News

Jamo Introduces the Reference R 909 Audiophile Loudspeaker (1/12/2005)

As the very term suggests, the state-of-the-art is always, by definition, changing. Nowhere is that more true than with high fidelity loudspeakers. As one of the most critical elements in the music replay chain their influence on the end result cannot be overestimated.

The truth is, however, that most conventional loudspeaker designs are inherently compromised... because they are based on boxes.

Cabinets are used because they allow designers to easily generate deep bass. Trouble is that when you listen to box loudspeakers you're also listening to cabinet-induced resonances. The suspension effect in every loudspeaker enclosure also holds back drive units when they begin to move, affecting dynamics and transient attack as well as precision.

And then, of course, there are room modes and reflections which place further restrictions on where you can place a loudspeaker. Are you getting the picture? Box speakers can produce brilliant sound (heck, we've been making them for decades!) but in theory ideal loudspeaker shouldn't have a cabinet at all.

Enter the Jamo Reference R 909...

If ever there was an example of out of the box thinking (literally!) this is it. An ingenious floorstanding dipolar design that dispenses with a conventional loudspeaker cabinet, this radical new loudspeaker - conceived by Jamo's respected chief acoustic engineer Henrik Mortensen - is set to change the face of the high-end loudspeaker market.

Fitted with two 380mm (15in) woofers, a 150mm (5.5in) midrange and a customised 25mm (1in) Scanspeak Revelator tweeter, the three-way R 909 employs a 43mm thick baffle with a complex 7-layer laquered multi-ply construction, a testament to this Danish company's immense experience with traditional woodworking skills.

The huge, newly developed bass drivers employ high quality open magnesium baskets plus lightweight paper cones with a polyurethane suspension. Paper cones may not be fashionable in some circles but they start/stop moving incredibly quickly and can reach very deep.

Jamo also had to design a new midrange driver to fulfil the R 909 brief. Employing a patented Neodymium magnet arrangement, this unit uses a magnesium cone for its stiffness and low weight, both vital qualities for dynamic response. The result is a cone that can deliver output up to 9kHz without sonic break-up, a recipe for an amazingly transparent reproduction of vocals.

Beyond those frequencies it's the turn of the Scanspeak tweeter to take over. This incredible unit features a textile dome that's coated several times, along with low-distortion Symmetric Drive Technology. A double-damped chamber behind the magnet system is equipped with an anti-resonator plug to eliminate turbulence.

Such is the quality of construction here that there's no need to resort to ferro-fluid to damp unwanted resonances... quite an achievement!

The end result? We'll keep it short... an exceptionally firm bass, with immense transient speed, precision and fluidity displayed throughout the frequency range. Coloration and reverberation? There is none... it's as simple as that.

Put on some good music, close your eyes and you'll forget that there's a loudspeaker there. You'll be listening to the music, not the hardware... that's our promise.

The Reference R 909 is a true statement product from one of the world's premier loudspeaker manufacturers. We invite you to experience music as it should be heard...

AVAILABILITY December/January

PRICES R 909 Stereo Loudspeaker - £7,500 a pair

www.bbg-av.com