1. Build quality & Comfort
This is my fourth Jomo custom monitor and while the build quality at the beginning certainly wasn’t bad, it is clear that is has become even better over the years. The new Flamenco unlike the previous monitors comes with 3 titanium metal sound bores, and that’s not something we often see.
When Joseph was about to build my Flamenco for this review he asked me how I’d like the Flamenco to look and I think I mentioned to make something “black & gold” with no further instructions. Of course you like or hate the design but that’s the beauty of a full custom, you can ask/order exactly what you want. I personally love the sublime face plates and the contrast with the golden mixture Joseph used for the shells. Just like last time I can’t immediately find any constructional “errors”. The monitors feel smooth without sharp edges, the face plate closing is perfect and the lasering on the face plate is perfectly sharp. Unlike with my other Jomos the internal build quality isn’t visible so it’s kind of hard to comment on that.
The Flamenco has flush non-recessed sockets and there are no traces of glue or anything, they fit perfect in the design and shell and changing cables is no issue. As far as I can see, the shells are bubble free and I can’t find any shortcomings anywhere. The tube endings in the canals are on the smaller and shorter side and they do tend to fill up with ear wax rather quickly. Daily cleaning is advised (but that only takes a few minutes using the provided tool). As mentioned, the Flamenco uses metal tubes and I have to say these are way easier to clean. They’re also perfectly placed so there are no sharp edges anywhere. New here of course is the switch system which is located on the inside of the monitor. Just like with the PP8, it isn’t always easy to flick the switches as they’re so small (or I have sausage fingers) but using a cleaning tool to flick the switch is incredible simple and effective. The switch section of the monitor is also perfectly finished and you can’t feel a thing of it when they inside your ears.
Size wise the Flamenco is a tad bigger than the Jomo 5 and the 6R but it’s but’s quite smaller than the Jomo Samba which had “only” 8 drivers. For an 11 driver monitor, the shells actually are small. The Noble Kaiser Encore even is a little bit bigger but at the same time the Unique Melody Maestro is a lot smaller. Comfort wise the Flamenco, like the other Jomos, is great and while it does stick a little more out of your ear, its comfort is just as good. The fit is light but good and the seal doesn’t break at any time, even with the short canals. I still can break the seal a little while making very weird faces but this probably is the result of that weird ear shape of mine. Besides the Flamenco being a little bigger, there’s nothing to complain about really: all is good.
2. Personalization
Besides the black and gold, I didn’t ask for anything specific so I only found out what they looked like when Jomo Audio published some pictures of it. I’m so very much in love with the black and gold mix of the face plates. It’s pure beauty.
Jomo offers several types of “Artwork”: the first one is called “A la carte” and each design is paid individually. These are the most complicated designs. Then there is a “Standard package” where you get to choose up to two transparent colors. This option is free of charge. Next, there is a “Custom Design Package” where you can pick one shell color and one base layer face plate. Then there is the “Deluxe Package” where you can pick anything you want as long as it’s feasible. Another variation is the CDP + A la carte option where the customer can choose one color, one face plate and add on extra artwork.
Jomo Audio these last years has really has gained a reputation for their awesome designs. If you’re not convinced yet you can check out more of their design on their Facebook page or when surfing to their gallery on the website.
3. Cable
As said in the introduction, the Flamenco comes equipped and delivered with the Effect audio Ares II cable. The internal Silver Plated Copper wiring isn’t visible in this set but the external and detachable cable sure looks good. The “4-wire” Ares II is terminated in a 2.5mm balanced plug and it uses the typical carbon Effect Audio splitter and gold plated plug. The Flamenco doesn’t come with any other cable and as it was tuned with the Ares II in mind, so it should sound best in this exact configuration. The Ares II still is a top level cable even though the Ares II+ is now available.
Personally I find the Y-splitter a bit heavy and big and the braiding could have been tighter but those are the only less impressive things I can possibly say about this cable as it feels good, has no microphonics or friction noise, is flexible, small sized and sounds good. I didn’t listen to the Flamenco on another cable as it was tuned with the Ares II in mind. On top of that this combination works so well that I couldn’t think of any other cable I’d want to hear the Flamenco with.
4. Price & Accessories
The Jomo Flamenco in contrast to the Samba is only available in a custom version. The prices start at $2,999.00 Singapore Dollar which translates to about $2212 USD and €1865 Euro. I don’t have any other eleven drivers in my collection as most of them have 8, 10 or 12 drivers, but some of them are cheaper and others are more expensive. The TOTL Jomo Flamenco surely isn’t cheap but 11 drivers isn’t nothing and the build quality, design, fit and sound all is great. In combination with the Custom Design Package, the Flamenco will set you back $3,999.00 Singapore Dollar and when going for the Deluxe DP, its price will increase to $3,299.00 Singapore Dollar. So that makes the Flamenco’s price situated between $2200 and $2433USD or €1860 and €2050 Euro. And yes, that means it’s Jomo’s most expensive monitor.
For the price you, next to the 11 driver monitors, get an awesome metal case (which is inside a leather box), a cleaning tool, a 3.5 to 6.3mm adapter, an airplane adapter, a Velcro cable binder and a cool metal warranty card. Could it come with more accessories? Probably yes, but it does come with that awesome Ares II cable, which is worth a lot on its own already.
The Jomo Flamenco review continues after the click here or the jump below
