In this review, we will be comparing A500 and S 801 PM, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Buchardt and Jamo. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Buchardt A500 and Jamo S 801 PM first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Buchardt A500 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 450-watt RMS( 1320-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.74" aluminum waveguide Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 6" paper Woofer
- 25-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192kHZ Max Sample Rate
- Weight:9.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 365.0" x 7" x 11"( 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm )
Jamo S 801 PM Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 50-watt RMS( 100-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Polyfiber Woofer
- 76-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 96 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 285.8" x 6.1875" x 7.8125"( 285.8 x 157.2 x 198.4mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Buchardt A500 and Jamo S 801 PM compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that A500 is a 3-way design whereas the S 801 PM 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.
| Driver |
Buchardt A500 |
Jamo S 801 PM |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.74-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 4-inch
|
A500 features a 0.74" fine weave soft fabric textile aluminum waveguide Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 1 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 150Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the S 801 PM features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Polyfiber Woofer .
Frequency Response
A500 has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz whereas S 801 PM has a frequency range of 76-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the A500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S 801 PM's min frequency of 76Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Buchardt A500's and Jamo S 801 PM's external dimensions. Buchardt A500 has external dimensions of 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm ( 14.4 x 7 x 11inch) whereas Jamo S 801 PM has external dimensions of 285.8 x 157.2 x 198.4mm ( 11.25 x 6.1875 x 7.8125inch) .
Buchardt A500 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 22.8mm wider, 79.2mm taller and 81.6mm deeper than Jamo S 801 PM.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Buchardt A500 and Jamo S 801 PM in scale.
Comparison image of Buchardt A500 and Jamo S 801 PM Size and External Dimensions
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 Buchardt A500 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 801 PM is approximately 311.9cm2 / 48.3inch2. The A500 requires 62% more surface area than the S 801 PM which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Buchardt A500 and Jamo S 801 PM on a Media Console
What's in the Box of Jamo S 801 PM?
Here are the items that come with the S 801 PM:
Powered speaker (right) Passive speaker (left) 2 Grilles AC power adapter (attached 56-inch DC cord) AC plug insert Remote control 2 AAA batteries 6.5-feet Length of 18AWG speaker wire (bare tinned wire on each end) }6-feet USB-A to USB-B cable Instruction Booklet Important Safety Instructions