JBL Studio 698! I just had to do it fellas!!!

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Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
I have been drooling over these since they were released in Japan! Crutchfield had the black wood version in stock and since I've been playing with the Monoprice Encore T6 and the Triton 3+ and in a couple weeks Im putting those Triton 3's on sale. I figured why the heck not!

They should be arriving by Thursday or Friday. I'll give you guys a whole review of em and I'll put them up against those goldenear 3+ and Monolith Encore T6's to see how they stack up!!!

I can't wait this should be a lot of fun!!!
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
I’ll be waiting with RynoDino. These look to be amazing.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I have been drooling over these since they were released in Japan! Crutchfield had the black wood version in stock and since I've been playing with the Monoprice Encore T6 and the Triton 3+ and in a couple weeks Im putting those Triton 3's on sale. I figured why the heck not!

They should be arriving by Thursday or Friday. I'll give you guys a whole review of em and I'll put them up against those goldenear 3+ and Monolith Encore T6's to see how they stack up!!!

I can't wait this should be a lot of fun!!!
I hope you are able to return them.
 
M

Movie2099

Audioholic General
I have been drooling over these since they were released in Japan! Crutchfield had the black wood version in stock and since I've been playing with the Monoprice Encore T6 and the Triton 3+ and in a couple weeks Im putting those Triton 3's on sale. I figured why the heck not!

They should be arriving by Thursday or Friday. I'll give you guys a whole review of em and I'll put them up against those goldenear 3+ and Monolith Encore T6's to see how they stack up!!!

I can't wait this should be a lot of fun!!!
Are these your first JBL speakers? Just curious if you've heard the JBL M2's? I'm considering them for next theater build. They are on my list of potential speakers. I've been becoming more and more a fan of the M2's and the JBL synthesis lineup this last year. Have been reading posts on AVS from people that have them and the feedback is amazing. Though I wouldn't expect anything less from a company that has been in the sound business for over 70 years. :D
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Are these your first JBL speakers? Just curious if you've heard the JBL M2's? I'm considering them for next theater build. They are on my list of potential speakers. I've been becoming more and more a fan of the M2's and the JBL synthesis lineup this last year. Have been reading posts on AVS from people that have them and the feedback is amazing. Though I wouldn't expect anything less from a company that has been in the sound business for over 70 years. :D
M2s would be very nice! Cost a bit more than 698s, tho :)
 
Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
Though I wouldn't expect anything less from a company that has been in the sound business for over 70 years. :D
JBL may have kept that name for over 70 years, but it has changed hands a few times since the days of James B. Lansing.

For that matter, so has Harmon-Kardon, Revel, Infinity, Polk, Klipsch, AR, KLH, B&W, KEF, and many others. Some companies have done well despite changing management, and others, not so much.
 
D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
Are these your first JBL speakers? Just curious if you've heard the JBL M2's? I'm considering them for next theater build. They are on my list of potential speakers. I've been becoming more and more a fan of the M2's and the JBL synthesis lineup this last year. Have been reading posts on AVS from people that have them and the feedback is amazing. Though I wouldn't expect anything less from a company that has been in the sound business for over 70 years. :D
No I owned the 590's the 580s and 530s in the studio 5 lineup.

I haven't heard the m2's they look awesome I can see why they have users that are happy with them.

But they better be good for the price. :D
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Yes, Crutchfield allows returns. :rolleyes:

You have what against them particularly?
Well there are some pointers this is a marketer's design rather than an engineers design.

My concerns.

They have published no meaningful specs other than rudimentary information. The FR has no 3 db points and could mean anything.

They made it a three way when it did not need to be, which I bet was marketers. The design would be much more sound as a 2.5 way.

Here is why.

The cross to the mid, is at 320 Hz, so there are going to be some hefty inductor and capacitor values. This is a less than ideal crossover point and still within the BSC region for a cabinet of those dimensions. They were forced into this by the crossover to the HF horn at 1.8 KHz. That horn is the "flagship" component of the design. So they had to cross to the mid at that low a frequency in order to avoid excess bandpass gain.

So the issues become is that while there are two speakers below the crossover, that one mid is being driven in a definite power band region. So there is a good chance it will be power limited in its pass band.

All this was not necessary, as if it had been made a 2.5 way the 8" driver could easily have crossed to the horn at 1.8 KHz, and much easier solving of the BSC issue. This would have made for a less expensive and better crossover, and I suspect a better speaker.

When I see those sort of decisions, I can hear the marketers screaming at the engineers: - "We have to have a three way!"
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Well there are some pointers this is a marketer's design rather than an engineers design.

My concerns.

They have published no meaningful specs other than rudimentary information. The FR has no 3 db points and could mean anything.

They made it a three way when it did not need to be, which I bet was marketers. The design would be much more sound as a 2.5 way.

Here is why.

The cross to the mid, is at 320 Hz, so there are going to be some hefty inductor and capacitor values. This is a less than ideal crossover point and still within the BSC region for a cabinet of those dimensions. They were forced into this by the crossover to the HF horn at 1.8 KHz. That horn is the "flagship" component of the design. So they had to cross to the mid at that low a frequency in order to avoid excess bandpass gain.

So the issues become is that while there are two speakers below the crossover, that one mid is being driven in a definite power band region. So there is a good chance it will be power limited in its pass band.

All this was not necessary, as if it had been made a 2.5 way the 8" driver could easily have crossed to the horn at 1.8 KHz, and much easier solving of the BSC issue. This would have made for a less expensive and better crossover, and I suspect a better speaker.

When I see those sort of decisions, I can hear the marketers screaming at the engineers: - "We have to have a three way!"
Thanks. It's predecessor of sorts is the Studio 590, which is a 2.5 way, but pretty sure the designer/engineer behind the 590 was long gone by the time the 698 came out....the drivers are similar otherwise. I was thinking this was more similar aside from the horn.... Dan had the 590s previously....
 
D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
You have not heard them and you might not like them!
True but Crutchfield allows a 60 day trial period. And while I'm playing around with the other set of speakers I might as well try these out. I'm already going to get rid of the golden ear triton 3+

I'm keeping the Monolith Encore T6 no matter what that is a great speaker for the price. If the JBL 698 don't sound as well as the Monolith T6 actually if the JBL doesn't sound better then Ill just return them.

I'm learning how to use REW and provide measurements so I figure a subjective review followed up by measurements once I make sure I know what I'm doing would be helpful to members.

And we all get to have fun. Seems like a sweet deal for everybody to me. Also @TLS Guy I've never seen to many horn loaded speakers in a 3 way design. Most are 2 ways or 2.5 I'm assuming for some of the reasons you mentioned so I'm super curious how these speakers actually sound. If they could somehow have managed to pull it off

They do have the 690 which is a 2.5 way with a horn loaded compression driver paired to dual 8 inch drivers probably crossed over better that's actually the successor to the 590 that me and lovin own and are much loved by many owners. This is supposed to be tge flagship above that and I want to see if it is indeed better then my much enjoyed experience with the 590's
 
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