JBL 306P MKII Review | Get Them While They're on Sale!
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- These are currently on sale for $119 each!
JBL 306P MKII: bit.ly/JBL306PMKII
The 305P MKII is on sale for $99 and might be a better option since it doesn’t seem to have that dip in the crossover region. Same with the 308P MKII’s which are on sale for $179 each. I’m not sure how long this deal will last.
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Awesome channel. Always want to see measurements of any speakers I may be interested in. The Klipsch RP600M has a similar dip at the crossover point. New Record Day have a video of fixing this with upgraded crossover parts and they show the before and after freq charts.
These are currently on sale for $119 each!
JBL 306P MKII: bit.ly/JBL306PMKII
The 305P MKII is on sale for $99 and might be a better option since it doesn’t seem to have that dip in the crossover region. Same with the 308P MKII’s which are on sale for $179 each. I’m not sure how long this deal will last.
Disclaimer: The links above are Amazon Affiliate links which I earn a commission from if you purchase using my links. This is at no additional cost to you.
I mentioned possible resonance issues, and perhaps there's some very slight audible resonance, but nothing out of the ordinary at this price point.
Really nice review man! Love all the specs you provide
great review!! will definitely check out more of your reviews
I can't leave without subscribing...Nice video which tells everything from A-Z
Nice video, got the 305p MKII myself and Iam very happy
Best intro / lead in of most channels. Calm music.. same volume .. product preview.. great quality.
I appreciate that! I spend a good amount of time to try to ensure the volume changes aren't jarring. Glad you noticed!
@@joentell - Audiophile level greatness =) It's appreciated.
I just ordered a set of these .. Thanks Man.
nice to talk about the crossover, would be good if you make videos of the 5 and 8 inches speakers
Very interesting with the dip and the hiss and that rumble. I don’t think mine do that, now I’ll have to get my Smaart analyzer and test to see if the dip is present with mine. I had the Kali lp6 and these for A B testing and I couldn’t stand the Kali sound for too long. I sent them back. The JBLs sounded great with less fatigue. Listen to Brian Culbertson Live from the inside (Capitol Records) or Toto’s I will remember. The imaging I found was amazing. I could close my eyes and point where they panned every instrument. The Kalis made less impact on the imaging.
I’m looking for a second pair so keep up the reviews. Thanks!
your reviews are really good
Thank you🙏
Bought my 306P's maybe a year ago new from Guitar Center. I feed them via cheap $ 10 XLR cables from a'zon out of a Numark M6 mixer. It's the best way to better manage gain levels throughout. There is absolutely no hiss or other acoustic oddity. I'm in Florida where everything is hot as sin 8 months of the year, and one review I read before buying said these ran cool. That is correct. Woofer oscillations vent the amp plates out through the port. In the world of solid state electronics, cool translates into low power consumption and long life. The sound they produce is natural, accurate, and very enjoyable for any length of time. If you're listening to analog origin recordings or vinyl/tape players buy separate amp and speakers. If you're obsessed with digital produced/sourced material, these are simply magnificent. Value wise; it's two speakers, and 4 amps for under $ 300. These can thump big time too. High density housing dwellers can expect routine noise complaints.
I agree with everything you've said except for the hiss. The hiss can be audible near-field. I just think people should be aware of that. For many people, it's a non-issue. Just something to consider.
i just bought the 305's on a good sale, got them set up and was feling happy about it (even with the hiss). now i got a little extra money tho and i'm probably gonna pack them up, return em and go for some Monitor 5's or vanatoos.
Get you some balanced cables it will take that sound away
@@insantiago798 i had balanced cables going into them, and good amp, still hissed. also, changed where they were plugged into a few times to test, still hissed. ended up with Mackies, and i've been very pleased with them
Hey Joe - can you do a review on the JBL 530 & 590?
Good review ! FYI, B&H Photo-Video had the JBL 306P on sale yesterday in a Flash Deal (I think only 7 hours) for $84, with free shipping.
Oh wow!!!
