The beginning of the company’s history can be considered in 1966, when a young carpenter Preben Jacobsen from the Danish village of Glingor began assembling loudspeaker cabinets, then installing the best acoustic equipment available at that time. Two years later, a person who knew a lot about sales was needed to sell the products, and Jacobsen began working together with Julius Mortensen, who had previously sold fish for export. This collaboration in 1968 marked the beginning of a new company, which was named after the first letters of the surnames of the two people – Jamo.
The official date of birth of the company is 1968. All production facilities at that time were contained within the walls of a tiny workshop, and the outlines of the brilliant future that so generously rewarded the initiative of two enterprising Danes were hardly visible from the fragile structure. Throughout its 60-year history, the company has never changed its base location. Both the head office and production buildings are located in the city of Glingor (Northern Jutland), with its squat architecture blending seamlessly into the coastal landscape of Limfjord. The pace of development and success was stunning – in 1970 the Jamo factory was built in Glingora, and three years later the young company managed to present itself at the IFA world electronics fair in Berlin. By 1994, Jamo had become the largest manufacturer of loudspeaker systems in Europe, and by the company’s 30th anniversary in 1998, it had sold 11.5 million loudspeaker systems in 80 countries. Glingor is a windswept town in northern Denmark. Situated at the pointed tip of the Jutland peninsula and home to 12,000 people, it is home to one of the world’s largest loudspeaker manufacturers.
Jamo J202
As can be expected from a Danish company, the Jamo plant and office, with a total area of 21 thousand square meters. m, are distinguished by their immaculate cleanliness and modernity. The machines used in the production of speaker cabinets are powered by the latest and most impressive technologies. In particular, the shape of the housings is verified using laser interferometry. The Jamo assembly line is the envy of any most advanced Japanese company. Indeed, the production process at Jamo is designed with such care and meticulousness that if a machine to perform an operation is not available or is not configured with the proper precision, Jacobsen personally handles the design and production. The Jamo factory is long and narrow. This shape is dictated by the terrain features of the plot of land on which the plant was built. This, of course, creates certain problems – some production areas are separated by considerable distances. However, “smart” vehicles come to the aid of staff. The least technologically advanced of them, but perhaps one of the most effective, is a two-wheeled bicycle for delivering parts and documents to all corners of the factory. The computerized conveyor automatically determines the size of the column boxes and sorts the different models so that the product always reaches its intended destination.
Jamo Silhouette
Jamo’s newest speaker series is comprehensive and includes some innovative and interesting products. Naturally, Jamo could not ignore the current boom in home theater systems and developed a whole range of speaker systems for them – central speakers, front and rear speakers, subwoofers (active – they recently added a new model SW505E with a built-in 100 W amplifier and passive ). The original design solution of the Jamo Sub Center 150 TV stand, which has a built-in central speaker and subwoofer, saves space and creates a good quality sound environment. And the small triangular rear speakers of the Jamo Surround 200 are designed so that the position of the sound source is lost in the surround effect they create. But Jamo’s greatest success in home theater acoustics came with the development of the THX One, one of the first complete speaker sets to be certified to the stringent Note THX standard. This year, this system has collected all the most prestigious awards: first, it received the Innovations’95 prize for excellent design and constructive solution at the CES winter electronic show in Las Vegas. And then at the autumn IFA exhibition in Berlin, Jamo THX One was awarded the European Home Theater Acoustics Award of the Year 1995/96 for “a true European triumph in the field of audiovisual equipment of the highest category.”
Jamo Oriel
Jamo does not forget true Hi-Fi enthusiasts. The new series of Classic speakers, the ’07 series, and the main pride of the company – the Jamo Oriel speakers – are intended for them. These almost two-meter columns, developed in conditions of complete freedom of creativity of the company’s engineers, have a truly monumental sound (the bass is especially impressive). Each pair of Oriel speakers is made personally, which is marked by engraving the owner’s name on a special plate. For young people, Jamo produces a series of BX speakers, which are designed for aggressive and dynamic reproduction of rock music. For professionals – the Pro EX series, designed for traveling discos, outdoor concerts and other public events. Jamo is very attentive to the needs of decorators and designers. The black glass and colored fabrics of the Graphic series speakers are excellent elements for decorating an interior in a futuristic style. Atmosphere and Converta speakers add lighting to the sound and graphics. The in-wall Jamo Art and Artina and the elegant Silhouette floor-standing speakers complete the selection of acoustic elements that blend into the room and create a harmony of good sound and first-class aesthetic style.
Jamo R909
The other, and perhaps most important, element of a quality control system is the people who operate the machines and assembly lines. They check and double-check every process and operation when making speakers. Jamo’s personnel policy is another analogy with Japanese firms. Everything is arranged in such a way as to encourage employees to come up with “improvement proposals” to improve the production process. The most successful ideas are immediately implemented, and their authors are rewarded. Global integration led to the acquisition of Jamo by the Klipsch Group in 2005. This provided Jamo with access to additional resources and increased distribution around the world. The acquisition of Jamo’s assets brings together two top brands in Europe and America under the leadership of a successful management team that has achieved significant sales growth over the past seven years.
Jamo Studio 8
The most significant event of 2014 for Jamo was the release of the updated Concert line, represented by two subseries C 10 and C 9. World famous industrial designer Kieron Dunk took part in the development of the speakers. A characteristic design element is the elegantly curved side walls, which slightly widen the speakers towards the center (vertically). The more expensive C 10 series, made in varnish and natural veneer, completely follows the designer’s intention – the speakers look impressive and solid. The C 9 series is somewhat simpler, but more affordable: it received a vinyl finish and regular rectangular cases, while maintaining the front panel shape of the C 10.
