Jamo Studio Series S 803 Compact 5.0 Home Theater System (White)

I just tried the Jamo S 803s as a pair, and as part of Jamos 5.0 system (two S 803s, two s 801s, and the center S 81 CEN). I auditioned them alongside Klipsch R-51m and the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelves. These were driven through 1) a Sony STR-DH590 receiver, and 2) optical out from a computer with a high-quality audio motherboard. The Klipsch sounded muscular, rich, and fun. However, slightly fatiguing. I found myself playing with the volume a lot. Id want more fun then Id turn it up... then after 10-30 minutes my ears would start hurting slightly and Id turn it down. Still, I enjoy them. The Pioneers sounded smooth and balanced but the bass is weaker, probably due to smaller drivers than the R-51Ms. I can listen to them for hours with no problems. The Jamos sounded disappointingly thin. Theyre dynamic like the Klipschs but midrange sounded very recessed and the highs too pronounced. I heard almost static at the top end without feeling like I was necessarily hearing more top-end detail. This descriptor is a little harsh but the word tinny came to mind. I really wanted to like the Jamos because they look great and the price of the 5.0 system is so low - but I tried them nearfield on my computer desk, in pairs in a medium room, in the 5.0 config, and as 5.1 with a Klipsch sub. I couldnt bring myself to do much more than tolerate them. Despite being more expensive, I had much more fun listening to the Klipsch, and felt much more content listening to the Pioneers. I ended up returning the Jamos and Ive decided to try the JBL Stage A170s instead. (The Jamos box and one of the grilles were slightly damaged in transit but not in a way that would impact the sound.)

Price and incredible sound

(After a few hours of burn-in on just two front S 803 speakers only) I find the front set of speakers well balanced and surprisingly full sounding. No apparent distortion upto 100 dB SPL but you get ear fatigue pretty fast at high volume levels, probably due to some frequency spikes or not-so apparent clipping somewhere. For the price, it really is a bargain. Above average imaging/sound stage compared to bigger floor standing speakers IMO and nicely balanced sound signature/tuning make the front set an easy recommend, center and back channel set are nice bonus on top. No wonder these are highly recommended by@cheapaudioman. I would say you will get better resolution, instrument separation, sound stage depth, less fatigue with better set but at a much higher budget, plus much louder volume.

Nothing to dislike here, these speakers are nothing short of spectacular, highly recommend to anyone!

the little 801s are decent, a bit better overall than the Klipsch 41s. they are obviously lacking a little base, but overall sound quality is clean. i will be using them as rear surrounds at some point, but as computer monitors, they are excellent. the center channel i am not needing so cannot comment but no doubt also sounds good. the 803s are on the wall either side of my tv and are front ported, running off amazon cables and an onkyo, very clean but when running heavily dynamic tracks, they sound a smidge muffled only due to the wall placement. if on stands, they image and sound very good.

A super great deal...!

These speakers sound incredible! They put through a ton of sound with just the bookshelf speakers alone (I havent set up the center or surround speakers yet.) I cant wait to get the whole setup going. They also look incredible and very sleek in the white.

Let me start by saying that I dont consider myself an audiophile. Im just a guy who can tell the difference between this speaker and that one. My Andrew Jones Pioneers were darn good especially for the price. People described them as warm and neutral sounding. Yeah, I agree with that. Along the way I picked up some JBL Loft 40s for my desk. They had a really good amount of low end for their size, and they too sounded warm. In fact Id dare to say they sound a lot like the Pioneers. Now onto the fun stuff. These little beauties sound as good as they look. I ran them without a sub and holy wow was I impressed at the amount of bass that the S803s were pumping out. They sound clean, and it sounds stupid but i felt as if the music and movies that I tested really jumped out at me, as if the speakers were closer than they really were. I liked it. The center and the surrounds are matched and good for HT, but they lack low end. Thankfully we all own subs (if you dont you should really pause right here and focus on that first. Also, SVS. Youre welcome). At this point Ive seen all of the reviews on the internet and Im going to side with Z reviews. He nailed it. Sure, there might be trickery at work here with how good these sound, but I dont really care. My ears are over the moon. In the pictures you can see the S801 is around the same size as the JBL Loft 40. The S803s are quite a bit larger in every dimension. Youll also notice the add on ATM 8 atmos module. Those werent included in this set, I was just trying to show how they all look together (theyre also a must buy IMO, but this review isnt about them). Im in the middle of moving so I put the center and surrounds back in the box. For now Im going to spoil myself with the front LR+heights only. For the price of this set youre not going to find better speakers.

Speakers sound amazing and look great. I added some banana plugs to some wire so I could cut to size. Connected to an Onkyo receiver. Really impressed for the price. Definitely will want to get a sub to go with it. Had trouble finding a stand for the left side surround sound speaker but it still sounds good on the end table. They are heavy so you will need sturdy support.

These sound incredible. They sound just as good as they look. Probably the best bang for your buck you can get. Hard to find budget speakers that both look good an perform.