Great Review Joe. Thank you once again. I chose Kali LP8 over these (JBL 308 MK II).
IMO - Kali LP8 > Adam T7V > Mackie MR824 > JBL 308 MK II
wrong.. Adam T7V is probably the worst of all. When you listen to that monitor it'll all start to sound muddy and you can't get your mix right. That'll be what happens. THe KRK rokits are better than that. JBL mk 1 was way better than adam t7v, although lacking a bit of details. Anywyas, of all music I've mixed, the one that sounded best was mixed on KRK rokits. As long as you mix it and sounds good on KRK's, you can go to your car, your bluetooth, TV, your music sounds best when it's mixed on KRK's. Worst on ADAM's. Nothing wrong with JBL but my mixes sounded better when they're mixed on KRKs also.
Great Review. Like and Subscribed,
I have two monitors, I want one speaker for each monitor to play different sounds.. Any suggestions ?
Are these good ?
Very good review and automatically liked when I spotted your Bruce Lee shirt ;-)
These 306s are noisy and I dislike the dip in the 1 kHz area so probably will not buy thanks to your detailed review!
Are these 306s loud? You are not a little sick, tired of questioning the JBL engineering designed by the greatest engineers in the audio industry. An acoustic enclosure is regulated by the preamplifier which can be transistor or with tubes like the AX7. This JBL achievement is exceptional, the sound is there, it sings. The power handling is based on the retoutable JBL "torture speakers" 100 hours full volume test (JBL is the only one to do this incredible test to see how far the loudspeakers will support the load, and optimize the whole) Last criterion: the price. JBL is the only brand to have its own private manufacture in China. This explains that !
I use these JBL 306’s for my home studio as well. I’ve have had them for around 3 years now purchased from amazon on sale at 99.99 ea. and I absolutely love them.
When I first got these I wasn’t totally impressed with these, The sound quality wasn’t where I thought they should have been. So I gave it 6 months to break-in and time to acclimate to my specific space. And it got better, but it felt like it was missing something. Then one day my Scarlett Solo interface went bad I could here a popping sound when Turing the volume up and down. So I did a warranty calm on the solo and bought a Scarlett 2x2 3rd gen. Now boy what a difference. This JBL 306’s and Scarlett 2x2 combo is incredible. I had no idea that these 306’s could sound so good. I love the fact that they have both wide and narrow listening dynamics. Panning and center channels are so clear. Just wanted to share. Great Video Joe. Keep it up! 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
add a small sub and they really shine!
i just ordered, but i have small room, can i keep them close to the wall and enjoy the same the sound? or this be to much distorsion?
Woland Photography. I’d keep some distance from the wall just to let the ports breathe. If you acoustically treat your room correctly and use some iso foam to kill low tone vibration under then you would be safe. Also give it the burn time it needs and your ears to get used to them I think you’d be.
Do they have RCA pre-inputs joe? Been awhile buddy ! 😆nevermind nice review i wonder about the JBL 530s their 299.00US on sale right now , guess the Pioneer FS52S are still the budgeg kings under 200.00US over all appricate that heads up , my end of year top picks will be fs52 for small towers, i know they been out awhile owell lol
Hey Joe when doing the sound review at the end you show the original track then you switch to the JBL speakers. What is the original track? Is that also the JBL speaker pumping through a different system? I like the sound much better when it says original track. Forgive me for not knowing the terminology. I have a movie projector in my bedroom (believe it or not) and I’m looking for a decent set of speaker to go with this projector and I was considering these JBL’s and if they turn out to be too big for my bedroom I may consider adding them to my surround system in my living room using these and rear surrounds to my 5.2.2
I’m in a situation where the woofer is at ear level. Is there any issue with these being up side down (tweeter on the bottom)
I have a problem i have a Serato sb3 DJ controller and i cant hear bass how can i solve this problem
As a soundbar substitute, how do you make do with that midrange dip? Do they compare to the Kanto YU6? The gloss look of these might be a bit distracting next to the TV though. At least the Kanto have matte options.
