The hemps are great. If you want an upgrade in clarity try the flat pads off the hemps on the PS500e. I won both abs the PS500e with the flat pads is the ticket. Same tone as the hemps but cleaner sounding.
Hi, can you tell me roughly the difference between a Jbl bass and a Klipch bass? Or rather have you listened to these and the Klipsch Rp160MII? Thank you
Thanks for the tip on Willie Sings Gershwin....PS: Funny you mention the poor quality of the Plant - Page recording as I felt most original Zeppelin sounded rough, not good. I always thought they mixed it to sound good on an AM radio rather than quality sound gear....Love your reviews Steve...Thanks.
I'm not really a JBL fan. I generally prefer those "romantic" speakers Steve mentioned. However several years ago at Rocky Mountain Audio fest I heard a pair JBL 4349 speakers driven by Bricasti electronics. I loved the sound. Those 4349 speakers look very much like the 4309 except that they're larger. I stayed in that JBL/Bricasti room as long as I could just to listen to different kinds of music over that great system. I learned that day that sometimes you think you've got it all sorted then something comes along to change your mind.
JBL knows what they are doing. My group of friends collectively own a staggering number of Studio series speakers at this point. They keep going on sale 50%+ off and I can't recommend them enough at those prices.
Nice little monitor. I’m a JBL fan and I’m also Steve fan who appreciates your articulate, descriptive and subjectivity that is concise and succinct to a point where I feel I have heard what you’re heard. Thanks for not making stupid analogy’s like some of the lesser intelligent reviewers out there. Love your work Steve, keep it coming.
Like Ron Hoffman I pay attention to the music you use in your reviews. I generally pause your video, bring up Amazon Music, find the cuts you mention, and listen for a bit to understand what you're getting at in the review. Then back to the review. I have really enjoyed some of your review selections. Definitely expanded my personal library of vinyl and CDs. Thanks, Steve.
I have a pair of 4365's the 3-way with titanium tweeters released before the 44367's. I listened to a pair of 4367's at a dealer a few years ago. Before the audition I thought they would blow away my 4365's, but after a hour or two I wasn't so sure of that. Then I went with a friend to someone that he worked with that had a pair of 4367's. I thought great, I'll be able to get a better idea being in someone's home, but once again I didn't think they sounded "better" than my 4355's. Don't get me wrong, they sound amazing!, but I don't think I'm going to sell my 4365's for a pair of 4367's. I'd definitely pick up a pair 4367's if I didn't already spend $9k almost six years ago.
@@Mark-lq3sb thanks for the information and I hear you. The coaxial driver tech of the 4367 is interesting. I had a similar but different experience with Thiel and Revel I own a pair of Revel 228be that I would be lying if I said they were much better than my Thiel 2.4. The mids and highs are more transparent on the 228be but man in a direct A/B in the same room same system they are close. You would have to hear it to believe how close they are. Anyway I still want 4367 but they were a bit much for me (I got the 228be for $6300 new) but I might sell them sometime and try the 4367. I wish Thiel was still around they were really special.
Steve, Thank you for the great reviews! Always enjoy sitting down to listen to your reviews! Did you ever have a chance over the years to have a listening session with a pair of JBL L96's? I have owned a pair for many years, and are still one of my favorite speakers in my 2 channel system. 41 years later they still sound amazing.
1960 EV Marquis's,JBL C 53 Libras,and some JBL pro speakers that I just aquired with the bass scoops like Altec VOT's,15' and horn Compression drivers.$250 delivered! I love my hobby!
Hi Steve, I'm an owner of JBL Studio Monitor myself. Model 4428 to be precise...and I did some upgrades on the internal wiring (mostly monster cable by stock) to duelund copper and the caps to higher class Jantzen cross caps, and the result was jawdropping...literally! All the characteristics of flat neutral and a bit thin by comparison to "bold" sounding speakers are pretty much gone. It become a soundstage monster with a clear clean and pretty bold mid. So it's pretty much taking the horn clarity and add in more meat on the mid and staging into it. Gotta say, JBL drivers are already very good quality, and we can push it up further by upgrading what's in the network I suspect this 4309 will do too...
Steve, I like your reviews and your description's of how speaker's sound, but could you play the speaker so we could hear it for ourselves? I'm sure it won't be the same as when your hearing it in the room, but I think it would give us some idea, I've heard other stereos on other UA-cam channels and I can hear the difference between different systems, and I think if you would do your descriptions of how the speaker sounds as it's playing, or after we've heard it, would be great benefit to actually hear what your talking about as to your descriptions of different tones and spatial quality's, and how warm or cool or how high or low it sounds, I'm a novice so I'm looking learn what exactly your talking about and what I like and don't like. kind of like car reviews it's not the same as driving the car, but you get some idea if it would be a car I would want or not. keep the video's coming
Funny..I just rediscovered Steve today the day after I listed my long stored old equipment that I just held on to..jbl sa600, adcom, dynaco mk’s & dq10’s..Now I’m having second thoughts… FYI-I just subscribed-
Working in a STUDIO, I know true monitors that are doing what they are purposely built to do, are just a little TOO honest IMHO. The better the monitor the more frustrating they can be. A REALLY good monitor will hold its ground and rub your face in a poorly produced recording.. But good news! Your system is a masterpiece, it has just been trying to negotiate with poor recordings..or has it ? Follow Steve as the journey continues for "THAT" sound. and a beautiful journey it is !! ✌
@@JohnJohn-lk4lq Ya, they dominate all professional installations, because real sound engineers do not have the ears to distinguish quality sound like you audiophiles.
These *will* go down in price just like the newer L100 is no longer 4k. JBL will tell you their top of the like Everest DD6700 is 70k, but they can be had new for 35k.
It’s described as a studio monitor. I’d be annoyed as hell if I didn’t hear the warts and all replay of what my unrefined new find or my on the comeback trail old timer was putting down. In truth, speakers like this are great for work, but I love me some warm and comfy speakers…I’m thinking older tannoys for a little comfortable jazz or some laid back lounge while sipping a nice old bourbon or single malt.
JBL and Klipsch really KNOW how to design affordable speakers that sound great and excite the senses! If you get the chance, listen to a pair of JBL Studio 530 bookshelfs, or Studio 570 mini towers. When these go on sale from time to time on the JBL website, they are considered the audio bargain of the century by many!
Steve, a few times you mentioned "Pro Sound". What is "Pro Sound"? Do "Pro Sound" speakers have a type of presentation that Wilson, Vandersteen, Magico, Kef, etc, do not have? What is the distinction of a Pro Sound speaker. Or to put it another way: What is the criteria of a speaker to qualify as Pro Sound? Thank you.
From the little I know, the idea of a monitor or pro speaker is to sound as neutral as possible in order to be revealing as possible. The "Pro", as in "professional", are targeted towards people in the music and sound industry (bands, studios, radio stations, churches, D.J.s etc.) JBL has their specific "Pro" series I believe and the monitor numbers are in 4xxx series while home speaker versions are usually Lxx(x) series. This is from a novice and I'm probably really wrong about something so don't take this as the last word.
Pro sound is, or tends to be more neutral/accurate than audiophile speakers. Engineers aren’t listening for pleasure, they are listening to hear what’s going on in the recording. So pro speakers are designed more for engineers than audiophiles.
