JBL Studio 230 Speakers

[Tharbamar]

JBL Studio 230 Bookshelf Speakers sells for $399.95 at most of the places, yesterday I went to local Fry's and I found them selling at $299.95, quick auditioning with Denon AVR at store and grab a pair for my 2nd system because I sold all of my speakers other than LS50.
I've been looking to get a pair of bookshelf speakers in $500 or less, nothing has been come close to my expectation including Denton, UB5, Canton GLE bookshelf speakers.



I was not expecting anything special from lower end JBL speakers for 2 channel music but these caught me by surprise out of the box performance and I've been playing for more than 20 hours non stop streaming on Pandora, so far these are great $299.95 speakers that comparable to SVS Ultra bookshelf speakers I use to have, as of right now I like these more than any of AJ ELAC bookshelf speakers and SVS Ultra speakers.

These speakers perform very well in my system and music, sonically pleasing, classical, jazz ,80's rock and all genre sounds great with them, sound stage is good,not as big as LS50 but big enough to fill my room(14x24) mid range is good and bass is tight and fast, just about right, nothing more I could ask for the price of the speakers. Revealing speakers for sure, some may find them bright with poor quality recording.

JBL Studio 230s are the kind of speakers I was looking to get for my 2nd system, also ergonomic is very good for the price, I would gladly buy them even at the full retail price.

The down side is, highs are nicer, smoother with separates than AVR, I will be paring with Denon PMA2000MK4 Integrated in my 2nd system. In my opinion these are bargain at $299.95 because ELAC UB5 is over price for it sound and build quality, JBL Studio 230s are much better build quality, also better sounding speakers in my system.

 

[xero-D-hero]

To me these are very reminiscent of JBL's LX series of small bookshelf speakers,and those were excellent speakers IMHO,I say that as I have pairs of LX-22 & LXE-330 and I absolutely love both those,so yeah I dont doubt for a second that these sound very nice for such a reasonable price point.

Heck even my el-cheapo JBL 52t constantly impress me when I hook 'em and give 'em a listen...

Matter of fact not too long ago I recall recommending these studio 230's to a fella here that was looking for some NEW speakers that fit this description,and I had no qualms recommending these even though I had'nt actually listened to these specific speakers. I felt safe doing so because this is a formula that JBL should have down pat by now,and by that I mean buidling excellent sounding small speakers @ a respectable/reasonable price point.

These are also somewhat similar to their current LSR-305 powered/active monitors that are highly regarded as well.

Yeah if I were looking for something like this new,these would definitely be at the top of my list.

Glad you're enjoying them & thanks for sharing !

Bret P

 

[Tharbamar]

Thanks Bret, I have no idea about JBL LX series but I've heard LSR305 speakers and are very popular with musicians.
Some says these new Studio 2 speakers uses trickle down technology from JBL M2 may be just wishful saying but these sound very good to my ears for sure and price is right without designer hype and marketing.
What makes me happy is good quality sound from the reasonably price speakers and build quality is much better than other speakers I tried in same price range.
Did a little more toe in and improve the sound quiet a bit,
Good Speakers,Good Sound.

 

[MHZenith]

I agonized on buying the 230's or 530's for a 2nd set of speakers for near field listening. The good price on the 530's passed me by, so I picked up the Studio 230's for $299. They seemed a little bright at first but settled in nicely. I'm running them through a Silk (Yaqin) MS-38 / SMSL M6 DAC. It was money well spent.

 

[BMWCCA]

Considering that you can buy the LSR305s direct from JBL for the same price as the Studio 230s were on-sale, with free shipping and four amps included, has anyone had the opportunity to compare the two? I think I paid $225 for my pair and many paid $198 for the red ones. I couldn't be more impressed with the LSR305s, and I have a dozen other JBLs to compare them to, including the two-way LX22s, L1, L20T, Pro-III Plus, etc., but no Studio 230s.

 

[Tharbamar]

I have not compare them directly in my house but I found that LSR305s( @ Guitar Center) are brighter sounding speakers for my taste, Studio 230s produce very good bass response and highs are pretty good from low to mid level listening(55-75db) is perfectly fine and sounded great but If I push them to 80db+ of music they get brighter and unenjoyable for me because my ears can't handle bright high frequencies.
Still they're great speakers for the money because I had ELAC B5, UB5, Canton GLE436 and SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers before Studio 230 in my 2nd system, I really like 230s over any of those afore mention speakers regardless of the price.
These are great speakers in 2nd rig for streaming back ground music or home theatre use, I do enjoy them very much.

