JM Lab Alto comments please

I heard them at Sound by Singer quite a few years back and liked them, but was not gaga over them, and thought they were way overpriced just like their entire line. You can do a lot better for less money. When I'm listening to $20k speakers, they got to do it top to bottom. I remember being disappointed with the bass. Also the Be tweeter was nice, but I have heard better. Again, lots of hype with beryllium. Got to pay for all those full page back page (inside back cover) ads in Stereophile. They are the (those particular pages)ads that cost the most. It's been a while and my listening experience was short, and coming off auditioning the Micros I thought I would be blown away. Nope. fwiw. peace, warren :)

btw, didn't purchase the Micro Be s either.

Superb!Easy to drive
.Go hear them and you will have your answer.

Best!

I owned them for 5 months and was very disapointed with the bass. Found them very lean and sterile, sounded like a Sophia minus the bass.

I own them and love them. I can see why some people might be disappointed in the bass delivery, but I recently hooked up some PAD Dominus power cables to my digital players and the bass comes out of the Altos now like a heard of thundering cattle on a stampede. These are superb speakers and worth every penny--at least used.

Anyone ever both the Mezzo's and the Alto's.
The Alto's were the Mezzo's replacement.

2bigears, I said I wasn't going to suggest it, but I can't help myself. You'll thank me later. Check out the Zucable Definition 1.5 for less than half the price brand spanking new. The Zu boys will give you 60 days to decide if you like them. Not your cup of java? Back to Zu for just the price of the shipping. Can't beat that with a stick. Much smaller footprint than the Altos and much more sound. Bass to die for. A wall of prodigious, dynamic sound, electrostatic/planar fast. Incredible and they are 101db!! Makes way for SET. There's no going back after you listen to these babies with tubes. Check out their website.

thks all,just sold the 4jr's and now i really need speakers.sooo taking out JM's i am down to two speakers and i know this is old but i really don't want another costly mistake.VSA DB-99's or Zu Definitions???? i think they are so close i just gotta flip a coin.i can get them both for the same $$$$, so where is that two headed coin now?????

For a few hundred bucks (if you end up shipping them back)why not use the Zu trial period? That way, you get to hear them in your home, and well beyond the typical ~1-hour audition period.

2bigears, the coin flip may work. While the coin is in the air doing its thing; Before it lands I somehow know which way I want it to go. Keep us posted with your speaker journey. peace, warren :)

I think they are incredible. Lack of bass?..... I never found this to be. I used them with Halcro amps ( which are often criticized in the bass area).

I am not in the mood to type too much, but if you can get these speakers at 1/2 price, used.... then it is a no brainer.

The JM Lab Utopias are tough to judge. They can sound very different with different amps and rooms. I have heard the Divas sound really warm and relaxed but then in another system they were lean and forward. I am sure the Altos can do that too.

Also, I wouldn't expect a dealer to have speakers setup optimally. All the fancy dealers I have visited never seem to have things quite right IMO. It takes them too much time and effort to do that and besides, they only have a limited number of rooms to feature all types of speakers.

Only after using Altos in your system with different amps will you have any idea what they are like. You shouldn't be hasty in your judgement. That goes for any equipment. And I sure wouldn't bet my $10,000 on another person's single audition! That seems ridiculous.

With any great speaker, it will take some work to get the most of them. Don't forget you are paying all that money for transparency and resolution. Along with that comes good and bad, as always. Good luck.

Arthur

I agree with Arthur. The JMs can sound different with different set up. My 1037 BEs started off sounding lean and bright in my system when i first brought them home. I upgraded my cables to all Virtual Dyanmics and applied Xtreme AV Quicksilver Gold treatmen to the connections. Now the 1037 Be JM labs sound warm, full and smooth and relaxed.

I also added spiked mapleboards to the bottom of the speakers. This addition allowed the bassa and mid bass to be more defined.