How to get a good sound out of JR 149s

[Mandryka]

What are people's experiences with JR 149s?

I have a pair being driven by a Quad 520 . The sound is not very satisfactory -- it sounds "amplified." I wonder if people have found a really successful amp for them.

Someone I know loves the sound he gets out of them with a Leak ST20. That's 10W per channel. But it turns out that he listens very vert close and very quietly. I want to be able to listen in a smallish room -- 15'x15' -- though not to loud music -- a harpsichord or a handful of voices max or a few string instruments max.

And then there's the question of positioning. Does anyone think that the wall brackets Jim Rogers produced are a good idea for the sound? I have mine on stands but close to a wall, 10'apart.

Oh my source is an old Deltec Bigger Bit DAC; no preamp.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a PASS Aleph 30 clone for them.

It may be that these speakers were designed for nearfield monitoring and it's just not possible to get a satisfactory room filling sound from them.

[Barry]

The Quad 520 offers over 10x the power of a Leak Stereo 20, so you could be overdriving the JR149s. We have a couple of Members here who use JR149s, perhaps they will say what amplification they use with them.

I have a Quad 520f which I use in my second system for Av duties. They power Bowers & Wilkins DM2As, and I don't notice the effect you describe.

[Mandryka]

Can you explain "overdriving"? I assume it's not just a matter of playing them at too high a volume.

It looks like Rogers recommended up to 100W amps, which is, I agree, a bit surprising!

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_li...rs/jr149.shtml

[Barry]

Using an amplifier which has a power rating well in excess of the speakers requirement. But if you say Rogers recommend amplifiers up to 100W for the JR149s, than the 135W of the Quad 520 will make little difference. Where do you have the two input gain potentiometers set on the 520?

[Mandryka]

Where do you have the two input gain potentiometers set on the 520?

Oh good question! I have them set very high, close to maximum.

[Mr. C]

I have two pairs of JR 149's including a still sealed new pair.

Using an amplifier that is more powerful that the rating on the speakers is MUCH preferable to using an under-powered amplifier and pushing them in DC.

The JR149's work well with 30 quality watts, as they do with 200Wrms amplifiers, it is a case of being sensible and remembering that turning any speaker up beyond its comfort zone will cause problems for the speakers and possible amplifiers.

I have used many amps with these speakers, even the little Belcanto Ref150S sounding very nice, Puresound A30 no problem, better to have more good clean power available than required rather than boarder line max power that could cause clipping/DC issues, speaker cones do not like square waves!

[Mandryka]

Using an amplifier which has a power rating well in excess of the speakers requirement. But if you say Rogers recommend amplifiers up to 100W for the JR149s, than the 135W of the Quad 520 will make little difference. Where do you have the two input gain potentiometers set on the 520?

Oh good question! I have them set very high, close to maximum.

Well I just turned them from 11.00 to 3.00, and it seems to have made quite a positive difference. �� Thank you.

[Mandryka]

including a still sealed new pair.

Extraordinary! How come?

[Mr. C]

My uncle left me to me in his will in 1992, they are circa 1977 from Laskys's I believe, have been offered various sums over the years, but will not part with them as just before I go, I am sure some e-bay collector will find a museum for 20th century audio that will pay a small fortune for them!

Not being a fan of the 1950's 'Hello and welcome to the BBC' style of plummy mid band sounds they do not flat my boat, however they are plenty of fan's out they that adore their presentation.

[Mandryka]

Has anyone tried them with a really top amp? A class A beast.