JBL speakers are they really that good?
- Thread starter Ken Boyd
- Start date
I recently bought L300 Summits and a vintage SS setup.
I chose the L300's because;
1. I knew it they were made in USA (100% USA - not just a sticker on the box)
2. This forum spoke so highly of them.
3. Price - powerful, highly recommended, made in USA, on ebay for $2600
Was a leap of faith as I never heard them or any other L300's - except for some pretty bad youtube videos.
The sound is amazing, the only thing I can compare it to is a short audition with some very, very expensive unknown brands setup in a local hifi store.
I think my setup sounds much better at 1/5th the price.
Plus they look cool compared to most of today's skinny tower designs.
Thats funny, because listening to them on a youtube video they won't sound any better than your pc speakers!
BMWCCA
Addicted Member
Hah! One of the few things you've said I agree with! :lmao:
I've often wondered what the point of those videos was. Choked by the camcorder's microphone and then the laptop speakers.
dnewma04
The Healer
I can see where you are going with that, but there are some really crappy speakers that sell for far more. Cost, especially on ebay, rarely has much to do with actual performance.
d16rr702
Active Member
Touché...
I was listening to youtube thru USB to a Matrix mini-i DAC, Hily T-amp 90 and B&W DM12's.
The Kenrick JBL youtube videos sound pretty awesome thru this setup but he doesn't have any L300's on his site.
Also enjoyed the starsky10 video of the MC601 and 801's cranking some Chuck Mangione.
Ken, by chance, are you an Electrical Engineer?
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DavidF
Active Member
"... But the engineer that designed the vintage Infinity's that I referred to is still creating some great audio speakers under another name (Genisis) and I would be willing to bet anyone that was able to listen to a top of the line Genisis speaker and the top of the line JBL would most probably pick the Genisis over the JBL. As far as price range it really isn't a fair comparison, as the top of line JBL goes for around 70,000 dollars where as the Genisis is around 250,000 dollars...Ken Boyd"
Ken, you mean Genesis Advanced Technologies? Not the same Genesis as with Arnie Nudell. Arnie put out some very fine designs under Infinity and the original Genesis but he may not have been such a good business person. Not too different, by the way, from James B. Lansing before him. Whether a 99-percenter like me might choose a $250,000 system over a $70,000 system is a moot point to say the least.
"...I was looking at the JBL website on the Everest models yesterday, and they are a very striking and probably great sounding speaker. But I hardly think they compare to any of the speakers of the 70's that JBL made, just as they are in a price range for only the very few more fortunate people on this planet...Ken Boyd"
Valid point but it should be pointed out that Everest design is the latest expression of design that is rooted in the production and design knowledge as well as evoluntionary technologies that were already established in the '70s.
"...The JBL is by no means the most expensive speaker system and it is far from the best. The man who worked for Infinity and designed the IRS V and RS-1a and Rs-1b since selling Infinity to Harman Kardon builds his own lineup under the brand name of Gensis. The Gensis 1.2 is a super hi end IRS V and I doubt the JBL would come near to it as in every class except price. The Gensis is over three times the price, but you do get servo bass amps for with it...Ken Boyd"
You have mentioned price before as a means to estimate performance. Doubts aside I think the rest of this is just an expression of prejudice.
"...But those JBL's pictured do look like they are well built and probably sound very good. I would wonder how flat of a response they have as they look very bass heavy with all those big bass drivers and hardly any mid and hi drivers. Sometimes people are overly impress by big boomy bass, which sometimes overpowers the delicate, highs of female vocals and stings. I have never heard any of those models so I am just speculation based on the looks of them. But I would love to hear some of them, to be proven wrong. And I don't see those on CL very often going cheap.. [/I]Ken Boyd"
Gotta get around those preconceptions, Ken. You are taking the multi-driver design of the Infinity as the gospel for all speaker system designs.
"... In the mean time I will always keep my eyes for a big pair of JBL's, as I don't really care for small speakers, not that they don't sound good, I just love the looks of a really big set of speakers full of drivers!... Ken Boyd"
As above.
"...Its pretty impressive how many people have such great audio systems, and their listening rooms are so impressive. I wish I had some friends like that to just sit down with listen to good music and compare recordings. Where I live the best system other than what I have and I have seen is like one of the Bose home theather set ups you find at Sams club, it really is dismal....Ken Boyd"
Yeah, that is a bummer.
Back to your original query on why JBL seems to command inordinate prices you have to think beyond the individual system and look at the brand... its history, its acclaim in the sound industry and home audio earned over many decades, its adherence to good engineering and design principals. Borrowing the old adage, they sound that way because that's the way they were designed.
Greg Timbers at JBL designed the Everest DD6600 model. He was also involved in many of the pro and consumer models of the '70s. Not to say that this should account for anything more than Arnie could have accomplished. But it does illustrate the notion of consistency and dedication to certain principals instilled within the company and relied upon by users who prefer JBL.
Good listening!
Ken, you mean Genesis Advanced Technologies? Not the same Genesis as with Arnie Nudell. Arnie put out some very fine designs under Infinity and the original Genesis but he may not have been such a good business person. Not too different, by the way, from James B. Lansing before him. Whether a 99-percenter like me might choose a $250,000 system over a $70,000 system is a moot point to say the least.
