I highly recommend the Equalizer APO and Peace interface for PC. It flattens/disables any EQ or sound processing that your sound driver has implemented. It gives you a very granular equalizer that is easily turned on and off so you can easily A/B the adjustments.
Your review style is refreshing and interesting. However, the most important for listening is your really great choice of music and how you describe that. Keep up the good work.
I have been using Studio 530s for the better part of a year and they continue to delight. They have really rewarded careful placement for me. They always have a perfectly solid center image wherever I place them, but the soundstage doesn’t develop fully until I pull them about 4 feet off the front wall. Then they seem to disappear in my room. They also like an amp with some oomph. They will play OK with a lot of amps, but that 6 Ohm impedance likes a kick in the ass to really get the low end rolling and the mids fully flushed out. Sometimes the mids sound a bit thin and I give it one more click on the volume and they become pure gold. Thanks for another great video!
That could be from the extra bass from the wall reinforcement or from the different room modes from the different position. I think it's more from the different room modes and the resulting change in frequency response, which some judicious use of EQ can also affect.
I've got a pair on the way and a Sony str-za810es receiver. 100w per channel @ 8Ω. Am I in for a good listening experience if I don't really intend for them to be run really loud?
@@FastRedPonyCar I have never listened to your amp before, but that is plenty of power to drive them. They have an impedance of 6 Ohms, so you should be getting well over 100W an that impedance. I find that they start to sound best (to me) at about 80dB, so experiment with volume levels. Also, mine really disappear into the music when they are 4 1/2 to 5 feet from my front wall. Also try to get the height so that your ear is close to the level just between the woofer and tweeter. Enjoy your new speakers! I love mine.
@@DirkJensen At 80 dB you are probably only using 1 watt of power. It's not about the watts, it's the current output and transient shifts in power output and how well an amp can do that...IMO.
Love your channel and videos. Brought out my old component system when my son gave me a turntable last Father's Day. You are my spirit animal when it come to high value lower cost equipment. I bought a pair of the 530s today for the ridiculous price of 239.99. They were begging me to buy them. I had already purchase pair of Infinity R162 bookshelves direct from Harman for $149(refurbed) which I like but had to buy these for a compare. Maybe I'll just alternate every few months. Keep up the great work.
Now that I picked up a pair of Elac B6.2 and the SMSL SA300, I am learning a lot more about audiophilia by continuing to watch your reviews and going back to my set up and picking up nuances. Thanks man! Really enjoying my audiophile revival.
My opinion; knocked it out of the park with the industrial design on this series. I'm guessing it's a like it or hate it kinda thing, but damn incorporating the waveguide into the structure accomplishing both the acoustic needs and the visual design aesthetic ... some solid Kung-fu
Glad you enjoyed these, in the $300 range on sale - they truly are in a class of their own IMO. The center channel is pretty decent for a smaller room, as well, and it goes on sale for like $125... can’t beat that.
I had these! Had a really magical top end - very addictive But strangely I couldn't get a proper soundstage no matter what I tried. It was very narrow. Midrange was not great. Anyway glad that you listen to the same type of music I do and seem almost to have a similar budget as me! Wish you all the best for your channel!
I totally agree having owned several pair of these. PHENOMINAL bass for such a small woofer and nice high frequencies, but the midrange was this speaker's weakest link. Though the bass isn't as great, I still prefer the RP-150/500M because of it's midrange performance. IMO, if a speaker is laid back or recessed in the midrange, then it's not for me and either gets returned to the seller or sold on Craigslist. Still I can NOT get over how Harmon International took a big ole' shit on this speaker's designer...Greg Timbers.
@@stephenoverton8352 I own these and the 580s. The 580s with are a totally different experince. I wonder how the 570, which when on sale is one a few bucks more for a larger cabinet and dual 5 1/4 drivers would compare. I dont know about Z's best speaker ever, but at the price of the 530s on sale, maybe the best speaker value ever.. That compression driver for my home theater is really something else.
I have a pair of these myself stored in my parent’s basement still brand new in the box. The only thing I did with them is attach the little circle feet pads that came with them. I wish I had room in my condo to use them. I still wanted to pick them up because of their unique styling. Hopefully one day I could use them when I purchase a home.
I'm enjoying listening to the Studio 530s with the bass plugs in -I just tried it today with the speakers towed in. The bass really tightened up. I'm noticing more details and lower mid range pressence. I'm really enjoying these speakers. I'm amplifying them with the Sony STR-DH190 receiver for now and it's not bad at all.
I know I'm playing "Devil's Advocate" with you Ron but I have to say I think Randy's been pretty spot on from the get go. I'm pretty sure I know what angle you're coming from(technical things, presentation, etc.) but I don't want too much of Randy's "rough" gone when he is already giving us diamonds in new and different cuts, clarity, color, and carat. We all need both your own styles. :)
Great one Batman that would be the iota stack combo he's got. worth getting the av amplifier even for 2-channel it's 250-watt two channels driven, if you're driving all 7.1 channels it is 170 Watts all channels driven! you could use two 7.1 give you 14.2 for under 2 grand a real bargain don't think you can even get 14.2 for commercial use.
For the price (I got 4) its a hell of a speaker. I did buy a 580, and I will say the 530 is not the smaller version of a 580. The 580 is just so much allive. Same compression driver, but something about the X-over is different and they sound much more forward and allive. I do think the 530s need just a tad of EQ with the highs and they seem to come alive. Paired with my PB2000s subs and x/ @90 to 100hrz they come alive for sure. I am looking at these for my my rear and side surrounds with the 580s upfront. They seem they will kill in that roll. I have SVS prime elevations right now and when A/B them, the more expensive SVS primes pail. Maybe a tad more sparkly in the high end, but thats it. The mids are just more defined, and far more clear. Vocal clarity is night and day. Of course bigger, and ussually much more, but at the price we can get them, its a rare deal.
Thanks Randy for the great review of these speakers. I think JBL and Klipsch both have a following of loyal fans that have made the JBL some of the most popular speakers of all time. I would have loved to a/b these with the RB-61 ll, maybe if they go back on sale that could happen.
These Studio 530s are currently my front L/R flanking the Studio 520c Center. I'm not happy with them and for awhile was planning to replace them with the RB-81 II, but now I'm planning to go with RSL instead. If those don't work out, I may revisit the Klipsch plan. Do you know if Klipsch offers one of their wide centers with the four woofers that match the RBs?
@@911jasonI have the 530s running in front right now, bought 4 of them a week or two ago. I opted not to go with the 520c as my current setup usually was a pair of SVS prime towers, SVS Ultra Center, Prime Elevation surrounds and dual PB2000s. I also have a Klipsch RP450c. All the centers seem to pair find with the JBLs, I don’t notice the whole timber matching as much as many claim it matters. I think there is always a difference with L/R and dedicated center when not doing matching speakers across the front stage. I will say I am not thrilled with the 530s as my L/R. As Surrounds they would KILL, or as ATMOS heights if I wanted to get creative in mounting (excess for the info being sent to Atmos heights right now I would say, but hey, Batman Speakers for Batman theater). I have a pair of the 580s I got a few weeks back at a stupid price. I was looking SVS Pinnacol towers or event Ultras. I am no longer looking. The 580 towers are nothing like the 530s. When I A/B them, even with that same compression driver, and almost identical waveguide, it’s shocking how different they are considering the Xover is 1.5k and up. I think they over tamed the driver to slow it down when paired with the single 5 1/4. The 530s are great speakers for the money, even better nearfield. But just don’t have what I am looking for in my mains. But I love them, at the sale price of $150 each, my search is over with the 5 series, I am going to take my savings and put that toward processors, theater acoustics, and furnishings at this point. Now I am eying those damn 590s to go back on sale......
@@chrisj9008 glad I'm not alone as they seem universally adored online. I can't do towers yet, as my system is currently in our medium to large master bedroom. I was looking at doing SVS Ultras for LCR and either Prime bookshelves or satellites for the surrounds... but have not been convinced by the reviews that I'll be satisfied. Now looking at more than likely going with 3x RSL CG25 for my LCR and 2x CG5 for surround.
