvasheth]

After looking at what you have available consider getting a set of SVS sound prime bookshelf speakers with a SVS PB-1000 if not a PB-2000 sub. Consider also a set of Paradigm Cinema speakers which will require a subwoofer. I recommend the above subwoofers mentioned above.

I personally own the following

Paradigm:
Premier 800F
Prestige 45C
Mini Monitor v5
ADP-190 (Prestige 25S replacement ordered)
Defiance X12 subwoofer

I have owned other Paradigm speakers and love them.

I also own an SVS SB3000 and a pair of Martin Logan LX-16 speakers as well. Paradigm/Martin Logan are the same company. SVS is an up and coming brand and IMHO well worth considering as well.

Well, more the brands, max the confusion. I most probably shall buy Jamo Speakers as they sound sweet compared to Klipsch as suggested by its Authorized Distributor in my city. I am also planning to take a look at:

Acoustimass 10 Series V—Surround Sound System for Home Cinema | Bose

How good will these Bose speakers be compared to Jamo: JAMO : A345 - For Front / A320 ( SATELLITE ) - for Surround / s83 - For Center. ?

 

[stalag2005]

Well, more the brands, max the confusion. I most probably shall buy Jamo Speakers as they sound sweet compared to Klipsch as suggested by its Authorized Distributor in my city. I am also planning to take a look at:

Acoustimass 10 Series V—Surround Sound System for Home Cinema | Bose

How good will these Bose speakers be compared to Jamo: JAMO : A345 - For Front / A320 ( SATELLITE ) - for Surround / s83 - For Center. ?

I would not touch Bose. They are consumer mass market crap. What I am mentioning is better by large margins. There is a lot out there. Martin Logan/Paradigm are the same company. SVS is a separate company. What matters most are your ears and your budget that you can afford. For me the Premier/Prestige lines of Paradigm are within my budget/ears that I enjoy. You were asking about stuff in your price range, and I tried to find some quality stuff that I would use myself close to your budget of $1000 USD.

Oh, your dealer is correct that the Klipsch leave something on the table as far as listening experience. I have heard them demonstrated at a retailer here in the USA and find them wanting. IMHO there is way better out there.

I don't know about the JAMO speakers but have heard for their price they are decent. Others here may know a lot more. Speaker technology is always improving, and as such, trying to predict or survey all available is very difficult as you are finding out. I have over the couple of decades I have owned Paradigm speakers and like their sound. And I own also a pair (older) of Martin Logan LX-16 bookshelf speakers as well. Bookshelf speakers almost demand the use of a subwoofer to give you that low end. For example the Martin Logan speakers I have run from 60Hz to 20kHz in frequency. The subwoofer I have, the SVS SB-3000 has bass extension below 20 Hz and there is a lot of audio in music even classical that is down below the 60 Hz of the Martin Logan speakers I have. The subwoofer fills in that gap.

I will reiterate though, your ears/budget will ultimately determine what you are willing to spend and enjoy listening to. All we can do here is share our experiences and hopefully help you on your journey to buying the best set of speakers you can enjoy.

 

[highfigh]

Well, it was the owner of Yamaha Service Center who visited my house & I am sure he would have for sure checked whether this AV Receiver is using all 5 speakers & it is when I had checked in the menu option...it is only that these Harman Kardon speakers are more then 7 years old so possible the parts inside have gone weaker so, I am now planning to upgrade these speakers to a better one...

Highly unlikely that the speakers are at fault, but you can test them with the receiver in Party Mode/5 channel stereo. I would also check the different surround modes (too many, too easy to select without realizing it and too hard to return to 5.1).

 

[Teetertotter?]

Sounds like a CENTER speaker issue???

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Definitely would NOT touch the acoustimass garbage. Overpriced garbage and will not compare to the Jamo speakers. Or any others for that matter lol.
Also. I would consider a subwoofer upgrade while you’re at it.

Do you, or a friend have any speakers to test with? Not saying you shouldn’t get new ones, but just for process of elimination.

 

[lovinthehd]

Well, it was the owner of Yamaha Service Center who visited my house & I am sure he would have for sure checked whether this AV Receiver is using all 5 speakers & it is when I had checked in the menu option...it is only that these Harman Kardon speakers are more then 7 years old so possible the parts inside have gone weaker so, I am now planning to upgrade these speakers to a better one...

Seven years old for speakers that are used properly used/cared for is just the beginning, they should last a lot longer. Damaged from misuse is possible, tho, or if the damaged amp caused the problem, perhaps. Either they still work properly or they don't and they should be tested to see what particularly works or not. They have tweeters and midwoofers, is it one driver vs the other that has gone bad in some units? Have you changed the speakers to new positions to see if the problem follows an individual speaker or an individual channel?

