In this review, we will be comparing A170 and S 809, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Stage A170 and Jamo S 809 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Stage A170 | Jamo S 809 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-40k Hz | 37-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.37kg / 31.6lbs | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-7/16" x 10-1/2" x 13"
977.0 x 267.0 x 331.0mm | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Stage A170 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* |
JBL Stage A170 |
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
Both A170 and S 809 are 2-way speakers.
JBL Stage A170Jamo S 809
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
JBL Stage A170 |
Jamo S 809 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 5-inch
|
A170 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer. 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
A170 has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz whereas S 809 has a frequency range of 37-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the S 809 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A170's min frequency of 44Hz.
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
A170 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. A170 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 JBL Stage A170, 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.
A170 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas S 809 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the A170.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
A170 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. S 809 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo S 809's Post terminals
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 JBL Stage A170's and Jamo S 809's external dimensions. JBL Stage A170 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 267.0 x 331.0mm (38-7/16 x 10-1/2 x 13inch) 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 76mm narrower and 79mm less deeper than JBL Stage A170 but it is also 65mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL Stage A170 and Jamo S 809 in scale.
Comparison image of JBL Stage A170 and Jamo S 809 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 JBL Stage A170 is approximately 883.8cm2 / 137.0inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The A170 requires 84% more surface area than the S 809 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 JBL Stage A170 weighs 14.37kg / 31.6lbs and the Jamo S 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs. This makes the A170 6% heavier than the S 809.
Here is a comparison of how A170 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 JBL Stage A170?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of A170:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outriggers
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spikes
- 8 Screws
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
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 |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
977mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
600USD
vs
634USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 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
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional Jamo S 8 ATM Dolby Atmos upward-firing speakers
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
883cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
JBL Stage A170 |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
| Brand |
JBL |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-40k Hz |
37-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polycellulose |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
977.0mm (38.5") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
267.0mm (10.5") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
331.0mm (13") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
14.37kg (31.6lbs) |
13.60kg (29.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Jamo S 809 digs deeper - 37Hz against 44Hz. 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 | JBL Stage A170 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Jamo S 809 is easier to place; JBL Stage A170 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Stage A170: bi-amping; Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers. JBL Stage A170 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($600 vs $634 a pair). |
A JBL Stage A170 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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, JBL Stage A170 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Jamo S 809 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.