JBL Studio 590s $499 free ship plus $30 gift card

[KEW]

C'mon, you never seen Next Friday where Craig goes to live in Rancho Cucamonga?

Nope, is that a series or a movie?

My home town of Aiken SC gets a little fame from where Whiskey Rd. meets Easy St.!

 

[Danzilla31]

Like KEW was saying I really really want some 530's they came back up and sold out in less then a friggin day practically! Uggggghhhhh!

 

[slipperybidness]

Nope, is that a series or a movie?

My home town of Aiken SC gets a little fame from where Whiskey Rd. meets Easy St.!

Oh man!

"Friday" was the original movie, it is a classic (urban) comedy at this point!

Starring Ice Cube.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_(1995_film)

The soundtrack is pretty good too!

 

[bigkrazy155]

Like KEW was saying I really really want some 530's they came back up and sold out in less then a friggin day practically! Uggggghhhhh!

They can be back ordered at full MSRP! Depending on how well I like the 590s I ordered, I may want 2 pairs of the 530s.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

It seems a Studio 6 line is imminent. Already available in Japan: https://jp.jbl.com/standard-speakers

Nice! If they make a 690 (dual 8's) and the US can get a finish other than "Model T" I could see a pair going into my future house's living room. I aim to sell the KEF's instead of putting them in storage, and going 2.0/2.1 when we buy our next house down the road. I want two large speakers that can hold their own for most content, and a sub to flip on for action flicks.

 

[2channel lover]

I think you might be right. I'm very tempted to just buy them and short circuit my plan to audition several different speakers first. (Klipsch, SVS, Infinity, Polk, Paradigm). I'd also like to be able to snag the 530s though. Decisions, decisions!

As the slogan went...Just Do it!

I didn't want to throw you off your game plan of demoing your list of speakers, but for a primary movie based system I think you were looking at a win, win, situation regardless of which one you picked.

 

[bigkrazy155]

As the slogan went...Just Do it!

I didn't want to throw you off your game plan of demoing your list of speakers, but for a primary movie based system I think you were looking at a win, win, situation regardless of which one you picked.

I sure did! I have a friend who wants to take the Infinity towers should I not want them. Hopefully the much cheaper r253 will best the 590s, but somehow I doubt it. I will be trying to focus mostly on mids and highs though so who knows?!

 

[KEW]

I sure did! I have a friend who wants to take the Infinity towers should I not want them. Hopefully the much cheaper r253 will best the 590s, but somehow I doubt it. I will be trying to focus mostly on mids and highs though so who knows?!

Having heard both the 580 and the R253, here is my subjective take on them (and I am human, and therefore subject to expectation biases, etc).
Both are very nice speakers and, I believe, unchallenged bargains when on sale. However, they are definitly not the same sound!
Music:
I would choose the Infinity for more delicate and detailed music such as an intimate jazz trio or classical quartet; it is a little lean in the bass area, but manages great detail of delicate nuances in the midrange and highs.
The JBL with the horn is the more dynamic speaker and it has more slam in general and adds more bass into the mix making it great for rock!
If you like to blast rock, no question, get the JBL, but after you add a sub, the infinity are very much fine as rock speakers, but not as good as the JBL (which is in its element).
Similarly, the JBL is not obviously wanting in detail, but the Infinity provides a bit more of a delicate touch.
HT:
For bigger sounds and effects, the JBL are the winner, but I believe the Infinity has the edge on speech clarity (especially if you get the RC263 center).
I suspect either speaker will be a welcome change for you. The JBL is definitely a good speaker for dialog, but the Infinity is exceptional (and the one you should get if speech intelligibility is of special concern).

If I was going to only have one system and listened to 50/50 music/HT, I would go with the JBL's.
The extra cost of the JBL's over the Infinity's does get you something (and should for 2X to 3X the cost).
If budget is a significant factor, don't forget that the JBL 580's often go on sale for $360/ea. as another option! Additionally, the R253's at ~$360/pr and the R162's at ~$180/pr give a great range of price points for some amazing speakers. Between these two series of speakers a buyer has a fantastic set of options without breaking the bank! It is a good time to be an audio lover!
I think the Infinities represent a better value, and the fact that they are not wholly dominated by the more expensive JBLs (in my mind) reinforces that. On the other hand, if you look at these at their original MSRP, you would indeed expect to start seeing some diminishing returns as the price increases, and that is only fair!