I wish you had tested the Emotiva Airmotiv s8 subwoofer or larger one. Do you have any information from anyone you trust regarding Emotiva subwoofers?
What’s the best home theater system to use for music/Bluetooth etc? I have a small living room 14’ by 14’
you should try some elac speakers with jet tweeters some time, i think you are really going to love them...i do love my bs244 :)
when placed right, these tweeters have close to no distortion and some of the best imaging you can get
I've only heard the AJ designed Carinas
@@joentell the carinas are like the budget option, how did you like them?
You ought to get to hear the Heil air transformer which the Elac is based upon. One sounds wonderful while the other can be mind blowing. Still not as good as the Quad ESL 57 midrange/tweeter though.
Thanx for your review, I am all new in this market and needed to get an honest opinion from an expert. May I suggest that you try and keep your personal preferences to the end of the review so when a novice like myself is looking to make a decision we are not influenced right from the start. But I make no mistake, YOU KNOW YOUR STUFF! Thanks
I use a pair of 308P mkiis for my main studio setup (the 8" version). I think the new Kali LP8s have taken the shine off these speakers a bit, going by reviews on the internet. After all Kali Audio was started by ex-JBL engineers, the ones who had designed the 308s, and according to them they have improved on the JBL's speaker design.
I'm quite happy with the 308 mkiis though. The only problem I have with them is that they're way too light. A simple hack is to open the cabinet and sandbag them. Having said that, the speakers are really exciting to listen to. At these prices they're a no brainer.
I'm expecting some Kali LP-6's in for review sometime soon
@@joentell I use the Kali and love them over the Tannoy and JBL I have used in the past.
Hmm it looks like the tweeter polarity needs to be flipped, it just looks like its wired backwards for some reason. Though a concerning oversight if its on so many speakers.
Outstanding
Please tell HS5 vs 306MKii which one is better ?? For my home studio... I do Mixing-mastering nd music production ✨
Listening on 308p + LSR 310 sub :)
Having reviewed both the Kali lp6 and the 306p which would you say is better?
I've had these for a few years in my recording studio. I like them well enough, especially for their price. They are very clear and detailed and image very sharply. I like mixing on them, but i do not enjoy listening to music on them. They're quite fatiguing and have sort of a cold/sterileness. The hiss is real and quite annoying, you need to switch them off when not in use. Maybe i just prefer something more hyped for casual listening. I actually have a pair of Sonos One SLs in the same room that i prefer music on. *ducks* (I also have several other pairs of decent bookshelfs for reference)
Joe, care to elaborate on why you like these more than the Vanatoo Zeros on a desktop? You have the T1Es above, how much more do you like the Vanatoos? I was actually thinking about getting the Zeros for that purpose. I have the JBLs set up here now as an experiment, but they're not going to make the cut for the reasons i mentioned above. Thanks
I hate the noise floor so ennoying considering to return that just for that hissing sound. So loud
How does 306 compared to HS8? I’m looking to but just for the purpose of playing music using (piano mostly) using VSTs? 306 is a lot cheaper than HS8 and ba smaller woofer. Do you think if I jump to HS8 I will get an incremental difference ?
jbl speakers are good for casual listening, but compared to a yamaha hs7 is more of a flatter sound you would want for music production
bascially get yamahas studio monitors hs7s for a bedroom or hs8s for a bigger room for production
get jbls for like djing or just casual listening to music
I had a hiss issue with the 308. Once I went to xlr cables the problem went.
Listened to these when I worked at Guitar Center's Pro Audio's section - stunning sound, incredibly clear and revealing. JBL still has it, but they don't compare to the old LSR series that had inbuilt room mode correction and that super lovely, high quality rubberized finish. And that LSR sub they had.... OH LAWDY. Something to oogle at all day (and listen to at times, even!)
Sad what they've become, but at least they still have some cool shit.
Oh, you're saying the LSR was superior in sound quality? I never got a chance to review those.
