VERDICT AWESTRUCK! RAYNER HEARS THE NEW JL AUDIO C7
For some time now, I have been awaiting my chance to audition the brand-new JL audio C7 speakers. Sold as individual transducers in three different sizes exclusively for use actively, with high-class amplification and excellent digital signal processing. They are the finest transducers that Lucio Proni ever designed. And today, I got to hear some!
The very first full set to arrive in Europe, have been fitted to the Audi belonging to Mike who works for JL Audio (and Kicker) all over the UK and Europe. In an installation with stunning attention to detail by Oxford Car Audio, the ‘A’ pillars bear a C7-100ct tweeter each.. one of these:
..as well as one of these C7-350cm midband drivers:
..which at £200 and £350 each unit, respectively (OK, less a penny..) makes those A-Pillars £1100 worth of drivers.. amplification and installation still required, so these are as top end as it gets.
Then, in the doors, are one of these mid-bass drivers called a C7-650cw which is priced at a healthy £450 for each raw driver in a box, so that is a cool £2k a set, folks:
The mids and tweeters are getting their own channel of amplifier power each, but these gorgeous 650’s are getting a bridged pair of channels all their own, as they can REALLY use the headroom!
As for bass, well the Keenan has gone for a kilowatt amplifier and a dirty great ready-made bass box by JL Audio, the biggest he could fit in by the looks of things! A huge double-ended box with top end W6 (only the legendary W7 is posher, obv..) subwoofers in the end. One of these:
I had to turn the lows down to REALLY give the C7 system a pull through.. which at first I did with a sound effect.
Of a gun.
Wait until you see the video and me jumping out of my chubby skin! I think it is quite funny. The system then got tested with a Youtube friendly tune after that, so I could ‘hear’ the lack of resolution on the music track, while the detail on the big badabang may prove hilarious. But the real test was the selection of kicking tunes, beautifully rendered, on a stick that Mike had. A tune picked to resonate with certain folks and one of my faves was on there.
Which I discovered on video as I said, “Oh, no Yello, then?” I eat a slice of humble pie and then commence to marvel at THE RACE. It was so good, I immediately went back to the dawn of my career.. and reminisced. Music does that to you, when it sounds good enough.
The C7 speakers from JL Audio are absolutely stunning. Their speed and attack and dynamism is equalled only by their astonishing clarity, purity and ability to resolve seriously detailed recordings. Nils Lofgren was incredible. A live track with crazy detail from strings on a guitar being hand-struck as well as wrung like a rag. Plus, he holds a note without vibrato mostly, when singing. The edges of the windings around the deeper strings, the absurd swell of basso thump that a RECORDED acoustic guitar thump can do, it was all in there, I could hear it. Hitting an acoustic guitar is a bit weedy when purely heard live..but recorded on a microphone as against pickup, that can accept all the detail – a hand hit on the face of the instrument makes the bass cones jump out of the PA system – or in this case gently move your innards with the sheer potent headroom of it. Those midbasses, too are incredible. All six speaker drivers output was perfectly blended into a coherent, solid, all but tangible soundstage, that wasn’t ‘coming from the speakers’. It was just in front of me.
My goosebumps got goosebumps.
Yes, it DOES require real skill to install and the rest of the car will need attention.. as after all, these are the Chip Foose billet wheels. You need to get the hod rod to put on ’em. And if you are a high end audio person (who neeeeeds to kiss that close mic’d girly vocal in your mind’s ear) then, you do need to catch up with this car at a show or event and listen to it. You may come out afterwards, hurting for wanting, is all.
The boss did warn me about certain preparations I aught to make before hearing these. He was right.
DANG.. these were ONE thing I have to get fixed up.. to say AdamRayner.NET!
Here is the video..beware the wobbly neck, if you are about to have your tea.