Jamo c 103 vs Elac Debut 6.2

[RunOutGroove]

I'm running a pair of Elac Debut 6.2 speakers with a Marantz 2270 receiver. The sound I'm getting is really good, with the possible exception of really high volume (no I can't say the db#) as I believe that my Marantz though it's powerful enough for most volumes isn't quite powerful enough to drive the Elacs loud. Not really that big a deal as the time when I really want to crank my system is probably less than 5% of it's use.

Nonetheless, the grass is always greener (of course) and I recently saw a pair of Jamo C 103 speakers on sale on the local ads for very cheap. For what I could likely sell my Elacs for, I could own the Jamos for a fairly minimal investment. The question then is just how good are these Jamos (I know that they've been well reviewed) and what would I be gaining (or maybe even giving up) over the Elacs? I want a speaker that will sound good for everything I listen to, from Led Zeppelin to John Coltrane (can sound good for both rock and acoustic music)... I really like the imaging of the Elacs (music really has depth). I find the Elacs to have good detail in the treble but aren't too sharp (they're smoother than my Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s in that regard). Can the Jamos better all of that?

Also, just as importantly (and maybe more so) how will these speakers likely pair with my Marantz 2270? I see that the Jamos are rated as 88 db efficiency rather than the Elac's 87 db, but is this one db difference going to mean much in actual use?

 

[Nixxuz]

I've had the C-10 center, (actually dual running vertical), and the C-109 towers. The C103 is really in a higher tier of speaker, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be to your tastes. The Jamo have a pretty forward top end. That can easily be tamed with some sort of tone control, but some people have an aversion to that, for some reason. The dB difference won't matter a bit. I would personally buy the Jamos, as they could be quickly sold if you ended up not liking them, along with the fact that, outside of your local deal, they are fetching pretty high prices online, and aren't actually in production anymore. You'll be able to pick up a pair of Debut 6.2's for years to come, but the C103s are a finite resource.
Just my 2 cents. I loved mine, but got into DIY speakers, and that's a long and windy road.

 

[RunOutGroove]

I've had the C-10 center, (actually dual running vertical), and the C-109 towers. The C103 is really in a higher tier of speaker, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be to your tastes. The Jamo have a pretty forward top end. That can easily be tamed with some sort of tone control, but some people have an aversion to that, for some reason. The dB difference won't matter a bit. I would personally buy the Jamos, as they could be quickly sold if you ended up not liking them, along with the fact that, outside of your local deal, they are fetching pretty high prices online, and aren't actually in production anymore. You'll be able to pick up a pair of Debut 6.2's for years to come, but the C103s are a finite resource.
Just my 2 cents. I loved mine, but got into DIY speakers, and that's a long and windy road.

Hmmm... I'm actually reconsidering my thoughts on this, despite your recommendation. Even though these speakers are considered might higher end as they retail for several times that of the Elacs I have, I'm not really understanding what they offer over what I have except for maybe a better build quality (the real wood veneer is nice) and the fact that they might have a bit more punch if plugged into a more powerful amp (my 70 watt thing seems to be limiting for these somewhat less efficient speakers). I wonder what a speaker like this offers over what I own... what it does it do better? As for the boosted treble, I might be OK with that as my Marantz is a pretty round sounding amp so it might be an OK match for a speaker that's more aggressive with the treble. I agree about the tone controls and have to wonder why so much contemporary gear doesn't have them... I keep mine set flat 95% of the time but it's nice to have the option of an adjustment here and there when you want to make one.

I think that I'm suffering that "upgrade lust" that a lot of folks who play with audio gear have and maybe I just need to recognize it as such. I think maybe a smarter upgrade for me might be to wait until I find a deal on some kind of more efficient speaker, like maybe a Klipsch that will hopefully satisfy the love that I have for spacious imaging and detail that I feel like I'm already getting a bit of but also be possible to really crank with my current amplification (I don't see myself getting rid of that).

I'm surprised that these Jamos are already out of production. It seems like I've only just heard about these things. With such a cult surrounding them it seems odd that they would have stopped production so soon...

 

[Nixxuz]

Hmmm... I'm actually reconsidering my thoughts on this, despite your recommendation. Even though these speakers are considered might higher end as they retail for several times that of the Elacs I have, I'm not really understanding what they offer over what I have except for maybe a better build quality (the real wood veneer is nice) and the fact that they might have a bit more punch if plugged into a more powerful amp (my 70 watt thing seems to be limiting for these somewhat less efficient speakers). I wonder what a speaker like this offers over what I own... what it does it do better? As for the boosted treble, I might be OK with that as my Marantz is a pretty round sounding amp so it might be an OK match for a speaker that's more aggressive with the treble. I agree about the tone controls and have to wonder why so much contemporary gear doesn't have them... I keep mine set flat 95% of the time but it's nice to have the option of an adjustment here and there when you want to make one.

I think that I'm suffering that "upgrade lust" that a lot of folks who play with audio gear have and maybe I just need to recognize it as such. I think maybe a smarter upgrade for me might be to wait until I find a deal on some kind of more efficient speaker, like maybe a Klipsch that will hopefully satisfy the love that I have for spacious imaging and detail that I feel like I'm already getting a bit of but also be possible to really crank with my current amplification (I don't see myself getting rid of that).

I'm surprised that these Jamos are already out of production. It seems like I've only just heard about these things. With such a cult surrounding them it seems odd that they would have stopped production so soon...

The cult sprang up on a series of sales that Amazon had a couple years ago. They were selling for roughly 90% off MSRP. I got a pair of the 109 towers for $400, with shipping. Those towers weigh 80lbs. Each.
I really do think they are an upgrade from the Elacs, having heard both, but I didn't much care for the Debut sound. Or maybe it was just the A/B comparison that turned me off to the Elac.