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REVIEW: Carolina Audio JTM Speakers

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Model: JTM
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $1500
Description: Transmission line Single Driver using the Jordan jx92s
Manufacturer URL: Carolina Audio
Model Picture: View

Review by jmwaite ( A ) on February 18, 2004 at 09:58:25
IP Address: 68.232.145.216
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for the JTM


I purchased these speakers in June '03, I believe. Now, halfway through February, I have a more complete impression of the Jordan Tall Monitor (JTM). I discovered these speakers quite by accident. I have worked in consumer electronics for much of my adult life. The economic environment in the early 90's caused the high end store where I worked to close. Subsequently, I went into medicine, and a more layoff-proof but stressful career. Add to that a new family, and audio was out of my life almost entirely. That was until last year when I started to research some new gear. I looked up an old friend who was still in audio, and he turned me onto the Foss Audio website www.fossaudio.com where I found the 47 Labs equipment and an interesting looking speaker from Konus in eastern Europe. I purchased a 47 Labs integrated amp. I was using a set of Michaura mini-monitors that I got from ubid for $135. Interestingly, I found these small speakers with metal coned woofers to be more engaging than the Alon Lotus Signature Elite loudspeakers I had on loan from my friend. These speakers are retailing for $8000, so I was puzzled as to why I found myself drawn to the little speakers over the Alons, which obviously would play louder and had much more bass. I guess the key is the crucial midrange-vocal region. The little guys just sounded more real or alive and delivered emotional content of the performance. This seems to be an important attribute for loudspeakers these days--spawning entire sub-cultures such as the set amp and Lowther enthusiasts. I researched these sub-groups--liked a lot of what I found--but disliked the quirkiness and expense. I was still not certain of a path to follow, so I thought back to what I liked about what I've had. I couldn't get over the emotional element of the music delivered by the 47/Michaura combo (Junji Kimura at 47 Labs calls this preserving the "freshness" of a recording). Thinking back to the metal-coned Konus speaker with a single Jordan driver, and also thinking back to the original Jordan modules that I had in a speaker years ago (that I liked alot), I found the E J Jordan website, and Creative Sound Labs (NA distributor), and a host of private builders using the Jordan jx92s, and I stumbled over the Carolina Audio website where I found the same t-line design mentioned on the Jordan website and used by Konus. And the price was half of the retail on the Konus ($1750vs$3500). This was too good to be true. I called the listed number and was greeted by a most delightful gentleman named Ronnie Thackeray. Ronnie has been building I M Fried Kits and doing mods to built fried t-lines for years. He now builds his own line of mostly flat,wide, shallow,tall loudspeakers--some two way with a series crossover, and of course the single driver JTM. Ronnie is an extrodinary person. He is the consumate "Southern Gentleman". If you think that this term is just and old cliche, just give Ronnie a call and see what you think. Ronnie has done many interesting things in his life, and among those, is a master craftsman. He is also very passionate about his music and music reproduction. He loves to share his joy, and this comes through most obviously in his speakers. Subsequently, I purchased a set of JTM's. I recieved the speakers promptly, and in perfect condition, hooked them up, and was completely blown away. I have never heard a speaker produce a stereo image better than the JTM's. I won't go into a lot of "audiophile-speak" over these speakers (which is usually useless anyway). What I will say is that if you have a small to medium sized listening environment, and you are looking for a speaker that delivers the emotional element of the music, is easy to drive, likes to be placed close to walls, has a diminutive stature and a very high WAF (wife acceptance factor), and sounds better than any speaker I have ever heard, give Ronnie at Carolina Audio a call and see what I'm so wild about.


Product Weakness: will not fill a very large room because they will not play at extreme volume levels.
Product Strengths: stereo image; ease of placement; easy to drive with no crossover


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Scott Nixon 40w monoblocks
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Emotive Audio Sira LE
Sources (CDP/Turntable): TT: Spacedeck by Nottingham, Shelter 901 cartridge. CD: Pioneer cd recorder. DAC: Scott Nixon Tube DAC+
Speakers: Carolina Audio JTM
Cables/Interconnects: Carolina Audio speaker cables
Music Used (Genre/Selections): folk, jazz, celtic, world music,some live recordings of acoustic events
Room Size (LxWxH): 27' x 13.5' x 8'
Room Comments/Treatments: numerous tube traps of various sizes
Time Period/Length of Audition: June '03--Feb '04
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Carolina Audio JTM Speakers - jmwaite 09:58:25 02/18/04 ( 9)