Jamo C803 vs ELAC DBR 62

[notabenem]

I do have a pair of Jamo C803 (note, not 'S'). They are like 10 years old now. They sound awesome, but I am disappointed that when watching movies, often the dialogue is difficult to understand. At the same time it seems its much easier to capture the words through headphones. So I wonder, if it's not the speakers fault?

Seeing the favorable price/performance index of the Elac DBR 62 I am considering to replace the Jamos with ELAC. Will I get better dialogue clarity?

Does anyone perhaps have some comparable measurements of the JAMOs?

 

[notabenem]

@restorer-john perhaps you have some experience?

 

[sweetchaos]

Your C803 looks be discontinued.

Here's all measurements I could find on Jamo's.

Jamo Concert C 93 II

Jamo S807 Floorstanding

Jamo S 628 HCS

Jamo S 809 HCS

My recommendation...get the ELAC DBR62 since Jamo's performance is all over the board.

 

[notabenem]

I found this review. Not sure how to interpet the measurements inside. Seem quite comparable to the Elacs, to my untrained eyes. I would appreciate if anyone explained those numbers a bit.

 

[Beave]

I have a pair of Jamo C803s. They hold up pretty well against several other bookshelf speakers I own or have owned.

I haven't heard the Elacs (I'd like to!), but I'd guess it's more of a sideways move than an upgrade.

If you're having dialogue issues, look at speaker placement, listener placement, room acoustics, and AVR settings before swapping out speakers.

 

[notabenem]

It's not that the dialogue would be completely distorted. However, I am missing those subtle but significant details (e.g. consonants in the middle or end of the words) that really distinguish one word from the other. Moderators in BBC and CNN do properly articulate, so I have no issues listening to them. However, when watching movies it's much more difficult due to speed, worse articulation, slang. Nevertheless, I can still recognize significantly more when listening through headphones. Needless to say, english is not my native language.

 

[notabenem]

@amirm could you please be so kind and have a glance of the last page of the pdf with a critical eye here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/jamo-c803-vs-elac-dbr-62.21216/post-704593
What is your opinion of those charts for a $500/pair speaker? How do they compare to the others in the same price level?

 

[theyellowspecial]

Try crossing the Jamo speakers in front of the listening position to reduce sidewall reflections, which may improve dialogue coherence.

 

[notabenem]

will try that, thanks.

 

[Beave]

Are you using stereo or surround sound? What is your AVR?

 

[restorer-john]

@restorer-john perhaps you have some experience?

I do have a lot of Jamo speakers. Usually the mids are fantastic on Jamo's speakers in general, but I must admit, I don't have any/many from the post Klipsch buyout. Once they stopped making them in Denmark, I pulled the plug on the brand.

So, you are using the speakers in a 2.0 situation for movies? Make sure if that is the case, your outputting PCM 2.0 to your D/A converter or a stereo (2ch) mixdown. Otherwise, you may be not getting the centre channel dialogue sent equally to each L/R and that would explain the loss of dialogue detail you mentioned.

 

[notabenem]

Are you using stereo or surround sound? What is your AVR?

Both, depending on the movie. The surrounds are Jamo C80 SURR, same series. The AVR is a Marantz SR5003.

 

[notabenem]

So, you are using the speakers in a 2.0 situation for movies? Make sure if that is the case, your outputting PCM 2.0 to your D/A converter or a stereo (2ch) mixdown. Otherwise, you may be not getting the centre channel dialogue sent equally to each L/R and that would explain the loss of dialogue detail you mentioned.

Are you saying that if I use pass-through of AC3, or 6 channel AAC, DTS, etc. then the receiver, in the absence of a center speaker, is simply 'ignoring' the center channel signal?

 

[Beave]

Both, depending on the movie. The surrounds are Jamo C80 SURR, same series. The AVR is a Marantz SR5003.

What center channel? Can you share a pic of your speaker setup?

 

[Beave]

Are you saying that if I use pass-through of AC3, or 6 channel AAC, DTS, etc. then the receiver, in the absence of a center speaker, is simply 'ignoring' the center channel signal?

Depends a lot on AVR settings. If you have a center speaker, you tell the AVR. If you don't, you tell it you don't, and it should re-route that content to L and R speakers.

 

[restorer-john]

Are you saying that if I use pass-through of AC3, or 6 channel AAC, DTS, etc. then the receiver, in the absence of a center speaker, is simply 'ignoring' the center channel signal?

Receivers and settings vary, but in the absence of a centre speaker, the centre channel should be set to 'phantom' or whatever the equivalent is on your receiver. Otherwise the actual centre channel content is not being reproduced.

 

[notabenem]

When I bought my C803s, it was only a stereo setup. Later I purchased 2 surrounds, but no center. I can hear the center being rerouted to left/right so I guess there's nothing wrong with the routing, just the clarity/detail. Here's the room. Very cheap looking setup, I know. Not the sort of audiophile I see on forums like this.

 

[polmuaddib]

Buy a center speaker. If you are satisfied with Jamo performance, just add apropriate Jamo center or another one of your fronts.

 

[Beave]

That's not too bad - I've seen lots worse setups, even people with $10k + speakers who have them set up in horrible places.

They do look spread a little far apart to be without a center channel. A center can really help with vocals - that's exactly what they're for.

Without a center, maybe bring the speakers in a little closer. The speaker on the right has more cabinetry around it than the one on the left. Can those cabinets on the right speaker be rearranged to make more symmetry with the left? That would probably only make a subtle difference though.

 

[Beave]

Also, how far away are you sitting from the TV? And what's on the floor in between? Hard flooring? Carpet? Rug?