Best Budget HiFi Tower Speaker - Jamo C97 II Review

Best Budget HiFi Tower Speaker - Jamo C97 II Review

Audiophiles are always looking to save money. A frequent question we receive on the channel is what is the best budget HiFi speaker? Today we tackle tower speakers. There is no ONE right loudspeaker, but if our time spent with the Jamo C97 II tower speaker is any indication, it belongs on the list of best budget HIFI tower speaker - JAMO C97 II review.

TOWER SPEAKER

The Jamo C97 II is a tower speaker, also known as a floorstanding loudspeaker. It belongs to Jamo’s Concert 9 Series of speakers which includes two tower speakers, two bookshelf or monitor speaker models, and a center speaker model. The C97 II is the largest in the Concert 9 Series and the focus of this speaker review.

Retailing for around $1,000 for the pair, the C97 II is available in three finish options; black ash, white oak and cherry. The speaker itself is a 3-way design comprised of a single, one inch soft dome tweeter, a six inch midrange driver and dual 6 inch bass drivers. It is rear ported, which helps to give the speaker a reported frequency response of 32Hz to 24kHz (+/- 3dB).

SHOP THE JAMO C97 II TOWER SPEAKER

AFFORDABLE STYLE IN AN AUDIOPHILE SPEAKER

In terms of style, regardless of the finish, the Jamo C97 II is a good looking speaker. Finding affordable style in an audiophile speaker is not always the easiest. Our sample was finished in white oak, which would look great in any shabby chic or modern rustic decor scheme. The white oak is a vinyl wrap and not an actual wood veneer, though for what it is, it’s nice. The front of the speaker itself is more surfboard-like in shape and is finished in a white semi-gloss paint. The C97 II ships standard with large magnetic grilles, which are a vintage heather grey when ordering the speakers in white oak. Black and cherry finishes ship with more traditional black or dark grey grilles.

HOME THEATER SPEAKER

Beyond the Jamo C97 II’s style, their sound is incredibly punchy and well suited for today’s modern music and movies. As a home theater speaker or as part of a home theater speaker system, we feel the Jamo C97 II’s more than fit the bill. Even in a stereo speaker system it is our opinion that the C97 IIs possess enough audiophile “magic” that one could build a dedicated HiFi system around them and not have to make excuses.

The C97 II is not a neutral loudspeaker. It does have a slightly more energetic and lively sound compared to others in its class. Its midrange is the most neutral and detailed part of its frequency range, though because of the speaker’s slightly boosted treble and bass the mids may seem lean or cool in comparison. Bass through the Jamo is very solid, and responsive though once you hit the limit of its range there is a hard and noticeable cut off in its capabilities. The roll-off down low is not subtle, so for you bass heads you’ll want to pair the C97 II up to a capable subwoofer. In our listening tests and room we didn’t have too big of an issue with the Jamo’s bass response but those with larger rooms or a need to really crank the volume may want to add a subwoofer to the mix.

SOUNDSTAGE

In terms of soundstage the C97 II is great. It does have better side-to-side separation and definition when compared to its depth, but on a whole both are very pleasing. Center imaging with the C97 II is excellent, among the best we’ve tested at and around its price point. If you have only two Jamo speakers but plan on watching movies, dialog will sound clear and intelligible even without a center speaker.

With respect to dynamics the C97 II is amazing. More amazing still is that it is a speaker that doesn’t require high-end audio video equipment to sound its best. You can easily power the Jamo speakers with an affordable AV receiver with great results.

So while the Jamo C97 II tower speakers may not be perfect or as good as some of the best speakers on the market today, they do enough “right” that for most listeners they may be all the loudspeaker one ever needs.

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