@@joentell The LSRs were the TESLAs to these being like Dodge Station Wagons, so yes. Additionally any form of quality room correction will by nature improve the sound quality.
Joe great video as alway. Hey I know this is a different speaker but would you recommend the jbls over a the Sony sscs5. As far as for sound.
I haven't reviewed the Sonys.
Joe N Tell oh ok Thanks for the reply. I was looking to a simple setup for me bed room. I was considering a IOTAVX or the Parasound classic 2000. But now I’m considering powered speakers now. Not sure what to do.
Nice review! What DAC would you recommend for the 306Ps? Im wondering because those ballanced inputs seem to be missing on a lot of budget oriented DACs. I'm an audio noob btw :)
Most people will use these with an audio interface like Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Great review. I'm trying to find some smaller power speakers that will work well with a home karaoke setup. Don't want it too large. Just small enough to provide some great sound while being able to fit near the television. Can you recommend any? It'll be used with a Mackie mixer. Thanks!
Maybe the Bose S1 would suite you it has 2 mic inputs with reverb integrated. A bit expensive BUT it has SO many uses.
Most powered speakers will have hiss, but not all.
I wish I had my ultra cheap Harman Kardon Soundsticks with their budget class D amp. No audible hiss that I can remember. I didn't even know powered speakers hissed until I got a JBL.
Companies who make these kinds of monitors can also choose to use BASH amplifiers which have no hiss (class D power supply attached to a class AB amp.)
Unfortunately JBL and Kali and others choose not to use BASH amps and also didn't have their engineers prioritize getting rid of hiss at all.
As far as bass, the 8" JBL is the most bass light 8" monitor I've ever heard. Their numbers are usually the f10 point of the speaker.
It's just a step above the Fluance ai60. I don't think I need it, unfortunately. Got a nice frequency response other than that 1425hz dip. How's the decay and impedance charts?
I frequently read about powered monitor hiss being essentially unavoidable but I don't think that's true. I don't see any reason why having the amp inside the speaker means it has to hiss.
Crutchfield has the tsi200 for $200 a pair. Pretty good value if you ask me. Maybe you can check those out.
I bought a pair of 308 MKIIs for home cinema use for living room as I've been very impressed by a pair of 305s I have for music creation. Sound just as good just go louder - BUT there is much more hiss than my 305s. My 305s I hardly notice sat 40cm.away from my 308 MKIIs j can hear from sitting position 3m away. Even with no inputs connected. I'm a bit disappointed tbh
Try a power conditioner? Also, if you're using them for HT duties then what are you feeding them into them and with what connection? That could be it right there.
Or maybe SAMSUNG just fucked over the JBL brand for good these days.
I tried two pairs of 305 (Mk I) - both had obvious hiss at a normal near-field distance, and was even audibly while playing at what I'd consider a middle volume. Unfortunate that the MK II have this too, it's been reported frequently. While 'good for the price', these are ultimately cheap monitors and you get what you pay for.
How does it sound compared to the 305s ? Are they both mkii ?
My 308p is not hissing unless the volume is maxed and your ear is 4" away. They are connected to a SUB. When I unplug the 306p in another room, I hear it, but as long as I connect them to a good source, no issues. Btw the 308 and sub are on the same power plug.
What with the inconsistency in the volume levels, the crossover dip, the hiss... Your review is not making me love these speakers. I was a bit concerned when you mentioned the D-Class amplifiers... Although there *are* audiophile class amps out there nowadays, the THD figures on that spec sheet show the ones they are using definitely are not.
Great honest review. Keep up the good work!
Yeah, maybe I got a bad batch. Maybe a JBL rep can clear things up a bit. Right now they're just a little over $200 a pair, so I understand they have to make some compromises.
Low end JBL is crap. You need to get into the pro level 708p’s but those are $4k for a pair.
Looking to get some monitors for a home studio. How about the Kali Lp-6 over the JBL 306p MkII or Hercules Monitor 5? Not much info on those Hercules monitor 5 except for yours.
I liked the Hercules because noise from the amps is a pet peeve of mine. It was the quietest.
