JM lab focal range..hierachy and opinions

[Bourney]

a few months back i bought some JM lab 906's, i have had them before at my old gaff and they werent really suitable. in my currentroom and with my valve gear they sound lovely. in fact i think i like them more than the many Royds i have tried (blasphemy...blasphemy!)

anyway, i have now started looking around at the newer models and also trying to find out what were the mdoels that were around at the same time as the 906 and its equivelent replacement. was there a floorstanding model of this configuration??

But...if i am beinghonest i have seen that Mocha finish and i need it in my life!!! (there are also some other amazing finishes offered by jmlab)

i know JM lab dont seem to get much love around here but i likes em, the 906 seems to play everything really well and my amp drives them so easily, the quality of the cabinets is as good as i have owned.

[Mr Cat]

Hi - I live my focals and they sound great to me...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/weardal...7594510990401/

tho, I'm not sure if they would benefit from being closer to the wall - that said, thats more tricky with the left speaker...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/weardal...7594510990401/

[curtis]

The JM Lab electra 906 is a cracking speaker.

Not tons of bass but very tight and fast.

Can be a bit dry sounding and sharp but very dynamic.

Think they retailed at £999 but can be had around £450.



Curtis

[roll_with_it]

I had the 806V on home demo (£500 model - in mocha;)), and they sounded great with the Exposure 2010S system I had, but at the time I equally liked the R33s, and they were half the price. The R33s had a slightly tighter bass in my room, but the Focals seemed faster.

I also recently had some 705Vs, the small model, which were no where near as good. They sounded closed in compared to the bigger model.

[The Swedish Chef]

Demo'd the 826 and 836 about a year ago against each other and thought that the cheaper 826 was a much better balanced speaker, the 836 was too bass heavy and maybe built with more AV use mind.

Having gone out and bought Focalspeakers myself I clearly like what they are trying to present, which isa super fast sound, crystal clear treble and an involving soundstage, others may well choose speakers with different priorities in mind.

As always,demo, demo demo and take your amp along to the shop, or better still the speakers home.

[Bourney]

roll_with_it wrote:

I had the 806V on home demo (£500 model - in mocha;)), and they sounded great with the Exposure 2010S system I had, but at the time I equally liked the R33s, and they were half the price. The R33s had a slightly tighter bass in my room, but the Focals seemed faster.

I also recently had some 705Vs, the small model, which were no where near as good. They sounded closed in compared to the bigger model.

i think the 806 is more expensive now...or is that the 807?? arrgh too many speakers in the range all with similar numbers!!

i liked my Revolvers alot but the 906's seem superior in every way to way to my old RW33's.,,maybeasmidgen less bass weight.

[roll_with_it]

Bourney wrote:

roll_with_it wrote:

I had the 806V on home demo (£500 model - in mocha;)), and they sounded great with the Exposure 2010S system I had, but at the time I equally liked the R33s, and they were half the price. The R33s had a slightly tighter bass in my room, but the Focals seemed faster.

I also recently had some 705Vs, the small model, which were no where near as good. They sounded closed in compared to the bigger model.

i think the 806 is more expensive now...or is that the 807?? arrgh too many speakers in the range all with similar numbers!!

i liked my Revolvers alot but the 906's seem superior in every way to way to my old RW33's.,,maybeasmidgen less bass weight.

you need some Music 3s mate;)

[Bourney]

roll_with_it wrote:

Bourney wrote:

roll_with_it wrote:

I had the 806V on home demo (£500 model - in mocha;)), and they sounded great with the Exposure 2010S system I had, but at the time I equally liked the R33s, and they were half the price. The R33s had a slightly tighter bass in my room, but the Focals seemed faster.

I also recently had some 705Vs, the small model, which were no where near as good. They sounded closed in compared to the bigger model.

i think the 806 is more expensive now...or is that the 807?? arrgh too many speakers in the range all with similar numbers!!

i liked my Revolvers alot but the 906's seem superior in every way to way to my old RW33's.,,maybeasmidgen less bass weight.

you need some Music 3s mate;)

naah... you need some `higher' range focals

[roll_with_it]

Bourney wrote:

roll_with_it wrote:

Bourney wrote:

roll_with_it wrote:

I had the 806V on home demo (£500 model - in mocha;)), and they sounded great with the Exposure 2010S system I had, but at the time I equally liked the R33s, and they were half the price. The R33s had a slightly tighter bass in my room, but the Focals seemed faster.

I also recently had some 705Vs, the small model, which were no where near as good. They sounded closed in compared to the bigger model.

i think the 806 is more expensive now...or is that the 807?? arrgh too many speakers in the range all with similar numbers!!

i liked my Revolvers alot but the 906's seem superior in every way to way to my old RW33's.,,maybeasmidgen less bass weight.

you need some Music 3s mate;)

naah... you need some `higher' range focals

not in my room mate. Even the 806V produced a lumpy bass in my old house, and the room (loft) was pretty big. Odd shape though as most lofts are, which probably didnt help.

[Polarbear]

Dare I say it but you need ART's :lmfao:

[alphatoner]

I had a pair of mezzo utopia's for a couple of months, sounded amazing but they do need a fairly big room.

[Davewhityetagain]

I like the sounds of focal speakers they are very good

dont like the colour "Moka" or that daft shaped grill

[rockmeister]

I love my 1027's and still say that they are the best standmounts on the market up to 2000 squid. They are not tolerant of unsympathetic (read 'crap') kit tho, so careful partnering required, but get it right and they sing like a bird...well a very clear and dynamic bird, which is how I like my birds to be. I agree about the valves too...ideally suited IMO, since they are ensitive enough for modern med powered valve amps and a little valve warmth mixes well with a little focal cleanliness.

[harv]

Yeah more then happy with mine too... the step up from the older cobalt series to the be's is well worth it, the Be tweeter is very sweet sounding.

[Napoleon]

No one here has mentioned the main quality with Focal speakers and that is the ability of them to let the music be expressed properly...

[Alex A]

Napoleon wrote:

let the music be expressed properly

Properly? Care toexplain that? As a simple statement, it's a purely normative assertion anddoesn't actually tell me (or anyone else) anything at all.

[Papa Lazarou]

Alex_A wrote:

Napoleon wrote:

let the music be expressed properly

Properly? Care toÂ*explain that? As a simple statement, it's a purely normative assertion andÂ*doesn't actually tell me (or anyone else) anything at all.

If that means thin, hi-fi and soulless then I agree.

[dudywoxer]

well we seem to have the usual thought lines, they run as

good, gooder, best, bestest

or

bad, badder, worst and worstest

ever ever in the world, and they need to be demo'd with a energiser dancing bunny, cos without him to show you, you will not know which way round it is

[The Swedish Chef]

Amazing that some products can divide opinion so much, pick Neat, Spendor etc and the majority won't say a word against them, yet others like Focal and Art get peoples blood boil.

Blanket statements like "let the music be expressed properly..." certainly don't help though

[Mr Cat]

The Swedish Chef wrote:

Amazing that some products can divide opinion so much, pick Neat, Spendor etc and the majority won't say a word against them, yet others like Focal and Art get peoples blood boil.

Blanket statements like "let the music be expressed properly..." certainly don't help though

yeah, I heard a pair of neats and wasn't overly impressed with them - not that my focals are miles better...just have a different presentation...