But as I said before, it could all be expectation bias!
Look at the JBL series, they have a raw beast/power type of look! I think @Danzilla31 described them as having a "muscle car" look!
The Infinities have a comparatively refined/sophisticated (but vanilla) look about them!

 

[bigkrazy155]

Thanks @KEW for your much appreciated thoughts! I'm not too worried about the low-end as I'll eventually be adding a sub (or subs), so I'm going to try to find some content to really test out the highs and mids (suggestions welcome!). By reading your opinions, I was starting to feel like I didn't need to even demo the Infinities until you mentioned clarity in dialogue. I definitely want to be able to understand what's being said! One of my concerns with the JBL is what SEEMS to be an undersized center, where the Infinity has the well respected RC263. I won't have the vertical space to add a center tower given my 7.25' ceiling. I was pondering (way down the road) the possibility of a center channel under and over the TV if needed.

 

[lovinthehd]

More info on the Studio 6 series on another forum, here's the thread.

 

[KEW]

Thanks @KEW for your much appreciated thoughts! I'm not too worried about the low-end as I'll eventually be adding a sub (or subs), so I'm going to try to find some content to really test out the highs and mids (suggestions welcome!). By reading your opinions, I was starting to feel like I didn't need to even demo the Infinities until you mentioned clarity in dialogue. I definitely want to be able to understand what's being said! One of my concerns with the JBL is what SEEMS to be an undersized center, where the Infinity has the well respected RC263. I won't have the vertical space to add a center tower given my 7.25' ceiling. I was pondering (way down the road) the possibility of a center channel under and over the TV if needed.

What are your current speakers?
I thought I knew, but I think I have mixed up two threads!
As I said, there is nothing wrong with the speech intelligibility of the JBL's, it just so happens that the RC263 is exemplary! I have yet to find a speaker that lets me hear every bit of dialog (if you don't believe me, just turn on closed captioning for a week and I am sure you will find words spoken when you had no idea anyone was talking), but if that is a particular concern for you, the Infinity may be worth a listen.
However, since you have 590's on the way, give them a shot and see!
Did you order the 520 also?
If not, don't fret it. IME, good speakers have no trouble presenting a "phantom center". I went 5 years before buying a center because I had a hard time justifying an upgrade that I wasn't missing.
The compression driver for the 590 and 520 is identical. The only thing different is the size of the horn (because the 520 is a smaller box). My point is that whether or not you have a 520, your audition will be a valid audition of the Studio 5 series, the sound won't change very much.

 

[Danzilla31]

Having heard both the 580 and the R253, here is my subjective take on them (and I am human, and therefore subject to expectation biases, etc).
Both are very nice speakers and, I believe, unchallenged bargains when on sale. However, they are definitly not the same sound!
Music:
I would choose the Infinity for more delicate and detailed music such as an intimate jazz trio or classical quartet; it is a little lean in the bass area, but manages great detail of delicate nuances in the midrange and highs.
The JBL with the horn is the more dynamic speaker and it has more slam in general and adds more bass into the mix making it great for rock!
If you like to blast rock, no question, get the JBL, but after you add a sub, the infinity are very much fine as rock speakers, but not as good as the JBL (which is in its element).
Similarly, the JBL is not obviously wanting in detail, but the Infinity provides a bit more of a delicate touch.
HT:
For bigger sounds and effects, the JBL are the winner, but I believe the Infinity has the edge on speech clarity (especially if you get the RC263 center).
I suspect either speaker will be a welcome change for you. The JBL is definitely a good speaker for dialog, but the Infinity is exceptional (and the one you should get if speech intelligibility is of special concern).

If I was going to only have one system and listened to 50/50 music/HT, I would go with the JBL's.
The extra cost of the JBL's over the Infinity's does get you something (and should for 2X to 3X the cost).
If budget is a significant factor, don't forget that the JBL 580's often go on sale for $360/ea. as another option! Additionally, the R253's at ~$360/pr and the R162's at ~$180/pr give a great range of price points for some amazing speakers. Between these two series of speakers a buyer has a fantastic set of options without breaking the bank! It is a good time to be an audio lover!
I think the Infinities represent a better value, and the fact that they are not wholly dominated by the more expensive JBLs (in my mind) reinforces that. On the other hand, if you look at these at their original MSRP, you would indeed expect to start seeing some diminishing returns as the price increases, and that is only fair!

