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As part of our Home Technology Demonstration for Small Spaces we tried 2 sound systems ... one digital and one conventional analog. This Jamo system is terrific and gives all of the quality and punch that one would expect and desire in a home theater audio setup. The nice thing is that the system is still small and compact enough to be used in a condo or apartment if that is where you live.

The Receiver

The AVR-793 is a full blown home theater receiver with all the bells and whistles you need for 7.1 surround sound audio and video control. In our application we stuck to the audio side of the unit since we were testing it with a Media Center PC which handles the video already.

Power rating is often the first amplifier specification you look at. However, it only tells little about the amplifiers ability to drive speakers. A much more important factor is the amplifiers ability to deliver current. A factor becoming even more crucial in multi channel AV receivers! Therefore AVR-793 features a massive toroidal transformers and high grade capacitors: 4 x 15,000 µF for extra stability and large instant power reserves. This ensures enough current to always keep the speakers in a "tight grip". Even the most demanding peaks are reproduced with life like accuracy and dynamics. The AVR-793 delivers 135 watts in 7 channels measured in 6 ohm. This is more than we need in our application ... but then again what if you have a noisy neighbor upstairs and want to pay them back :-)

The unit has all relevant decoders built in including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS, DTS-ES and DTS Neo:6

It also has built in component video switching for if you wish a high quality picture quality from your DVD combined with ease of use from your receiver.

Besides normal relevant information on the front panel, the AVR display indicates exactly the format and how many channels are being input, the format and how many channels are being output to your speakers. This instantly tells you the selected format, the number of channels available (e.g. 2-channel stereo) and in which format and to which speakers the signal is sent (e.g.Dolby Pro Logic IIx in all six speakers + subwoofer). My only criticism of this is that the display is a bit hard to read unless you stand right up close.

Here is a link to the full specification.

The Speakers

I selected these speakers for our demo because of the looks and size of them. Once I set them up with the AVR-793, the quality of the sound blew me away.  This system brought my DVD concerts and music collection to life.

To quote from the Jamo website "The award-winning designers Smedegaard and Weis have created what are visually their most striking Jamo products ever… by breaking with the conventions that govern traditional big box speaker design for high-end performance speakers. The use of extruded aluminium profiles plays a vital role in defining the unique character of the A 7 series."

The A 775 HCS 4 consists of two A 775 speakers for front channels, two A 702 speakers surround channels, the matching A 7CEN centre speaker and the compact A 7SUB subwoofer.

The A 775 is a 2½ way, triple bass reflex, configuration divided into two cavities. The 2½ way configuration grants the best from two worlds: The integrated tweeter and mid-woofer reproduce the full frequency range, and thus "securing" the coherent, harmonious and smooth sound well known from traditional 2-way systems. The additional woofer blends in below 150Hz and adds the extra cone area and power handling needed to give full fidelity in the low bass. The use of rigid aluminium cabinets ensure that the drivers have optimum working conditions.

The A 702 surround speakers use a co-axial drive unit (one where the tweeter is integrated into the mid/bass unit) meaning that the two drivers have the same acoustic centre. That means that treble and bass frequencies will reach your ears in correct acoustic phase (ie simultaneously). The other obvious benefit of using co-axial drive units is that we can keep the speaker size very compact while still being able to deliver quite a sonic punch. To further improve the sound quality the driver is firmly attached to the front baffle and is also clamped to the rear part of the cabinet, an arrangement that massively reduces unwanted vibrations.

With traditional speakers you usually connect the speaker cable to the speaker. Not here. The A 702 features an innovative bayonet socket which means you simply connect the speaker cable to the included wall bracket or table-stand (an optional accessory), and then simply click the A 702 into place. What's more, the supplied wall bracket for A 702 allows the speaker to be angled horizontally, which means the sound output can be aimed precisely at the listening position.

The center channel speaker has similar design features using a coaxial drive unit (tweeter integrated in the mid/bass unit) ensures the same acoustic centre of the two drivers. In order to be able to aim the centre speaker towards your ears - if mounted above or below the listening height - the mounting bracket allows quick and easy adjustment in three different angles.

And what a cool looking subwoofer. The massive high excursion 10" woofer enables the A 7SUB to reproduce low frequencies in a very convincing way despite the very compact cabinet. The 450W are delivered by a digital amplifier (much more efficient than conventional amplifiers - it simply produces more sound and less heat). And with lower power consumption the need for cooling is significantly reduced which again reduces the size of the heat sinks. Also the circuitry layout itself is more compact which besides space savings also grants shortest possible signals paths and thus optimum sound quality. A digital amplifier is not a cheap solution, but it is the right solution in order to decrease the size and enhance the design of the A 7SUB.

The phase and frequency cut off adjustments allow very flexible placing of A 7SUB as they facilitates seamless integration with virtually any speaker choice and placement. Also, the elegant blue illuminated volume control on the top of A 7SUB enables quick and easy adjustment of the subwoofer level.

All in all, this system is terrific not only sound wise, but it is a fine aesthetic addition to the room. You can expect to pay approximately $???? for the pleasure of this system in your home.

Since its founding in 1968 Jamo has become a leading global supplier of individual sound solutions. Headquartered in Denmark, the company currently operates in more than 80 countries through subsidiaries and distributors. Jamo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Klipsch Audio Inc, a leading global manufacturer of high performance loudspeakers and other entertainment products for consumer and professional markets.

AV-793 Specifications
Power output:
Front ............................................... 2x120W/2x135W
Surround ......................................... 2x120W/2x135W
Center .....................................................120W/135W
Center surround/Surround Back..............120W/2x135W
Total harmonic distortion ..................................0.08%
Frequency response.......... 20-20,000Hz, +1dB/-3dB
Surround Level .... -15dB~+10dB to main output level
Center Level ........ -15dB~+10dB to main output level
Subwoofer Level .. -15dB~+10dB to main output level
Power supply ..........................................230V/50Hz
Tuning Range:
FM........................................................ 87.5-108MHz
AM........................................................520-1710KHz

Output modes:
• 6 Stereo (7 Stereo), 5 Stereo and Stereo ("Pure Audio")
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Digital EX
• Dolby PL (Pro Logic)
• Dolby Pro Logic II Cinema
• Dolby Pro Logic II Music
• Dolby Pro Logic IIx Cinema
• Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music
• DTS.
• DTS-ES
• Neo:6 Cinema / Music.

Input signal modes:
2-channel stereo, PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby EX,
DTS, and DTS ES from analog, digital coax or digital
optical input.