Ordered some JBL Studio 530s thisafternoon....

[opnly bafld]

P.S. - These JBL Studio 530's are being fed 80 watts from my monoblock Schiit Aegir amps. They have absolutely no problems getting these speakers up to decent volume levels........

FWIW test measurements from Stereophile:
In mono output mode, Schiit says that the Aegir will deliver 80W into 8 ohms (19dBW). With a balanced, bridged output, the maximum voltage swing is twice that of each individual stage, meaning that the potential maximum power is increased by a factor of four. However, when I measured the maximum power delivery in mono mode, the Aegir's protection circuitry cut off the output at 49Wpc into 8 ohms (17dBW, fig.8).

 

[cube-tube]

FWIW test measurements from Stereophile:
In mono output mode, Schiit says that the Aegir will deliver 80W into 8 ohms (19dBW). With a balanced, bridged output, the maximum voltage swing is twice that of each individual stage, meaning that the potential maximum power is increased by a factor of four. However, when I measured the maximum power delivery in mono mode, the Aegir's protection circuitry cut off the output at 49Wpc into 8 ohms (17dBW, fig.8).

FWIW's that was a load of BS and was debunked a LONG time ago by the Schiit gang as well as several independents that also ran these amps through tests to show rated output and more.

 

[tomlinmgt]

As some of you may remember, I had a pair (two actually at different times) of Sonus Faber Venere 1.5's as well as a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 3i's, both of which were excellent sounding speakers. With that being said, I can honestly say they don't hold a candle to these Studio 530's. These 530's are just so much larger sounding, have a lot more dynamic swing capability, have a fuller mid-bass and midrange that's more controlled and textured, the treble is well defined and extended, and completely smooth and organic sounding in my system and room. These speakers throw out a rather wide and deep sound stage with a rock solid center image that's very much life-like in size and body.

I was very skeptical swapping out my hybrid open baffle GR Research X-Statik's for these, especially considering I spent double what these 530's costs on crossover upgrades and No-Rez dampening material alone for the X-Statik's.

And speaking of crossover upgrades, my brother purchased these 530's slightly used from the original owner who pulled out the crossovers and upgraded all of the stock capacitors and sand-cast resistors with Jantzen Audio capacitors and resistors. That could be a very good reason why these Studio 530's sound so darn good in my system.

I am highly impressed with these speakers so far, and I've only had them up and running in my system since yesterday evening, playing a wide variety of music. So far, they aren't holding back at all on surprises from either very familiar recordings or new recordings that I've never heard before. Either way, I think I'm going to keep these speakers in my system for as long as my brother will let me. I don't think that will be much of an issue however since he replaced these JBL's with a pair of Revel bookshelf speakers that he absolutely loves. Personally, I think these sound better.

P.S. - These JBL Studio 530's are being fed 80 watts from my monoblock Schiit Aegir amps. They have absolutely no problems getting these speakers up to decent volume levels, and they blend beautifully with my Polk subs. The 530's are connected via some Maze Audio Ref 4 bi-wire speaker cables... Also very impressive. And as you can see in the pics below, I have them about 4 feet out into the room.

Again... Highly impressed here. Highly impressed.

(Please forgive the mess in the room. I kind of smashed my right big toe at work the other day and have been off my feet. And yes, it's extremely painful and I will lose the nail.) I have pics if you like. LOL No, I'm not going to post those. Too disgusting.

Anywho...

I think it’s safe to say that the upgrades to the networks have created a loudspeaker that’s almost certainly something better than the factory offering. As I’m sure you know, Danny at GR Research has made a good business out of network upgrades for price point compromised production speakers...so it’s a proven method for improvement.
Are your strong feelings about the 530’s arrived at with or without the subs in play? I assume with since you mentioned how well they blended with one another. What are your feelings about them without subs?
Great looking system, BTW.

Michael

 

[cube-tube]

I think it’s safe to say that the upgrades to the networks have created a loudspeaker that’s almost certainly something better than the factory offering. As I’m sure you know, Danny at GR Research has made a good business out of network upgrades for price point compromised production speakers...so it’s a proven method for improvement.
Are your strong feelings about the 530’s arrived at with or without the subs in play? I assume with since you mentioned how well they blended with one another. What are your feelings about them without subs?
Great looking system, BTW.

Michael

Oh yes, I'm quite aware of the benefits of upgraded crossover components. It's what I did to my X-Statik's, and those upgrades made a great improvement.

And I have to make a correction about the crossover upgrades on these JBL's. The previous owner apparently had a couple pairs of these 530's, and the crossover pics that he sent my brother were obviously from the other pair that he kept. We found this out last night when we removed the terminal cup on the back of one the 530's to take pics of the crossover. Well, we never did take pics, and the crossover was upgraded, but not like we thought. The only upgrades on these crossovers (and we checked both speakers just to make sure) is that he swapped out the two electrolytic caps with a couple of basic yellow Bennic film caps.

