In this review, we will be comparing S 809 and TSi300, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Jamo and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Jamo S 809 and Polk TSi300 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Jamo S 809 | Polk TSi300 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber | 2 x 5.25" Organic Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-26k Hz | 47-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 120 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs | 11.82kg / 26lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm | 36-1/4" x 8-3/16" x 11-3/4"
921.0 x 208.0 x 299.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Jamo S 809 and Polk TSi300 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* |
Jamo S 809 |
Polk TSi300 |
| 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.
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Drivers
Both S 809 and TSi300 are 2-way speakers.
Jamo S 809Polk TSi300
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Jamo S 809 |
Polk TSi300 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
S 809 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz. On the other hand, the TSi300 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Organic Fiber Woofer.
Frequency Response
S 809 has a frequency range of 37-26k Hz whereas TSi300 has a frequency range of 47-24k 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 TSi300's min frequency of 47Hz.
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
S 809 and TSi300 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
TSi300 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas S 809 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the TSi300.
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
TSi300 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
S 809 has a front firing port whereas TSi300 has a bottom firing ports. Jamo S 809's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk TSi300 with its rear-firing port.
Jamo S 809 Port
New
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 Jamo S 809's and Polk TSi300's external dimensions. Jamo S 809 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm (41.0 x 7.5 x 9.9inch) whereas Polk TSi300 has external dimensions of 921.0 x 208.0 x 299.0mm (36-1/4 x 8-3/16 x 11-3/4inch).
Jamo S 809 is 17mm narrower and 47mm less deeper than Polk TSi300 but it is also 121mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Jamo S 809 and Polk TSi300 in scale.
Comparison image of Jamo S 809 and Polk TSi300 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 Jamo S 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2 and base area of the Polk TSi300 is approximately 621.9cm2 / 96.4inch2. The S 809 requires 23% less surface area than the TSi300 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 Jamo S 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs and the Polk TSi300 weighs 11.82kg / 26lbs. This makes the S 809 15% heavier than the TSi300.
Here is a comparison of how S 809 and TSi300'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 are included inside the box of S 809:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Mounting feet
- 16 Screws
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Polk TSi300?
Here are the items that come with the TSi300:
- Tower speaker
- Detachable cloth grille (installed)
- Owners Manual
- Wall-Mount template
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
47 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional Jamo S 8 ATM Dolby Atmos upward-firing speakers
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
621cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
921mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
358USD
vs
634USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
Polk Audio TSi300 |
| Brand |
Jamo |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
120 watts |
20-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
37-26k Hz |
47-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
Organic Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2000Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
921.0mm (36.3") |
| Width |
191.0mm (7.5") |
208.0mm (8.2") |
| Depth |
252.0mm (9.9") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Weight |
13.60kg (29.9lbs) |
11.82kg (26lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Jamo S 809 costs roughly 1.8x what Polk TSi300 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
Jamo S 809 digs deeper - 37Hz against 47Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
B |
Polk TSi300 takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers; Polk TSi300: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
Polk TSi300 is cheaper - $358 against $634, about 44% less; arguably a different class. |
A Jamo S 809
B Polk TSi300
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 47Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk TSi300 much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $276 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.