@@911jason The 530s killed my prime satellites and surrounds, and they are cheaper when on sale. I do want to play more with the 530s with subs and play with room positioning. But there are not the 580s in terms of any measure of a speaker. I would love to try the 570s, I bet the few extra bucks over the 530s when on sale would be money well spent when they are
I got these on sale during "Covid audio revival" when I revisited some of the "newer" to me stuff out there. My big complaint with them is their lower 86db sensitivity at 6ohm. I too felt there were times where the lower mid presence seemed thin. Bass from them in my room is very good considering the size of the driver. I was able to "bottom out" or more accurately, over extend the bass driver to the physical limit of the motor. The speaker doesn't suffer from compression and really won't before you poke the bass driver. Agree with final thoughts these do some things others won't.... imaging is exceptional, overall you may have different feelings toward them. As big as they are they are better for me near field.
Randy, I have been using the song "Spacelord" by Monster Magnet for some speaker testing , give it try 🤘🤘🤘 Thank you for the review and peanut butter at 50% less, wow what a day.
Ooooh. I have been looking at these and I guess I missed a great sale on them too! Bummer. Great video and you mentioned my favorite band, the Beastie Boys!
All for $300 shipped! Stupid good for the money! I would assume some of the problems you speak of have to do with the equipment you're using not the speaker!🙄😉😇 And these speakers are greatly enhanced crossing the tweeters as Ron has shown on his video regarding this product. It made a huge difference with my 590 mains. This is one of those times where bigger is better because the 590's make these sound like toys at least in my room.🤪😬 And by the way the 590 and 580 version of these speaker use a different compression driver then the center 530, 530s and the 570s based on my extensive research on these before I purchase them about a year ago. And if you haven't noticed, it's all about the compression driver on these the woofer driver although paper and I love it, is nothing special. Enjoying my Amazon music by the way!🤗😉😇
Wait what??? Alot here.. 1- Ron crossing the tweeter? are you talking about mods? can you link if so, I have the 580s and 530s. 2- My 580s make the 530s sound like toys as well, the are just more full of life right across the board, the compression driver is NOT set up the same and sounds very different. Far more alive on the 580s when I A/B them. 3- Different compression driver?? Different waveguide is obvious, but actual driver? I know the skew is different, but they often cross reference skews. I thought all the 5 series use the same core compression driver (2414H-1). I though the audible difference I was hearing was the result of the Xover trying to tame the output of the efficent compression driver design to the small 5 1/4 driver. It sounds like your saying this is different?
Another great video! Keep up the good work. Somewhat related to the item featured in this video...sort of...just barely... I bought the JBL Studio 520C (center channel) during JBL's Black Friday Sale for $139.99 (reg $349.99) . I used it from December 7th until last night (January 18), then packed it up for a return/refund. Thankfully, there was a lengthy holiday return window until January 31. That said, it's a great center channel, and I'd buy it again if I was completing a JBL set with the Studio 530s. However, after I bought the center, well, I also went ahead and bought some Klipsch bookshelf speakers (R-41M originally for fronts, and then the RB-61 ii for new fronts thanks to cheapaudioman's video late last month). 90% percent of my reason for returning the 520C is because it didn't match well with the Klipsch speakers (aesthetically speaking), with 10% coming down to performance. I felt like the 520C really shined before I bought the RB-61 ii (was originally using the R-41M as fronts with Klipsch satellites as rears), but after said purchase it struggled somewhat to keep up with the RB-61 ii's robust sound. I found myself increasing the level of the 520C more and more to compensate. Now I'm currently waiting for my new matching center to arrive on Thursday...the Klipsch RC-62 ii (ended up costing me $130 more than the 520C). What started out as, "I just want a larger, more dynamic center channel and some modest bookshelf speakers for fronts", turned into completely redoing my home theater setup and costing me $770.60...or $1,041.71 if you count the Onkyo TX-NR686 A/V receiver that I bought during Black Friday 2019. I do apologize for the length of this comment, but I wanted to share my home audio journey of the last two months. Hopefully it'll be a while before my next home theater upgrade.
I just cant understand how they engineer a center to match up with the towers (570/580/590s) that runs a pair of 4" drivers.. Maybe thats really the difference of a few years of surround advancement where the center now really carries the majority of the material (vocal dialog) and is critically important if staging a L/C/R setup. Perhaps back with earlier ProLogic there was just not the same emphasis.
@@chrisj9008 I think a good start would be to match the size of the drivers in the towers that you mentioned, or increase the number of drivers. I think if someone was planning to use the 530s as fronts, then the 520C would be more than enough center for that system.
Just did the same thing. They're pretty special indeed. But... Ugh. The midrange especially with vocals, male vocals are just set too far back and it's killing me because the rest of the presentation is pretty f-ing spectacular. I am coming off sonus faber toy towers that are midrange deliciousness. In many ways I prefer these $239 JBL lol .. but I'll miss that buttery amazing midrange of my sonus. So close JBL. But a home run for $239 no doubt. I'm glad to have them.
Another fantastic review! I would seriously look into a mini DSP in your chain. And then you can do your reviews with and without EQ. It’s like adding that last garnish on your dish. Some cilantro here, a little basil there, some salt and pepper, a little Parmesan. The meal is good without it but man, that little extra love takes it soo much further.
@@StewartMarkley I downloaded it once and could never get the music to play through it. I’ll give it a shot again but normally it I can’t get something to work in 10 minutes or less I move on. Heard great things about it though
@@StewartMarkley I can’t believe it took me years to find the APO equalizer you’re talking about. It does wonders but like you said is quite limited to only being used with a PC output. While working on CPU and memory intensive tasks I use an iPod into my computer audio interface. It seems as though it gets me a PO when in use this way. Do you know of a way to fix this?
I had a pair on loan last year, really nice detail retrieval, even at lower volumes.. midrange drops off hard (small driver), even when powered by a McIntosh power amp...
@cheapaudioman, how would this fare in your $300 speaker shootout? Would it take the Buddha from the KEF Q150? Thanks for the great content; you now have another Twitter follower!
I spy with my little eye, a couple of separate components behind you from across the pond. I'm ANXIOUSLY waiting for you to compare the IOTA to the Emotiva TA-100. Thank you for another great review. God bless and can't wait for the next one!
Apparently that was your first cup of coffee for the day. Kidding, keep up the great content. 👍🏻 I rarely buy anything that is not on sale. Thanks for pointing out the tracks you tested with.
I bought 2 pair back in they day before Z sold them all out. $99.00 a pair. They are fun, I use them in conjunction with my Swans run in parallel for near field with subs.
Good review -- I feel like if I were to buy these I'd know exactly what to expect. From what you said they might do best with 16" or 20" stands rather than the typical 24" stands.
These are on sale right now for $239.00 from jbl! Been pouring over countless reviews on what to buy around the $300 mark. Emotiva B1+, Wharfedale 12.1, KEF Q150, Elac Debut B5.2... Then I saw these were on sale and snatched a pair immediately. They are going on my desk, but besides mild youtube watching, my desk speakers get cranked when we clean, as my desk is in the middle of an 800 square foot open floor plan living room, dining room, kitchen area. Hoping the Emotiva BasX A2M is powerful enough for these...
Randy, now that you have come out about you and Ron and Between 2Speakers, so to speak, I am just fine with it. You had me going for a little while though 🤪 I liked how you said that you would help the JBL 530 with house chores. 😁 Now to get on to the audio stuff, I heard you utter the E word (EQ), but you stayed away from the H and W words (Horn and Waveguide). Was that deliberate? I especially like the very predominant horn on the JBL 530 and that JBL chose to a true horn driver with a compression driver versus a tweeter with a horn stuck on it. Also I like that you mentioned that you might use a little EQ to tweak the sound. Despite the ridiculous phobia of using EQ, there is nothing wrong with a little bit of EQ to tweak the sound to your liking. Just use it sensibly with as little boost or cut as needed to get what you want.