 

[KrautNotRice]

Just received a pair and started breaking them in yesterday. Out of the box they sound very good, smooth, very spacious with a wide soundstage. That waveguide really does its job. Will report back once I've had more seat time with them, but so far I'm very impressed.

 

[HiFiJeff]

I have not compare them directly in my house but I found that LSR305s( @ Guitar Center) are brighter sounding speakers for my taste, Studio 230s produce very good bass response and highs are pretty good from low to mid level listening(55-75db) is perfectly fine and sounded great but If I push them to 80db+ of music they get brighter and unenjoyable for me because my ears can't handle bright high frequencies.
Still they're great speakers for the money because I had ELAC B5, UB5, Canton GLE436 and SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers before Studio 230 in my 2nd system, I really like 230s over any of those afore mention speakers regardless of the price.
These are great speakers in 2nd rig for streaming back ground music or home theatre use, I do enjoy them very much.

I owned the UB5's, didn't care for them at all. Took home the SVS's and demoed them for about a week. Didn't like those either. And have been looking at the Canton Chrono's on AC4Less. So the higher ups from the GLE series. Then I come across this thread and was sold. Until JBL's website said This...............

 

[HiFiJeff]

To say I was sad to see they were out of stock is an understatement. They have the 220's but that's a lot smaller driver at 4inches.

 

[KrautNotRice]

To say I was sad to see they were out of stock is an understatement. They have the 220's but that's a lot smaller driver at 4inches.

Harman is blowing them out on ebay for $159.99 free shipping
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JBL-Studio...h=item23a9a18160:g:uioAAOSwroFbkX9w:rk:1:pf:0

I just received mine a couple days ago and there were like new, couldn't even tell they were 'refurbished'

 

[HiFiJeff]

Harman is blowing them out on ebay for $159.99 free shipping
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JBL-Studio...h=item23a9a18160:g:uioAAOSwroFbkX9w:rk:1:pf:0

I just received mine a couple days ago and there were like new, couldn't even tell they were 'refurbished'

What is refurbished on them? How do you like them? What are you powering them with?

 

[KrautNotRice]

What is refurbished on them? How do you like them? What are you powering them with?

On the pair I received there isn't anything noticeably refurbished. They were packed just like new, all of the factory packaging. No finger prints or signs of use, plus they carry the full 5 year factory warranty and shipped directly from Harman.
They sound fantastic. I can't imagine a better speaker under $300, leave alone half of that...
I'm powering them with a Yamaha P2200 driven by a tube buffer / preamp, using my cd player.
The sound is smooth, balanced and dynamic. The imaging is absolutely fantastic, the soundstage is huge and extends way past the speakers.
They're like a light version of the Studio 5 series (which I also own).
So far I only have low and mid level listening with them, have not cranked it real loud yet. I'll post a more thorough review once I've got more seat time with them and I'm sure the caps are broken in.
Either way, at $159.99 with free shipping, you will be blown away.

EDIT: I said "The sound is smooth, balanced and dynamic."
After more seat time, I will say they are smooth and dynamic, but the slightly recessed midrange would contradict the 'balanced' part. Either way I'm loving them.

 

[Tbomb25]

I had them and lived with them for about 5 months....I actually sold my UB5 I compared both, and I liked the 230 better, but part of me thinks the Onkyo TX-8270 was a bit lean sounding, and it really affected the UB5. Fastforward....a few months later, I inserted my trusty Diamond 8.1 back in the system and lower midbandw wasmuch meatier than the 230, that let me know the UB5 was just being very faithful to the tonal balance of the 230. I then switched over to the lil Emotiva x100 and it was a lil better 230 and vastly better on the Diamond 8.1, so I sold the 230...I know regret selling the UB5, the 230 is a great speaker but a lil bright and a little lean thru the lower mid-range, tubes probably would be the cure maybe some el84's. At $159 they are a steal they do a great many things correctly, and yes the lsr305 is brighter than the 230 but not as lean thru the lower mids....

 

[59volvo]

anyone know how's the lsr305 vs the genelec 8010?