I like Steve's answer for a basic understanding-- Pro v Audiophile. In truth it goes way deeper than that. I'll just list a few differences since you could write a book on the topic. Pro speakers not only play WAY louder and have WAY superior dynamics, but they are far less prone to 'power compression'. As the power increases the frequency response is constant. Imaging in studio monitors is way different-- you are more concerned with the accurate placement of instruments to take advantage of space and holes in the mix. For example, when you pan your hi-hat 70 degrees to the right, you want to physically see (hear) that placement exactly where you put it. In a studio monitor that placement is pin point accurate. The biggest difference is voicing. Studio monitors are voiced forward to enable extreme detail. Audiophile speakers have a 'smiling face' response engineers hate. This is good and bad. For example, audiophile speakers demonstrate superior depth and holographic imaging-- front to back. Studio monitors don't do that-- you are right inside the singers voice so much so that you can hear the grain and breath of the vocal. "Proper" sound stage is something I've never heard mentioned in an audiophile discussion-- were talking large format monitors here, not the equivalent of a home book shelf speaker. Full studio monitors get their 'wave length' and thus sound stage by being 'soffit' mounted with the angled reflection of the wall tailored to the speaker-- the sound stage becomes HUGE.
I have a pair of JBL Arena B15 speakers I purchased a few years ago for $59 delivered from Amazon, and am now awaiting delivery of a replacement, a pair of ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 Bookshelf Speakers. Will I like them better? They should arrive by 8PM tonight. I paid 3.55 times more for the Andrew Jones designed pair, plus I will need a rag to block the ports, as I always do with ported speakers.
Steve, although I haven't the 4309's, I have built and am currently upgrading different horn speakers.for some reason ,most Audio files find brutally revealing speakers offensive! The so-called romantic,laid back Audio file speakers are not accurate at all most have huge suck outs of energy around the 2000 to 2500 hz crossover points.it's done on purpose to minimize the tweeter's biting nature at that frequency.(due to choosing off the shelf drivers that may have good specs but sound like shit).i'm glad Harmon/JBL got back to the basics that made them great I have Klipsch' Belles, Hereseys,!1960
Hi steve! I have a personal question for you and i hope you can answer this for me, what do you think about the klipsch chorus ii and the monitor speakers onkyo d-77 and onkyo 2000, idk if you ever heard any of these speakers, i had 4 pairs of klipsch chorus ii speakers at once and i really like them, but about the onkyo monitor i just heard them on youtube but even thru my headphones i can tell these monitor have more deep and present bass than the chorus ii and i would like you personal opinion about how these sound(if you ever heard them before).
Dear Steve, I always love your review. I have a request. I'm Asian and English is not my first language. Would you please make a VDO about Audio Terms? Like speed, precision or accuracy, and something like that. Thanks.
Ok so it can play loud, what about at low levels, how well does it sound? I have read the L82 is very good at low levels which is not a common feature of most loudspeakers. Something I am interested in as I listen late at night and want to retain detail and energy at a lower volume.
Mr.Guttenberg,i must thank you for your videos,i learned so much from them,while enjoying your knowledge and experience.following your advice,I bought the nad c-316 bee,it was hard to find,but I managed to track one that is in mint condition,and within the limits of my budget.it is so good! Paired with the snell etype 3,it’s like discovering my cd library all over again.thank you,and keep up your wander full job,Udi from israel.
Hi Steve, I'm to curious to know how it compares to the KEF LS50-meta and would you recommend the pass XA25 for it or perhaps a nice on the warm side, tube amp as a way to sweeten? Love your show!
LS50 Meta vs. these JBLs, wow... that'd be an interesting side by side comparison... as they're both top tier examples of their type. I'm guessing entirely different sonic perspectives... but I don't really know. Certainly two quality representatives from their individual sub-sets, ie., near perfectly executed coax, vs very well executed wave-guided compression driver two-way. I have big coaxial 3way mains, 20x the price of my small JBL-308Ps, their hq yet budget $250 wave-guided 8" powered 2way ... and it's extraordinary what's available at such dramatic low prices. Nobody out works, out researches JBL,... their Skunkworks Northridge operation, damn, their Kung-fu is good. JBL's waveguides are second to none. Also, nearly all typical dome tweeter designs crush high energy transient details via compression. Experiencing compression free HF playback capability is a wonderful thing. And thermal compression, being a subtractive distortion, isn't entirely evident until it's experienced side by side in situ up against a high output high dynamic capability speaker. Anyway, LS50 Meta, vs. this JBL? That'd be a fascinating exploration of two entirely different sonic approaches.
Please explain why new JBLs are building mainly 4 ohms speakers now? My vintage L65s are 8 ohm. My integrated amplifier will play 4 on either A or B, but if I want to play A+B-- both need to be 8s.
My experience with JBL studio monitors is as you say, super accurate and neutral reproduction as you would want as a recording engineer. High quality but not the best for some folks. I like them (the ones I’ve heard) but I can see where others may not. Thanks for sharing!
@@bobb.9917 Depends what you want to hear. If you're a recording engineer, you can't listen to a lot of audiophile systems. If you're an audiophile, studio monitors can sound sterile compared to a 'textured' audiophile system.
@@BlankBrain I was asking casual listener roverdad….sounding "neutral" (bright in my world…especially a horn speaker)…can sound refreshing (with the right recordings)… even to me…but a regular diet of that…no thanks from me…it becomes fatiguing and abrasive with many recordings, "for me". We are all so different in what we hear or want to hear. Question: Have you ever tried something different, or warmer?
So here is a challenge for you Steve...I know you like Horn Speaker systems, and yes they are really good because of their efficiency...you can play them loudly without distortion. But there is one speaker system that you have, for some reason...NOT REVIEWED...It’s rated at a crazy 96db sensitivity, 250w max, and an astounding 25hz to 23khz....and you can play these floor standing towers loud as hell with no distortion....at all. The KLH Kendall Towers will blow anything you’ve reviewed for less than 1500.....A PAIR!!!! I Drive my pair with a Yamaha integrated (AS801). Compare this with your “best” Combo for under 2500, and I think you’ll be left with mouth open! I’ve auditioned many speaker systems, and have lived with a pair of Klipschhorns....and the Kendall’s are some of the best I’ve ever heard.....period.
I had the KLH Five here and was unimpressed. I’m happy you love your speakers, but trust me on this: it’s always a matter of taste. That’s why there’s so many different brands of speakers!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I’m sorry Steve, but did I mention the KLH 5’s??? No seriously, are you telling me...”Audiophiliac” that you claim to be, that almost every speaker manufacturer hasn’t made Speaker that was not to your taste, only to make one that you loved?? I’ve heard the Model5s... and still without a doubt, the Kendall’s which have Carbon Fiber drivers, not paper...and 2 6.5 inch woofers, not one large one, is completely different animal!! They are higher in sensitivity, and reach down lower in bass, legitimately needing no Sub. I am very surprised that you of all people would use one speaker to snub another!! At 1299 a pair, you owe it to your listeners to review them. I’d bet you 10-1, the first line in your review will be....”ok, I was wrong !” I auditioned the KLH Model 5 up in Nashville, and outside of scale, the Kendall’s best it in every way. Don’t be a “snob and snub” Steve. I am 61 years old and grew up in DC visiting the International Audio Show every year... longed to own an Audio Research Amp and Pre Amp, never did...So I’m not talking about “preference”....these speakers are literally some of the best I have ever heard. I’d buy em for 4Grand a pair!!
