 JMlab Chorus 707 Loudspeakers
JMlab is the largest of the French speaker manufacturers
and famous for its very upscale and high-end Utopia line, which consists of cost-no-object
models that many reviewers consider among the best in the world. JMlab's US distributor
told GoodSound! that sometime last year the engineers in France received samples of
the most popular affordable speakers in Europe with succinct instructions to create
something better for less. This condensed design goal became the raison-d'źtre
for the recently introduced Chorus line with which the company hopes to attract
entry-level buyers.
Trickle-down effects benefit affordable line
As a vertically integrated manufacturing house, JMlab,
under the Focal brand name, designs and fabricates its own transducers for all its speaker
products. As with Danish loudspeaker firm Dynaudio, some of these raw drive units end up
in highly regarded products by the competition. The most recognizable of these drivers is
Focal's inverted-dome tweeter. The Chorus series benefits from its own iteration, a
concave 1" treated titanium unit that appears in all the other nine Chorus models,
subwoofer excepted. In different configurations, seven of these models also share the
identical 6.5" polyglass midrange/woofer cone.
The two-way JMlab Chorus 707 under review breaks this mold.
It introduces a dedicated dual-voice-coil 7" version that is not used in any other
Chorus model. The 707's stout 9"D x 19"H x 12"W dimensions turn it into a
maxi-monitor and suggest that its designers were going after bass performance and loudness
capabilities -- a safe guess as we'll discover. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms, with 25 watts
of minimum recommended amplifier power. Rounding out the specifications is bass extension
to 54Hz and a surprisingly high 91.5dB sensitivity. The 707s are front-ported and sport
two pairs of gold-plated binding posts for biwiring. Available high-grade vinyl options
include black ash, cherry, and the very attractive calvados of the review pair. This
classy new finish is grained like curly maple, colored like medium cherry and a welcome
break from the common oak, rosewood and mahogany finishes.
The review system consisted of Marantz and Denon CD
players, the Outlaw 1050 receiver in analog-direct mode and our customary blue Cardas
Crosslink cabling. The in-house Axiom Millennia M3Ti reference pair served as a comparison
speaker.
Misleading first impressions…
Cold out of the box, the famous titanium tweeter acted like
a windowpane ablaze with reflected sunlight -- it was blindingly bright. To reach its
specified bass extension, the mid/bass driver required time to fill out as well. Taken
together, these pre-break-in conditions at first caused a predictably top-heavy and
aggressive tonal balance. For example, the new La Cubanita album [Atoll 91134A] by
Los Niņos de Sara (the core group of Alabina without female vocalist Ishtar) was
completely unlistenable -- hard, edgy and in your face.
…mellowed by time
One hundred hours later, the same album transformed into a
carefree, high-octane celebration of Gipsy rumba. Cuban-style horns, percussion, up-tempo
rhythms and impassioned vocals begged for party levels to transmit the inherent joi de
vivre of this Gipsy Kings-style material. Soundstaging, particularly outside the
speakers, proved very impressive, possibly aided by the wide-dispersion geometry claimed
for the unique tweeter shape. The large-diameter port was clearly custom tailored to vent
high amounts of air without chuffing or distortion. The designers of the Chorus 707 seem
to also have considered high-output home-theater applications.
Emphasized leading edges and an energetic envelope around
the vocals proved that even after prolonged break-in, nobody would ever accuse the Focal
tweeter of lacking air or extension. While no longer inherently hot or spitty -- and now
properly balanced by defined and extended bass -- the high-frequency demeanor of the 707
created an enhanced sense of resolution, with sharply focused placement of performers on
the stage. In this respect, it recalled the previously reviewed Triangle Titus XS with its
carefully contoured minor treble emphasis.
In the Chorus 707, this phenomenon could either be a
function of an equally rising top-end response or the result of optimized in-room power
response if the dispersion of this tweeter was as broad as claimed. Whatever the
engineering reasons, this JMlab speaker is not a polite-sounding one in the British
tradition. It doesn't project a warm and shaded tonal balance but instead entices with a
lit-up, highly resolved, exciting and animated profile that brings out liveliness and
detail.
On Deva Premal's Love is Space [prabhu music 2000],
this manifested in staggered reverb echoes that trailed the vocalist and remained
intelligible and resolved far into an extended decay before receding back into silence.
Certain emphatic string attacks on Jai Uttal's accompanying dotar (a kind of
neck-worn mini sitar favored by the itinerant North Indian Bauls) showcased a steely edge
that speakers with a warmer voicing wouldn't resolve to the same extent. What prevented
such details from appearing unnaturally highlighted was the 707's excellent reach in the
bass. This acted as the appropriate counterbalance for the open treble. The JMlabs
retrieved more than just a hint oft the very low synthesizer pedals and foundation
ambience that anchor these ancient mantras and sacred hymns but are really out of reach
for regular monitor speakers.