Hey have you ever thought of testing a pair of NS-1000 or better yet NS-2000 from Yamaha. Just curious. Or any Kendrick Sound tuned speakers?
I have not
This small series of professional studio monitors 3 series, a luxury for use at home, is extremely well manufactured, the sound is fabulous, the design superb, but it is a Chinese manufacture and it causes me a case of conscience.
I have been a fan of JBL since 1977, so much this American company can get bored and proud to have contributed enormously to the evolution of the audio industry through its numerous patents including in-depth studies on constant directivity technology. , bass reflex, speaker cooling, the invention of the design and so-called array technology, the list goes on.
JBL, a Californian brand, produces all its own loudspeakers, the best in the audio industry, and this in contrast to 80% of the brands that have never manufactured a single loudspeaker.
I have known practically all the JBL series since the 70's, all the "real" JBL made in the USA or Denmark and England and more recently Mexico where it works rather well.
What I deplore today is the excessive relocation of products to China. I can understand the strategy of manufacturing where we sell, okay, Asia is a big market for JBL but the Asian manufactures of the Harman group should in my opinion as an economist be sold exclusively in the Asian region, not in the rest of the world. It's a strategic error.
JBL has a state-of-the-art factory in Mexico Tijuana that could be expanded, and it's just a stone's throw from Northridge, California. In view of the health crisis which China is causing, I think that consumers will look carefully at the origin of manufacturing, and, China will be shunned, rejected. Already many people no longer want Chinese goods, I do not say Asian.
Great review. Please, can I set up 5.1 surround with the MkII 306p? And, which sub can `i use with it? Thanks.
You can, but your sound card needs to support 5.1 and have RCA or balanced output, or if you aren't using a computer, you AVR needs to have preamp outputs.
That is a great price for sure.
There's really no excuse for someone to have bad sound nowadays.
Sometimes you get what you pay for. Unless you are buying Bose or those stupid Apple smart speakers.
@@joentell The public is being led like sheep to accept bad sound for convenience. The average consumer is happily trading in good lossless stereo and surround sound in for smart a smart speaker and a cheap sound bar that they can talk to. But I do have hope. During the Klipsch sale I went to best buy to get the atmos enabled speakers as an upgrade to my cheap Onkyos I got to dip my toes in with. But Best Buy sold out of all Klipsch speakers and I had to go to the other store across town to pick up the last pair so there is hope lol.
Jbl is great but are those as good as the ones on the 80’s and 90’s?
That "funnyness" you heard could have been due to a wide variety of factors as I'm sure you know. Room setup, source material + being optimized (heavily) for near-field use - the driver blending and coherence of the sound stage optimized at the cross-over level will bring a setup like this to "its knees" if you don't have it nor use it like you're supposed to. Of course, that goes for everybody, not just you my dude.
They're great speakers, but if you want the real crazy shit you go Neumann or Genelec. Curious if Pioneer still makes their point-source monitors too which were downright beautiful in design and build quality.
I was doing direct A/B comparisons between these and the Hercules Monitor 5's so I had something to reference. I do enough tests and swapping stuff around to feel confident in the results of my listening and measuring tests. But if someone from JBL wants to enlighten me, I'm all ears.
@@joentell Lol, like I said - different speakers perform differently in different rooms, regardless of one being the same in one scenario versus another - IE, the Hercules (super budget half asses brand from back in the day btw, I remember their stuff. Glad they massively proved though) could have a MASSIVE mid bass BLOAT compensating for an unnoticed room issue that the accurate JBLs are merely performing properly in on their behalf, but you're hearing them incorrectly because of it, so to speak.
Additionally? Every speaker is just fundamentally different. Not super drooling over these things, again I used them for a bit in Guitar Centers back room. But overall, there's a decent amount of factors at play at any given time, so just something to keep in mind.
And finally, they're studio monitors - they WILL sound different, dryer and less flattering by nature. Good vid.
@@FeeLtheHertZ You should buy a set and make us a video of how to do it right according to you..lulz...