So I just had to come back and make you aware of what you actually said Steve...cause I’m still trippin’ by what you said....”Trust me, it’s all matter of taste”! So according to you, you can audition a speaker, and then make a definitive statement about a completely different speaker by the same brand, that.....”YOU NEVER TASTED”??? I’m sorry but knowing all the folks you know and have known in this industry, you either have a bone to pick with KLH, or you aren’t as thorough as you would like those to think. You simply can’t talk “Budget Systems” and not include the Kendalls in the mix! So this isn’t really about “taste” at all seeing that you’ve never heard them Steve. Your statement is one purely based on a “bias”! How can anyone not want to listen to a system with the kind of specs the KLH Kendall’s have? The more it keeps bouncing in my head, the more your statement becomes more and more ridiculous. As John Gatski said in his review, “once again the Kendall’s impressed me with its ability to convey my homebrew 24/384 hi-res acoustic recording. The balance between slightly crisp and neutral was right there, and the aluminum dome tweeter produced the high end attack - without being strident. Just like the ‘Taylor’ guitar sounds.” None of that critique is a matter of “taste”.....Believe me!
Will Vlad be available to provide any further details of his system? It appears that he has some old fashioned glass insulators behind the rear speakers. Are the main speakers open-baffle?
Hi Steve, have you heard any speakers made by Danny Ritchie from GR-Research? He makes speaker kits that he believes are on par with some other cost no object speakers. Some of the kits are open baffle designs.
Maybe review a pairing of these speakers with a mid level Arcam integrated. That is a pairing folks who buy these speakers might be drawn too. Or a similar integrated.
@@keplermission4947 I have a combination Arcam AV receiver with Audio Physic Tempo speakers made in Germany and that is a fantastic combination. What well is True that Hornspaekers are not common in Europe. I have once listend to a pair of JBL speakers in a Price range of 1 300 US dollar in combination with a Yamaha receiver and it was not my taste. It all depends on the right combination and your personal taste. Gretige Ludo Belguim
Almost there now. Just a LITTLE bigger and you are in Audio Nirvana. Here is my current DIY horn setup. Midbass horn coming next week. ua-cam.com/video/MtDjoT9eIyQ/v-deo.html
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you, there are plenty of bad recordings out there, in fact, most of my 80’s record collection 😂. Mostly Zeppelin hard rock stuff. I need a speaker that may tame a lot of that not so easy to listen to stuff. My Cornwall iv’s don’t like many of them either.
Find it hard to understand why any JBL or Klipsch speaker wouldn't sound good with most Zeppelin material. That era of music was designed around the Altec 604/JBL 4310 studio monitors-- the sound of rock. p.s. No Quarter sounds amazing on my original series JBL 100's. A direct copy of the afore mentioned studio monitor.
Only thing i wish it that speakers like these would be tested with a standard receiver as well as multi thousand dollar amps. The average listener most likely has a receiver. Then again i guess if youre buying speakers at this price, you probably have just as expensive of an amp. And here i am driving my 4k speakers with a 70s Sansui
I can only give my opinion, which is that I was very glad to have ditched the receiver once I heard my ADS speakers through an Adcom 555 power amp. Nowadays it's a NAD 208 thx balanced amp and Emotiva XDA-2 balanced preamp/DAC. Perfection. I suggest you at least swap in a competent power amp, using the Sansui as preamp if possible.
@@trog69 yea 33WPC is conservative for sure i think it pushes more, however i have a Marantz 4300 that i can run in 2 CH, which is what I do. The sansui QRX doesnt have preamp outs but the QR version does. The Marantz pushes them well but the receiver needs a restoration and it does have the pre amp outs. Sounds great!! Tuner is completely unresponsive on it tho.
@@TheAirConditionerGuy I had a lower-powered Marantz receiver and a Marantz quad amp combo. I eventually traded them for a Project One Mark 1500, but being a very young dumbass I had it powering a pair of BFI Bullfrog PA's. So damned loud it changed your heartbeat. No idea why I'm not deaf now. hehe
Visually, "to me" it's REALLY cheeZy "looking" for a $2000/pr speaker. At least in the walnut. I have never said something like that here before. 😯🤭 I like warm..so they are not a good match all around, "for me". …but thanks for the music, as ALWAYS!
It's not clear whether these speakers are powered or not. I assume not. I will say a lot of studios are using powered speakers which I know Steve doesn't like and as a mixing engineer, I don't like them either. As Steve implies, if you listen to pop music, most audiophiles will hear on these speakers that they are very bright and over compressed so they will sound good on AirPods :-( I think most serious listeners would prefer speakers to smooth over some of those qualities.
You should allow more $1 and $2 Patreon tier subscribers. If you go to Patreon it says “sold out”. Not everyone can afford $4.50 for one UA-camr. Me, I give $10 a month, but that is $1 each to 10 different UA-camrs.
JBL speakers look really cool, but the way they're made, designed, I just wouldn't want them in my home stereo. They really are a studio speaker, I think, for home or otherwise, just professional work. That's just me though, I wouldn't want studio monitors by design in my main stereo, it would just feel strange on the day to day basis.
Amazing how everything old is blue again, although at that price I'd expect a woofer that didn't look out of house and with a stamped steel spider to boot.... 87db efficiency is the clue here. And the specs proclaim (whoopy doo) 'pure pulp' for said woofer? C'mon JBL bring back the aquaplas woofers in alloy cast spiders and heavy magnets.... Gotta say that horn does look good though.
If you were building a home theater and were building out a baffle wall, would you use JBL 4349 or JBL SCL-2 in-walls for LCR? I wonder if the in-wall SCL-2 will be that much more impressive for the money?
“The good, the bad, the ugly.” Never heard a romantic speaker that didn’t sacrifice a bit of the “good” for the sake of avoiding “the bad and the ugly.” And I am a romantic.
Dynamics is what live musical recordings are all about. Where this speaker my be lacking is the full bodied 'airy' feel of a multi directional speaker. A minus for classical music; a plus for rock.
This is kinda weird to me. I was @ the JBL store in SOHO last month, and anything from the synthesis line was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! Was all Bluetooth BS & soundbars. Why do they have all the good stuff @ the Harman store!?!?
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I even contacted JBL to let them know a FLAGSHIP store is supposed to mean you carry a little of EVERY product line. FInd it odd is all.
JBL has gone the way of cheap consumer electronics. They fired the most respected iconic speaker designer, Greg Timbers who put them on the map and made JBL the industry standard studio monitor. He said they just walked into his office and gave him a 10 minute exit interview after 40+ years of service.
@@keithmoriyama5421 To F&*K him out of his retirement im sure, thats awful.... Im not so sure about the first statement though, have a thorough look at Harmans stable of brands, peruse through whos offering what these days. I dont see JBL or Revel cheapening much. Shit, not as horrible as whats been done to Altec Lansing, not even close! Thats another real travesty as well.
