In this review, we will be comparing C 97 II and S60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Jamo and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Jamo C 97 II and Polk S60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Jamo C 97 II | Polk S60 |
|---|
| Brand | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6" Composite | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-24k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-180 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.55kg / 54lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-1/8" x 9-3/4" x 15-13/16"
1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Jamo C 97 II and Polk S60 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 |
Polk S60 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that C 97 II is a 3-way design whereas the S60 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.
Jamo C 97 IIPolk S60
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Jamo C 97 II |
Polk S60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
C 97 II features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" Composite Woofer. On the other hand, the S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
C 97 II has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz whereas S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the C 97 II's min frequency of 32Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
C 97 II is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the S60 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. C 97 II sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the S60's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk S60 a more sensitive speaker compared to Jamo C 97 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
S60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas C 97 II has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 120 watts less than the S60.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both C 97 II and S60 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Jamo C 97 II's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
C 97 II has a rear firing port whereas S60 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Jamo C 97 II with its rear-firing port.
Polk S60 Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 Polk S60'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 Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm (44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch).
Jamo C 97 II is 51mm narrower and 61mm shorter than Polk S60 but it is also 1mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Jamo C 97 II and Polk S60 in scale.
Comparison image of Jamo C 97 II and Polk S60 Size and External Dimensions
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 Polk S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2. The C 97 II requires 17% less surface area than the S60 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Jamo C 97 II weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs and the Polk S60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the C 97 II 4% heavier than the S60.
Here is a comparison of how C 97 II and S60's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
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 loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 8 Machine screws
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Polk S60?
Here are the items that come with the S60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Height |
1070mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
997cm2
vs
1199cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
898USD
vs
1378USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Jamo Concert 9 Series C 97 II |
Polk Audio Signature S60 |
| Brand |
Jamo |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-180 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-24k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
248.0mm (9.8") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
402.0mm (15.8") |
401.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
Meddite MDF |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk S60 digs deeper - 26Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk S60 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk S60 takes more power (300W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Jamo C 97 II is easier to place; Polk S60 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Jamo C 97 II: bi-amping; Polk S60: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Polk S60 is cheaper - $898 against $1,378, about 35% less. |
A Jamo C 97 II B Polk S60
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Polk S60 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Jamo C 97 II if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 32Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Jamo C 97 II the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk S60 for a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.