Jamo P 404 Personal Audio System

I was very, very hesitant to buy these due to lack of information/review online. I even had a hard time determining what their normal MSRP is ($400-500ish I think). But, that said, every review I did actually find had only good things to say about them; and they were right.Overall, they look beautiful, sound great and have more features than almost any other speaker of this type I've ever seen; that was the main reason I bought these. Their main compeditors were the Micca MB42X w/Topping TP30 or the HiVi D-1080-IV's. And comparing the 3 based solely on specs, it's pretty close. Comparing based on asthetics, it's all personal preference; they're all very well made. But these have FOUR inputs (2 optical, RCA, 3.5mm; and, if the reviews I read and common sense are to be believed then the 2 optical inputs both also have DAC's, which is another huge plus) that you can switch between from the remote (it has one of those, it works very well and has all the controls on it) and it has a subwoofer preamp out and a USB charge port. The HiVi's have one input and bass/treble knobs, that's it. The TP30 has 2 inputs and a switch but no remote/output (but, the TP30 also has a DAC). In terms of features these are beaten only by actual A/V receivers.BUT THE SOUND. That's the important bit. And it's very good. They took a while to break in, but once they did the bass came in wonderfully. I used some test tones and they'll do 30Hz very weakly but have usable output in the low 40's with a 50Hz -3 point being entirely honest, maybe even a little conservative. Will you be tricked into thinking you have a sub, no, not all the time, but... sometimes yes.The midrange is great, not hollow, not too 'forward', no overblown lower midrange, strong upper midrange. Very detailed. Imaging is great if you're in the sweet spot, off axis not as much but also not bad. They produce a very wide soundstage that almost convices me my office is bigger than it is. I listen to everything from orchestra, to jazz, to metal-core, to avant-gard-symphonic-jazz metal (yes, that's a thing, Diablo Swing Orchestra, look them up) and everything sounds good but if I had to pick I'd say they excel with lower midrange in metal/rock the best.The high range is also very good, not harsh at all, violins sound like violins and not screeching death sirens. Off axis treble response is actually very good with these.Dynamically, these are also great, they swing from articulately reproducing a whisper that's barely louder than my computer's fan to pounding explosions loud enough that I'm amazed my neighbors haven't complained, so, they're great for movies as well as music.As a direct comparison to the Cyber Acoustics 2.1 setup they're replacing it's night/day. The CA set sounded good, better than any $35 set of speakers had any right, but these are in a different league. The main improvements being in the lower mids/upper bass and treble (no surprise over a 2.1 setup with single driver satellites tough).Summary: if you're in the market for speakers like this you're making a great purchase, and at $150 you're basically stealing them. At that price point I don't know of any other speakers that both sound this good AND have this many features, they're kind of absurd. BUT, if the price were to jump to $250, and you could live with fewer features then I wouldn't blame you even a little bit for picking any of the other systems I mentioned (both about $150).

The Good:- Great for TV- Much better than sound-bars- Lots of inputs (including 2 optical)- Bass and treble controls.- Remote control.- Very good quality binding posts.- Power transformer built in (no need for power brick).- Speakers look and feel substantial, no cheep plastic here, and they look great.The Bad:- Remote has a very short and narrow range.- Sound will distort at very high volume so it may not be a good choice for a large room (>400 sq-ft)- Speakers go to sleep after long time of inactivity (not sure how long, > 30 min), which is fine, but it won't wake up on signal return, so you need to turn them back on. My solution is a so called 'green' surge protector ( one outlet device power state controls the power to other outlets, this way when the TV is turned on, the speakers turn on)- Binding posts on the left speaker are not deep enough ( the banana plugs are barely half way in)Over all I'm very happy with it.

Great speakers for the price. In fact, probably the best powered speakers you can get at this price point. What a shame that so few people seem to know about what an exceptional value these speakers are. Sadly almost no reviews out on the Internet about these gems. Jamo has failed miserably in marketing these things.I was impressed with how well designed the speakers are with an integrated amp in the left speaker that in turn connects to the right passive speaker via standard supplied speaker wire. This setup is perfect for connection to a computer or TV without anything else needed. Amazingly at this price they are unexpectedly feature rich. There are a total of four inputs that can switched remotely via the small remote control. Two inputs are analog connections (One RCA pair and one mini-stereo jack) and two are digital TOSLINK optical connections. There is a subwoofer out connection so you can augment the bottom end, which is quite helpful given the limits of what bass you can produce from a speaker of this size. Finally there is a USB power port that can be used to operate ancillary devices such as a wireless receiver without an extra tangles of wires.The high gloss plastic case with rounded corners is quite stylish and combined with the recessed cloth grill in front has an attractive aesthetic that looks more expensive than it is by far. The weight of each unit feels substantial and suggests solid construction and components throughout. Pretty much before listening to the speakers there were no disappointments.My goal of getting these speakers was to hook them up to a TV in a guest room so I did not set my expectations very high as I figured just about anything would be better than the built-in TV speakers. To evaluate their performance for this review I started by hooking them up to my computer which offered an excellent near-field listening environment. These speakers were up against some stiff competition and a tough critical look as my normal computer setup consists of much higher end Audioengine A5+ powered speakers ($469) together with dual Audioengine S8 subwoofers ($349/EA) that are beyond delightful. Until recently I thought I could not do any better in sound quality on my computer but that all changed when I got my hand’s on a Vanatoo Transparent One ($549). Wow! Wow! Wow! Anyway the point is these $150 Jamo’s were going up against competition nearly four times their cost. So to be fair I dusted off a set of Logitech Z503 speakers ($75) which are some of the best mass produced consumer grade multi-media speakers.After a lots of listening with a range of music I can say without hesitation that the difference between the Logitech’s and the Jamo was more than day-and-night. For double the price the difference in sound performance was stunning and they seemed in an entire different world in terms of style and quality. It was simply no match.Surprisingly once I compared the Jamo’s to the higher end Audioengine’s and Vanatoo’s it was a closer battle that required paying attention to much more subtle details to figure out why the Jamo’s did not create the same sonic experience. Where the Jamo’s sounded good the Audioengine’s would mesmerize you. The Jamo’s presented a wide soundstage but the Vanatoo’s simply immersed you in an envelope of sound that was stunning. Adding a single Audioengine S8 subwoofer to the Jamo kicked it up to a level that was impressive yet still lacking significantly from the potential to greatness.In the right near field setup with discerning audiophile tastes the Jamo’s would disappoint for sure. Yet for many other situations, such as TV speakers across the room, where the chance of being enough in a sweet spot to appreciate what a high end speaker can do would probably be a waste of money and where the Jamo is a great solution. It also a great solution for anyone who is budget constrained or thinks it is nothing short of ridicules to spend nearly as much money on speakers as the TV or computer you end up hooking them to.

I actually have two pairs of these. Not because they have the best sound but I really appreciate the four different channels they provide. I have both TV and record player/computer connected and honestly they are better for tv sound than music, but they are absolutely not bad. Especially not for that amount. I enjoy them but in the future I will probably go with Sonos or something that gives me a larger music sound. They do require a subwoofer though, base is not enough as it is from the speakers.

Very good, so of course discontinued. I have a cheap MP3 player connected, and simply turning on the speakers (remote) turns on and charges the MP3 player. Lots of tone control, no need for a subwoofer (I turn down the bass).