Is the review based on a few hours of listening in the Harman store? In an unfamiliar room, with an unfamiliar system? Without a comparison to other reference speakers? If so, I'm surprised and disappointed
Yes, to all of your questions. I never claimed it was anything other than an impression of what I heard. But stick around, there’s more real reviews in the pipeline.
Why 6 inch. woffers..?What happened to 12 inch speakers..?Spending 2 grand and having to spend extra money on a sub woffer ?Don't like this direction of the industry..miss the good ol days.
Two reasons; Matching polar patterns at the crossover, and high output vented designs need a big box. Most JBLs, including this one, are all about controlled directivity. The physical size of the cabinet determines the maximum size waveguide, ... which determines the lowest freq the waveguide maintains pattern control... and ultimately crossover freq. That determines the woofer diameter that's ideally suited to match polar pattern of the waveguide. An appropriately sized high performance vented 12" design would need a significantly large box volume.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I find it frustrating that looking at $3000 to $6000 speakers (my budget) to match with my newly purchased McIntosh stack that I can't find a full range speaker. For that price you should be able to get more than an 8" woofer that "dips" to 40 Hz. I think manufacturers are getting greedy and want you to buy two boxes instead of one. I don't like subs, why pay for an expensive amp, if everything below 40 Hz is going to be fed through a cheap class d amp? I know JL and some others make quality subs, but then you're talking thousands more. I feel that if you are already at $5,000 you should be able to get a quality full range floorstander. Am I that out of touch?
Are you sure they are made in China? When Harmon bought JBL they built a JBL factory in Mexico. I know all the so called "Studio Monitors" are made there. Also, their Synthesis line is made in Mexico, you know, the ones that can cost up to $70,000.
Hello Mark, I did a image check on the internet, only to discover all the rear disclosure labels blurred and unreadable. This is a common issue with China Goods by outfits that say "designed in California" with no comment about where its made. I get the feeling that Steve is doing a "job" for Harmon here. They are having him say "something nice" about these things. As to "Made in Mexico" , The labels look Chinese not North American. anyway, Steve was clearly not allowed to disclose the country of origin as it's revealed on the Cardboard Shipping Boxes.
@@tonykazz2779 My 4365 studio monitors say Harman on the back with copyright stamp and the year 2010, the first year of that model (4365 lasted roughly 6 to 7 years. Taken over by the 4367 model still in production.) No where on the back does it say where it was made. No where on the shipping boxes does it say it came from Mexico or China. Not even the white scan sticker attached to the boxes disclose where built. Harmon hasn't suddenly changed their boxes. Your just making shit up without knowing the facts! A few years back I pulled the woofer. On the driver it said made in Mexico. It is no secret that Harman built a speaker factory in Mexico (just across the border from CA.) This factory does "all" (except engineering.) including manufacturing drivers, enclosures and assembly. Just like the massive JBL Northridge, CA facility. Northridge still does engineering and prototype builds. My Denafrips Terminator Two DAC was *obviously* built in China, but still no where on the back (or bottom.) of the unit does it say Made in China. Yes, we all know some (consumer) JBL speakers are made in China. I have a friend that owns a pair of "smaller" JBL's and sure enough on the back next to the binding posts (only two binding posts, that'll tell you something.) it is printed Made in China. They don't sound "bad" considering what they are. Your assumption that Steve is doing a "job" for Harman is *BS*
Do you have factual evidence ? Steve is a Professional Reviewer, I'd certainly hire him to introduce any of my Products ( if I had one ) Try to get service parts for things made in China! Tony in Venice, Florida ps. I love Steve, he's one of the Greats
@@tonykazz2779 LOL! You understand that I can come back with the same comment. I don't worry about my Denafrips DAC. They have two servicing centers now. East coast and West coast. I also own a PS Audio DirectStream DAC. You say you love Steve, but you dis him, LOL!
I'm huge fan of JBL dynamics .. horns are just that !
Listening to the Willie Nelson album through the Grado Hemp headphones. Seemed appropriate.
The hemps are great. If you want an upgrade in clarity try the flat pads off the hemps on the PS500e. I won both abs the PS500e with the flat pads is the ticket. Same tone as the hemps but cleaner sounding.
Awesome little speaker. Thanks for this one Steve. Love horns. JBL/Klipsch all day for me!
Hi, can you tell me roughly the difference between a Jbl bass and a Klipch bass? Or rather have you listened to these and the Klipsch Rp160MII? Thank you
Steve Guttenberg gave me the horn! I'm surrounded by Klipsch and it is all his fault and I don't mind at all. Thanks for what you do Steve.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the tip on Willie Sings Gershwin....PS: Funny you mention the poor quality of the Plant - Page recording as I felt most original Zeppelin sounded rough, not good. I always thought they mixed it to sound good on an AM radio rather than quality sound gear....Love your reviews Steve...Thanks.
I'm not really a JBL fan. I generally prefer those "romantic" speakers Steve mentioned. However several years ago at Rocky Mountain Audio fest I heard a pair JBL 4349 speakers driven by Bricasti electronics. I loved the sound. Those 4349 speakers look very much like the 4309 except that they're larger. I stayed in that JBL/Bricasti room as long as I could just to listen to different kinds of music over that great system. I learned that day that sometimes you think you've got it all sorted then something comes along to change your mind.
Jbl has a very rich legacy, highly recommend you read about.
JBL knows what they are doing. My group of friends collectively own a staggering number of Studio series speakers at this point. They keep going on sale 50%+ off and I can't recommend them enough at those prices.
Nice little monitor. I’m a JBL fan and I’m also Steve fan who appreciates your articulate, descriptive and subjectivity that is concise and succinct to a point where I feel I have heard what you’re heard. Thanks for not making stupid analogy’s like some of the lesser intelligent reviewers out there. Love your work Steve, keep it coming.
Thanks so much
I love the design, it's like those JBL cinema speakers used in film mixing or in theatres
"I was going to say 'taste'' ". Pretty funny!
That's a good marriage Paper cone and Horn. Great review thanks.
Hopefully better than the new L100s which sound like old dorm room speakers in a wooden box; you can hear the enclosure from note one.
Like Ron Hoffman I pay attention to the music you use in your reviews. I generally pause your video, bring up Amazon Music, find the cuts you mention, and listen for a bit to understand what you're getting at in the review. Then back to the review. I have really enjoyed some of your review selections. Definitely expanded my personal library of vinyl and CDs. Thanks, Steve.
You know, I'm finding myself listening to your equipment reviews
just for the recording recommendations :-) Thanks, @Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac
@@keplermission4947 I am subscribed. I've been for at least a year.
Looks good. I have been itching to hear the JBL 4367 since it came out. Looks amazing.
I have a pair of 4365's the 3-way with titanium tweeters released before the 44367's. I listened to a pair of 4367's at a dealer a few years ago. Before the audition I thought they would blow away my 4365's, but after a hour or two I wasn't so sure of that. Then I went with a friend to someone that he worked with that had a pair of 4367's. I thought great, I'll be able to get a better idea being in someone's home, but once again I didn't think they sounded "better" than my 4355's. Don't get me wrong, they sound amazing!, but I don't think I'm going to sell my 4365's for a pair of 4367's. I'd definitely pick up a pair 4367's if I didn't already spend $9k almost six years ago.