@@kohnfutner9637 Funny how you changed "lel" to "lulz" - Super mature there. If you can't figure it out on your own then I don't think the audio game's for you. It's simple grey area anti two-dimensional thinking. This isn't *INSULTING* Joe - trust me, we've had our battles - he doesn't need a cheer leader acting like a cringey child saying "lulz" being a total smart ass.
Any real man knows how to debate - which this isn't is as such. Put your pom poms away..
"Luz"... Fucking christ.
@@FeeLtheHertZ Yes I agree on all those points. I have reviewed lots of speakers. I try to take away as many variables as possible when assessing speakers for myself short of taking them out into an open field for a pseudo-anechoic chamber listening. So I guess I'm not fully understanding what you're saying here specifically with respect to my assessment.
Do they automatically get recognized as left or right for panning purposes? I didnt see an option on it to set that up
they connect through a audio interface so they would be designated through your interface.
Have you checked the Ground and Earth working properly. Because that is way too much noise. I don’t think JBL will incorporate that without any particular interest. As graph reveals it is sort of pink noise ( decreasing every octave). I think to ask about this issue before making a purchase of my new monitors for surround setup. As you have mentioned that their Gain Knob is also not calibrated and had a flaw more than 3 dB. Thats way too insane I don’t think that JBL will ever do such thing, as each unit goes extensive quality checks and measurements. But after watching your review I’m skeptical about these units. I’ll mail HARMAN and ask for clarifications before purchase. Thanks.
Hola Jose saludos desde Mexico
305p or 306p?
Nice video! Do you have a monitor to suggest that dosent have this hish white noise?
Look up my review of the Kali Audio Lp-6 V2 and the In-5 from them.
sorry for the noob question - how do i make both speakers work? do i need an external audio interface?
not really, you can connect them directly to yout pc via jack cable, but is not the best quality compared to an audio interface
I have these on my studio! Great affordable monitors.
If you can get them when they're on sale, they're tough to beat.
Do yo have any *IN* your studio as well?
Or just on top? Kidding. I hope.
Or ONside of the mom if you're into that sort of thing. 😉😂 You guys are funny!
@@joentell Joe IN Tell (on) da building. 👍
@@DJ_PROMO_PR I had no idea 2 year olds watched your videos Joe!
I own the mkii 8 s,no problem,smooth sound,noisless,what more can i say?
Would you buy the Matching Subwoofer?
How was you mic placement when you measured them? Height? Have you tried measuring at different heights to see how that affected that dip in the response?
I showed that. I did measure off-axis. Different locations and different placement. Same thing.
Joe N Tell sorry, I meant to ask about the vertical measurements. I saw you did at the horizontals.
@@300ZCorradoVR6Z yes, I did those too
Great monitors, but the dip at the crossover point sounds nasty. I'd probably take the 305p over the 306 even at the same price.
One thing I can say about the 305s is that these are not accurate at all at low medium volumes idk if it's just me but when I play them at loud volumes it gets the woofer moving a little and has more detail I produce hip hop and idk if I just need the 308s (size upgrade) or just invest in the subwoofer that go with these maybe but sometimes i do get a good mix from these but sometimes I feel like my 305s are liars lol oh and the hiss oh boy do they hiss 😂😂😂 it's bad
Appreciate your real-world assessment of the 305's.
Can I use unbalanced quarter inch guitar Jack's on these.???
the jack inputs on all the LSR3xx are balanced TSR
Hey Joe it's Pete the reason why does JBL have a hiss because the quality of the driver transistors aren't that good describe the qualities of driver packs I'm not that good to getting around it with cheap driver transistors and they always have a hiss they have to be matched to get rid of some of that hiss and it's better they are matched the last message depending on the type of transistor that they using set transistors in noisy than others
There's really no reason for a modern powered speaker to have discrete transistors at all. Low-noise, low-distortion, audio-specific op amp ICs have been around for decades, and those are all you need to drive a modern high-performance Class D power amp chip, witness the dozens of cheap-as-dirt Chinese-made "chip amp" products out there that have basement-low noise floors.