Listen, I just subscribed to your channel a few days ago. I've been binge watching your videos. Do me a favor, review the BIC Venturi DV62si. I can't believe there are ZERO videos on these speakers. Keep up the great work!! Your channel is growing fast, don't let fame get to you.
Hey good review Randy. Hey I have a good album for testing speakers, it's the album that has allways been what has allways had me into music so much since I was just a very little kid. It's Neil Diamond live. The album is Neil Diamonds Hot August Night. Please if u haven't heard this album, please do yourself a awesome treat ! And it has a broad spectrum in sound, range and tone. Just awesome ! For u and for your followers !
"At $599 I think I would wait until it goes back down" - that quote sums up the entire Studio 500 Series. Great value on their sale prices. Meh at their list prices.
Traditional “go to market” audio products have the worst pricing structures. They have like 2-3 different prices with no reason behind them. Makes me feel sad on the inside
I’d disagree,, I’m a musician and every time I listen to these they are phenomenal... absolutely accurate... however.. if you know a 600 set of speakers goes on sale for less than half that.... why pay 600 if you can get them for 280 lol
@@nicholasmorrow2601 This series has an exciting sound, but I personally look towards other brands at the $600 price point. I truly believe this line wouldn't get the same praise without the sales, because it just doesn't compete as well as others at that price point. Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad. But they didn't move at the original retail price... because they were over priced. At least that's my opinion, and appears to be the opinion of the market as well.
As I was standing up to make coffee, CAM directed me to "grab a cup of coffee." Kismet? Am I destined to buy these speakers now? Nah, we'll just stick with coincidence. Back to the review....
Great cheap improvement get yourself a bead of blue tack put it round the Bass Driver as a gasket, little bit in the screw holes not too much in the hole. tighten it reasonably tight but don't gorillas tighten it will help a lot. you could go further the blu tack but that will give a great benefit some sheets of blu tack underneath the speaker when placing it on a stand as well you could put a sheet on top of the speaker and use a tile on top of the blue tack pushed in might make it sound a bit over bright tho! Give it a go let me know how you get on randy!
I am currently using a pair of JBL Studio 530s on my desk. These are great for near field listening. Confession time... They are paired with two JBL SUB 550Ps. Because why not. 😀
I guess if you really want matching speakers all around, but I think the 530s are probably overkill for surrounds, maybe even too directional, and they're kind of big depending on the space you have. Z loved them for desktop. Which towers do you have, the 590s? I'm tempted to get those every single time they go on sale. I currently have an old set of Polk towers and multiple subs, so I wonder if I really need the bass the 590s deliver.
@@redstang5150 I have the 590s, 530, two 550 P's, the 520 Center. Just wait till they go on sale for $500 a piece including shipping and the worst case scenario is you send them back for free including the shipping!😉😇 That was my strategy but that strategy didn't work out too well considering I kept the 590's and built upon them as you just saw! The 590's came on a pallet can't imagine how much they cost to ship both ways but who cares didn't cost me anything but again I'm looking right at them now and for the money, keyword is for the money, they're fantastic! Do some research on Google about Greg Timbers who was the lead designer who also designed before he left JBL Everest synthesis line. $45,000 speakers which look awfully familiar!🤔🤔🤔🤫🤫😝😉😇
@@redstang5150 For speech it works just fine! It's not as small as you may believe. It's all about the compression driver and that's one inch even on the 590's. Looking right at it now, Never ever said to myself, man I wish it was bigger! Not once and we crank the F out this system watching blockbuster movies! Had a svs ultra center in the same spot and this although smaller is no slouch! I can afford what ever I want and settled on this because I made these type of financial moves over the years and it hasn't hurt me yet!😝 I was actually going to buy 590's for all the channels but the room it's in just want work! Look on UA-cam, people have done just that! You don't like return, easy as that!
Love the review, also love the hat! So put up against the RP600M’s, which (in your opinion) is the better speaker for rock/metal listening at louder volumes? Thanks!
@@ufarkingicehole They sold out in like 3 or 4 days. I knew they were since day 1. didn't feel like getting them though, financial reasons. But3 hey let me know how they turn out for you.
Sorry to persuade your own reviews but Sprawl-Mart is selling the Klipsch Pro-Media 2.1 system for $90 around the USA from what I've seen. I picked up a set and am utterly blown away by the value offered in this small sub-sat package. There are caveats, its never off, has an annoying light that is perpetually on (remedied with black tape) and lacks a remote. Otherwise, I haven't heard such fidelity from a 3.5mm jack ever. They're not perfect, there's a gap between the sub and the sats of upper mid-bass but its tolerable, however, I find myself exploring my CD catalog again just to experience their potency. I also use them for movie watching which is extremely satisfying.
Yes Yes Yes Pro-Media 2.1 Fantastic $90 ear candy. I have my "sats" on shelves about a foot above my head and 4ish feet apart. The sub is on the floor between my desk and the wall. Likely one of the best systems I have ever heard. I took the steel stands off the "sats" and have them on foam pads to make them fire out into the shop. The 3.5 plug is directly into the back of my PC without any EQ or enhancements. Currently running without the grills on the right left speakers. Playing Amazon Ultra HD music is great. I find myself playing the "Chill Electronic", "Smooth Jazz" and even some of the golden oldie HD music. So clear. I'm glad you are enjoying your set also.
Took me a while to decide between the 530s or Klipsch RP 600Ms for my bedroom system. Decided the 530s were a little too bright. When I tried to return the 530s to Amazon they said that they were not eligible for return. When I called customer service, they said because of some material in the speakers, they were considered hazardous. So they refunded my money and said I could keep them. Crazy right? I decided to use them instead of the cheap sound bar with my TV. I also added the 520c center channel and an older Yamaha sub. It sounds amazing! I’ll upgrade the sub at some point, but man, I like the sound a lot.
I've been using these for about 2 years now along with 530 center channel Yes they do really impress I'm starting to think about the 580s as they are so cheap now that I'm very tempted to get them just for the sake of listening to them
Also Randy buy the way. You did good !!! I went by your reviews and recommendations on the Elac debut 5.2 Thank so u very much ! , Like I say u rock! , they sound awesome ! God bless u man !
Give Opeth's song Coil a listen. That is my go-to song for showing off or testing out a sound system or speaker. Really great bass, awesome male and female vocals, acoustic guitar, synth/woodwind, etc. It's got it all. I was absolutely floored when I listened to that on my Adam A7's.
They make the floor go up and down like a trampoline, when you're standing in the other room with all the doors in-between closed. My floor is a normal concrete foundation, normal ground level building. It's a 2.5 way so the bottom driver is basically a built in subwoofer. So You need a chunky amp that can handle dipping down to 4 Ohms if you want to have fun with the 590's. They move so much air, they puff at you like a front ported speaker sometimes.
@@raidendigital1003 wow. I bought two of the matching studio subs. I don't need them but they are so good and so cheap I got them anyway as stands for my 580. I unhooked them because it was pointless in my small room.
Cool channel, cool review, cool reviewer, even has GI Joe toys, boy does that take me back... Man I am getting old :) Hey Randy, another great JBL speaker to check out would be the JBL Stage A170. I think it would be cool to see on the channel. Keep it up bud. I also like the Podcast you started with Ron, very cool.
I just picked a pair today 11/14/22 for $239 a pair. I didn't need them but I couldn't pass up that price. I have the Studio 570's I got last year for a similar deal. direct from JBL.
I love the look of the jbl studio speakers. I had to have a set simply based on the look, I got the 580. They sound pretty good, I think they'll be better whenever I upgrade my Denon x3500h receiver and get them a little more space than up against my walls in my bedroom.