Glancing at the specs for a quick reality check, the listed
-3dB point of 54Hz seemed rather conservative and surely derived from anechoic
measurements that discount bass boost generated by real-world wall and floor reflections
which an anechoic chamber absorbs. (The dual 6.5" three-way Chorus 725, rated only
slightly lower at 47Hz, appears equally conservative in its specs.) We won't argue with
the manufacturer but rather applaud them for restraint in a game that often bamboozles
consumers with unrealistic claims. Still, my listening impressions indicate that the
actual bass response of the 707s, in-room, reaches comfortably into the 40s. For
comparison, Polk Audio rates the previously reviewed 6.5" two-way RT35i to
50Hz, with a published in-room response of 39Hz. Unless my aural memory deceives me (which
is well possible and a good reminder not to rely too much on memory when one compares
audio components at different times or locations) the JMlab speakers seem the Polks'
equals in that regard.
Further music samples
Jai Uttal's retrospective, "I won't ask for more"
[Spirit Room, Triloka 8068-2], received an injection of air and illumination that
created a distinct and spacious aura around Uttal's voice. His masculine timbre had
uncommon sparkle and highlights. The attacks of hand-struck drum skins were crisp, the
bite of the muted trumpet sharp. The ominous and mysterious quality of Don Cherry's damped
instrument, the eerie synth washes and melancholy chord progressions projected with less
emotional weight than I'm used to. Not only is the Focal tweeter very extended and
detailed, but the glass-bead-injected poly cone of the mid/woofer seems equally tuned for
articulation. This makes for a midday-sun clarity that favors resolution over romanticism.
On Gilberto Gil & Milton Nascimento [WEA
857382810-2], this resolving power clearly portrayed the distinct vocal touches of
the Brazilian songwriter super stars. On their ode to Rio de Janeiro,
"Sebastian," first singing alternately, then together, their voices remained
clearly unique and separated even in tandem. The accentuated underpinnings of the bass
guitar had just the right substance to avoid the subdued or recessed bottom-end quality of
smaller monitors that can sound lightweight by comparison. As expected, the background
chorus on "Ponte de Areia" was not only beautifully layered into the farthest
reaches of the soundstage but even the specific locations of the singers were indicated
with accuracy.
The French-Canadian connection
Using the aforementioned La Cubanita album again,
the Axiom M3Tis de-emphasized the recording's inherently tilted-up tonal balance to sound
creamier and smoother. The JMlabs were more vivacious and energetic and sensitive,
requiring less amplifier gain for equivalent volume levels. Roll-off in the low
frequencies kicked in later with the French monitors. This prevented attenuation of
certain low bass notes that, via the Axioms, were still reproduced but diminished in
output. However, the leading edges of the same bass notes were more precisely rendered
with the M3Tis. Their unique cabinet architecture with its non-parallel walls seems to
prevent interior standing waves, as claimed. This gives the Canadian contenders a minor
advantage in bass line precision and attack.
Where the Axiom and nOrh speakers were close to identical
siblings that epitomize smoothness, the soul mates to the JMlabs are really the Triangles.
The major differences between them are bass reach and dynamics -- the larger woofer and
cabinet clearly give the Chorus a head start for those qualities. Conversely, the Titus XS
edges out the Chorus in the very bouncy and taut mien of its midbass that recalls the
recoil of a tightly stretched drum skin.
When mini is maxy
While not diminutive by any stretch, the JMlab Chorus 707s are
monitors that require 20" stands or shelf/table-top placement. This puts them
visually into a category distinctly different from floorstanders. Sonically, though,
that difference is less pronounced. Bass, especially for smaller to mid-sized rooms, is so
expansive that the addition of a subwoofer becomes purely optional. Realistically,
subwoofer augmentation would become a worthwhile improvement primarily with blockbuster
movie soundtracks or music material like trance/ambient grooves that feature
electronically derived low bass.
If bookshelf placement is desired (and front porting makes
this a very viable option), be sure to have the speaker baffle line up with -- or even
protrude from -- the actual shelf ledge. When the mid/woofer receives boundary
reinforcement from the shelf, the tonal balance of the 707 turns bass-heavy. A simple
floor or table test placement confirmed this instantly.
The JMlab Chorus 707, from one of Europe's most respected
manufacturers, is a highly refined yet affordable loudspeaker that plainly benefits from
high-tech driver design and trickle-down engineering savvy. Because of their prowess
during high-level listening sessions, we feel compelled to recommend them especially for
dual duty music/movie systems. They'd serve the music-only listener equally well who
values the precision, detail and soundstaging acumen of superior mini monitors but also
wants the added bass and output capabilities of larger-volume tower speakers. The only
proviso concerns the lively treble that, under the wrong conditions (such as brightly
voiced electronics or very lively rooms) could turn unbalanced.
In the final analysis, the more-for-less directive -- said
to have spawned the entire JMlab Chorus line -- has paid off with admirable success. Just
be sure to audition the JMlab Chorus 707 after it's fully broken in!
Price of equipment reviewedJMlab
Chorus 707 Loudspeakers - $600 USD per pair
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