Your microphone is louder in the right ear by just the smallest amount
Is the hiss sound normal on them jbl speakers?
Yes. Common for class D amplifiers in this price range.
Please this ones or 308p vs Hs8, there's no real one in the web.
Thanks.
hs8 if you want flat sound or 308 if you want casual listening
I just received the JBL 308P MkII. Still evaluating. I can say, there is no hiss what so ever, even at full volume.
Test some RTR Eviction 1530's. Landlord might mind or a neighbor.
Lol. I saw those! They're available at Home Depot which makes them even more awesome!
I can't believe how cheap these are. Amazon unfortunately won't deliver to Australia.
Ahh man! The price is right for sure here in the US.
you should compile all your mic measurements
Good idea. It would take some time
@@joentell no worries i can wait
As a live sound tech I get to see industry leaders like JBL, Peavey and Mackie destroying their hard earned reputation trying to compete with German designed massed produced semi-pro audio brand that I avoid because it's essentially disposable and not very reliable.
Lower quality doesn't always mean low quality sound. Some of it sounds good except for the little things you point out, like amp hiss that comes from using electronics parts with wider tolerances that are probably rejects from the brand they try and compete with. I'm seeing a lot of scratchy pots and faders within a year of purchase, Catastrophic power supply failures from active subs, usually during a performances, or having to smash a microphone into a mixer just to open up output relays during a sound check are becoming for too common lately.
Active speakers are the worst because they can't dissipate heat as well as an amp.
Walk into any Karaoke bar with JBL active speakers and there is good chance they have the guts ripped out and are powered by an old dusty Peavey from the 90's or super cheep iNuke as the venue owner complains because those brands are supposed to last, in reality they are not even close to matching the quality and durability of recent past.
The smart manufactures bulk buy premium electronics and use them throughout the product lineup and make an effort to prevent these low tolerance parts from infecting the product line and effectively destroying the brands reputation just like JBL is doing right now by allowing basic amp hiss to be perceivable in their "Active Studio Monitors" lineup to exists because the designers didn't bother to spec an extra .05 cents or less per unit making sure to filtering that shit out.
That noise is JBL saying they don't care about the small stuff to save pennies means they also wont care about high powered Active Subs going full on Mains AC after a year of moderate weekend use.
RIP JBL
woof and tweet are not in phase at x-over point
Perhaps some cancellation yes. But on both speakers? Seems like a design flaw.
@@joentell It is definitely a X-over design flaw . Then again , the X-over point is probably dictated by the mechanical limits on the tweet and the bundling of the woofer . Shifting up frequency may not have been an option due to the latter , lest you loose that sweet off axis behaviour and shifting lower may kill the tweeter . Unfortunately you now have 2 drivers out of phase to some extent, causing a dip . Dips do far less harm than peaks in the frequency response , so this may have been called "acceptable" by JBL
@@gerritgovaerts8443 They have smart guys there at JBL/Harman. I was hoping one of them would come in and explain what's going on.
@@joentell Agree , some excellent audio engineers there who have innovated the industry . BTW , I have noticed that the X-over point on the JBL 305P is around 1725Hz which is reasonable bc the smaller woofer starts bundling higher up in freq . Result is both drivers in phase there , no dip,
as someone who owns multiple pairs of jbl 305s, I'd take them all day every day over the ai40's which I quickly returned because that set was hot garbage.
JBL 30x series speakers do hiss, which get's worse if you keep the volume inputs on the back cranked Which I can't recommend anyway, unless you have some low signal issues. though there are reports of some rather loud problem child's out in the wild. Luckily with any of my pairs I have to shove my ear up into the tweeter to hear the hiss.
I can't really recommend paying more for a 306 over 305, as the 305 would be my preference regardless.
Another person said they prefer the old LSR's.
The Ai40's and the JBL's have two very different use cases.
The original Ai40's I reviewed had a crazy noise issue. It wasn't even hiss...it was a high pitched squeal. They've since resolved that.