@@cheapaudioman oh I don't plan on getting anything anytime soon. They don't sound bad on my Denon, but I imagine there's better stuff out there. I am happy where I am, it works fine, sound good enough for me to enjoy Spotify through my roku puck. 🙂 I mean I wouldn't mind trying a tube amp and a dac at some point and if I do I'll let you know. I just don't understand how a DAC is supposed to integrate with an HDMI device or if it's not even supposed to. Or if a tube amp has capability of working with room correction software. Or if I need a steamer when my receivers have them built in. So I'm ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love your channel, I would love to hear your take on the JBL LSR305 or LSR308 studio monitors. They are a powered professional monitor from $200-$300 a pair.
Great review! Just purchased emotiva basxA100 Looking to add nearfield speakers for desktop. would you recommend the JBL 530 over the emotiva B1+. Thanks
I spent some time with REW getting mine set up. I ended up plugging the ports. This made integrating them with my sub a lot easier. In my room they needed some EQ boost from about 200 - 600 Hz. This is most likely the thinness that Randy is commenting on.
I've noticed that jbl has great sales. I think that like sony and other big companies, they occassionally just dump a bunch of product to clear the warehouse. Z_reviews was raving about the jbl tower sale a couple of months ago. You need to get him on between two speakers znd ask him about his anime girl fetish.
Hey randy, if your looking for another cheap speaker to review I found the Energy RC-10 bookshelf speakers on Amazon for $190. They seem to have good reviews. Cheers cheap audio peeps. 🍻
Hi Randy, u r doing a great job and i never miss your videos. Just a request, when reviewing speakers could u inform us the amplifiers used. I assume u run the various speakers to your fav amp all the time. Its just so we know more about the setup. Thanks mate.
Hi Randy, Indeed the JBL Studio 5 series is a great design, I own some myself, like Gill said it would be helpful knowing what amplifer your auditioning with said speakers, we all know Amps can have a big impact on your overall sound as well as the room, good job and keep it up
I really thought that, at their regular price point, these would be head and shoulders above what we(meaning you and me watching!) review normally...Huh.
The reason for having centre is not that it plays better (often it's worse), but casue it ensures that the centre sound comes from the centre for anyone off axis.
You gotta get a turntable man . Not an audio turntable, one of those spin things, has 2 tracks & some ball bearings. like for spices or whatever. It will make it so much easier to rotate speakers for the front to back view. Not only will it give a Hollywood type look to the show, it will save your back. Keep lifting speakers like you do and by the time you're my age you'll be all crippled up.
It's great for home theater but you should pair them with a good sub like the SVS SB-2000. If the SVS is too expensive then you might try the BIC PL200.
i have had my 530s for about a month....they keep sounding better...and better.....mine are close to the back wall ,ports plugged, in a smallish room, with an onkyo 9150 amp.( 25 watts into 8...theses are 6 ohm)..... At medium and loud levels they are amazing...i need to play them at low levels 50 per cent of the time, and they are good enough.....if you subscribe to the Harmon website, you will get notified of the sales.....about 3 or 4 times per year they go to around 300.00......but they are often out of stock.....they look a lot better in person than they do in pictures or videos, ....and i think mine are placed a bit too high. As they are on. 2 different desks, which are 30 inches high....so maybe a 24 inch stand might be better.......
I got 580s last sale and just got 4 530s in . I find the 530s are not as alive as the as my 580s, just not the same sparkle. Funny though, the more I play them the more I find they sound better. The reviewer is right, the 530 need just a tad of eq, unlike my 580s. Also I run with grills off. You HAVE to run that horn fill piece or there is audible distortion. I thought it was a joke... nope.
Hi Randy, I love your work, especially the Saturday speaker shootout. After watching both JBL reviews, it seems like the Stage A130's address several of the problems you encountered with the S530's(thin midrange, lack of punch...) Seems like you prefer the Stage speaker. What say you?
That’s an accurate statement. I do prefer the A130’s. Another viewer who had both felt the same way. However, the 530’s are a beloved speaker. Personal preference is the A130’s though
@cheapaudioman I'm looking forward to your review of the SVS Sound Base behind you. Oh, other SVS gear would also be great. I would like your thoughts on the SVS Prime Sats, $135 each. The SVS bookshelf speakers are out of my price range. Even the "sats" are, but I'd like to get an honest opinion.
I did A/B my SVS Prime Elevations to these 530s. For the money, hands down the 530s, albeit a much larger box. The midrange detail and vocal clarity is just a whole other level. And I say this as an SVS fanboy. I don't think the prime book shelves would fair much better. I think you would seem much better bass and low mids out of the SVS due to the larger driver. The tweeter is really held back on those bookshelves. I have the SVS Prime towers and there was no compairson when I tried the bookselves even paired with my dual PB2000s.
Is this a review with comparing them to $600 speakers in mind? If comparing them to $250-275 speakers like the Emotiva b1+ or ELAC debut 2.0 B5.2 would you be less critical with your words and say they're all around great or even superior? I'm trying to decide on bookshelf speakers + amp (w/ bluetooth) for around $375 total, mostly listen to rock at my desk so nearfield is important, prefer accurate neutral the way the music was recorded, with the option of cranking them up occasionally. Also, these speakers seem to have been around for 4+ years. Do they upgrade/improve them with the same name and design/look?
I highly recommend the Equalizer APO and Peace interface for PC. It flattens/disables any EQ or sound processing that your sound driver has implemented. It gives you a very granular equalizer that is easily turned on and off so you can easily A/B the adjustments.
Your review style is refreshing and interesting. However, the most important for listening is your really great choice of music and how you describe that. Keep up the good work.
I have been using Studio 530s for the better part of a year and they continue to delight. They have really rewarded careful placement for me. They always have a perfectly solid center image wherever I place them, but the soundstage doesn’t develop fully until I pull them about 4 feet off the front wall. Then they seem to disappear in my room. They also like an amp with some oomph. They will play OK with a lot of amps, but that 6 Ohm impedance likes a kick in the ass to really get the low end rolling and the mids fully flushed out. Sometimes the mids sound a bit thin and I give it one more click on the volume and they become pure gold. Thanks for another great video!
That could be from the extra bass from the wall reinforcement or from the different room modes from the different position. I think it's more from the different room modes and the resulting change in frequency response, which some judicious use of EQ can also affect.
I've got a pair on the way and a Sony str-za810es receiver. 100w per channel @ 8Ω. Am I in for a good listening experience if I don't really intend for them to be run really loud?
@@FastRedPonyCar I have never listened to your amp before, but that is plenty of power to drive them. They have an impedance of 6 Ohms, so you should be getting well over 100W an that impedance. I find that they start to sound best (to me) at about 80dB, so experiment with volume levels. Also, mine really disappear into the music when they are 4 1/2 to 5 feet from my front wall. Also try to get the height so that your ear is close to the level just between the woofer and tweeter.
Enjoy your new speakers! I love mine.
@@DirkJensen At 80 dB you are probably only using 1 watt of power. It's not about the watts, it's the current output and transient shifts in power output and how well an amp can do that...IMO.
As accurate as that may be, God I can't help but cringe at audiophile language and terminology
Love your channel and videos. Brought out my old component system when my son gave me a turntable last Father's Day. You are my spirit animal when it come to high value lower cost equipment. I bought a pair of the 530s today for the ridiculous price of 239.99. They were begging me to buy them. I had already purchase pair of Infinity R162 bookshelves direct from Harman for $149(refurbed) which I like but had to buy these for a compare. Maybe I'll just alternate every few months. Keep up the great work.
Now that I picked up a pair of Elac B6.2 and the SMSL SA300, I am learning a lot more about audiophilia by continuing to watch your reviews and going back to my set up and picking up nuances. Thanks man! Really enjoying my audiophile revival.
My opinion; knocked it out of the park with the industrial design on this series.
I'm guessing it's a like it or hate it kinda thing, but damn incorporating the waveguide into the structure accomplishing both the acoustic needs and the visual design aesthetic ... some solid Kung-fu
Glad you enjoyed these, in the $300 range on sale - they truly are in a class of their own IMO. The center channel is pretty decent for a smaller room, as well, and it goes on sale for like $125... can’t beat that.
