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The JLA's woofers produce solid and deep bass but the speakers need to be placed at the right distance from the front wall, not too far, not too close. The best setup seems located between 40 and 70cm. Placed correctly, the JLA plays deep and tight bass. It surely does not reach as deep as my McIntosh LS360 but I had no particular frustrations over the low frequencies on most of my CDs. Taking into account the compact form factor, the JLA offers significant performance to keep me satisfied with its bass register. Having some particular contingencies with my favorite dog, a beautiful but turbulent Labrador, I always kept the speakers as close as possible to the front wall (40cm) to protect it against canine assaults - and with good results. One trick to reinforce bass tautness is placing the stand on a granite flagstone of 3cm thickness. The small elevation of the woofers returns bass with more accuracy and punch.


The highs are particularly extended and detailed but most relevant is truly the air between the tones of the midrange. The JLA sounds quite similar to electrostatics speakers, delivering an incredibly open and lifelike sound over the full bandwidth. Holographic imaging is not as good as over the best panels but then the price is also lower. The first impression I had listening to the JLA sand which continues to set them apart is their seamlessness. The coherence of the JLA sound is terrific, with integration between the three drivers state of the art in my opinion. Every small detail, each note's decay is underlined and magnified. Perhaps some could find it quite excessive and I'm admittedly not certain that the JLA does not produce a better sound than what really lives on the records. Nevertheless, it is strictly in the service of musical enjoyment and the sheer amount of unforced and natural detail I hear through these loudspeakers remains amazingly addictive.


Strings instruments especially make them sing. They are also very impressive on voices and instrumental timbres are generally clearly above average in this price range. Listening to the Paco de Lucia, Al di Meola and John McLaughlin guitar trio, the vibrations of strings reach the point of no return. This CD is one of my favorite ensemble recordings and also one of my preferred tests for measuring the level of detail and transparency of audio equipment. I prefer the studio over the Friday Night in San Francisco live version because of the various acoustics you can hear among the nine tracks.


The quality of the recording is also astonishing and the JLA are properly positioned to get the best of this album. Up 'til now, I have not heard this guitar combo sound better. The three guitar maestros through these speakers are a real treat and I really have the sensation to have them in my room. Even the very attractive Consonance M12 at twice the price does not reach this level of performance. Neither does the MartinLogan Aerius on this record.
With the JLA, you can easily feel the most subtle details of each guitar's strings, the promptness of attacks, the elongated sustains, the timbres' presence. Of course this speaker is no absolute reference in terms of transparency and analysis but
an example for how much is possible for the money. JLA speakers can be unkind to poor recordings. Thus, certain bad rock recordings will literally scream at you at anything other than subdued levels. Listening to Queen's Live Magic [EMI], the poor quality is served up without concessions. Even though the JLA are generally comfortable with live recordings, it is very difficult to get any listening pleasure from Queen. By comparison, the McIntosh LS360s are quite forgiving on Freddy Mercury and friends. Of course there are no miracles and the quality of recordings remains what it is. Still, one can go far louder with the McIntosh speakers and they cast a deeper soundstage than what the JLAs can provide.

Dynamic abilities are excellent for such a compact floorstander. The JLA are capable of truly good dynamic range without compression. With Mahler's 5th Symphony [Riccardo Chailly conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on Decca], the massive orchestral forces project out with remarkable power and the quieter individual parts are very intelligible. Soundstaging is another strength, well defined and with each instrument easily localized within a broad if not particularly deep context.


Conclusion
Comparing the JLA double decker with other speakers should prove difficult. The general house sound approaches certain earlier mid-80s Cabasse with the same uncolored tonal balance and level of detail. Both
place you at the crossroad between high and low sensitivity, attempting to give you the advantages of either without their liabilities. JLA Acoustique has designed a line of loudspeakers that honor the music and represent a smart choice for anyone looking to fulfill both the desire of the music lover and the quest for high fidelity. JLA Acoustique also presents an evolving proposition. A more ambitious bass cabinet may be upgraded to without changing the top unit, an interesting option for anyone moving to new and more spacious quarters. JLA's Perspective 2 Signature and Stand 80 are a solid choice for audiophiles and music lovers by clearly offering greater musical value than the sum of their parts.
Quality of packing: Installed by manufacturer.
Condition of component received: Perfect.
Completeness of delivery: No spikes.
Website comments: In complete restructuring mode. To merge with new site dedicated to Almaria Art products.
Human interactions: Quick responses.
Pricing: In line with present market conventions.
Final comments & suggestions: To deliver the most performance from an audiophile perspective, you need to select amplification with high current abilities (tube or A class are good partners for these speakers). Proximity to the front wall is important if you want to have good bass amplitude. You should also avoid to place the Stand 80 near bay windows.
JLA Acoustique website