Having been an innovator in the multi-room audio space since 2019, it was inevitable that new competitor brands would try to emulate the vision we created. And if you've been in search of a new home audio system like ours, you’ve most likely stumbled across a competing alternative offering products that bear a strong resemblance to ours. While these knockoffs exhibit numerous similarities, visually and otherwise, there are many key distinctions to consider in your evaluation that will have a significant impact on ease of use, safety, future-proofing, and overall satisfaction.
Country of Origin / Company Background
Since our inception in 2019 in Los Angeles, we have uniquely kept all design, product manufacturing, and support in the United States. This provides us with complete oversight of components, production, and software, ensuring the highest quality—as evidenced by the reliable, long-term performance our customers enjoy from Juke products. There are also minimal logistics, which mitigates potential damage in transit that can be common when shipping from overseas in large quantities.
HOLO-WHAS, on the other hand, is based in China with a limited operating history, no manufacturing stateside and a website hosted offshore. Their products also contain embedded computers, and putting a foreign device behind your network firewall with direct access to your local area network raises obvious security concerns.
Safety and Radio Frequency Emission Certifications
At Juke, we have gone through rigorous third-party testing to obtain the necessary safety certifications to mitigate the risk of electric shock or fire. Our products are certified by Intertek (a leading independent test lab) and bear the required ETL markings (the ETL mark is legally equivalent to UL and is accepted by code officials and retailers nationwide). We see no evidence that HOLO-WHAS has the required third-party certification for safety, which needs to be clearly marked on the product itself.
Additionally, the US Federal Communications Commission (the FCC) mandates that any products used in the US must comply with radio frequency emission standards. Juke products have passed rigorous third-party verification by CKC Laboratories Inc., a leading independent lab specializing in this testing. Consumers purchasing devices that do not comply with FCC rules run the risk of breaking federal laws.
Customer Support
Selling primarily directly to consumers with thousands of units already installed, we have prioritized customer support as a core competency of our business to ensure the seamless deployment and use of our products for all. This support comes in the way of dedicated phone and email support for both prospective and current customers via our in-house support team based in the USA, and a detailed self-service help page on our website. Additionally, we can also offer our customers a quick fix process in the event of a warranty claim given that our manufacturing facility is in the United States.
If you go with the HOLO-WHAS product and need support, you’ll be forced to wait for an email reply with no ability to reach an individual by phone (try calling their number—we’ve tried calling numerous times and it doesn’t work!). Need to get things sorted out with your audio system quickly before a party or family gathering? That’s not going to be possible with their solution. Need to get your product fixed after a hardware failure? It’ll need to be sent back to China (if they even allow it), which will be costly and time-intensive.
Multi-Source AirPlay and Spotify Connect Functionality
One of the key distinctions from an ease-of-use perspective between Juke Audio and HOLO-WHAS is that the Juke amplifiers offer an individual AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect source for every connected speaker zone, whereas their product only supports a maximum of 8 of each of those sources (Juke simultaneously supports 8 AirPlay2 sources, 8 Spotify Connect Sources and 4 configurable sources of any kind, for a total of 20). The implication of this is significant, as with the Juke system, you can go directly to any app on your Apple product or via Spotify from any device type and be able to make your room selections, whereas with their product, you’ll need to bounce back and forth between your music app and their app to properly make your room selections/create groupings, resulting in a much more clunky two-app user experience.
Juke experience:
Airplay 2 streaming from any music app on any Apple product
Stream directly within Spotify from any device to your desired rooms
Dynamic Mapping
Our products have a unique feature known as “dynamic mapping” that has very significant implications on the ease of use of the product in comparison to competitors. This feature allows you to have multiple audio sources preconfigured to play to your desired speaker zones without needing to readjust them every time you want to play. This allows you to seamlessly get your audio started quickly and switch back and forth between various audio sources in a desired room all automatically. In summary, it just works, without the need to take confusing steps or use an app.
