Jamo R 909 Sound Catalogue - 2011 - English - Page 64

Preben Jacobsen (right) and brother-in-law Julius Mortensen pooled their talents and their names to form Jamo in 1968 JAMO MASTERMINDS THE ORIGINATORS Lasting success in any creative enterprise demands two very different, yet equally essential skill sets. One is the vision, inventiveness and sheer inspiration of the innovator with the ability to create something truly unique that the world wants. The other is the practical, tactical and strategic thinking of the pragmatist with the ability to make the world aware that what it wants is now readily available. The Jamo story begins in 1966 in a tiny Danish fishing village in a modest workshop set up in a henhouse belonging to carpenter Preben Jacobsen. Here, Jacobsen applied his considerable cabinet-making skills and autodidact knowledge of acoustics to loudspeaker design and assembly. Our story could just as easily have ended there if not for the crucial contribution of Preben Jacobsen's brother-in-law, Julius Mortensen, with years of export sales experience in the fishing industry. With Jacobsen's technical and artisan skills and Mortensen's business savvy as their foundation, the dynamic duo formed Jamo (for JAcobsen and MOrtensen) in 1968. A mere two years on, the henhouse was history and Jamo erected its own purpose-built research and development and production facility. Less than two decades later, the Jamo team could celebrate as loudspeaker number one million rolled off the assembly line and on its way out into the world in 1987. In 1994, Jamo was officially acknowledged as the largest loudspeaker manufacturer in all of Europe, not bad for two guys from Glyngøre, an unpronounceable fishing village somewhere on the coast of Jutland. Chief acoustician Mikael Ankersen keeps Jamo true to its original mission. 64 TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM "Evolve or perish" is a cruel turn of phrase that succinctly sums up the origin of species, but also the life cycle of many business enterprises. Jamo's survival is due to a clear understanding early on that change for its own sake can never be the key to real longevity. Jamo has stood by and renewed its basic principles of exquisite craftsmanship, timeless design and natural sound throughout the brand's history. For these reasons, Jamo's product range does not change with the seasons. It changes only when a real consumer need is verified and a real opportunity for improvement emerges. Made for serious listening, Jamo loudspeakers have always been the embodiment of Danish sound design - cutting edge proprietary technologies housed in beautifully crafted cabinets. Jamo Waveguide faceplates, HCC (Hard Conical Cone) diaphragms and DTT (Decoupled Tweeter Technology) are just a few of the breakthroughs that have made the Jamo name world-famous. Today, the chief guardian of Jamo's long and proud heritage of innovation and musicality is Mikael Ankersen, acoustics manager and ultimately the individual responsible for final tuning of every Jamo product. Mikael describes his objective as "a uniquely Danish sound - a perfect balance between openness, clarity, coherence and, above all, sublime musicality; a sound so true-to-life that it draws you into the musical event." Mikael Ankersen's unbridled enthusiasm for his work is immediately apparent to anyone who encounters him. "Working on the Jamo development team is the ultimate dream position," he explains. "In many ways, creating the perfect conditions for reproduction of sound for music and film is like assembling an elaborate jigsaw puzzle."