I think I was just a bit confused how a speaker with such a specific purpose (JBL's ad studio monitors) could have deficiencies when used in the intended manner (for reference near-field.)
I was maybe more forgiving of the Ai40's because they were more of an all-in-one solution with Bluetooth, RCA, DSP, and a remote control. Those were meant not designed for monitoring but we're flat enough to do so.
Given how soft and forgiving the softdome is on a 305p I don't think i'd recommend it as a serious reference speaker in the first place.
Hissing noise part: .. I can't tell how much those hiss because my powered speakers also hiss.. I have ZERO clue why some brands would let this go. How hard is it to make a quiet amp?.. ESPECIALLY in monitoring speakers like those JBL.. Mine are just convenient lifestyle bangers (PAradigm Shift A2) .. so i wasn't expecting dead quiet.. but I was still surprised and annoyed. .. I won't be keeping these for critical listening.. more for a noise party or backyard.. Mine are SO capable of producing amazing sound ..but for a quiet studio listening space.. NOPE... Hiss - Takes A Piss. =)
That's funny that you can't notice the hiss because yours hiss. Try with headphones. 😂
@@joentell - I could with the last up close shot.. was more obvious.. lol .. Yah.. extremely annoying results for reputable bands.. just an anomaly for powered amps and sensitive tweeters close by. I'd like to know how other brands engineer their products without this poor quality performance.
Powered speakers tend to hiss a bit IMO.
@@gnd144 - Question is.. All of them .. or why only some of them? I havent demo'd many.. but its hard to think ADAM audio monitors or ATC monitors hiss..
@@Psyphonyx_Life I recently reviewed some $299 Hercules Monitor 5's (the yellow cone ones in the video) and they're much quieter.
Price is @ 200 each right now
Channel is fantastic, production is really good! That said, why are so many shilling this cheap plastic crap?
Thanks.
As to why people are "shilling" this speaker, I think it's maybe because the objective measurements on this are good at this price. Accuracy is important for a studio monitor. I couldn't get over the hiss though. I think the Kali Audio LP6-v2 is a better speaker overall at this price point.
Joe i have trouble believing that Hercules speakers are beating the rest. I have not seen them at any shows.
I haven't even seen them for sale in the US. What's hard to believe? The box is very big for the size of the woofer which helps with performance. It's has an active crossover so they can really tune the sound. I like them. They've taken the spot of my beloved DINAS at my desk which I helped design! So I'm definitely biased towards the DINAS. It's just that I need accuracy for what I'm doing. The DINAS beat this in other ways.
@@joentell Didn't think you would be this testy! I disagree with Herc's being rated so high.
Testy? 😂
are you able to post your board so we can see it without you scrolling since we can't see the entire view.
Link is in the description as always. bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
Sure they are on sale now. That's what happens when you have to compete with the Kali Audio LP-6 lol
☺️ A lot of their stuff is on sale. Even passive speakers.
My brother has a pair of these hooked to his TV
He loves them but for the money I think JBL dropped the ball on these.
As far as the hiss. When they were connected the hiss was really bad.
I hooked a ground loop isolator and it took
the hiss out almost completely but not all of it.
Since we used his head phone audio out I used this isotalor.
www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=ground+loop+isolator&qid=1608040970&s=electronics&sr=1-11
vinyl wrap the front of them
For a big company with the status of JBL there is no excuse for all that hiss!!!
Interesting. I would've thought they were the same.
The white noise goes away
Just use expensive cable
Nope. They do it even with no cables attached.
no
No what?
These things look really cheaply made. I got burned by jbl once. I had a jbl sub working to add punch to a passive Bose cube system and the sub amp went out after only two years. So I ended up making a more expensive mistake and bought a complete new set of powered accoustimas cubes for way to much money. BTW I never got the same sound out of the powered Bose but it lasted me 13 years before I decided to finally upgrade to better speakers. But yeah I have been burned by jbl in the past. Its a shame because that sub sounded great while working.