Three-way speakers became the senior model in the updated Jamo C97 II Floorstanding series. This time, the Danes were concerned with the unity of form and content, adding to the high-quality sound an impressive and Scandinavian-style laconic design.
It is believed that the term WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) first appeared in 1983 in the American magazine Stereophile. And this notorious factor still intrudes into the plans of an entire army of music lovers, forcing them to convince their family members that the appearance of audio components will not affect the comfort of home.
The second generation of the Concert series, according to the manufacturer, is able to reconcile the aesthetic feelings of the family (it has a stylish appearance) with the musical expectations of the main music lover (it sounds good). The slightly rounded shape of the front panel made of MDF gives the elegant contours of the speakers a bit of solidity against the background of “skinny” analogs. The case is offered in two colors: black ash and white oak.
On the rear wall, there is a large phase inverter bell, the material and design of which are designed to minimize the impact of vibrations on the body. Below are the terminals for the bi-amping/bi-wiring connection. The speakers rest on cross-shaped “spiked” legs. Jamo C97 II Floorstanding
The front panel is covered by a grille made of rough tweed fabric, but unless you have curious children and mischievous pets, I recommend leaving the speakers on full display, since they account for a fair share of the effect of the design concept. The metal edging of the 1-inch tweeter and three 152.4-mm drivers (MF x 1 and LF x 2) harmonizes with blunt-nosed aluminum bullets, which simultaneously level out phase distortion and conduct heat away from the coils.
The developers placed the silk tweeters in a proprietary anti-diffraction waveguide ADW, and the tweeters are protected from unwanted external vibrations by a damping element TDR (Tweeter Distortion Reduction). Jamo C97 II Floorstanding
The midrange and low-frequency speakers’ diffusers are made of HCCC (Hard Composition Conical Cone) composite material, which includes a supporting cellular structure that allows the material to be lightweight and low-inertia with high rigidity. And finally, another proprietary abbreviation: LDS (Long Displacement Surround) — that is, elastic suspensions that give special mobility to the diffusers.
The Jamo C 97 II speaker set is capable of working as part of a home theater – fortunately, the Concert 9 Series II includes rear and central acoustics, and the company’s line includes suitable subwoofers – but still, its main role is seen in working with stereo components.
Warm and cold
The speakers were driven by a hybrid with a tube preamplifier stage, both E88CC tubes being Russian-made. The “warm tube” analog sound is provided by a Magnat MTT 990 vinyl player with a Sumiko Rainer pickup head and an external Music Hall pa1.2 phono preamplifier.
The organizers entrusted the digital part to a fellow countryman from Denmark — the Lyngdorf CD-2 CD-player, which worked with its own Wolfson WM8740 DAC during the test, although if desired, it was possible to use the built-in Burr-Brown of the “integrated amplifier”. The setup also used cables from David Saltz: Wireworld Luna 8 interconnects and Wireworld Solstice 8 acoustics. Jamo C97 II Floorstanding
Straight talk
The stylish Scandinavian design of the speakers just begs me to start listening to some conceptual Norwegian jazz, but I won’t be original and will first find out how the Jamo C 97 II relates to rock classics.
The first thing I did was listen to the song “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, which was found on the vinyl album “Iron Man 2”, made up of soundtracks to the film of the same name. And this sound turned out to be a cure for the ears and a balm for the soul. That same “good old” rock, to which you want to shake the remains of your hair and torment an imaginary guitar.
Low frequencies softly filled the entire room, and instruments and vocals sounded clear, balanced, and detailed, with a slight vintage flair. In my purely personal opinion, this is one of the best home setups, where Australians present themselves most advantageously. And the speakers worked honestly and dispassionately – as if what you ordered is what you got…
However, let’s give the “digital” a chance to prove itself with a high-quality recording and take a two-layer SACD/CD-audio disc “JS Bach. Oboenwerke. Alexei Utkin. Hermitage Chamber Orchestra”. Baroque classics usually become a difficult test for acoustics, but now the Jamo C 97 II set worked without complaints. The instruments sounded unusually natural, and not like “a retelling from the speakers”. We were pleasantly surprised by the construction of an imaginary scene when the speakers managed to convey the location of the musicians in a three-dimensional and believable manner. Jamo C97 II Floorstanding
I listened to this disc on “other good acoustics” and then I could not get rid of the feeling that the performers were locked in a space limited by the stereo base. True, now the sound could seem a little saturated and embellished, but in this case, I am inclined to attribute this to the signature of the CD player itself. I will only add that with a fairly neutral attitude to the work of the titan of baroque polyphony, it was difficult for me to tear myself away from the recording and return to further testing. I am sure that aesthetes will be impressed by this sound.
The instrumental composition “Hallelujah” on vinyl, interpreted by Thomas Siffling Trio, sounded soft and natural. The lyrical and delicate part of Thomas’ trumpet is accompanied by a distinct pulsation of the bass guitar and a well-defined drum kit in the background. For comparison: Randy Brecker’s trumpet from the record “Groove Is King” by the American jazz-funk group Rock Candy Funk Party appeared bright and piercing, and the clearly outlined bass guitar was complemented by rounded, well-articulated drums. In other words, this vinyl setup and, most importantly, the Jamo C 97 II speakers allow you to distinguish the entire spectrum of subtle nuances both in the manner of the performers themselves and in the quality of the recordings.
Conclusion
In various genres – be it classical, jazz, or rock – the speakers deliver sound beautifully and at the same time without compromising naturalness and authenticity. They are in that segment of the commercial (in a good sense) mid-range Hi-Fi segment, when versatility does not turn into omnivorousness. On the contrary, Jamo C 97 II can reveal the sound features of both stereo components and sound carriers. But keep in mind – this conversation will be honest, and the speakers will immediately expose boring interlocutors, so special attention should be paid to choosing a setup for your hearing.
Specification
Advantages: Detailed, rich musical sound, the ability to reveal various genres, and an impressive and moderately restrained design.
Flaws: Require careful selection of components and records.
Price: 83,990 rubles
Passport details
Type: floor standing
Number of stripes: 3
Acoustic design: bass reflex
Speakers: silk HF – 25 mm, MF x 1/LF x 2 – 152.4 mm, HC
Recommended power: 180 W
Maximum power: 360 W
Frequency range: 32–24,000 Hz (+3/-3 dB)
Impedance: 6 Ohm
Sensitivity: 89 dB
Input connectors: chrome-plated screw bi-wiring terminals
Dimensions: 1072x215x342 mm
Weight: 24.5 kg