I'm pretty sure those two caps are for the mid-bass driver only, so don't know how beneficial it was replacing them. Maybe a little more clarity on the top end near the crossover point, but who knows without a side-by-side comparison or measurements. If I end up buying these off my brother, I may go in there and do some upgrades.

No, I have not listened to them without the subs. I always use subs no matter the speaker, and since these speakers are well out into the room, I'm sure they would be producing very little bass, though from about 60 Hz on up, they sound great as I have my subs set right around 75 Hz.

 

[tomlinmgt]

Oh yes, I'm quite aware of the benefits of upgraded crossover components. It's what I did to my X-Statik's, and those upgrades made a great improvement.

And I have to make a correction about the crossover upgrades on these JBL's. The previous owner apparently had a couple pairs of these 530's, and the crossover pics that he sent my brother were obviously from the other pair that he kept. We found this out last night when we removed the terminal cup on the back of one the 530's to take pics of the crossover. Well, we never did take pics, and the crossover was upgraded, but not like we thought. The only upgrades on these crossovers (and we checked both speakers just to make sure) is that he swapped out the two electrolytic caps with a couple of basic yellow Bennic film caps.

I'm pretty sure those two caps are for the mid-bass driver only, so don't know how beneficial it was replacing them. Maybe a little more clarity on the top end near the crossover point, but who knows without a side-by-side comparison or measurements. If I end up buying these off my brother, I may go in there and do some upgrades.

No, I have not listened to them without the subs. I always use subs no matter the speaker, and since these speakers are well out into the room, I'm sure they would be producing very little bass, though from about 60 Hz on up, they sound great as I have my subs set right around 75 Hz.

That’s generally how it is for me, too...subs always play no matter the speakers. And since the subs give me all the low end I need, mains come way out into the room for optimum sound stage resolution. Yeah, that eliminates any low frequency embellishment from wall loading, but that often means bloated bass anyway. But that’s for my 20x16 dedicated and acoustically treated listening space in the garage. When I had the 530’s, I was using them in my son’s vacant bedroom which I commissioned back in the winter (while he was away at college) to set up my first “small room” system and I wasn’t liking subs in that room. Elac 6.2, DBR, Epos Epic 2 and Triangle Borea BRO3 all had very impressive low frequency reproduction in that room. The 530’s were a little lean, but had great clarity, detail and speed. I never tried them out in the garage with subs as I also have 590’s and had decided the 530’s just weren’t going to offer me anything I didn’t already have...so I sold them. But every time I listened to them, I told myself a pair of subs would take them to the next level and beyond. Some upgrades to the networks and cabinet stiffening/damping would take them even further. Tons of potential there, no doubt.
Instead of messing with them I decided to take on a different project. Believe it or not, I picked up an x-Statik kit a few weeks ago (with upgraded networks and tube connectors). Hoping to get started on the cabinets next weekend.

Michael

 

[cube-tube]

Listening to this album right now via Qobuz...

Some of her more "odd" music, but the sound quality is there in strides, and makes these JBL's sound even more impressive. I've listened to this album several times lately and in recent years, and it never sounded this good even with my beloved X-Statik's! Now that's saying something! Obviously, the Sonus Faber Venere 1.5's and Monitor Audio Silver 3i's don't even come close to what these JBL's are doing.

Yes, I know, totally different gear, totally different room... Still, those speakers couldn't get anything near this level of sound.

Very convincing reproduction of vocals and piano with weight and body, detailed, silky smooth treble that has space and air, and the fact that they completely disappear in the room. Finally for the first time in years, I've got a pair of speakers in a room that are capable of vanishing, leaving only the music behind. For the past couple of days, I've been tweaking their placement as well as crossover points and gains on the subs.

In short, there were plenty of super high dollar systems at that Florida Audio Expo show that I went to earlier this year that didn't even come close to this kind of sound. There were some of those smaller systems that were priced up to the $70k mark that didn't sound anywhere near this good. They were either way too shrilly or dull, and drastically recessed mids, and either no bass or way too much.

 

[cube-tube]

Just a small rant...

Was just browsing through a Google search for the 530's and came across an old thread on the Klipsch forum.

Soooooo typical of the people on that forum, there was one guy on there saying that he had a pair of 530's and sold them because while playing them to peaks in the upper 80 dB range (seated 12 feet away), that the 530's woofers were bottoming out and popping on music with a kick drum and bass guitar. They were powered by a 200 watt Rotel amp.

Now I went ahead and played this same exact song that he spoke about that caused this "bottoming out" and "popping" with these speakers. With the subs turned off, grills removed and volume turned up, I was getting continuous levels of 90 - 91 dB with peaks between 93 - 94 dB, making sure to push these speakers much harder than he was. Since my listening position is only 9 feet away from the speakers and 12 feet is literally against the back wall, I opened the door behind me and stood a couple feet into the mudroom, putting me at roughly 14 feet away from the speakers AND through a door opening! This is where I took my SPL measurements!

