Reynaud Bliss Jubile vs Cantabile Jubile

@mskochman 

I have the Bliss and one of the standout attributes to me is how well they do ALL sorts of music..Except for maybe some metal, but all that music was recorded like sh*t so I think it's more that than the speaker. 

I can't speaker for the CJs but I would imgine they are sounds like the Bliss but better. Might be placement or they are pressurizing a small room too much? 

I just took delivery of the JMR Jubilee Bliss (with magic stands) a few days ago, maybe 20 hours on them thus far. Initial impressions were they were nice right out the box, but were stiff. All the things you mentioned about the tweeter and shoutiness I am experiencing myself. I messed with positioning and find they are better spaced further apart, like 7-8 apart, with only a slight toe inward. For now I am attributing all of this to break in and hoping it improves. If not, I move them along. 

The real issue for me is I can't accelerate break in time since I don't have any digital source, I am 100% analog. So if I am not spinning a record I am not breaking them in. 

How are yours sounding now that you've had time with them? 

Reporting back that after some time breaking these speakers in all that shoutiness went away and they sound simply wonderful. Break in is real, and with these speakers it's real LONG. Once they are burned in though they are simply the best monitors I have heard to date. 

I now have the Cantabile Jubile, just took delivery today. The Bliss were so wonderful I am now exploring the line. The CJs are showing the SAME limitations upon breaking them in. Tight, stiff, congested on certain passages, occasionally shouty. Sound stage a little strained maybe not as wide. But this time around I have the confidence to know this is just a difficult speaker to break in that just doesn’t sound great out of the box. But once they break in, they are hands-down the BEST value in speakers on the market today. I have owned Wilson Sabrina X and I am already hearing signs with these CJs they will surpass those speakers, which are 4x the cost.

I have them broken in, they’re wonderful...Livlier than the Bliss for sure, and the mid range is still to die for similar to the bliss but more real-life. The one thing I would like to have more of is bass. It tends to be overall a tigher, cleaner bass presentation with the Cantabile so it can make the mind think there is a lack of bass. It’s there on some recordings, to the extent I can feel it in my chest, but on others I wish I had a looser bass response. Chubbier bass. This speaker doesn’t really reproduce chubby bass very well, but it’s not a deal breaker. I think it’s a result of the slimmer design and smaller drivers.

Overall it’s a spectacular speaker, definitely more resolving than the bliss, better imaging, lush mid range, spooky dynamics, and sparkling, non-fatiguing, highs. Wonderful speaker that dances. I think if you want deeper bass (Im referring to it as chubbier, looser bass) you go to the Orfeo.

@jackd

Thank you for your reply I was actually going to reach out from a post of yours in another thread. My room has me sitting about 8-9 feet from the speakers just to give you an idea of that aspect of the system. Picture a rectangle and the system sits on one of the long walls and the listening position on the other...I am curious on the tweeter on the Abscisse as some have characterized it as bright, which is why I went with the Cantabile in the first place, but I am questioning whether I could have got a little more bass out of a higher model. I have a chance to sell my Cantabile to a friend who loves them as much as I do but want to make sure it’s not a lateral move.

I assume you’ve owned the silk dome in the past so can speak to the differences of the two in terms of the planning you mentioned.

@jackd

To give you an idea of my system. I have a Sugden FBA800 Pure Class A amplifier,  (neutral to warm, fast, and juicy sound), Audio Research LS28SE Preamp, Totaldac  Triunity DAC, and Innuos Pulsar Streamer. The system overall tends to lean a little warmer, the Audio Research does add a nice splash of transparency to the system overall though. If changes are made, I can most certainly hear it, even if small.

My fear would be am I going to add more transparency to the system, which may not be bad thing, but I'd have to experience it to know for sure, and of course that requires buying the speakers. JMR is not a speaker you can go and listen to since they're in such short supply here in the US.  

As far as room set up, yes I am locked into my seating poistion, but I can get the speakers 8 feet apart, thats about what I have my Cantabile at now. Off the back wall I can get about 20 inches or so, maybe a few more if needed but anymore than that I will be closing in on my seating area since I am only about 8-9 feet from the speakers themselves where I sit.

I've had Subs in the past, on the Bliss and also on a set of Wilson Tune Tots I had..I find them to be a pain in the arse to dial in but it's something I could do for infill if all else fails. 

Im exactly 10 feet from the listening position to the speaker baffle, took a measurement.

@jackd 

I am on the east coast NC….Did your friend notice any reduction in bass from the Absicce to the Voce? I was comparing these two models and thinking of going with the Voce.  I feel like I understand what that tweeter is doing now having listened to some really good videos of the Voce recently. Between that and your characterization of it here in this thread I am confident I would like it. I still like the idea of a floor stander and the specs have the Absicse going lower in the bass I believe on the JMR website. 

I completely agree on the distributor in the US, he’s having everything sent over via boat and generally he does nothing with the line. Doesn’t attend shows and only one of his dealers does attend, and it’s only one show within driving distance for him. The line is sadly not promoted here in the US and yes I think JC kind of turned his back on the market here…I found an alternate route though.