@@Mark-lq3sb thanks for the information and I hear you. The coaxial driver tech of the 4367 is interesting.
I had a similar but different experience with Thiel and Revel
I own a pair of Revel 228be that I would be lying if I said they were much better than my Thiel 2.4. The mids and highs are more transparent on the 228be but man in a direct A/B in the same room same system they are close. You would have to hear it to believe how close they are.
Anyway I still want 4367 but they were a bit much for me (I got the 228be for $6300 new) but I might sell them sometime and try the 4367. I wish Thiel was still around they were really special.
Steve, Thank you for the great reviews! Always enjoy sitting down to listen to your reviews! Did you ever have a chance over the years to have a listening session with a pair of JBL L96's? I have owned a pair for many years, and are still one of my favorite speakers in my 2 channel system. 41 years later they still sound amazing.
1960 EV Marquis's,JBL C 53 Libras,and some JBL pro speakers that I just aquired with the bass scoops like Altec VOT's,15' and horn Compression drivers.$250 delivered! I love my hobby!
Hi Steve, I'm an owner of JBL Studio Monitor myself. Model 4428 to be precise...and I did some upgrades on the internal wiring (mostly monster cable by stock) to duelund copper and the caps to higher class Jantzen cross caps, and the result was jawdropping...literally! All the characteristics of flat neutral and a bit thin by comparison to "bold" sounding speakers are pretty much gone. It become a soundstage monster with a clear clean and pretty bold mid. So it's pretty much taking the horn clarity and add in more meat on the mid and staging into it. Gotta say, JBL drivers are already very good quality, and we can push it up further by upgrading what's in the network
I suspect this 4309 will do too...
Just ran across these today in Tokyo at my neighborhood secondhand audiophile store for ¥1700.
15 bucks?!
@@jasonreyes9504 oops!
Steve, I like your reviews and your description's of how speaker's sound, but could you play the speaker so we could hear it for ourselves? I'm sure it won't be the same as when your hearing it in the room, but I think it would give us some idea, I've heard other stereos on other UA-cam channels and I can hear the difference between different systems, and I think if you would do your descriptions of how the speaker sounds as it's playing, or after we've heard it, would be great benefit to actually hear what your talking about as to your descriptions of different tones and spatial quality's, and how warm or cool or how high or low it sounds, I'm a novice so I'm looking learn what exactly your talking about and what I like and don't like. kind of like car reviews it's not the same as driving the car, but you get some idea if it would be a car I would want or not. keep the video's coming
Funny..I just rediscovered Steve today the day after I listed my long stored old equipment that I just held on to..jbl sa600, adcom, dynaco mk’s & dq10’s..Now I’m having second thoughts…
FYI-I just subscribed-
Working in a STUDIO, I know true monitors that are doing what they are purposely built to do, are just a little TOO honest IMHO. The better the monitor the more frustrating they can be. A REALLY good monitor will hold its ground and rub your face in a poorly produced recording.. But good news! Your system is a masterpiece, it has just been trying to negotiate with poor recordings..or has it ? Follow Steve as the journey continues for "THAT" sound. and a beautiful journey it is !! ✌
As a side note , my original L-100's from my much younger days and my re-release L-100's are also VERY honest speakers..and I love that about them!
I have 4406 and 4408, i love them. Paired with JBL urei 6230 direct to xlr Sony cdp d- 11 cdplayer.
4309 or HDI-1600? I think I like these more, but curious what you think.
Congrats on the 200k horizon GUTT
Every one of your systems of the day are interesting and have merit.
2000 a pair isnt too bad. I paid 4k for my L100 Classics and havent regretted it for a second!
JBL sucks
@@JohnJohn-lk4lq am I the only one that thinks these look like CRAP for $2K???
@@JohnJohn-lk4lq Ya, they dominate all professional installations, because real sound engineers do not have the ears to distinguish quality sound like you audiophiles.
These *will* go down in price just like the newer L100 is no longer 4k. JBL will tell you their top of the like Everest DD6700 is 70k, but they can be had new for 35k.
Nope, they dont look like crap.....
It’s described as a studio monitor. I’d be annoyed as hell if I didn’t hear the warts and all replay of what my unrefined new find or my on the comeback trail old timer was putting down. In truth, speakers like this are great for work, but I love me some warm and comfy speakers…I’m thinking older tannoys for a little comfortable jazz or some laid back lounge while sipping a nice old bourbon or single malt.
Absolutely true, but engineers have a saying: "70% of the mix is in the mid range."
JBL and Klipsch really KNOW how to design affordable speakers that sound great and excite the senses! If you get the chance, listen to a pair of JBL Studio 530 bookshelfs, or Studio 570 mini towers. When these go on sale from time to time on the JBL website, they are considered the audio bargain of the century by many!
Hoping you will review the upcoming JBL L52 speakers. I want them on style alone!. Mini L100's!
Steve how do they compare with Klipsch Hersey IV? Do they sound as large or are the IV’s the better speaker . Thanks
Steve, a few times you mentioned "Pro Sound".
What is "Pro Sound"?
Do "Pro Sound" speakers have a type of presentation that Wilson, Vandersteen, Magico, Kef, etc, do not have?
What is the distinction of a Pro Sound speaker. Or to put it another way: What is the criteria of a speaker to qualify as Pro Sound?
Thank you.
From the little I know, the idea of a monitor or pro speaker is to sound as neutral as possible in order to be revealing as possible. The "Pro", as in "professional", are targeted towards people in the music and sound industry (bands, studios, radio stations, churches, D.J.s etc.) JBL has their specific "Pro" series I believe and the monitor numbers are in 4xxx series while home speaker versions are usually Lxx(x) series. This is from a novice and I'm probably really wrong about something so don't take this as the last word.
Pro sound is, or tends to be more neutral/accurate than audiophile speakers. Engineers aren’t listening for pleasure, they are listening to hear what’s going on in the recording. So pro speakers are designed more for engineers than audiophiles.
I like Steve's answer for a basic understanding-- Pro v Audiophile. In truth it goes way deeper than that. I'll just list a few differences since you could write a book on the topic.
Pro speakers not only play WAY louder and have WAY superior dynamics, but they are far less prone to 'power compression'. As the power increases the frequency response is constant. Imaging in studio monitors is way different-- you are more concerned with the accurate placement of instruments to take advantage of space and holes in the mix. For example, when you pan your hi-hat 70 degrees to the right, you want to physically see (hear) that placement exactly where you put it. In a studio monitor that placement is pin point accurate. The biggest difference is voicing. Studio monitors are voiced forward to enable extreme detail. Audiophile speakers have a 'smiling face' response engineers hate. This is good and bad. For example, audiophile speakers demonstrate superior depth and holographic imaging-- front to back. Studio monitors don't do that-- you are right inside the singers voice so much so that you can hear the grain and breath of the vocal. "Proper" sound stage is something I've never heard mentioned in an audiophile discussion-- were talking large format monitors here, not the equivalent of a home book shelf speaker. Full studio monitors get their 'wave length' and thus sound stage by being 'soffit' mounted with the angled reflection of the wall tailored to the speaker-- the sound stage becomes HUGE.