 

[apoorvasheth]

Highly unlikely that the speakers are at fault, but you can test them with the receiver in Party Mode/5 channel stereo. I would also check the different surround modes (too many, too easy to select without realizing it and too hard to return to 5.1).

Well, what the owner from Yamaha Service Center did is that he 1st removed the Center speaker & kept it aside. Then he connected the Surround Right speaker in place of the Center speaker & we listen to the same movie scenes...I can't confirm much on this but Yes, I feel the vocals clarity had clearly improved compared to the same scene being played from the Center speaker before.

Hence he concluded that the Center speaker has an issue. He said the Surround Right has one tweeter & you can hear the vocals (dialogues) clearly so in Center speaker it should be much more clearer considering it has 2 tweeters. He also suspected an issue with Front Right speakers.

And yes, I tried all possible sound modes available on this Yamaha RX-V685 Amplifier though aren't sure of the Party mode which I'll definitely try listening from today & post back here with its outcome but I am sure the results are pretty much going to be the same...

 

[apoorvasheth]

Seven years old for speakers that are used properly used/cared for is just the beginning, they should last a lot longer. Damaged from misuse is possible, tho, or if the damaged amp caused the problem, perhaps. Either they still work properly or they don't and they should be tested to see what particularly works or not. They have tweeters and midwoofers, is it one driver vs the other that has gone bad in some units? Have you changed the speakers to new positions to see if the problem follows an individual speaker or an individual channel?

Well, can an Amplifier damage the speakers by any chance & if that's just 2 years old? I bought this Yamaha RX-V685 Amplifier in Nov, 2018. Unfortunately, I don't have an additional working Amplifier & the one I have Harman/Kardon AVR 1700 has gone dead. When I took it to an Authorized Service Center of Harman, they said the cost to have this amplifier fixed, I can get a new one...is this true that a repair cost usually equals to cost of a new amplifier? The issue is with the Center speaker only considering the issue with with the vocals (dialogue volume level) so changing the speakers to new position I feel won't make a difference.

While the Harman Technical Support team did mention that they can send someone from Mumbai, India (since they don't have an expert in my city) to my city to have the speakers checked, but that would incur additional cost & I clearly told them that I am not ready to pay for the visit charges. I told them that I am ready to bring all the 5 speakers to the service center in my local city but it is due to their limitation of not having any good experts in my local city, "they are forced" to send an engineer from Mumbai to my city. So it they do not have a local expert, I am not at fault for the same? Why should I pay for the visit charges?

Also, I wanted to know what components inside the Center Speaker create dialogues (vocals) & which component creates vocal clarity?

I am very much confused & puzzled infact!

Are the issues actually with these Harman Kardon speakers?
Has my Yamaha RX-V685 Amplifier damaged the speakers?
I don't have an additional amplifier of any other brand to test the speakers.
I don't have an additional Center Speaker to test with this Yamaha Amplifier.

If it is the amplifier that caused damage to the speaker then, I can't take the risk to buy & hook up new speakers to this Yamaha amplifier.

 

[stalag2005]

Seeing this, if the left and right front speakers test good, and the problem moves with the center, you either need a repair tweeter for the center or a new center only. IMHO if this is the case, and you can get a new tweeter from Harmon Kardon, it would be a huge sight cheaper to go that route IF and only if the HTKS 9 speakers are serviceable. This will also let you know if the receiver is good. Harman Kardon are not noted in the USA for good support.

For those of you here is the following URL to view what the OP has

HKTS 9 | 5.1-channel home theatre speaker system

You don’t need a cavernous hall to enjoy great movie sound at home.

www.harmanaudio.com

If the repair is not possible, I might recommend buying someone else's used speakers if you can find them posted for sale. You might be able to mix and match to find a set of good speakers out of the used. This should be a lot cheaper than buying new. I doubt highly the speakers hurt the receiver.

If you want to upgrade, we can help advise there as well. But if you like the Harmon speakers, then stick with them if you can.

Is this similar to your Harmon Kardon?

Paradigm Cinema 100CT - 5.1 Channel Speaker System

CINEMA 100CT A home theatre system to meet your needs: budget, style and space! System includes: 5 x Cinema 100 Satellite Speaker 1 x Cinema Sub When size and sound matter While it’s true, there are tiny satellite speakers aided by small subwoofers that can be “hidden” in many living spaces...

avstore.in

 

[apoorvasheth]

If the sound changed like that it's more than likely NOT the speakers. Either the AVR is bad or the settings have changed. Did you do a factory reset? Is there some place that you can get another AVR with a free return period?