These are on sale from JBL and Harman Audio for $240 right now.
I had these! Had a really magical top end - very addictive But strangely I couldn't get a proper soundstage no matter what I tried. It was very narrow. Midrange was not great.
Anyway glad that you listen to the same type of music I do and seem almost to have a similar budget as me! Wish you all the best for your channel!
I totally agree having owned several pair of these.
PHENOMINAL bass for such a small woofer and nice high frequencies, but the midrange was this speaker's weakest link.
Though the bass isn't as great, I still prefer the RP-150/500M because of it's midrange performance.
IMO, if a speaker is laid back or recessed in the midrange, then it's not for me and either gets returned to the seller or sold on Craigslist.
Still I can NOT get over how Harmon International took a big ole' shit on this speaker's designer...Greg Timbers.
@@stephenoverton8352 I own these and the 580s. The 580s with are a totally different experince. I wonder how the 570, which when on sale is one a few bucks more for a larger cabinet and dual 5 1/4 drivers would compare. I dont know about Z's best speaker ever, but at the price of the 530s on sale, maybe the best speaker value ever.. That compression driver for my home theater is really something else.
Blame the room not the speakers
I have a pair of these myself stored in my parent’s basement still brand new in the box. The only thing I did with them is attach the little circle feet pads that came with them. I wish I had room in my condo to use them. I still wanted to pick them up because of their unique styling. Hopefully one day I could use them when I purchase a home.
When u purchase a home you'll need the JBL 590s :)
I'm enjoying listening to the Studio 530s with the bass plugs in -I just tried it today with the speakers towed in. The bass really tightened up. I'm noticing more details and lower mid range pressence. I'm really enjoying these speakers. I'm amplifying them with the Sony STR-DH190 receiver for now and it's not bad at all.
Update, crown xls power amp, upgraded balanced interconnects (24 gauge TRS cables), 12 gauge speaker wire. The sound improved a lot, especial the bass response, and lower mids.
Your intros and sponsors are getting better and better. I chuckled out loud at the peanut butter. Wow 11k!
You are getting better and better with each review. Good work man.
you're a good mentor haha
I know I'm playing "Devil's Advocate" with you Ron but I have to say I think Randy's been pretty spot on from the get go. I'm pretty sure I know what angle you're coming from(technical things, presentation, etc.) but I don't want too much of Randy's "rough" gone when he is already giving us diamonds in new and different cuts, clarity, color, and carat. We all need both your own styles. :)
Tried to recommend these and it seems you were already reviewing them at that point. You are fast on the deal research!
I see the Iota Vx's in the background. Smelling an upcoming review.
Great one Batman that would be the iota stack combo he's got. worth getting the av amplifier even for 2-channel it's 250-watt two channels driven, if you're driving all 7.1 channels it is 170 Watts all channels driven! you could use two 7.1 give you 14.2 for under 2 grand a real bargain don't think you can even get 14.2 for commercial use.
How fortuitous. Mine shipped yesterday, $290! Can’t wait.
For the price (I got 4) its a hell of a speaker. I did buy a 580, and I will say the 530 is not the smaller version of a 580. The 580 is just so much allive. Same compression driver, but something about the X-over is different and they sound much more forward and allive. I do think the 530s need just a tad of EQ with the highs and they seem to come alive. Paired with my PB2000s subs and x/ @90 to 100hrz they come alive for sure. I am looking at these for my my rear and side surrounds with the 580s upfront. They seem they will kill in that roll. I have SVS prime elevations right now and when A/B them, the more expensive SVS primes pail. Maybe a tad more sparkly in the high end, but thats it. The mids are just more defined, and far more clear. Vocal clarity is night and day. Of course bigger, and ussually much more, but at the price we can get them, its a rare deal.
Thanks Randy for the great review of these speakers. I think JBL and Klipsch both have a following of loyal fans that have made the JBL some of the most popular speakers of all time. I would have loved to a/b these with the RB-61 ll, maybe if they go back on sale that could happen.
These Studio 530s are currently my front L/R flanking the Studio 520c Center. I'm not happy with them and for awhile was planning to replace them with the RB-81 II, but now I'm planning to go with RSL instead. If those don't work out, I may revisit the Klipsch plan. Do you know if Klipsch offers one of their wide centers with the four woofers that match the RBs?
@@911jason In their catalog they show the RC-64ll with the 4 woofers. Some of the later series should also work but won't have the exact same drivers.
@@911jasonI have the 530s running in front right now, bought 4 of them a week or two ago. I opted not to go with the 520c as my current setup usually was a pair of SVS prime towers, SVS Ultra Center, Prime Elevation surrounds and dual PB2000s. I also have a Klipsch RP450c. All the centers seem to pair find with the JBLs, I don’t notice the whole timber matching as much as many claim it matters. I think there is always a difference with L/R and dedicated center when not doing matching speakers across the front stage. I will say I am not thrilled with the 530s as my L/R. As Surrounds they would KILL, or as ATMOS heights if I wanted to get creative in mounting (excess for the info being sent to Atmos heights right now I would say, but hey, Batman Speakers for Batman theater). I have a pair of the 580s I got a few weeks back at a stupid price. I was looking SVS Pinnacol towers or event Ultras. I am no longer looking. The 580 towers are nothing like the 530s. When I A/B them, even with that same compression driver, and almost identical waveguide, it’s shocking how different they are considering the Xover is 1.5k and up. I think they over tamed the driver to slow it down when paired with the single 5 1/4. The 530s are great speakers for the money, even better nearfield. But just don’t have what I am looking for in my mains. But I love them, at the sale price of $150 each, my search is over with the 5 series, I am going to take my savings and put that toward processors, theater acoustics, and furnishings at this point. Now I am eying those damn 590s to go back on sale......
@@chrisj9008 glad I'm not alone as they seem universally adored online. I can't do towers yet, as my system is currently in our medium to large master bedroom. I was looking at doing SVS Ultras for LCR and either Prime bookshelves or satellites for the surrounds... but have not been convinced by the reviews that I'll be satisfied. Now looking at more than likely going with 3x RSL CG25 for my LCR and 2x CG5 for surround.
@@911jason The 530s killed my prime satellites and surrounds, and they are cheaper when on sale. I do want to play more with the 530s with subs and play with room positioning. But there are not the 580s in terms of any measure of a speaker. I would love to try the 570s, I bet the few extra bucks over the 530s when on sale would be money well spent when they are
Never clicked on a video faster. Love my 530s
I got these on sale during "Covid audio revival" when I revisited some of the "newer" to me stuff out there. My big complaint with them is their lower 86db sensitivity at 6ohm. I too felt there were times where the lower mid presence seemed thin. Bass from them in my room is very good considering the size of the driver. I was able to "bottom out" or more accurately, over extend the bass driver to the physical limit of the motor. The speaker doesn't suffer from compression and really won't before you poke the bass driver. Agree with final thoughts these do some things others won't.... imaging is exceptional, overall you may have different feelings toward them. As big as they are they are better for me near field.
They sound great near field.
Love them near field!
Randy, I have been using the song "Spacelord" by Monster Magnet for some speaker testing , give it try 🤘🤘🤘
Thank you for the review and peanut butter at 50% less, wow what a day.
Great song/band. Thanks for reminding me to listen to them again
@@TheFriday40 glad to bring back a blast from the past for ya !!
Dopes to Infinity. Great monster magnet album. Time to listen to it again on these JBL
Ooooh. I have been looking at these and I guess I missed a great sale on them too! Bummer. Great video and you mentioned my favorite band, the Beastie Boys!
JBL has crazy sales especially at close-out got my Studio 290's for under $600 for the pair. They hit why beyond the MSRP price point.
I’ve been using these for almost 10 years. In a small room raised 5’ off the ground are absolutely amazing.
