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Does JBL get a bad rap?

For years, all one heard regarding almost any JBL product, especially vintage consumer grade products was that they were all boom(bass) and sizzle( highs). I feel this is an unfair generalization. Surprisingly, I find much of their budget minded gear(80s-90s) actually soft in the treble and very non-fatiguing(titanium laminate tweeters). I also have experienced the L100T and found them fairly well balanced and nuetral. The midrange does lack some realism magic especially on vocals but so do other highly touted speakers. In short, I am a little late to the game in regards to the JBL, but as a mainstream maker I am impressed. And that doesn't even take into account their 4xxx studio monitors which are highly regarded. Back me up jbl fans!
phasecorrect
kiddman
341 posts
 
Macrojack, guys on forums love to proclaim winners and losers, so no response means there likely are not any people really familiar with the speakers to do a comparison.

Those are very low production, specialist companies you are talking about that don't use dealers. There is little ability to hear them.

I commented, but of course can't do so in detail unless I have those speakers at my place or unless I heard bad faults that are clearly the speakers' faults. Of the 2 I mentioned I heard no bad faults, but heard some really good sound. Further comparisons are not possible given they were not in my room and I did not have my speakers there.

As far as "well informed JBL aficionados" go, there are few in the West for JBL top line modern. JBL did not, until just a few years ago, offer them for sale in the West. Even after opening them up in the West, certainly they do not sell like hotcakes as 1. They are upper price range speakers. 2. JBL has for so long gotten a bad rap in the snobby, trendy world of high end audio that sales of a JBL, or any horn in this price range, are not easy.
chadnliz's avatar
chadnliz
3,737 posts
 
Many may roll their eyes at this but I replaced my VMPS FF3 SRE powered by Classe amps with JBL PRX735 powered speakers about a month ago and really like most everything about them. For $2000 for powered speakers they are fantastic. I use a Lexicon MC8B as pre.
They may not image quite like a high end speaker but they have great bass, accurate mids and no fatigue in tweeters. I had to lower the fan noise but that was a easy mod. My main focus is rock and blues but everything sounds good to me, they just work well in my room.
mikewerner
121 posts
 
YES!
You have to hear a well implemented compression driver to comment!
The Array 1400 are a very sophisticated speaker. Paired with a low distortion system upstream they are very musical and real sounding.
The dynamics are secondary to none.
I have had Array 1400s for a couple of years now and they do things right that very few other speakers are capable of doing.
These JBL speakers are underrated!
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
This thread is priceless for the exsposure JBL should have, I have been very amused at the fans and users out there that has came to this thread, I encourage many more to make your post, I have learned more about JBL speakers from this thread then any other since 2012, Bravo!
dave_72
1,399 posts
 
YES!
You have to hear a well implemented compression driver to comment!
The Array 1400 are a very sophisticated speaker. Paired with a low distortion system upstream they are very musical and real sounding.
The dynamics are secondary to none.
I have had Array 1400s for a couple of years now and they do things right that very few other speakers are capable of doing.
These JBL speakers are underrated!

I agree with everything above. You can say the same for the rest of the JBL Synthesis line, really. And the stuff that will be unveiled in Jan. 2015 will be very nice-and well deserved-additions to the lineup.
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