In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Jamo. Jamo Concert 9 Series C 97 II is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the C 9 CEN II is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Jamo C 97 II and Jamo C 9 CEN II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Jamo C 97 II Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 3 x 6" Composite Woofer
- 32-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:50-180watts
- Weight:24.55kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1070.0" x 9-3/4" x 15-13/16"( 1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm )
Jamo C 9 CEN II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" soft dome with an integrated waveguide Tweeter
- 2 x 4" HCCC (Hybrid Composition Conical Cone) Woofer
- 55-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:50-140watts
- Weight:3.09kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 183.0" x 18-5/16" x 9-1/16"( 183.0 x 466.0 x 231.0mm )
C 97 II and C 9 CEN II are members of Jamo's Concert 9 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Jamo Concert 9 Series History
What size room are the Jamo C 97 II and Jamo C 9 CEN II speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Jamo C 97 II |
Jamo C 9 CEN II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2, Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Jamo C 97 II and Jamo C 9 CEN II compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that C 97 II is a 3-way design whereas the C 9 CEN II is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Jamo C 97 II |
Jamo C 9 CEN II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6-inch
|
2 x 4-inch
|
C 97 II features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" Composite Woofer . On the other hand, the C 9 CEN II features a 1" soft dome with an integrated waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 4" HCCC (Hybrid Composition Conical Cone) Woofer .
Frequency Response
C 97 II has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz whereas C 9 CEN II has a frequency range of 55-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the C 97 II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the C 9 CEN II's min frequency of 55Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
C 97 II and C 9 CEN II have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. C 97 II sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the C 9 CEN II's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Jamo C 97 II a more sensitive speaker compared to Jamo C 9 CEN II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
C 97 II can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS from the amp the whereas C 9 CEN II has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the C 97 II.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
C 97 II features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. C 9 CEN II has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo C 97 II's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Jamo C 9 CEN II's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both C 97 II and C 9 CEN II have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Jamo C 97 II's and Jamo C 9 CEN II's external dimensions. Jamo C 97 II has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm ( 42-1/8 x 9-3/4 x 15-13/16inch) whereas Jamo C 9 CEN II has external dimensions of 183.0 x 466.0 x 231.0mm ( 7-3/16 x 18-5/16 x 9-1/16inch) .
Jamo C 9 CEN II is 887mm shorter and 171mm less deeper than Jamo C 97 II but it is also 218mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Jamo C 97 II is approximately 997.0cm2 / 154.5inch2 and base area of the Jamo C 9 CEN II is approximately 1076.5cm2 / 166.9inch2. The C 97 II requires 7% less surface area than the C 9 CEN II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Jamo C 97 II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of C 97 II:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille4 Outrigger feet4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)4 Rubber feet8 Machine screws2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)Hex-keyUser ManualImportant Safety InstructionsWarranty Information
What's in the Box of Jamo C 9 CEN II?
Here are the items that come with the C 9 CEN II:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrille4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)2 Self-adhesive rubber bumpersUser ManualImportant Safety InstructionsWarranty Information
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Base Surface Area 
Height 
Price per pair*