Excellent review aimed at the pertinent user (not audiophile). Air-core INductors are seemingly best in this high-energy-type use.
I am curious about the electronics used with these speakers for the review.
Mark Levinson
You love your horns!!
Nice ! I would like to hear them with Tubes
Now this speaker is making me want to grab some
“If you have some taste”, perfect Steve. That says it all about music that covers most the last 20 years. Thx. Peace.
@ 3:05 first time I've heard HOW THE MUSIC applies to the speakers! Yea... Nuff said.
I couldn’t live with the look of these.
I have a pair of JBL Arena B15 speakers I purchased a few years ago for $59 delivered from Amazon, and am now awaiting delivery of a replacement, a pair of ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 Bookshelf Speakers. Will I like them better? They should arrive by 8PM tonight. I paid 3.55 times more for the Andrew Jones designed pair, plus I will need a rag to block the ports, as I always do with ported speakers.
I like my NHT tower speakers.
Horns the redheaded stepchild of the audiophile world.
Steve, although I haven't the 4309's, I have built and am currently upgrading different horn speakers.for some reason ,most Audio files find brutally revealing speakers offensive! The so-called romantic,laid back Audio file speakers are not accurate at all most have huge suck outs of energy around the 2000 to 2500 hz crossover points.it's done on purpose to minimize the tweeter's biting nature at that frequency.(due to choosing off the shelf drivers that may have good specs but sound like shit).i'm glad Harmon/JBL got back to the basics that made them great I have Klipsch' Belles, Hereseys,!1960
The video quality looked fine to me.
Hey Steve, please review the jbl 4306 the l52 l82 and l100 as well as the 4312g!
Hi steve! I have a personal question for you and i hope you can answer this for me, what do you think about the klipsch chorus ii and the monitor speakers onkyo d-77 and onkyo 2000, idk if you ever heard any of these speakers, i had 4 pairs of klipsch chorus ii speakers at once and i really like them, but about the onkyo monitor i just heard them on youtube but even thru my
headphones i can tell these monitor have more deep and present bass than the chorus ii and i would like you personal opinion about how these sound(if you ever heard them before).
Dear Steve, I always love your review. I have a request. I'm Asian and English is not my first language. Would you please make a VDO about Audio Terms? Like speed, precision or accuracy, and something like that. Thanks.
Thank you for watching, I have already made that video! Look in the playlists section on the homepage of this channel and you will see it there.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Ok, Thanks!
Ok so it can play loud, what about at low levels, how well does it sound? I have read the L82 is very good at low levels which is not a common feature of most loudspeakers. Something I am interested in as I listen late at night and want to retain detail and energy at a lower volume.
So what was the amps and source, I’m guessing Mark Levinson?
Correct!
Mr.Guttenberg,i must thank you for your videos,i learned so much from them,while enjoying your knowledge and experience.following your advice,I bought the nad c-316 bee,it was hard to find,but I managed to track one that is in mint condition,and within the limits of my budget.it is so good! Paired with the snell etype 3,it’s like discovering my cd library all over again.thank you,and keep up your wander full job,Udi from israel.
Awesome, Snell E, truly excellent!
You might have it incorrect..... Metal film 'resistors', not capacitors..
Hi Steve, I'm to curious to know how it compares to the KEF LS50-meta and would you recommend the pass XA25 for it or perhaps a nice on the warm side, tube amp as a way to sweeten? Love your show!
LS50 Meta vs. these JBLs, wow... that'd be an interesting side by side comparison... as they're both top tier examples of their type.
I'm guessing entirely different sonic perspectives... but I don't really know.
Certainly two quality representatives from their individual sub-sets, ie., near perfectly executed coax, vs very well executed wave-guided compression driver two-way.
I have big coaxial 3way mains, 20x the price of my small JBL-308Ps, their hq yet budget $250 wave-guided 8" powered 2way ... and it's extraordinary what's available at such dramatic low prices.
Nobody out works, out researches JBL,... their Skunkworks Northridge operation, damn, their Kung-fu is good.
JBL's waveguides are second to none.
Also, nearly all typical dome tweeter designs crush high energy transient details via compression.
Experiencing compression free HF playback capability is a wonderful thing. And thermal compression, being a subtractive distortion, isn't entirely evident until it's experienced side by side in situ up against a high output high dynamic capability speaker.
Anyway, LS50 Meta, vs. this JBL?
That'd be a fascinating exploration of two entirely different sonic approaches.
Please explain why new JBLs are building mainly 4 ohms speakers now? My vintage L65s are 8 ohm. My integrated amplifier will play 4 on either A or B, but if I want to play A+B-- both need to be 8s.
If you notice, all speakers today have a lower ohm-age -- 6 ohms is common. Part of that is the way higher wattage capability inherent today.
Why wouldn't you get warmth and fullness if it was in the recording?
I thought the Amplifier you use could effect the sound of the speaker also?
My experience with JBL studio monitors is as you say, super accurate and neutral reproduction as you would want as a recording engineer. High quality but not the best for some folks. I like them (the ones I’ve heard) but I can see where others may not. Thanks for sharing!
I wonder if you had to live with them if your opinion may change?
@@bobb.9917 Depends what you want to hear. If you're a recording engineer, you can't listen to a lot of audiophile systems. If you're an audiophile, studio monitors can sound sterile compared to a 'textured' audiophile system.
@@bobb.9917 I've lived with JBL 4343s for about forty years. I enjoy them.
@@keithmoriyama5421 YUP! That's why I could not have them in my home as a regular listen.
@@BlankBrain I was asking casual listener roverdad….sounding "neutral" (bright in my world…especially a horn speaker)…can sound refreshing (with the right recordings)… even to me…but a regular diet of that…no thanks from me…it becomes fatiguing and abrasive with many recordings, "for me". We are all so different in what we hear or want to hear. Question: Have you ever tried something different, or warmer?
I thought studio monitors were not made for home listening.
So here is a challenge for you Steve...I know you like Horn Speaker systems, and yes they are really good because of their efficiency...you can play them loudly without distortion. But there is one speaker system that you have, for some reason...NOT REVIEWED...It’s rated at a crazy 96db sensitivity, 250w max, and an astounding 25hz to 23khz....and you can play these floor standing towers loud as hell with no distortion....at all. The KLH Kendall Towers will blow anything you’ve reviewed for less than 1500.....A PAIR!!!! I Drive my pair with a Yamaha integrated (AS801). Compare this with your “best” Combo for under 2500, and I think you’ll be left with mouth open! I’ve auditioned many speaker systems, and have lived with a pair of Klipschhorns....and the Kendall’s are some of the best I’ve ever heard.....period.