The editing in this vid is great
All for $300 shipped! Stupid good for the money! I would assume some of the problems you speak of have to do with the equipment you're using not the speaker!🙄😉😇 And these speakers are greatly enhanced crossing the tweeters as Ron has shown on his video regarding this product. It made a huge difference with my 590 mains. This is one of those times where bigger is better because the 590's make these sound like toys at least in my room.🤪😬 And by the way the 590 and 580 version of these speaker use a different compression driver then the center 530, 530s and the 570s based on my extensive research on these before I purchase them about a year ago. And if you haven't noticed, it's all about the compression driver on these the woofer driver although paper and I love it, is nothing special. Enjoying my Amazon music by the way!🤗😉😇
Wait what??? Alot here..
1- Ron crossing the tweeter? are you talking about mods? can you link if so, I have the 580s and 530s.
2- My 580s make the 530s sound like toys as well, the are just more full of life right across the board, the compression driver is NOT set up the same and sounds very different. Far more alive on the 580s when I A/B them.
3- Different compression driver?? Different waveguide is obvious, but actual driver? I know the skew is different, but they often cross reference skews. I thought all the 5 series use the same core compression driver (2414H-1). I though the audible difference I was hearing was the result of the Xover trying to tame the output of the efficent compression driver design to the small 5 1/4 driver. It sounds like your saying this is different?
Another great video! Keep up the good work.
Somewhat related to the item featured in this video...sort of...just barely...
I bought the JBL Studio 520C (center channel) during JBL's Black Friday Sale for $139.99 (reg $349.99) . I used it from December 7th until last night (January 18), then packed it up for a return/refund. Thankfully, there was a lengthy holiday return window until January 31. That said, it's a great center channel, and I'd buy it again if I was completing a JBL set with the Studio 530s. However, after I bought the center, well, I also went ahead and bought some Klipsch bookshelf speakers (R-41M originally for fronts, and then the RB-61 ii for new fronts thanks to cheapaudioman's video late last month). 90% percent of my reason for returning the 520C is because it didn't match well with the Klipsch speakers (aesthetically speaking), with 10% coming down to performance. I felt like the 520C really shined before I bought the RB-61 ii (was originally using the R-41M as fronts with Klipsch satellites as rears), but after said purchase it struggled somewhat to keep up with the RB-61 ii's robust sound. I found myself increasing the level of the 520C more and more to compensate. Now I'm currently waiting for my new matching center to arrive on Thursday...the Klipsch RC-62 ii (ended up costing me $130 more than the 520C). What started out as, "I just want a larger, more dynamic center channel and some modest bookshelf speakers for fronts", turned into completely redoing my home theater setup and costing me $770.60...or $1,041.71 if you count the Onkyo TX-NR686 A/V receiver that I bought during Black Friday 2019. I do apologize for the length of this comment, but I wanted to share my home audio journey of the last two months. Hopefully it'll be a while before my next home theater upgrade.
I just cant understand how they engineer a center to match up with the towers (570/580/590s) that runs a pair of 4" drivers.. Maybe thats really the difference of a few years of surround advancement where the center now really carries the majority of the material (vocal dialog) and is critically important if staging a L/C/R setup. Perhaps back with earlier ProLogic there was just not the same emphasis.
@@chrisj9008 I think a good start would be to match the size of the drivers in the towers that you mentioned, or increase the number of drivers. I think if someone was planning to use the 530s as fronts, then the 520C would be more than enough center for that system.
These are now on sale for $240 at JBL's website so at that price I figured I needed to pick a pair up.
Just did the same thing. They're pretty special indeed. But... Ugh. The midrange especially with vocals, male vocals are just set too far back and it's killing me because the rest of the presentation is pretty f-ing spectacular. I am coming off sonus faber toy towers that are midrange deliciousness.
In many ways I prefer these $239 JBL lol .. but I'll miss that buttery amazing midrange of my sonus. So close JBL. But a home run for $239 no doubt. I'm glad to have them.
Another fantastic review! I would seriously look into a mini DSP in your chain. And then you can do your reviews with and without EQ. It’s like adding that last garnish on your dish. Some cilantro here, a little basil there, some salt and pepper, a little Parmesan. The meal is good without it but man, that little extra love takes it soo much further.
great idea.
I would say to download Equalizer APO to tweak the sound from your PC for free. But the MiniDSP will let you EQ anything going to your power amp.
@@StewartMarkley I downloaded it once and could never get the music to play through it. I’ll give it a shot again but normally it I can’t get something to work in 10 minutes or less I move on. Heard great things about it though
@@StewartMarkley I can’t believe it took me years to find the APO equalizer you’re talking about. It does wonders but like you said is quite limited to only being used with a PC output.
While working on CPU and memory intensive tasks I use an iPod into my computer audio interface. It seems as though it gets me a PO when in use this way. Do you know of a way to fix this?
@@NakeanWickliff what do you mean by PO?
Hey bud. Just a small request. Can you mention what amp or amps (and other equip.) you use when you review speaks. Thanks.
I had a pair on loan last year, really nice detail retrieval, even at lower volumes.. midrange drops off hard (small driver), even when powered by a McIntosh power amp...
@cheapaudioman, how would this fare in your $300 speaker shootout? Would it take the Buddha from the KEF Q150? Thanks for the great content; you now have another Twitter follower!
I spy with my little eye, a couple of separate components behind you from across the pond. I'm ANXIOUSLY waiting for you to compare the IOTA to the Emotiva TA-100. Thank you for another great review. God bless and can't wait for the next one!
Can't wait to see your review on the SVS Prime Wireless Soundbase!
Apparently that was your first cup of coffee for the day. Kidding, keep up the great content. 👍🏻 I rarely buy anything that is not on sale. Thanks for pointing out the tracks you tested with.
JBLs go on massive sales every few months. Just wait, the price will drop again.
Still crossing my fingers for that Micca RB42 review 🤞🤞
I bought 2 pair back in they day before Z sold them all out. $99.00 a pair. They are fun, I use them in conjunction with my Swans run in parallel for near field with subs.
Good review -- I feel like if I were to buy these I'd know exactly what to expect. From what you said they might do best with 16" or 20" stands rather than the typical 24" stands.
These are on sale right now for $239.00 from jbl! Been pouring over countless reviews on what to buy around the $300 mark. Emotiva B1+, Wharfedale 12.1, KEF Q150, Elac Debut B5.2... Then I saw these were on sale and snatched a pair immediately. They are going on my desk, but besides mild youtube watching, my desk speakers get cranked when we clean, as my desk is in the middle of an 800 square foot open floor plan living room, dining room, kitchen area. Hoping the Emotiva BasX A2M is powerful enough for these...
I was thinking the same thing. It's a steal. Currently running some decades old Celestion speakers now.
I have these and the White Jamo studio 2. / 93.
They are a 5 1/4 inch with a real solid aluminum phase plug, floating Dome tweeter
Chocolate chip trip sounds trippy on my headphones.
Randy, now that you have come out about you and Ron and Between 2Speakers, so to speak, I am just fine with it. You had me going for a little while though 🤪 I liked how you said that you would help the JBL 530 with house chores. 😁 Now to get on to the audio stuff, I heard you utter the E word (EQ), but you stayed away from the H and W words (Horn and Waveguide). Was that deliberate? I especially like the very predominant horn on the JBL 530 and that JBL chose to a true horn driver with a compression driver versus a tweeter with a horn stuck on it. Also I like that you mentioned that you might use a little EQ to tweak the sound. Despite the ridiculous phobia of using EQ, there is nothing wrong with a little bit of EQ to tweak the sound to your liking. Just use it sensibly with as little boost or cut as needed to get what you want.
Listen, I just subscribed to your channel a few days ago. I've been binge watching your videos. Do me a favor, review the BIC Venturi DV62si. I can't believe there are ZERO videos on these speakers. Keep up the great work!! Your channel is growing fast, don't let fame get to you.
