JMF Audio: Any experience with JMF Amps/Transport?

No experience but it seems to me they have simply copied (at least in many ways)the electronics pioneered by Kinoshita Monitor Rey Audio. This does not invalidate them but does give one pause as to who is really the brains behind the products.

Thanks for the response....not familiar with that other brand. I'll have to do some reading.

I would really think twice about buying from a little known French company...especially when they have so far been unresponsive. Look at Kora and Audio Aero. A lot of owners stuck without service.

Roxy,...thank you for the comments and advice! There was a one day time period from my initial email on the 5th and they have been communicating with me in detail over the last 24 hours. I read my initial post and I did not clarify when I reached out to the them and how long it had been; apologies for the lack of clarity.

Some strong opinions from people who have absolutely no experience with either the products or the company.

JMF-Audio has been making the Kinoshita amplifiers since the 80's, not the other way around. Look at the Kinoshita amplifiers and DAC and you'll see the JMF logo on them. It is how I became aware of them since I'm obsessed with the sound of the Rey Audio and TAD monitors.

I visited them (From the US) years ago and their complete system is extraordinary. It is a bit of a journey to go and visit them but worth the trip. They are not a 'little French Company' but a self-sufficient manufacturer that has been building gear for several decades, they move carefully and bring out products when technology is mature and tested. The acclaim they got in Munich comes as no surprise.

I bought an amplifier from them (HQS6002D) and have been listening to it daily for 3 years now, it sounds great. I cannot think of any other amplifier I'd rather own, other than a bigger model of theirs. On paper they outperform anything out there.

As for their communication, you must have caught them at a busy time because they've always been very available in my case, via email, phone or in person. I visited them at a time when I made it clear I had absolutely no intention to buy anything from them and still I spend a full day at their auditorium.

Thank you plummox...it definitely must have been a busy period as they did get back around to communicate with me and subsequent communications have all been within the day. Apparently they 3.7 transport is now production ready and selling internationally. They did state they have not found the right dealer or distributor for the US as yet so for now, until I can manage to travel all the way to Europe, there is no way to hear the transport/any of their other gear. Thanks again!

I have intensive experience with JMF stereo DAC , pre , stereo power , line conditioner & full loom cables in my friend's system that using Magico Q3 .

Me & few audiophile friends did the AB test very carefully:
- JMF dac to Burmester 001 as cdp (use as cd transport for dac) , Esoteric P-02 & D-02 , Naim 555 also Burmester 969 cdt / 970 dac.
Results: JMF dac + Burmester 969 cdt combination is better than all above digital source. 

- Pre JMF better than his previous pre : FM Acoustics 255 mk. II. He was using Levinson no. 32 , Burmester & several other preamps before FMA pre.

- HQS-6002 pwr compared with Soulution 710 , Burmester 911 mk. 3 , Chord SPM-6000 monos & Accuphase A-200 monos. 
HQS-6002 better in all aspects in very big margin .

- JMF power conditioner a lot better than current Torus flagship power conditioner & Burmester power conditioner. 

JMF has very low noise floor , musicality that compareable to single ended triode (i'm a SET lover) , very refined & realistic sound that i never heard from other big brands.
Actually me & my friends were not expected the results since JMF was unknown before .

You won't believe if you not hear by yourself .

Plummox,
What was the price of  your  6002 stereo amp, and did you get it from them directly or thru  dealer in the USA?
Thanks

My comments converning JMF can't be more prescise than Plummox. A seious french company : more know from sovereigner than French. Whazt a shame !!!

Thank you all for your feedback!

Price is as much as a house :-) and the saying goes the older JDF Amplifier designed for studios sounded more musical. Who knows? Those amps dont circulate much.

They are studio level amplifiers being rebadged now for home audio and are designed to be stable down to 1ohms even under heavy loads - well that’s what the company claims.

Very good amplifiers but comparing them to SET Amplifiers is something they are not. I have heard them on many occasion with horn speakers.

SET are sweeter sounding and you get a more magical/emotional feeling on SET Amps than you would on the JMF.

OTL and SET amplifiers to me are still superior in musicality. JMF has good studio level accuracy and a natural midband depending on what they are paired on. Nothing spectacular....this is just my opinion however they will outclass many well known solid state brands in the industry.

They would match better with horns if you really want these amps to shine. They are voiced to sound like tubes amplifier but with out the slow syrupy sound that sometimes tubes brings to the table. The amplifiers do grip the speakers and are very transparent and fast.

The Atma-Sphere amplifiers were something I found to be more of a liking than the JMF/JDF solid state. The OTL brings purity, Speed and the emotions.

JMF does have interesting Blue Ray players.


If your looking at JDF/JMF Amplifiers you may want to look at more Studio Level amps running in Class A some real gems out their that can be on par with JDF with out breaking your bank.

The build quality on JDF new Amps seems outstanding.

Late answer as I haven't been on Audiogon for a while. 
The amplifier I bought was a refurbished 6002 upgraded to 6002D and I honestly don't remember how much I paid. The price was very fair in relation to a new model at the time (2012). I bought it from them directly. I had been in touch with them since they'd launched their range in 2005 or 2006 if I remember correctly.
I'm happy to read all these positive opinions from people who have actually listened to these products and been impressed by them.
It's been another year since my previous post and I'm still extremely happy with my amplifier, and still saving for a DAC :)