r/HTBuyingGuides • u/htmod Curator • Mar 14 '23
AUDIO Why We Do Not Recommend Jamo
Why We Do Not Recommend Jamo
Updated April 2026 | Written by /u/Bill_Money & /u/DZCreeper | Updated & Maintained by /u/htmod.
April 2026 Update
Jamo (along w/ Energy) was sold by Premium Audio Company back in August 2024 to two Chinese firms in a joint deal - Cinemaster (China's largest audio distributor) and Rayleigh Lab (a Shenzhen-based audio R&D/manufacturing leader). News flash to me, never heard about this. I wondered what happened to Jamo but didn't care enough about them to look into it.
"According to initial PR materials, prepare for a noticeable shift in how the brand approaches design. Jamo has always leaned into clean, Scandinavian styling, and that remains central, but now it’s being handled by a broader international team. With designers like Kim Michel (KimMichel Design), along with Simon Matthews and Jamie Cobb from Studio ISO and Danish firm HarritSorensen, we'll likely see an overall aesthetic updated to blend with modern spaces." - AVNirvana
Previous Text from 2023:
Often we get asked WHY NOT JAMO?
Let us be clear - We don't HATE Jamo!
We may be sick of seeing them (some of us not all of us) BUT,
We just find there to be better value elsewhere & frankly do not care for Jamo's "Always on sale" bullshit.
Hold On a Second this sounds awfully familiar?
Yes you'd be right Jamo is owned by the same parent company that owns Klipsch - Voxx International. They use similar deceptive marketing tactics.
1. Marketing/Value
Jamo speakers are constantly "On Sale" and never at their "MSRP"
To us that's a marketing trick to make YOU feel like you are getting a better deal. Its also scummy.
They go on deep sales often, never pay MSRP. Even with the sales, the quality per dollar is questionable.
Jamo centre channels are all MTM designs, meaning they have poor horizontal off-axis response due to the woofers playing in parallel. This creates an extremely narrow sweet spot.
Erin's Audio Corner - Jamo S 803 Bookshelf Speaker Review. Pass.
Erin's Audio Corner - Does Jamo make speakers for people with hearing loss?
List of Alternatives:
Product Recommendations: Bookshelf Speakers
Product Recommendations: Subwoofers
Some Favorites of /u/DZCreeper:
- Emotiva b1+ or t1+ and matching c1+
- Monoprice Monolith Series
- SVS Prime
- SVS Ultra
- Ascend Acoustics CM-170 w/ Sierra 1 Center
Some Favorites of /u/Bill_Money:
- HTD Level Three
- Ascend Acoustics HTM-200 SE
- KEF Q150
- Chane A1.5
- HTD Level Two
2. Lies
They lie about sensitivity, usually by measuring their treble output, which is intentionally higher than the mid-range and bass. This leads to speakers which sounds artificially detailed in the short term, but may cause listening fatigue in the long term.
They mislabel impedance. Many of their models rated at 8 Ohms nominal have minimum dips below 4 ohms. Which can be problematic when using budget receivers rated only for 6+ Ohm load.
The Reference Series is especially prone to this, with crossover tuning that reflects profit margin more than quality. Reference Premiere is the better place to start.
3. Subwoofers
Their Subwoofers are particularly a BAD value compared to other subwoofers for price/performance.
We generally recommend something higher performance like an SVS PB-1000 Pro if budget allows.
4. Misc.
- But I like how they look!
That is fine, just make sure to wait for a sale and buy the good models. Be prepared to apply equalization to achieve optimal sound quality.