Jamo803 Bookshelf Speaker Pair (Black)

Previously owned: cbm 170 se, cbm 340 se, and Def Tech 7006Have auditioned: NHT classic, Paradigm studios, B&W 6 series, Martin Logans, and JBLsHeadphones: Audio Technica AD700, Grado SR120, Phillips SHP9500SReceiver: Pioneer VSX 1019AHI am not an expert, this is just my observationPros:Revealing detail without piercing sibilance. Youtube music will be difficult to listen to, download FLAC files.Tight bass gives pianos and strings a percussive feelInstrument separation in a decently sized soundstage (currently used in a desk setup)Lively and fun sound signature compared to the neutral cbm 170se/340seMagnetic speaker grillsIncredible performance to price ratioFront ported (my preference)Cons:Although the tweeter is softdome, it can get fatiguing after an hr listening session (This speaker encourages you to turn up the volume)Female vocal reproduction can be improvedVinyl sticker around tweeter looks very cheap up closeTapered shape of housing makes toe-in more difficultNot a neutral studio monitor if that is what you seekOverall:Highly recommended. Although fatiguing during long sessions, I keep coming back for more. Transparency and neutrality are not its strengths but this speaker always puts a smile on my face and gives charm to some of my favorite tracks. Sounds more like a $600 speaker, buy before price increases.Update: After 3 weeks of use, the top end brightness has settled... that or my ears have adjusted. I am no longer fatigued after long listening sessions and have noticed the bass to become even punchier. One drawback is that these speakers are power hungry, give it a true 120+ wpc to make it sing. Very happy with my purchase, will keep me occupied til I save up for a pair of Genelec 8050B or Neumann KH 120

I'm fairly new in this audio journey and after many months (almost a year) since i bought these and having 2 different amplifier/dac setups and upgraded to a decent (to me) denon integrated amp, now i can finally appreciate how good these speakers really are, and they're already pretty good with cheap amplifiers, i remember having my jaw dropped when i first heard these speakers after upgrading from the polk audio t-15 which were my first ''audiophile'' setup with a smsl dac and smsl amp, i was smiling while listening to my music library admiring how good everything sounded, only problem was that the treble was a bit harsh sometimes but it didnt bother me much and i didnt think i would need to upgrade my setup any time soon, i was totally happy with it, watching movies, playing games, listening to music and all but last week i had one of those impulses and began to wonder, ''what if...'' so i decided to step my game up and bought myself an amplifier from denon. It was the day of reckoning, i knew i was going to experience a slight improvement since i was going from a 250 dollar smsl setup to a way more expensive denon integrated amp and i also was expecting the amplifier to have a different coloration to the sound but what came next i wasnt expecting. MY MIND WAS BLOWN. The speakers sounded so good it was as if i had bought a more expensive pair of speakers, more refined, spacious, airy, instrument separation, sweetness to the treble, strong bass, the sound stage was incomparable i didnt recognize not even remotely what i was listening to anymore, it was all new to me, i was raving. These speaker are a steal for what they cost, i totally recommend buying them and as the gear gets more expensive they sound more expensive too. This hobby is great!

I had been eyeing these for awhile, around Black Friday 2019 they were about $200, for the holidays they went to $147 and stayed until two weeks ago they dropped to $125 and I grabbed them at that price, along with some monoprice banana plugs, oxygen free wire, and some isolation feet.The speakers got here quickly along with the wire and they sounded incredible, my room is wide and short so finding the right soundstage was a bit difficult, but I got it sounding good and spent about 40 hours breaking them in with bass heavy background music during my stay at home order for the covid pandemic.It's about two weeks later and I've since installed the banana plugs and isolation feet and that sweetened the sound up some but mostly just helped fix the wonky soundstage issues I have in my oddle shaped room.Overall these speakers are amazing for the money and I'd still buy them again and again for $200+.I will be getting the jamo s801pm for my desk due to the great sound these have.As others have state the 803 models need room to breathe, I'm not sure they would do well as neat field use, thus the reason I'll be getting the 801 for my desk. But sitting 10-12 feet back in my living room setup in 2.0 they cover a full range spectacularly. A sub is only wanted, definitely not needed with these for general listening and some watching.Buy them...a few times if you can.