I had the KLH Five here and was unimpressed. I’m happy you love your speakers, but trust me on this: it’s always a matter of taste. That’s why there’s so many different brands of speakers!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I’m sorry Steve, but did I mention the KLH 5’s??? No seriously, are you telling me...”Audiophiliac” that you claim to be, that almost every speaker manufacturer hasn’t made Speaker that was not to your taste, only to make one that you loved?? I’ve heard the Model5s... and still without a doubt, the Kendall’s which have Carbon Fiber drivers, not paper...and 2 6.5 inch woofers, not one large one, is completely different animal!! They are higher in sensitivity, and reach down lower in bass, legitimately needing no Sub. I am very surprised that you of all people would use one speaker to snub another!! At 1299 a pair, you owe it to your listeners to review them. I’d bet you 10-1, the first line in your review will be....”ok, I was wrong !” I auditioned the KLH Model 5 up in Nashville, and outside of scale, the Kendall’s best it in every way. Don’t be a “snob and snub” Steve. I am 61 years old and grew up in DC visiting the International Audio Show every year... longed to own an Audio Research Amp and Pre Amp, never did...So I’m not talking about “preference”....these speakers are literally some of the best I have ever heard. I’d buy em for 4Grand a pair!!
So I just had to come back and make you aware of what you actually said Steve...cause I’m still trippin’ by what you said....”Trust me, it’s all matter of taste”! So according to you, you can audition a speaker, and then make a definitive statement about a completely different speaker by the same brand, that.....”YOU NEVER TASTED”??? I’m sorry but knowing all the folks you know and have known in this industry, you either have a bone to pick with KLH, or you aren’t as thorough as you would like those to think. You simply can’t talk “Budget Systems” and not include the Kendalls in the mix! So this isn’t really about “taste” at all seeing that you’ve never heard them Steve. Your statement is one purely based on a “bias”! How can anyone not want to listen to a system with the kind of specs the KLH Kendall’s have? The more it keeps bouncing in my head, the more your statement becomes more and more ridiculous. As John Gatski said in his review, “once again the Kendall’s impressed me with its ability to convey my homebrew 24/384 hi-res acoustic recording. The balance between slightly crisp and neutral was right there, and the aluminum dome tweeter produced the high end attack - without being strident. Just like the ‘Taylor’ guitar sounds.” None of that critique is a matter of “taste”.....Believe me!
Hello steve! can i use those speakers with my vintage amplifier SANSUI AU 717 ??? 8 ohm system
Nothing like horn.. jbl rule
I have jbl speakers there great, punchy bass bright clean treble
Steve, any plans on reviewing Audiovector speakers?
Will Vlad be available to provide any further details of his system? It appears that he has some old fashioned glass insulators behind the rear speakers. Are the main speakers open-baffle?
Yes, open baffle, I should’ve mentioned that
Hi Steve, have you heard any speakers made by Danny Ritchie from GR-Research? He makes speaker kits that he believes are on par with some other cost no object speakers. Some of the kits are open baffle designs.
Oh dear no! What Danny Ritchie believes is what Danny Ritchie believes. This is the real world, not a fantasy.
@@ericthemauve have you heard any of his speakers?
kind of wished I could have seen a little better the room and the setup of those speakers
Steve, who do you think is the target market for 4309 monitors?
Home studios and to a lesser degree audiophiles.
$2000 a pair!!! are you kidding me? Go buy a nice pair of used 4311's
I've use 4311's extensively and I can tell you they are a truly horrible speaker, or as Bruce Sweeden says, "they are doggy doo doo."
@@keithmoriyama5421 You can't even spell his name correctly and he uses 4310's to mix. I know this because I read his book.
@@acitizen5928 is that because the 4311s are “doggy doo doo”? 🤔
Maybe review a pairing of these speakers with a mid level Arcam integrated. That is a pairing folks who buy these speakers might be drawn too. Or a similar integrated.
@@keplermission4947 yes. But they are sold in the same store on Madison Avenue.
@@keplermission4947
I have a combination Arcam AV receiver with Audio Physic Tempo speakers made in Germany and that is a fantastic combination. What well is True that Hornspaekers are not common in Europe. I have once listend to a pair of JBL speakers in a Price range of 1 300 US dollar in combination with a Yamaha receiver and it was not my taste. It all depends on the right combination and your personal taste.
Gretige
Ludo
Belguim
Almost there now. Just a LITTLE bigger and you are in Audio Nirvana. Here is my current DIY horn setup. Midbass horn coming next week. ua-cam.com/video/MtDjoT9eIyQ/v-deo.html
I think those DIY speakers in the viewer system at the end were open baffle......and may have been left out of Steve's comments on purpose.
They are open baffle, and I should’ve mentioned that.
Small loud speaker.. but it has more powerful
So do you have a recommendation for a speaker that may do better with the Jimmy Page/Robert Plant “no quarter” cd ???
Elac uni Fi reference
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you, there are plenty of bad recordings out there, in fact, most of my 80’s record collection 😂. Mostly Zeppelin hard rock stuff. I need a speaker that may tame a lot of that not so easy to listen to stuff. My Cornwall iv’s don’t like many of them either.
Find it hard to understand why any JBL or Klipsch speaker wouldn't sound good with most Zeppelin material. That era of music was designed around the Altec 604/JBL 4310 studio monitors-- the sound of rock. p.s. No Quarter sounds amazing on my original series JBL 100's. A direct copy of the afore mentioned studio monitor.
Only thing i wish it that speakers like these would be tested with a standard receiver as well as multi thousand dollar amps. The average listener most likely has a receiver. Then again i guess if youre buying speakers at this price, you probably have just as expensive of an amp. And here i am driving my 4k speakers with a 70s Sansui
I can only give my opinion, which is that I was very glad to have ditched the receiver once I heard my ADS speakers through an Adcom 555 power amp. Nowadays it's a NAD 208 thx balanced amp and Emotiva XDA-2 balanced preamp/DAC. Perfection. I suggest you at least swap in a competent power amp, using the Sansui as preamp if possible.
@@trog69 yea 33WPC is conservative for sure i think it pushes more, however i have a Marantz 4300 that i can run in 2 CH, which is what I do. The sansui QRX doesnt have preamp outs but the QR version does. The Marantz pushes them well but the receiver needs a restoration and it does have the pre amp outs. Sounds great!! Tuner is completely unresponsive on it tho.
@@TheAirConditionerGuy I had a lower-powered Marantz receiver and a Marantz quad amp combo. I eventually traded them for a Project One Mark 1500, but being a very young dumbass I had it powering a pair of BFI Bullfrog PA's. So damned loud it changed your heartbeat. No idea why I'm not deaf now. hehe
Visually, "to me" it's REALLY cheeZy "looking" for a $2000/pr speaker. At least in the walnut. I have never said something like that here before. 😯🤭 I like warm..so they are not a good match all around, "for me".
…but thanks for the music, as ALWAYS!
Horns of. Plenty S. G
It's not clear whether these speakers are powered or not. I assume not. I will say a lot of studios are using powered speakers which I know Steve doesn't like and as a mixing engineer, I don't like them either. As Steve implies, if you listen to pop music, most audiophiles will hear on these speakers that they are very bright and over compressed so they will sound good on AirPods :-( I think most serious listeners would prefer speakers to smooth over some of those qualities.
4309 are passive speakers
Plis review jbl sa 750
The price of these is insane I bet, not in a good way. Yep I was right.
You should allow more $1 and $2 Patreon tier subscribers. If you go to Patreon it says “sold out”. Not everyone can afford $4.50 for one UA-camr. Me, I give $10 a month, but that is $1 each to 10 different UA-camrs.
