In this review, we will be comparing A180 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 A180 and Jamo S 809 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Stage A180 | 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 6.5" Polycellulose | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-40k Hz | 37-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-225 watts | 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.29kg / 38lbs | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-1/8" x 12" x 14-1/2"
1045.0 x 305.0 x 369.0mm | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Stage A180 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 A180 |
Jamo S 809 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 A180 and S 809 are 2-way speakers.
JBL Stage A180Jamo 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 A180 |
Jamo S 809 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 5-inch
|
A180 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" 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
A180 has a frequency range of 40-40k Hz 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 A180's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
A180 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the S 809 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.
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.
A180 can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas S 809 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 105 watts less than the A180.
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
A180 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 A180's and Jamo S 809's external dimensions. JBL Stage A180 has external dimensions of 1045.0 x 305.0 x 369.0mm (41-1/8 x 12 x 14-1/2inch) whereas Jamo S 809 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm (41.0 x 7.5 x 9.9inch).
JBL Stage A180 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 114mm wider, 3mm taller and 117mm deeper than Jamo S 809.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL Stage A180 and Jamo S 809 in scale.
Comparison image of JBL Stage A180 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 A180 is approximately 1125.5cm2 / 174.5inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The A180 requires 134% 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 A180 weighs 17.29kg / 38lbs and the Jamo S 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs. This makes the A180 27% heavier than the S 809.
Here is a comparison of how A180 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 A180?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of A180:
- 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 |
225 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 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 |
 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
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional Jamo S 8 ATM Dolby Atmos upward-firing speakers
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1042mm
vs
1045mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
1125cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
634USD
vs
800USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL Stage A180 |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
| Brand |
JBL |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-225 watts |
120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-40k Hz |
37-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
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 |
1045.0mm (41.1") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
369.0mm (14.5") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
17.29kg (38lbs) |
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 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB 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 A180 takes more power (225W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Jamo S 809 is easier to place; JBL Stage A180 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Stage A180: bi-amping; Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers. JBL Stage A180 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Jamo S 809 is cheaper - $634 against $800, about 21% less. |
A JBL Stage A180 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. Match it to your room: we rate JBL Stage A180 the better fit for a very large room, and Jamo S 809 for a mid-size room. In a large or open-plan room, JBL Stage A180 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.