Jamo S 805 vs JBL Stage A180: which should you buy?

The JBL Stage A180 is my pick, and it is not close. It leads on sound quality, bass and midrange clarity by a wide margin, and the treble and design edges fall its way too, if only narrowly.

Buy the Jamo S 805 if your room is small and you want a floorstander that settles into a living room rather than dominating it. At 787 mm it stands well below the 1000 mm alternative, and at 41.9 lb it puts its mass into a shorter, denser cabinet. The feet and magnetic grilles are properly made. Be honest about what it asks in return: the midrange sits a step behind the highs and lows, the bass wants a subwoofer to feel complete, and the speaker only opens up once a good preamp and source are feeding it. If you already own strong front end electronics and enjoy tuning a system, that sensitivity pays you back. If you want everything right on day one, it is a cost.

Everyone else should take the JBL Stage A180. It handles music and film with the same composure, dialogue stays clear at any volume, and the low end carries real weight behind a capable amp. A 40 Hz to 40 kHz response, 90 dB sensitivity and a 20 to 225 W amplifier range make it the easier speaker to match and the better fit for a larger room, with a five year warranty as a bonus rather than the reason. The compromises are small: the treble can harden if you push it hard, and the bass is tight rather than plush, so anyone who wants a rounder low end should listen first. For the money, I would not put the alternative ahead of it.