Why don’t you give me three dollars a month, and one dollar each to seven other channels.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Wow what an ego. I will be unsubscribing from your $1 tier now.
Led zeppelin did not break up. LOL
JBL speakers look really cool, but the way they're made, designed, I just wouldn't want them in my home stereo. They really are a studio speaker, I think, for home or otherwise, just professional work. That's just me though, I wouldn't want studio monitors by design in my main stereo, it would just feel strange on the day to day basis.
2,000$ NOPE!!!
Amazing how everything old is blue again, although at that price I'd expect a woofer that didn't look out of house and with a stamped steel spider to boot.... 87db efficiency is the clue here. And the specs proclaim (whoopy doo) 'pure pulp' for said woofer? C'mon JBL bring back the aquaplas woofers in alloy cast spiders and heavy magnets.... Gotta say that horn does look good though.
If you were building a home theater and were building out a baffle wall, would you use JBL 4349 or JBL SCL-2 in-walls for LCR? I wonder if the in-wall SCL-2 will be that much more impressive for the money?
I think you meant “air core INDUCTORS”?
Oops!
The BEST dj use DISCO (the ONLY REAL MODERN DANCE MUSIC) not shitty (c)rap (s)hit hop garbage! DISCO is the best to test the bass!
Air core INductors, not air core conductors.
JBL and RCF do horn speakers correctly.
“The good, the bad, the ugly.” Never heard a romantic speaker that didn’t sacrifice a bit of the “good” for the sake of avoiding “the bad and the ugly.” And I am a romantic.
hey my friend. do u know if any hifi dealer is hiring?
Upscale Audio in California
I keep telling people that size does not matter but they won't listen to me.
Would a speaker with the dynamics you described work well with live music recordings?
Dynamics is what live musical recordings are all about. Where this speaker my be lacking is the full bodied 'airy' feel of a multi directional speaker. A minus for classical music; a plus for rock.
Too bad that this store closed.
This is kinda weird to me. I was @ the JBL store in SOHO last month, and anything from the synthesis line was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! Was all Bluetooth BS & soundbars. Why do they have all the good stuff @ the Harman store!?!?
The uptown store on Madison Avenue has the good stuff.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I even contacted JBL to let them know a FLAGSHIP store is supposed to mean you carry a little of EVERY product line. FInd it odd is all.
JBL has gone the way of cheap consumer electronics. They fired the most respected iconic speaker designer, Greg Timbers who put them on the map and made JBL the industry standard studio monitor. He said they just walked into his office and gave him a 10 minute exit interview after 40+ years of service.
@@keithmoriyama5421 To F&*K him out of his retirement im sure, thats awful.... Im not so sure about the first statement though, have a thorough look at Harmans stable of brands, peruse through whos offering what these days. I dont see JBL or Revel cheapening much. Shit, not as horrible as whats been done to Altec Lansing, not even close! Thats another real travesty as well.
Is it Made in USA ?
No, if it was I would say so! I’m pretty sure but not 100% sure it is made in China. Which is why I didn’t say song.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac
Couldn't have been made in Harman's JBL Mexican plant?
Is the review based on a few hours of listening in the Harman store? In an unfamiliar room, with an unfamiliar system? Without a comparison to other reference speakers? If so, I'm surprised and disappointed
Yes, to all of your questions. I never claimed it was anything other than an impression of what I heard. But stick around, there’s more real reviews in the pipeline.
Why 6 inch. woffers..?What happened to 12 inch speakers..?Spending 2 grand and having to spend extra money on a sub woffer ?Don't like this direction of the industry..miss the good ol days.
Two reasons;
Matching polar patterns at the crossover, and high output vented designs need a big box.
Most JBLs, including this one, are all about controlled directivity.
The physical size of the cabinet determines the maximum size waveguide, ... which determines the lowest freq the waveguide maintains pattern control... and ultimately crossover freq.
That determines the woofer diameter that's ideally suited to match polar pattern of the waveguide.
An appropriately sized high performance vented 12" design would need a significantly large box volume.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I find it frustrating that looking at $3000 to $6000 speakers (my budget) to match with my newly purchased McIntosh stack that I can't find a full range speaker. For that price you should be able to get more than an 8" woofer that "dips" to 40 Hz. I think manufacturers are getting greedy and want you to buy two boxes instead of one. I don't like subs, why pay for an expensive amp, if everything below 40 Hz is going to be fed through a cheap class d amp? I know JL and some others make quality subs, but then you're talking thousands more. I feel that if you are already at $5,000 you should be able to get a quality full range floorstander. Am I that out of touch?
@@laurencerothman931 I'm with you on your assessment. The industry is trying to get more bang for there pockets.A crying shame.
If you have some taste. Hilarious!
why is it important that its designed in California ?
Are you leaving out 'made in china' for some reason ???
Are you sure they are made in China? When Harmon bought JBL they built a JBL factory in Mexico. I know all the so called "Studio Monitors" are made there. Also, their Synthesis line is made in Mexico, you know, the ones that can cost up to $70,000.
Hello Mark,
I did a image check on the internet, only to discover all the rear disclosure labels blurred and unreadable. This is a common issue with China Goods by outfits that say "designed in California" with no comment about where its made.
I get the feeling that Steve is doing a "job" for Harmon here. They are having him say "something nice" about these things.
As to "Made in Mexico" , The labels look Chinese not North American. anyway, Steve was clearly not allowed to disclose the country of origin as it's revealed on the Cardboard Shipping Boxes.
@@tonykazz2779
My 4365 studio monitors say Harman on the back with copyright stamp and the year 2010, the first year of that model (4365 lasted roughly 6 to 7 years. Taken over by the 4367 model still in production.) No where on the back does it say where it was made. No where on the shipping boxes does it say it came from Mexico or China. Not even the white scan sticker attached to the boxes disclose where built. Harmon hasn't suddenly changed their boxes. Your just making shit up without knowing the facts!
A few years back I pulled the woofer. On the driver it said made in Mexico. It is no secret that Harman built a speaker factory in Mexico (just across the border from CA.) This factory does "all" (except engineering.) including manufacturing drivers, enclosures and assembly. Just like the massive JBL Northridge, CA facility. Northridge still does engineering and prototype builds.
My Denafrips Terminator Two DAC was *obviously* built in China, but still no where on the back (or bottom.) of the unit does it say Made in China. Yes, we all know some (consumer) JBL speakers are made in China. I have a friend that owns a pair of "smaller" JBL's and sure enough on the back next to the binding posts (only two binding posts, that'll tell you something.) it is printed Made in China. They don't sound "bad" considering what they are.
Your assumption that Steve is doing a "job" for Harman is *BS*
Do you have factual evidence ?
Steve is a Professional Reviewer, I'd certainly hire him to introduce any of my Products ( if I had one )
Try to get service parts for things made in China!
Tony in Venice, Florida
ps. I love Steve, he's one of the Greats
@@tonykazz2779
LOL! You understand that I can come back with the same comment.
I don't worry about my Denafrips DAC. They have two servicing centers now. East coast and West coast. I also own a PS Audio DirectStream DAC.
You say you love Steve, but you dis him, LOL!