21 December 2006 0:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Still confused as to what iPod speaker set to go for? Well Jamo, a Danish speaker manufacturer, hopes to make the decision a lot easier, but has it?

The Jamo i300 speaker system is a 2.1 surround set complete with iPod docking station so you can plonk the world's favourite MP3 player in the dock and listen to your tunes. Made up of a large square subwoofer and two smaller satellites, the set is available in black and white.

As per usual with iPod docks, the system charges your iPod whist it plays and is also fitted with two extra auxiliary inputs, one on its rear panel and the other on the subwoofer so that you can hook up your computer, portable DVD player or games console to the system. We especially liked that you can connect the speakers to your computer and share the sound with the iPod rather than having one or the other.

The speakers supplied with this system are magnetically-shielded boxes - finished in the same white or black as the subwoofer and the magnetic shielding means you will be able to put them next to a TV or computer screen without fear of damaging the screen.

The main crux of the unit is the system's subwoofer, which offers 150 watt high efficiency Class D digital amplifier powering a 6.5in bass driver. In turn these power those satellites we've already mentioned and they are Jamo's A102 75 watt speakers available separately.

The dock itself, which comes with various inlays for the various iPod's available, albeit not the shuffle, features a mute button, and a large volume knob that controls both the bass level and the main volume. All other controls, i.e. forward, backwards, play and pause and secondary volume buttons are done via a pebble shaped remote control which has a good range.

In our tests the Jamo performed very well producing a well rounded, if not slightly over-bassy sound. However, for the £300 price tag we would have liked more control over the bass and treble levels rather than a just a knob that adjusts the subwoofer's influence in the overall sound performance.

Verdict

Compared to the Monster Audio iDeck, which sits in the same class, the Jamo i300s are considerably more discreet. The small speakers with the built-in stands means they can be hidden easily.

The catch? That £300 price tag. It's £80 more expensive than a 30GB iPod and considerably more expensive that most other speaker systems on the market.

Yes, the sound is good, but you'll really have to want to push the boat out to justify it.

Score

Review Recap

Made by

Jamo

Price as reviewed

£300

The good

Sounds great, discreet, easy to use

The bad

Price, volume controls limited

Quick verdict

Yes the sound is good, but you'll really have to want to push the boat out to justify it

Score

• Link - Jamo
• Reviewed - Monitor Audio i-Deck iPod speakers

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