But as I said before, it could all be expectation bias!
Look at the JBL series, they have a raw beast/power type of look! I think @Danzilla31 described them as having a "muscle car" look!
The Infinities have a comparatively refined/sophisticated (but vanilla) look about them!

They are some sexy beasts!

 

[Danzilla31]

What are your current speakers?
I thought I knew, but I think I have mixed up two threads!
As I said, there is nothing wrong with the speech intelligibility of the JBL's, it just so happens that the RC263 is exemplary! I have yet to find a speaker that lets me hear every bit of dialog (if you don't believe me, just turn on closed captioning for a week and I am sure you will find words spoken when you had no idea anyone was talking), but if that is a particular concern for you, the Infinity may be worth a listen.
However, since you have 590's on the way, give them a shot and see!
Did you order the 520 also?
If not, don't fret it. IME, good speakers have no trouble presenting a "phantom center". I went 5 years before buying a center because I had a hard time justifying an upgrade that I wasn't missing.
The compression driver for the 590 and 520 is identical. The only thing different is the size of the horn (because the 520 is a smaller box). My point is that whether or not you have a 520, your audition will be a valid audition of the Studio 5 series, the sound won't change very much.

For what it's worth I found dialogue and vocals to be exceptional on the 590's BUT there is a but here I have 3 one is the center channel. So it's not a fair comparison for most since since most people just won't have the space to do that

 

[bigkrazy155]

What are your current speakers?
I thought I knew, but I think I have mixed up two threads!
As I said, there is nothing wrong with the speech intelligibility of the JBL's, it just so happens that the RC263 is exemplary! I have yet to find a speaker that lets me hear every bit of dialog (if you don't believe me, just turn on closed captioning for a week and I am sure you will find words spoken when you had no idea anyone was talking),but if that is a particular concern for you, the Infinity may be worth a listen.
However, since you have 590's on the way, give them a shot and see!
Did you order the 520 also?
If not, don't fret it. IME, good speakers have no trouble presenting a "phantom center". I went 5 years before buying a center because I had a hard time justifying an upgrade that I wasn't missing.
The compression driver for the 590 and 520 is identical. The only thing different is the size of the horn (because the 520 is a smaller box). My point is that whether or not you have a 520, your audition will be a valid audition of the Studio 5 series, the sound won't change very much.

No worries! I'm working on a new space and made my first purchase for it as indicated above. (My living room set up is a set of Orb Audio as an FYI.)
I did grab the 520 also since it was on sale. I plan to audition it separately though, as long as I like the 590s over the Infinity towers. I'm sure the engineers at JBL are just a tad more knowledgeable than me on what makes a good center

 

[KEW]

For what it's worth I found dialogue and vocals to be exceptional on the 590's BUT there is a but here I have 3 one is the center channel. So it's not a fair comparison for most since since most people just won't have the space to do that

I won't say you cannot tell the difference, but if you disconnected the center and went through the setup routine to let the AVR know there is no center speaker, I'd bet good money you'd be amazed at how well the center continues to perform (thus "phantom" center)! At least that has been my experience, but I usually get sucked into the movie and forget I was supposed to be listening for any changes in sound!

 

[Danzilla31]

I won't say you cannot tell the difference, but if you disconnected the center and went through the setup routine to let the AVR know there is no center speaker, I'd bet good money you'd be amazed at how well the center continues to perform (thus "phantom" center)! At least that has been my experience, but I usually get sucked into the movie and forget I was supposed to be listening for any changes in sound!

When I 2 channeled them for music there ability to lock a precise center image was uncanny you could not tell that the center speaker was off unless you went right up to it and put your ear about a foot or 2 away

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I found some pix of the 698. It has a dedicated midrange, even. sexy!

https://imssg.com/product/jbl-studio-698/

 

[snakeeyes]

More info on the Studio 6 series on another forum, here's the thread.

So the center on the new series is 5.25 in drivers instead of 4 in. I think that’s going to make it sell better.

 

[lovinthehd]

So the center on the new series is 5.25 in drivers instead of 4 in. I think that’s going to make it sell better.

That and the cabinet aesthetics may appeal more too....

 

[shadyJ]

I found some pix of the 698. It has a dedicated midrange, even. sexy!

https://imssg.com/product/jbl-studio-698/

sunovabitch I want to get my grubby hands on those bad boys...