Jamo’s HYG Series just got a new flagship. The HYG 5 is a wireless speaker that looks a bit like a portlier, friendlier HomePod, but with one added skill: motion controls.
A wave of your palm wakes the HYG 5 and resumes playback from the last source. In standby, the touch interface dims so as not to distract you from the speaker’s sleek aesthetic, while the warm ambient light ring adjusts depending on the room’s brightness.
All well and good. But what’s under the hood?
There are two 2.5-inch full-range drivers angled upwards and outwards to spread the stereo image as wide as possible. On bass duties is a 4-inch down-firing woofer, with two symmetrical flared ports beneath the cabinet and ribbed port walls to limit unwanted vibrations.
The speaker is compatible with Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect, as well as TuneIn and QPlay II, while AirPlay 2 and Google Cast allow for simple casting and multi-room playback.
You can also beam audio to it via Bluetooth 5.0 (though sadly not the newer Bluetooth 6 standard), while those of a wired bent can hook up a turntable or CD player via a stereo RCA line input. The HYG 5 also supports hi-res audio up to 24-bit/96kHz.
You can control the HYG 5 from the Jamo Play app for iOS and Android, and also adjust the EQ to suit your taste and surroundings.
The HYG range takes its name from the Danish word ‘hygge’, which, as anyone who read a Sunday supplement 10 years ago will tell you, means cosiness and comfort, especially in the cold winter months.
Jamo previously announced the HYG Reflect bedside speaker, HYG Flow for outdoors and HYG Flex for taking from room to room.
It has been a busy few months for Jamo. After being sold off in 2024, the brand made a return earlier this year under new ownership, and promptly announced two premium ranges of Concert passive speakers followed by the HYG range. In 2028, it will celebrate 60 years in the hi-fi industry – a milestone that not many brands have reached.
The HYG 5 is out now for £349 / $399 (around AU$670).
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