Hey good review Randy. Hey I have a good album for testing speakers, it's the album that has allways been what has allways had me into music so much since I was just a very little kid. It's Neil Diamond live. The album is Neil Diamonds Hot August Night. Please if u haven't heard this album, please do yourself a awesome treat ! And it has a broad spectrum in sound, range and tone. Just awesome ! For u and for your followers !
"At $599 I think I would wait until it goes back down" - that quote sums up the entire Studio 500 Series. Great value on their sale prices. Meh at their list prices.
Traditional “go to market” audio products have the worst pricing structures. They have like 2-3 different prices with no reason behind them. Makes me feel sad on the inside
I’d disagree,, I’m a musician and every time I listen to these they are phenomenal... absolutely accurate... however.. if you know a 600 set of speakers goes on sale for less than half that.... why pay 600 if you can get them for 280 lol
@@nicholasmorrow2601 This series has an exciting sound, but I personally look towards other brands at the $600 price point. I truly believe this line wouldn't get the same praise without the sales, because it just doesn't compete as well as others at that price point.
Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad. But they didn't move at the original retail price... because they were over priced. At least that's my opinion, and appears to be the opinion of the market as well.
So these just went from 289 a pair to 418 a pair.
@@arktikgraywolf their pricing is all over the map. I've never understood it
As I was standing up to make coffee, CAM directed me to "grab a cup of coffee." Kismet? Am I destined to buy these speakers now? Nah, we'll just stick with coincidence. Back to the review....
Great cheap improvement get yourself a bead of blue tack put it round the Bass Driver as a gasket, little bit in the screw holes not too much in the hole. tighten it reasonably tight but don't gorillas tighten it will help a lot. you could go further the blu tack but that will give a great benefit some sheets of blu tack underneath the speaker when placing it on a stand as well you could put a sheet on top of the speaker and use a tile on top of the blue tack pushed in might make it sound a bit over bright tho!
Give it a go let me know how you get on randy!
It's on sale for $239.99 today! Just picked up a pair.
I am currently using a pair of JBL Studio 530s on my desk. These are great for near field listening. Confession time... They are paired with two JBL SUB 550Ps. Because why not. 😀
Thanks to Zeos I a whole home theater with the Studio line of speakers. The 530s are issued for back/surround duty.
I guess if you really want matching speakers all around, but I think the 530s are probably overkill for surrounds, maybe even too directional, and they're kind of big depending on the space you have. Z loved them for desktop.
Which towers do you have, the 590s? I'm tempted to get those every single time they go on sale. I currently have an old set of Polk towers and multiple subs, so I wonder if I really need the bass the 590s deliver.
@@redstang5150
I have the 590s, 530, two 550 P's, the 520 Center. Just wait till they go on sale for $500 a piece including shipping and the worst case scenario is you send them back for free including the shipping!😉😇 That was my strategy but that strategy didn't work out too well considering I kept the 590's and built upon them as you just saw! The 590's came on a pallet can't imagine how much they cost to ship both ways but who cares didn't cost me anything but again I'm looking right at them now and for the money, keyword is for the money, they're fantastic! Do some research on Google about Greg Timbers who was the lead designer who also designed before he left JBL Everest synthesis line. $45,000 speakers which look awfully familiar!🤔🤔🤔🤫🤫😝😉😇
@@bigjay1970 I wish they'd come out with a larger center channel. I feel like that's the weakest part of the lineup.
@@redstang5150
For speech it works just fine! It's not as small as you may believe. It's all about the compression driver and that's one inch even on the 590's. Looking right at it now, Never ever said to myself, man I wish it was bigger! Not once and we crank the F out this system watching blockbuster movies! Had a svs ultra center in the same spot and this although smaller is no slouch! I can afford what ever I want and settled on this because I made these type of financial moves over the years and it hasn't hurt me yet!😝 I was actually going to buy 590's for all the channels but the room it's in just want work! Look on UA-cam, people have done just that! You don't like return, easy as that!
Love the review, also love the hat!
So put up against the RP600M’s, which (in your opinion) is the better speaker for rock/metal listening at louder volumes? Thanks!
I'd like to know this as well. Although I'm looking to get the 570's
@@joeslacker1020 just grabbed a pair
@@ufarkingicehole They sold out in like 3 or 4 days. I knew they were since day 1. didn't feel like getting them though, financial reasons. But3 hey let me know how they turn out for you.
Sorry to persuade your own reviews but Sprawl-Mart is selling the Klipsch Pro-Media 2.1 system for $90 around the USA from what I've seen. I picked up a set and am utterly blown away by the value offered in this small sub-sat package. There are caveats, its never off, has an annoying light that is perpetually on (remedied with black tape) and lacks a remote. Otherwise, I haven't heard such fidelity from a 3.5mm jack ever. They're not perfect, there's a gap between the sub and the sats of upper mid-bass but its tolerable, however, I find myself exploring my CD catalog again just to experience their potency. I also use them for movie watching which is extremely satisfying.
Yes Yes Yes Pro-Media 2.1 Fantastic $90 ear candy. I have my "sats" on shelves about a foot above my head and 4ish feet apart. The sub is on the floor between my desk and the wall. Likely one of the best systems I have ever heard. I took the steel stands off the "sats" and have them on foam pads to make them fire out into the shop. The 3.5 plug is directly into the back of my PC without any EQ or enhancements. Currently running without the grills on the right left speakers. Playing Amazon Ultra HD music is great. I find myself playing the "Chill Electronic", "Smooth Jazz" and even some of the golden oldie HD music. So clear. I'm glad you are enjoying your set also.
Took me a while to decide between the 530s or Klipsch RP 600Ms for my bedroom system. Decided the 530s were a little too bright. When I tried to return the 530s to Amazon they said that they were not eligible for return. When I called customer service, they said because of some material in the speakers, they were considered hazardous. So they refunded my money and said I could keep them. Crazy right? I decided to use them instead of the cheap sound bar with my TV. I also added the 520c center channel and an older Yamaha sub. It sounds amazing! I’ll upgrade the sub at some point, but man, I like the sound a lot.
wow. that's crazy you got a refund.
@@cheapaudioman I did.
Damn man, you made out!
I've been using these for about 2 years now along with 530 center channel
Yes they do really impress
I'm starting to think about the 580s as they are so cheap now that I'm very tempted to get them just for the sake of listening to them
These are amazing speakers
Also Randy buy the way. You did good !!! I went by your reviews and recommendations on the Elac debut 5.2 Thank so u very much ! , Like I say u rock! , they sound awesome ! God bless u man !
I can trust you. You listen to the same music I do. I have a living room full of speakers. Great video!
Iv heard 2k dollar speakers 🔊 bow down to these.
imotiva, jbl studio 350 and Kef Q150 who gonna be the winner
Give Opeth's song Coil a listen. That is my go-to song for showing off or testing out a sound system or speaker. Really great bass, awesome male and female vocals, acoustic guitar, synth/woodwind, etc. It's got it all. I was absolutely floored when I listened to that on my Adam A7's.
The studio 580 have some deep strong but clean bass, literally shake the walls and house. I bet the 590 really shake the walls.
They make the floor go up and down like a trampoline, when you're standing in the other room with all the doors in-between closed. My floor is a normal concrete foundation, normal ground level building. It's a 2.5 way so the bottom driver is basically a built in subwoofer. So You need a chunky amp that can handle dipping down to 4 Ohms if you want to have fun with the 590's. They move so much air, they puff at you like a front ported speaker sometimes.
@@raidendigital1003 wow. I bought two of the matching studio subs. I don't need them but they are so good and so cheap I got them anyway as stands for my 580. I unhooked them because it was pointless in my small room.
More clarity on these than B1+ ?
Cool channel, cool review, cool reviewer, even has GI Joe toys, boy does that take me back... Man I am getting old :)
Hey Randy, another great JBL speaker to check out would be the JBL Stage A170. I think it would be cool to see on the channel. Keep it up bud. I also like the Podcast you started with Ron, very cool.
