What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
11 SEP 2007
Jamo A102HCS5
Most speaker packages involve a compromise of some sort: high-end performance often comes courtesy of behemoth boxes that devour room space, while tiny discreet speakers with large subs more often than not communicate bass with all the subtlety and nuance of Gordon Ramsay in the throes of a full-bore dinner rant.
But few speaker systems manage to blend design, performance and – crucially – price with the effectiveness of the A102HCS5 package from Jamo.
The speakers are all from Jamo’s A10 range: four dinky A102 satellites are complemented by an A10 CEN centre speaker and a SUB 200 subwoofer. All the satellites can be stand- or shelf-mounted, and they come with built-in wall brackets making them easy to mount. Build quality is excellent, effortlessly transcending what we expect at this low price.
The sub is, admittedly, of the rather dour-looking black box variety, but with 200w of power, a 20cm driver and a full set of controls for tuning, it does a good sonic job of both blending seamlessly with the satellites, and providing sheer bass power when needed.
Fizz and sparkle
Performance isn’t quite flawless. The treble is fairly lively, with plenty of fizz and sparkle that in the right system conspires to give action movie sound-tracks a visceral sense of excitement. It can also, however, be ever so slightly wearing if partnered by an overly bright receiver. Be sure to partner them with smooth-sounding amps from the likes of Denon or Yamaha.
Even given this slight flaw, the Jamos easily earns five stars. This has much to do with value: the A102HCS5 is so competitively priced, given its quality, that it all adds up to a great package.
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