 

[KrautNotRice]

I had them and lived with them for about 5 months....I actually sold my UB5 I compared both, and I liked the 230 better, but part of me thinks the Onkyo TX-8270 was a bit lean sounding, and it really affected the UB5. Fastforward....a few months later, I inserted my trusty Diamond 8.1 back in the system and lower midbandw wasmuch meatier than the 230, that let me know the UB5 was just being very faithful to the tonal balance of the 230. I then switched over to the lil Emotiva x100 and it was a lil better 230 and vastly better on the Diamond 8.1, so I sold the 230...I know regret selling the UB5, the 230 is a great speaker but a lil bright and a little lean thru the lower mid-range, tubes probably would be the cure maybe some el84's. At $159 they are a steal they do a great many things correctly, and yes the lsr305 is brighter than the 230 but not as lean thru the lower mids....

Very informative review. From everything I've read about the UB5, it really needs a high current 100+ wpc dedicated amp and does not shine with receivers or underpowered amps.
I concur about your assessment of the JBL 230, the midrange is a little recessed. I've noticed that on several cds so far that I'm very familiar with. Overall the 230 has a low-bass hump (rather than a mid-bass hump like vintage JBLs), slightly recessed mids, and smooth highs. They haven't sounded 'bright' on my system, but I haven't pushed them very loud yet. I'm using a Teac PD-H500 cd player into a cheap 6J1 tube buffer / gain stage (upgraded to GE 5654 tubes) driving a Yamaha P2200 power amp and the sound is very good.
My main speakers (Tannoy 8" Type 2062) in comparison to the JBL 230s are much flatter through the midrange, are more dynamic through the mid-bass but lack the really low bass.
Either way, I hope more AKers take advantage of the $159.99 JBL 230 deal before it's too late. I think they're amazing for $300 and a flat out gift at $159.99 w/ free shipping.

 

[59volvo]

how would they compare against the PE b652?

 

[seikosha]

how would they compare against the PE b652?

I’ve got the 652 air. The JBL230’s are really a class above the 652. Physically, they are a much larger speaker, and built to a higher standard. The 230’s go lower, reveal more detail, throw out a larger soundstage and even image better. The JBL transmits ambient cues better and really is just more refined. If you can afford it, at the 160.00 price, it’s a great buy, just as the 652’s are at their price.

 

[darin g]

I've got the grand daddy 590s of that series. Best 1k speakers I've heard. Greg timbres, is the designer. Same guy who created the Everest's. Jbl really blew it when they let him go. He really showed what can be done with the studio series while keeping them affordable. ...hell at 159.00 shipped I ordered a pair for the lake house!

 

[Tbomb25]

Very informative review. From everything I've read about the UB5, it really needs a high current 100+ wpc dedicated amp and does not shine with receivers or underpowered amps.
I concur about your assessment of the JBL 230, the midrange is a little recessed. I've noticed that on several cds so far that I'm very familiar with. Overall the 230 has a low-bass hump (rather than a mid-bass hump like vintage JBLs), slightly recessed mids, and smooth highs. They haven't sounded 'bright' on my system, but I haven't pushed them very loud yet. I'm using a Teac PD-H500 cd player into a cheap 6J1 tube buffer / gain stage (upgraded to GE 5654 tubes) driving a Yamaha P2200 power amp and the sound is very good.
My main speakers (Tannoy 8" Type 2062) in comparison to the JBL 230s are much flatter through the midrange, are more dynamic through the mid-bass but lack the really low bass.
Either way, I hope more AKers take advantage of the $159.99 JBL 230 deal before it's too late. I think they're amazing for $300 and a flat out gift at $159.99 w/ free shipping.

1 thing although the New Stage series is replacing the Arena series with it's new aluminum Tweeter like the Studio series and wider horn housing, it's a chance they may even be improved on the Studio 200 series as well, it's just something to think about, but even they don't cost $159 a pair tho...

 

[Tbomb25]

how would they compare against the PE b652?

They are level upon levels better than those.....a sweet deal from Parts express is the Dayton Audio mk442 at 50 bucks a piece and 1 of the Dayton Subs shit or even 2. The mk442 is budget speaker of the year in Audioholics they play pretty low with their underhung voicecoils even with 4 inch woofers but it's a MTM so there are 2. The mk series is the series to get from Dayton Audio they just came out with a tower that's a transmissionline design for $227 bucks a pair...