Jamo D 7PEX 7.1 speaker system

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Key features: 7.1 (or 7.2)-channel speaker system, THX Ultra2 specification
D 7LCR:
Three-way closed, shielded design, 2x 140mm bass units, 2x 65mm midrange units, 1x 25mm tweeter, frequency response 80Hz-40kHz, dimensions: 272 x 589 x 173mm, weight: 11.1kg
D 7SUR:
Three-way dipole design, 1x 140mm bass unit, 4x 65mm midrange unit, 2x 25mm tweeter, frequency response: 80Hz-40kHz, dimensions: 265 x 508 x 126mm, weight: 7.3kg
D 7SUB:
Powered subwoofer, 400W power amplifier (700W peak), 1x 380mm sub-bass unit, frequency response: 20Hz-200Hz, dimensions: 492 x 591 x 444mm, weight: 33.6kg

Jamo's new THX Ultra2 speaker system is the first in Europe. But do you really want up to nine speakers in the same room?

If you want the best in home cinema kit, that best often comes with a THX logo on it. Originally a part of Lucasfilm, THX develops cinema standards that keep improving as the technology evolves. The latest THX créme de la créme is the Ultra2 standard, and Jamo's D 7PEX is the first speaker system in Europe to achieve Ultra2 certification.

This makes it big and pricey. The kit features five £525 D 7LCR speakers: three across the front wall and two, almost toe-to-toe, across the back. THX also specifies special dipole side speakers, and the system needs a pair of D 7SUR at £525 a piece. Then there's the subwoofing, the THX specification demands at least one, and preferably two, £1,000 D 7SUB 400W subwoofers. Add in a THX Ultra2 approved AV amplifier, a DVD player and a screen good enough to give the system credit, and there's unlikely to be much change from ten grand.

There are some clever touches to the Jamo speaker system. The main D 7LCR speakers can be used on dedicated £100 stands or mounted to the wall, and come supplied with little brass jumpers at the rear speaker terminal block to subtly shift the balance of the speaker depending on its position. The subwoofer has a volume control on the top panel which glows green when in THX mode and red whenever you raise or lower the volume. This is all explained in the manual, although 'explained' is probably the wrong word, the manual is from the 'in-flight' school of instructions and is word-free for the entire installation process.

Ultra Speakers, Uberelectronics
Don't even think of using this system with anything less than a THX-specified amplifier, preferably an Ultra 2 amplifier. With big power on tap, this speaker system has a visceral quality that you just don't get from 'mortal' home cinema speakers. The Pod-Race scene from Star Wars - The Phantom Menace shows just what the kit is capable of. Play it loud and you feel the power of the pod-race engines, the roar of the crowd and the explosions leave you with first-degree burns - and a bad case of whiplash.

Turn down the volume and play something more speech-heavy and you get the same bold, solid feel. Best of all, you still get dynamics full of impact - Spinal Tap-results in detailed, almost quiet, voices, allied to a big OTT rock sound in the musical interludes. How much more bass? None - no excess whatsoever! The only downside: the speakers are extremely detailed, but this detail can prove a bit wearing and bright at times and is not for hi-fi buffs. Finally, putting a second subwoofer in the room makes for more bass and more control.

Home cinema is a nebulous concept. It can mean 'a TV that plays films', if, though, your interpretation is 'a cinema in the home', Jamo's THX system could be a perfect answer.

Verdict: Jamo's speakers will wring every last detail out of your DVDs. Think of it as cheap, earth-moving gear (without the building site chic)