In this review, we will be comparing AE109 MII and S 809, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE109 Mark II and Jamo S 809 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE109 Mark II | Jamo S 809 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" paper cone | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41Hz - 26kHz | 37-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 33.9" x 6.5" x 9.8"
860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE109 Mark II and Jamo S 809 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
AE109 Mark II |
Jamo S 809 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE109 MII is a 3-way design whereas the S 809 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
AE109 Mark IIJamo S 809
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE109 Mark II |
Jamo S 809 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
3 x 5-inch
|
AE109 MII features a 1" fabric dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 1 x 5.2" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 275Hz and 2.5kHz. On the other hand, the S 809 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
AE109 MII has a frequency range of 41Hz - 26kHz whereas S 809 has a frequency range of 37-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the S 809 can go slightly deeper then the AE109 MII's min frequency of 41Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AE109 MII is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the S 809 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE109 MII sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the S 809's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Jamo S 809 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE109 Mark II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
AE109 MII can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS, whereas S 809 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 55 watts less than the AE109 MII.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AE109 MII has a rear firing port whereas S 809 has a front firing ports. Jamo S 809's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to AE109 Mark II with its rear-firing port.
Jamo S 809 Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare AE109 Mark II's and Jamo S 809's external dimensions. AE109 Mark II has external dimensions of 860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm (33.9 x 6.5 x 9.8inch) whereas Jamo S 809 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm (41.0 x 7.5 x 9.9inch).
Jamo S 809 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 26mm wider, 182mm taller and 2mm deeper than AE109 Mark II.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the AE109 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The AE109 MII requires 14% less surface area than the S 809 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The AE109 Mark II weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs and the Jamo S 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs. This makes the AE109 MII 18% heavier than the S 809.
Here is a comparison of how AE109 MII and S 809's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Jamo S 809?
Here are the items that come with the S 809:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Mounting feet
- 16 Screws
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
175 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
5.2 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
860mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2
vs
481cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional Jamo S 8 ATM Dolby Atmos upward-firing speakers
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Price per pair* |
634USD
vs
999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE109 Mark II |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41Hz - 26kHz |
37-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2.5kHz |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
860.0mm (33.9") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
13.60kg (29.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: AE109 Mark II is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Jamo S 809 digs deeper - 37Hz against 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Jamo S 809 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | AE109 Mark II takes more power (175W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | AE109 Mark II is easier to place; Jamo S 809 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | B | Jamo S 809 is cheaper - $634 against $999, about 37% less. |
A AE109 Mark II B Jamo S 809
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Jamo S 809 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take AE109 Mark II if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. In a large or open-plan room, Jamo S 809 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, AE109 Mark II is the easier speaker to get right. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $365 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.