"...I was looking at the JBL website on the Everest models yesterday, and they are a very striking and probably great sounding speaker. But I hardly think they compare to any of the speakers of the 70's that JBL made, just as they are in a price range for only the very few more fortunate people on this planet...Ken Boyd"
Valid point but it should be pointed out that Everest design is the latest expression of design that is rooted in the production and design knowledge as well as evoluntionary technologies that were already established in the '70s.
"...The JBL is by no means the most expensive speaker system and it is far from the best. The man who worked for Infinity and designed the IRS V and RS-1a and Rs-1b since selling Infinity to Harman Kardon builds his own lineup under the brand name of Gensis. The Gensis 1.2 is a super hi end IRS V and I doubt the JBL would come near to it as in every class except price. The Gensis is over three times the price, but you do get servo bass amps for with it...Ken Boyd"
You have mentioned price before as a means to estimate performance. Doubts aside I think the rest of this is just an expression of prejudice.
"...But those JBL's pictured do look like they are well built and probably sound very good. I would wonder how flat of a response they have as they look very bass heavy with all those big bass drivers and hardly any mid and hi drivers. Sometimes people are overly impress by big boomy bass, which sometimes overpowers the delicate, highs of female vocals and stings. I have never heard any of those models so I am just speculation based on the looks of them. But I would love to hear some of them, to be proven wrong. And I don't see those on CL very often going cheap.. [/I]Ken Boyd"
Gotta get around those preconceptions, Ken. You are taking the multi-driver design of the Infinity as the gospel for all speaker system designs.
"... In the mean time I will always keep my eyes for a big pair of JBL's, as I don't really care for small speakers, not that they don't sound good, I just love the looks of a really big set of speakers full of drivers!... Ken Boyd"
As above.
"...Its pretty impressive how many people have such great audio systems, and their listening rooms are so impressive. I wish I had some friends like that to just sit down with listen to good music and compare recordings. Where I live the best system other than what I have and I have seen is like one of the Bose home theather set ups you find at Sams club, it really is dismal....Ken Boyd"
Yeah, that is a bummer.
Back to your original query on why JBL seems to command inordinate prices you have to think beyond the individual system and look at the brand... its history, its acclaim in the sound industry and home audio earned over many decades, its adherence to good engineering and design principals. Borrowing the old adage, they sound that way because that's the way they were designed.
Greg Timbers at JBL designed the Everest DD6600 model. He was also involved in many of the pro and consumer models of the '70s. Not to say that this should account for anything more than Arnie could have accomplished. But it does illustrate the notion of consistency and dedication to certain principals instilled within the company and relied upon by users who prefer JBL.
Good listening!
As to your out of context snipets,
My take is Mr Boyd wasn't expressing "JBL predjudice" but as a curious Ak'er was seriously in the market to obtain a pair of excellent sounding JBLs and was sticker shocked
Although,IMHO, he didn't need to expound upon any merits of the array system but was understandably using his speakers as a point of reference.
Most interesting to me, from reading another related thread, is that according to a JBL afficiando, Mr Boyd should be looking for, if he's still interested in acquiring a JBL, he should be looking at the "modern" JBL 1400 Array as its "ongoing technological improvements" has relegated past vintage offerings( presumably all pre-1400 vintage JBLs) back to the sonic Stone Age.
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BMWCCA
Addicted Member
I can think of many JBL aficionados who might contend that the superb 1400 Array is simply a more modern top-of-the-line JBL offering that will in the future have to hold its own against the more venerable 43xx four-way monitors under the critical ears of collectors.
. . . and the word is "grammar".
nickrobotron
una bella tazza di caffe
Course*
As to your out of context snipets,
My take is Mr Boyd wasn't expressing "JBL predjudice" but as a curious Ak'er was seriously in the market to obtain a pair of excellent sounding JBLs and was sticker shocked
Although,IMHO, he didn't need to expound upon any merits of the array system but was understandably using his speakers as a point of reference.
Most interesting to me, from reading another related thread, is that according to a JBL afficiando, Mr Boyd should be looking for, if he's still interested in acquiring a JBL, he should be looking at the "modern" JBL 1400 Array as its "ongoing technological improvements" has relegated past vintage offerings( presumably all pre-1400 vintage JBLs) back to the sonic Stone Age.
Thank you.
Mr Boyd.
Even though you are in Florida, I'd invite you to my house to listen to some 1400 Arrays and some 250Ti's if you are ever in the Denver area!
You could compare them to my B&W Signature 800's as well. I like the 1400's better!:yes:
Thanks for the invite! I bet all of them sound very good.
cornwallguy
Active Member
I have always had a high regard for the engineering of 70-90's Pro- studio speakers and pro raw driver components. Some of the best studio ears on the west coast have mixed and recorded through westlake boxes fitted with JBL drivers
I personally think the 4311 was the best mid sized monitor ever produced.
Not everyones cup of Java, but they do have a large professional respect .
I personally think the 4311 was the best mid sized monitor ever produced.
Not everyones cup of Java, but they do have a large professional respect .
juniorJBL
SUB 1500 :)
Well I am kinda biased but....
Just PM me if you happen to be in town, besides it is always fun to meet AK members.
bwagss
Active Member
New guy who just likes to look around this informative website. I have a pair of JBL L150 I bought new in 1979. Paid $750 tax free for both and they were drop shipped from factory to parents in Ohio for free. Seviceman special in Okinawa at time. Still have them and they sound great!