Another good one randy.👍 Love the design of these.
I just picked a pair today 11/14/22 for $239 a pair. I didn't need them but I couldn't pass up that price. I have the Studio 570's I got last year for a similar deal. direct from JBL.
How are these vs the Infinity R162's? You need to get a pair of these.
I think that if I were a proctologist, I would appreciate the aesthetic.
ha. that made me laugh
I love the look of the jbl studio speakers. I had to have a set simply based on the look, I got the 580. They sound pretty good, I think they'll be better whenever I upgrade my Denon x3500h receiver and get them a little more space than up against my walls in my bedroom.
let me know how they sound on the new receiver
@@cheapaudioman oh I don't plan on getting anything anytime soon. They don't sound bad on my Denon, but I imagine there's better stuff out there. I am happy where I am, it works fine, sound good enough for me to enjoy Spotify through my roku puck. 🙂
I mean I wouldn't mind trying a tube amp and a dac at some point and if I do I'll let you know. I just don't understand how a DAC is supposed to integrate with an HDMI device or if it's not even supposed to. Or if a tube amp has capability of working with room correction software. Or if I need a steamer when my receivers have them built in. So I'm ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love your channel, I would love to hear your take on the JBL LSR305 or LSR308 studio monitors. They are a powered professional monitor from $200-$300 a pair.
Great review! Just purchased emotiva basxA100 Looking to add nearfield speakers for desktop. would you recommend the JBL 530 over the emotiva B1+. Thanks
I have a pair of Klipsch RP 600's and I am thinking about getting a pair of the JBL'S !
The 530's are on sale today 9/20/2021 on the JBL website for $249. I just snagged up a another pair of these.
Cool. Thanks for the heads up
Just dropped to 239 with free shipping.
They were $199 refurb on the actual Harman Site. 99.9% mint condition. $179 for 570 as well (these don't come as a pair like the 530 though).
I spent some time with REW getting mine set up. I ended up plugging the ports. This made integrating them with my sub a lot easier. In my room they needed some EQ boost from about 200 - 600 Hz. This is most likely the thinness that Randy is commenting on.
I recommend Equalizer APO with the Peace gui. Never had anything that could compete.
I've noticed that jbl has great sales. I think that like sony and other big companies, they occassionally just dump a bunch of product to clear the warehouse. Z_reviews was raving about the jbl tower sale a couple of months ago. You need to get him on between two speakers znd ask him about his anime girl fetish.
Love the hat my man.
I like the pen tucked in the hat band. It makes you look like ex Lions head coach Matt Patricia.
Use Peace (apo) software for windows very nice equalizer and there is more software/plugins/vst like that.
Hey randy, if your looking for another cheap speaker to review I found the Energy RC-10 bookshelf speakers on Amazon for $190. They seem to have good reviews. Cheers cheap audio peeps. 🍻
I'll second this one. Those RC-10's are sweet and one heck of a deal at current prices!
@@ewizzle2 Thanks for the input. I decided to buy them about 15 minutes ago. Can’t wait to hear them.
I came so close to getting these speakers but I chickened out. Btw, I see the IOTAs behind you. Hummm
Been $239 for awhile now...get em before they're gone. Floorstanders are on sale too.
Hi Randy, u r doing a great job and i never miss your videos. Just a request, when reviewing speakers could u inform us the amplifiers used. I assume u run the various speakers to your fav amp all the time. Its just so we know more about the setup. Thanks mate.
Hi Randy, Indeed the JBL Studio 5 series is a great design, I own some myself, like Gill said it would be helpful knowing what amplifer your auditioning with said speakers, we all know Amps can have a big impact on your overall sound as well as the room, good job and keep it up
love u man
You guys in US are lucky to have these at this price:) BTW it would be worth stressing if this is a pair or single (likely pair).
price is for a pair, yes.
I really thought that, at their regular price point, these would be head and shoulders above what we(meaning you and me watching!) review normally...Huh.
The reason for having centre is not that it plays better (often it's worse), but casue it ensures that the centre sound comes from the centre for anyone off axis.
You gotta get a turntable man .
Not an audio turntable, one of those spin things, has 2 tracks & some ball bearings. like for spices or whatever. It will make it so much easier to rotate speakers for the front to back view. Not only will it give a Hollywood type look to the show, it will save your back. Keep lifting speakers like you do and by the time you're my age you'll be all crippled up.
A "lazy susan".
@@mttpalmer Randy is doing his best.
Don't resort to name calling.
@@darrelgustafson2507 I see what you did there!
I ordered the 530s. Too late to ask...but is it good for hometheater?
It's great for home theater but you should pair them with a good sub like the SVS SB-2000. If the SVS is too expensive then you might try the BIC PL200.
They are on sale NOW on JBL's website. 55% off. You're welcome.
You have add a sub to these speakers. Once you do that, these are very cfunc speakers
I really wish JBL would make a 6.5" version.
On sale right now. Got mine.
i have had my 530s for about a month....they keep sounding better...and better.....mine are close to the back wall ,ports plugged, in a smallish room, with an onkyo 9150 amp.( 25 watts into 8...theses are 6 ohm)..... At medium and loud levels they are amazing...i need to play them at low levels 50 per cent of the time, and they are good enough.....if you subscribe to the Harmon website, you will get notified of the sales.....about 3 or 4 times per year they go to around 300.00......but they are often out of stock.....they look a lot better in person than they do in pictures or videos, ....and i think mine are placed a bit too high. As they are on. 2 different desks, which are 30 inches high....so maybe a 24 inch stand might be better.......
I got 580s last sale and just got 4 530s in . I find the 530s are not as alive as the as my 580s, just not the same sparkle.
Funny though, the more I play them the more I find they sound better. The reviewer is right, the 530 need just a tad of eq, unlike my 580s.
Also I run with grills off. You HAVE to run that horn fill piece or there is audible distortion. I thought it was a joke... nope.
C'mon JBL, I remember when your midranges we're as big as that woofer. :D
Hi Randy,
I love your work, especially the Saturday speaker shootout. After watching both JBL reviews, it seems like the Stage A130's address several of the problems you encountered with the S530's(thin midrange, lack of punch...) Seems like you prefer the Stage speaker. What say you?
That’s an accurate statement. I do prefer the A130’s. Another viewer who had both felt the same way. However, the 530’s are a beloved speaker. Personal preference is the A130’s though
@cheapaudioman
I'm looking forward to your review of the SVS Sound Base behind you. Oh, other SVS gear would also be great. I would like your thoughts on the SVS Prime Sats, $135 each. The SVS bookshelf speakers are out of my price range. Even the "sats" are, but I'd like to get an honest opinion.
I did A/B my SVS Prime Elevations to these 530s. For the money, hands down the 530s, albeit a much larger box. The midrange detail and vocal clarity is just a whole other level. And I say this as an SVS fanboy. I don't think the prime book shelves would fair much better. I think you would seem much better bass and low mids out of the SVS due to the larger driver. The tweeter is really held back on those bookshelves. I have the SVS Prime towers and there was no compairson when I tried the bookselves even paired with my dual PB2000s.
these are $239 on JBL site right now. their big brothers (580 and 590) also marked way down.
For some sweet deep bass guitar try out Flight of the Cosmic Hippo by Béla Fleck and The Flecktones. It sounds pretty on the 530s.
If you ever get a chance you should try out home theater 👌🏼
I've got a few items on their way for home theater
Is this a review with comparing them to $600 speakers in mind? If comparing them to $250-275 speakers like the Emotiva b1+ or ELAC debut 2.0 B5.2 would you be less critical with your words and say they're all around great or even superior? I'm trying to decide on bookshelf speakers + amp (w/ bluetooth) for around $375 total, mostly listen to rock at my desk so nearfield is important, prefer accurate neutral the way the music was recorded, with the option of cranking them up occasionally.
Also, these speakers seem to have been around for 4+ years. Do they upgrade/improve them with the same name and design/look?