Yes, Factory reset has been done, AVR - Yamaha RX-V685 has been fixed by the service center when it had gone for repairs in which they have replaced majority of internal parts, all the settings are done back still the issue of vocal (dialogue) clarity & volume clarity stays unresolved...

 

[apoorvasheth]

What budget for 2 speakers? And where you located?

Seems to be a broken link...doesn't show anything related to speakers...

 

[mazersteven]

Seems to be a broken link...doesn't show anything related to speakers...

I didn't link anything. You posted your from India and something about 70,000. I can't help you. I don't know what's available there

 

[highfigh]

Well, what the owner from Yamaha Service Center did is that he 1st removed the Center speaker & kept it aside. Then he connected the Surround Right speaker in place of the Center speaker & we listen to the same movie scenes...I can't confirm much on this but Yes, I feel the vocals clarity had clearly improved compared to the same scene being played from the Center speaker before.

Hence he concluded that the Center speaker has an issue. He said the Surround Right has one tweeter & you can hear the vocals (dialogues) clearly so in Center speaker it should be much more clearer considering it has 2 tweeters. He also suspected an issue with Front Right speakers.

And yes, I tried all possible sound modes available on this Yamaha RX-V685 Amplifier though aren't sure of the Party mode which I'll definitely try listening from today & post back here with its outcome but I am sure the results are pretty much going to be the same...

If I was doing this, I would connect the center speaker to all channels and listen for differences, especially if the L & R speakers aren't the same. Center channel speakers are usually a compromise because they lay flat and main speakers stand upright. Center channel speakers also tend to use smaller mid-bass drivers, which definitely cause the sound to be different. While it's possible for equalization to bring a smaller center channel speaker's sound close to that of the main channels, it's often not possible to make it exactly the same because that would mean pushing lower frequencies harder and that can damage the speakers if they can't handle the extra bass.

Ideally, all speakers in a system would be the same, but that's not practical. When possible, a larger than average center channel speaker should be used because that channel is what provides speech and when peoples' voices come from smaller speakers, it doesn't sound natural or real- it can sound nasal (like they're pinching their nose shut), weak, muffled or it could have some other flaw. It might be a good idea to defeat the center channel and listen- sometimes, it can sound better coming from the main speakers in what's called 'phantom center channel'.

 

[apoorvasheth]

After looking at what you have available consider getting a set of SVS sound prime bookshelf speakers with a SVS PB-1000 if not a PB-2000 sub. Consider also a set of Paradigm Cinema speakers which will require a subwoofer. I recommend the above subwoofers mentioned above.

I personally own the following

Paradigm:
Premier 800F
Prestige 45C
Mini Monitor v5
ADP-190 (Prestige 25S replacement ordered)
Defiance X12 subwoofer

I have owned other Paradigm speakers and love them.

I also own an SVS SB3000 and a pair of Martin Logan LX-16 speakers as well. Paradigm/Martin Logan are the same company. SVS is an up and coming brand and IMHO well worth considering as well.

Thanks suggesting these ones...yes they do look very expensive standing at Rs. 97,000/- (USD $1,325.87) & have the word Cinema attached to it but are they better then Jamo? I started Googling about Paradigm & have now came across many other brands...Wow...I mean there is a very big music entertainment world out there in which exists Brands such as Dali, Martin Logan, Audio Quest & so on...Dali are "Super Super Expensive" among all...anyway'z, I need to listen to Paradigm Cinema 100CT & Jamo to understand which turns out to be a winner for me.

The biggest problem is that while everyone wants to take dealership of XYZ brands but they cannot afford to show the demo of all the speakers of the brands they deal into...they gamble in very limited investment...now tomorrow I'll be going to an Authorized dealer's shop who house Jamo, Yamaha & Klipsch but not all the speakers so I wonder where shall I surf around now for Paradigm speakers which anyway'z I'll find out by contacting their India distributor but now here is where the real problem lies...Listen to all different brands at different store & sometimes even outside the city....buying Home Theatre / Speakers just cannot in this way...There has to be same music file / same movie scene / same stadium noise / same songs etc...in short exactly same content that has to be played on all the brands immediately one after another & that's when the decision of making correct choice comes...

But let me ask one thing atleast. I presently use Harman Kardon HKTS 9 Satellite speakers (Kindly refer the enclosed picture). Will buying JAMO : A345 : for Front / A320 ( SATELLITE ) for Surround / s83 center give me a better output in terms of sound quality compared to my present HKTS 9 speakers & if yes then, how far will it be better if you have to give points from 1 to 10 where in 1 is the lowest & 10 being highest...

What other alternates can I consider in place of JAMO : A345 : for Front / A320 ( SATELLITE ) for Surround / s83 center which can give me even much more better sound quality?


Regards,
Apoorva.