Audio Video News

Jamo S 809 Speaker System: $1,497 (as reviewed)

After years of building speakers quietly in the background, Denmark’s Jamo decided to make some noise with its Studio 8 series. The Dolby Atmos-enabled 5.1.2 setup we reviewed delivers impressive performance with music and movies for the remarkably low price of $1,497. Indeed, it is a basic system with a pedestrian vinyl-wrap finish and a compact subwoofer bassheads will want to upgrade, but it produces a wonderfully cohesive bubble of sound that will make you smile. As veteran reviewer Dan Kumin put it, “The Jamo Studio 8 setup stands ready to deliver solidly enjoyable sound and a very welcome value while doing so.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Top-grade Atmos imaging and ambience reproduction
Connector-less elevation speaker hookup
Unusually good center-speaker tonal match
Minus
Minor upper-mid constriction
Minimal contribution from subwoofer

Full Review Here

 

ELAC Adante AS-61 Speaker System: $2,500/pair

Germany-based ELAC pulled off a coup of sorts when it lured noted speaker designer Andrew Jones away from TAD/Pioneer a few years ago. The AS-61 moves considerably up the price scale from last year’s Top Pick-winning Uni-Fi UB5 bookshelf speaker but in the words of veteran reviewer Tom Norton “gets most everything right,” especially when paired with the company’s excellent SUB3070 subwoofer. “The AS-61s’ sound impressed me immediately,” he wrote. “With good source material their top end was neutral—neither rounded off nor overcooked…The imaging was solid, and the sense of depth (when present in the recording) was satisfying.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Detailed, clean highs
Superb vocal reproduction
Bloat-free bass
Minus
Relatively low sensitivity
Limited bass extension

Full Review Here

 

Yamaha RX-V685 AV Receiver: $599

With more than a dozen AV receivers to choose from in the highly competitive $550-to-$700 range, Yamaha’s V685 grabs the spotlight thanks to Yamaha’s unique and adjustable DSP-surround technology, which lets the listener dial in effects to suit speakers, room, and taste. Add to that a solid performing amplifier and a generous helping of useful features — including Yamaha’s proprietary YPAO room calibration system and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround decoding — and you have an impressive receiver that can be had for a price that’s more than reasonable.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Class-leading DSP surround
5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X decoding
Useful Scene memory feature
Wireless surround speaker (and multiroom) option via MusicCast speakers
Minus
No 9-channel (front- and rear-height) Atmos/DTS:X expansion option
Slow DLNA audio streaming response

Full Review Here  

Micromega M-150 Integrated Amplifier: $7,499

Orange Crush would be an appropriate nick name for the Micromega M-150 integrated amplifier/DAC, which packs 2 x 150 watts of Class AB power and a 32-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) into a chassis that stands just over 2 inches tall. Its vibrant exterior screams excess but the M-150 is actually a basic component that does one job and does it well: deliver reference-grade sound, whether you’re spinning virgin vinyl or streaming a hi-res file. For better or worse, it eschews extras such as Wi-Fi, onboard access to streaming services, and even an onscreen interface. As reviewer Dan Kumin put it, the amp is aimed at the “dedicated audiophile in search of a truly compact, single-piece solution to the one task that matters: serious listening at the highest quality level. This the Micromega M-150 unquestionably delivers, though at a price.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Reference-grade sonics
Outstanding digital audio performance up to 32-bit/384kHz
Gorgeous fit and finish and industrial design
Minus
Basic user interface
Comparatively limited onboard music streaming options
Ethernet connection can be finicky

Full Review Here