Here is a more detailed explanation of this unique feature. Each zone in your home can simultaneously appear as both an AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect speaker. For example, suppose you have speakers in zones in your living room, family room, and terrace, among other zones in your home. You can create additional AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect instances such as “House Party,” whereby playing to that instance automatically plays to any combination of zones that you’ve designated, such as the living room, family room, and terrace all at once. You can also have TVs selected to play to given zones (e.g., family room, where a TV may be located), and other family members can also play to individual zones or groupings of zones. Juke lets you intelligently prioritize what to play without you needing to do anything. Play to “House Party,” and all those zones play. If someone else plays something else from their smartphone to the living room, they take control of that zone. If they stop, Juke will automatically revert to playing “House Party” or any other source (such as a TV) that may be playing to it.
With competing products that don’t have dynamic mapping, this would require you to go into the app and turn your desired zones on for your audio source every time you want to use it/have it take control from another audio source.
Over-the-Air Firmware Updates
We sell our Jukes with the understanding that customers have an expectation of getting good use out of the product for the long haul. To support that, we’ve implemented a robust firmware update process that allows us to remotely update and enhance our units in the field to accommodate new features and upgrades that enhance user experience over time. We’ve consistently done this for our customers the past several years at no additional cost to ensure continued product satisfaction. HOLO-WHAS does not have the same ability to do this as easily nor shown a history of prioritizing the advancement of their current products in this way.
Built-In Music Streaming
We recently rolled out a significant enhancement to all of our amplifier products with key music streaming services now integrated into the Juke Audio app. This feature allows users to play audio from their favorite music apps directly in the Juke interface to their desired zones without being reliant on a third party audio source (phone, tablet, etc.) to do so. Additionally, it provides significantly more robust integration functionality with third party products and automation systems such as Control4, and others for which we have drivers, to now initiate music streams on the Juke. Here is a screenshot:
Built-In Music Streamer available in the Juke Audio app for Android and Apple HOLO-WHAS has no music service options integrated directly into their app resulting in significant drawbacks including the requirement for a third party audio source to provide the audio as well as very significant limitations for Android users who don’t use Spotify, as their only option is Bluetooth.
Upcoming Product Enhancements
Our team at Juke is a passionate group, dedicated to bringing innovative audio solutions to the market that provide the best user experience. With key new products and software features releasing soon and much more planned on our roadmap, the gap in product functionality is likely to increase. Having invented this technology and having multiple years to engage in a dialog with our customers, we are uniquely positioned to create the products of the future. We are the innovators, not the imitators.
Integrity and Legitimacy of Claims
At Juke we stand firmly behind our claims regarding our product and company as a whole. This can be seen with positive reviews across the board on all online channels affirming we are true to form. The company in question here, HOLO-WHAS, on the other hand has put forth many claims that we don't find credible. Here are just a few examples:
Features, specs, and performance: They claim the HOLO-WHAS product produces 960 watts. However, its power supply (the key limiting factor) is only 350 watts. The equivalent Juke product has a 500-watt power supply, 42% more powerful. Awards: HOLO-WHAS claims to have won product awards from Red Dot and iF. These organizations publish participants and winners, and we found no evidence HOLO-WHAS was even considered for these awards. CEDIA certification: CEDIA certification does not exist for products. It's exclusively for installers in the smart home and custom electronics industry. Celebrity endorsements: they provide quotations and claim endorsement from the likes of Bob Iger (Disney CEO), James Cameron (think Avatar) and Taylor Swift, among others. Really? We searched extensively and found no independent verification of these outlandish claims. For reference, here is their Taylor Swift quote: “You know, I pour my heart into singing, but there’s nothing quite like unwinding at home with some tunes. I’m always throwing parties, filling the place with music. Sometimes, I even throw in my own tracks for that personal touch. Apple Music and other streaming platforms are my go-tos. But when it comes to setting the scene, the OpenAudio Multi-room Streaming Amplifier is my absolute must-have…” Does that sound authentic to you? The list could go on and on.
Conclusions
At Juke Audio, we invented this technology and are continuing to invest heavily in US research and development. We pride ourselves on our integrity and tell it like it is. In a market filled with imitators, choosing Juke means opting for proven innovation, unwavering quality, and a commitment to customer satisfaction that extends far beyond the initial purchase. We're not just selling audio systems—we're delivering a seamless, secure, and future-proof experience that enhances your home life. We're always happy to talk and answer any questions you may have!