Not once did these speakers sound like they were being challenged or stressed or pushed to their limits. Heck, the rear ports weren't even making any chuffing noises. They were in complete control and poised. And the reason I had the grills removed was so I could monitor the amount of throw the drivers were making. I have news for you, I had these drivers moving plenty more than this over the weekend with some David Gilmore, U2 and Pet Shop Boys, just to name a few.

So one of two things were going here with this guy... Either he was blasting them a LOT louder than he claimed he was, OR the more likely scenario... He was just making up this BS to bash other brands as most of the Klipsch community does, because you know... Klipsch is the absolute best speakers on the planet... At least that's what they all believe.

Okay, rant over. Sorry.

 

[tmccullough]

I don’t mean to summon this post from the dead, but it had a fair amount of action, and is relevant right now. I’ve been seeing these JBL Studio Series on sale, and I feel like they’d scratch an itch. I watched a review that basically said the 530s might be one of the best speakers of its size ever, and at full price they’re a no brained. Now you can get a pair for $300. It’s absurd. I was tempted to order 590s, but the thought of spending $1k when I still need to pay for a roof is madness.

One thing holding me back is my amplification. Courtesy of others here, I know my amplification isn’t bad for what I currently have. I have JBL L100T being fed with either a restored Marantz 2275 or a Yamaha A-S801. The reviewer of the 530s noted they’re not terribly efficient and 6ohm. I know I can drive them, but would the 530s be driven well, or are they just going to be, “ehh.” My listening spot isn’t acoustically treated or anything special. I think it’s about 12 x 10 with the L100T on the long wall. Part of me thinks the smaller speaker would be better, or the 590s would be better. It’s always hard when you don’t have a chance to listen to them with your gear, or you fret about not having the best gear for the speaker.

 

[vaporpark]

I don’t mean to summon this post from the dead, but it had a fair amount of action, and is relevant right now. I’ve been seeing these JBL Studio Series on sale, and I feel like they’d scratch an itch. I watched a review that basically said the 530s might be one of the best speakers of its size ever, and at full price they’re a no brained. Now you can get a pair for $300. It’s absurd. I was tempted to order 590s, but the thought of spending $1k when I still need to pay for a roof is madness.

One thing holding me back is my amplification. Courtesy of others here, I know my amplification isn’t bad for what I currently have. I have JBL L100T being fed with either a restored Marantz 2275 or a Yamaha A-S801. The reviewer of the 530s noted they’re not terribly efficient and 6ohm. I know I can drive them, but would the 530s be driven well, or are they just going to be, “ehh.” My listening spot isn’t acoustically treated or anything special. I think it’s about 12 x 10 with the L100T on the long wall. Part of me thinks the smaller speaker would be better, or the 590s would be better. It’s always hard when you don’t have a chance to listen to them with your gear, or you fret about not having the best gear for the speaker.

Did you pull the trigger on these? I am in the same boat as you and giving these a serious consideration, price is just too tempting.

 

[Zonker92]

I have a new pair in the sealed box still ... one of these days ...

 

[lukiedog]

These are on sale again at jbl.com for $279.99 shipped.

 

[tomlinmgt]

I don’t mean to summon this post from the dead, but it had a fair amount of action, and is relevant right now. I’ve been seeing these JBL Studio Series on sale, and I feel like they’d scratch an itch. I watched a review that basically said the 530s might be one of the best speakers of its size ever, and at full price they’re a no brained. Now you can get a pair for $300. It’s absurd. I was tempted to order 590s, but the thought of spending $1k when I still need to pay for a roof is madness.

One thing holding me back is my amplification. Courtesy of others here, I know my amplification isn’t bad for what I currently have. I have JBL L100T being fed with either a restored Marantz 2275 or a Yamaha A-S801. The reviewer of the 530s noted they’re not terribly efficient and 6ohm. I know I can drive them, but would the 530s be driven well, or are they just going to be, “ehh.” My listening spot isn’t acoustically treated or anything special. I think it’s about 12 x 10 with the L100T on the long wall. Part of me thinks the smaller speaker would be better, or the 590s would be better. It’s always hard when you don’t have a chance to listen to them with your gear, or you fret about not having the best gear for the speaker.

I've owned L100t's (with t3 crossovers) 530's and currently own 590's. First off, the 590's are WAAAY too much speaker for that room unless you intend to listen at very low levels and even then you'll be driving a sports car in a crowded parking lot. I suggest you get something better matched to the dimensions of that room and the 530's are certainly a better match. As far as how they compare to the L100t's...the 530's won't sound as robust in the bottom end, but they do deliver decent low end (not as satisfying as Elac DBR, Traingle BRO3 or even the Elac 2.0 b6.2...all of which I compared directly against the 530 in my own listening space). I think you'll likely experience better imaging and sound stage resolution from the 530's compared to the 100t's since you have a little better control over directivity with the 530's, but this also will depend heavily on the room's acoustic profile and how you position the speakers. For general listening that isn't focused on more audiophile oriented pursuits...I'd probably just stick with the 100t's. But no way on the 590's...and you have adequate amplification to drive just about any speaker in a room that small unless you like blowing out the windows. .

Michael