In this review, we will be comparing 3050 and S 809, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 3050 and Jamo S 809 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics 3050 | Jamo S 809 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper composite | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-22k Hz | 37-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.80kg / 39.2lbs | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/16" x 12-3/16" x 12-1/2"
1020.0 x 310.0 x 317.0mm | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics 3050 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* |
Q Acoustics 3050 |
Jamo S 809 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both 3050 and S 809 are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics 3050Jamo 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 |
Q Acoustics 3050 |
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
|
3050 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz. 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
3050 has a frequency range of 44-22k 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 3050'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
3050 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. 3050 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the S 809's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 3050 a more sensitive speaker compared to Jamo S 809, 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.
S 809 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas 3050 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the S 809.
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
3050 features Post type posts and S 809 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo S 809's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
3050 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 Q Acoustics 3050 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 Q Acoustics 3050's and Jamo S 809's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 3050 has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 310.0 x 317.0mm (40-3/16 x 12-3/16 x 12-1/2inch) whereas Jamo S 809 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm (41.0 x 7.5 x 9.9inch).
Jamo S 809 is 119mm narrower and 65mm less deeper than Q Acoustics 3050 but it is also 22mm taller.
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 Q Acoustics 3050 is approximately 982.7cm2 / 152.3inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The 3050 requires 104% 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 Q Acoustics 3050 weighs 17.80kg / 39.2lbs and the Jamo S 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs. This makes the 3050 31% heavier than the S 809.
Here is a comparison of how 3050 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
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
549USD
vs
634USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 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 |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 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 |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
982cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Q Acoustics 3050 |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-100 watts |
120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-22k Hz |
37-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2600Hz |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
310.0mm (12.2") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
317.0mm (12.5") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
17.80kg (39.2lbs) |
13.60kg (29.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
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 |
A |
Q Acoustics 3050 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Jamo S 809 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (100W vs 120W). |
| Size |
depends |
Jamo S 809 is easier to place; Q Acoustics 3050 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers. |
| Price |
A |
Q Acoustics 3050 is cheaper - $549 against $634, about 13% less. |
A Q Acoustics 3050
B Jamo S 809
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?
The usual trade-off: Jamo S 809 measures better, Q Acoustics 3050 costs about 13% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Q Acoustics 3050 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Q Acoustics 3050 the better fit for a small room, and Jamo S 809 for a large room.
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.