Thinking JBL, am I crazy?

[jliedeka]

I'm actually not going to be in a position to buy new speakers for a while, maybe not until next year. This year I plan to upgrade my old receiver and re-arrange my listening area. I decided that I could make a better decision about what receiver to buy and what my layout will look like if I have some clue what I want to do for speakers.

I'm seriously considering the JBL Studio L series. I'd probably get a pair of 880s for mains, matching center and bookshelves for rears. I'm also considering 2 pairs of 880s but that might be overkill.

My living room is approximately 12 x 16 x 8 (~1500 cu ft.). I have 2 walls to choose from that don't have windows for the front (TV and mains) area. I'll basically be setting up my theater area in a 12 X 12 area. I'll be using part of the long wall so I'll have unequal reflection from right to left. I hope Audissey is up to the challenge.

I really would like to go with a full range speaker for the mains. The 880s have gotten great reviews and would be small enough to not totally overpower my room. They are 8ohm which would simplify the choice of receiver. Anything can drive them. Of course, snob appeal is right out the window.

I haven't totally ruled out Aperions, PSBs or Paradigms Studios. I'd like to be able to listen to 2-channel without a sub which I'm sure even Studio 20s could do for most of what I listen to. For some reason, however, the JBLs really appeal to me. So I leave it up to my fellow Audioholics. Am I nuts? Let the flames begin.

Jim

 

[bandit]

I believe that one of the Studio L series was reviewed favorably here. The bottom line is if you like the way they sound... why not?

There are other quality speakers available through some of internet direct sellers such as av123, aperion (which you mentioned) and ascend acoustics. When you buy the JBL's if that the route you take, verify you can return them incase you don't like their sound in your listening room.

Good luck, happy shopping.

Bandit.

 

[Seth=L]

Those JBLs look very impressive (they themselves and their specs). If you like their sound, as bandit said, "why not?"

You aren't crazy either, if I could afford something like that I would probably consider those. Consider upgrading the AVR as well.

 

[jliedeka]

I really need a newer receiver for the HDMI and switching and more optical inputs. I'm leaning toward the Marantz SR8002 right now but haven't decided for sure. I believe I could drive just about any normal speakers with that.

Really big towers would overpower my small room which is why I'd be more likely to get the 880s over the 890s. I probably use my system 80/20 for movies/music but want a good musical speaker anyway. I mess around as a guitarist so I like to be able to learn stuff from CDs.

Another plus, I'm single so there's no WAF to worry about. On the minus side, with only one paycheck, I have to pace myself.

Jim

 

[peterL]

I don't think you are crazy. I had JBL Northridge stuff before and when they were properly set up, they didn't sound bad at all, and from what I understand the Studio L series is supposed to be much nicer.

I also understand about overpowering the room. I ended up selling my gear because it was too monsterous for my room after we bought a house and moved. Also, sometimes the smaller drivers are more accurate. I have PSBs now (T45s) and I liked the sound from the 5.25" drivers better than the sound of the T55s (6.5" driver). To me it wasn't worth the extra 2 Hz of extension (and the price).

Definitely audition everything though! That's as much fun as actually buying the new gear!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I have always thought that JBL speakers are decent, just nothing special.

 

[bigdaddyfajita]

I have the JBL L series speakers and I love them. I have the 890s for the Front Mains and the LC1 for the Center Channel. I have some old polk bookshelf speakers for my rear speakers and a cheap 10 inch sub.
I use a 8 year old 5.1 sony receiver to drive them.
The whole system sounds great. The JBL L series speakers never seem to strain when reproducing any sound. the Highs do not sound tinny (spelling?) and the lows sound very full. The voices are always very clear. When listening to music, I hear parts of the songs I never heard before (this is my first decent set of speakers). They are very easy to drive, I never turn my receiver up to half way on the volume knob. Watching movies with this setup is awesome.
My wife was sold on the speakers after listening to Wagner, Flight of the Valkyries. As far as WAF is concerned, my wife loves the way they sound more than the way they look, but she does like the look. The speaker cabinets have a nice quality look. The 880Ls are thinner, so the WAF would be higher.
I bought them at a Tweeter going out of business sale on an impulse and I have never regretted the decision.

 

[JJMP50]

JBL Fan for years

I still use my old L1 bookshelves as my primary listening speakers. I have a complete Athena Audition (F1, B1, Center) system and another set of Mirage FRX1 and Microsats. The JBL's (IMHO) crush the others especially when listening to music. Its close with clasical and jazz with the Mirages but no compare when listening to rock. If I was shopping for a new set I would not hesitate to audition the Studio L series. JBL has been around for a long time and has the wherewithall to design speakers that will compete at any price level. Usually at the higher end unfortunately.

 

[Halon451]

The JBL family of speakers are not all created equal, IMO. The earlier Northridge series (replaced with the more recent Venue series), were/are average at best. I had the Venues and didn't quite like them, but the Studio L's are in another bracket of their own, and from what I understand - much better sounding, as I believe they actually have a ring of the trickle down quality that their Professional line is so well-known for.

Bottom line is if you like it, go for it, who else is to say what you should have? Nothing crazy about that.

 

[FIqbal]

Not to discourage you anyway, but pls check EBAY and you will find loads of JBL L series refurbished speakers resold by Harmanaudio. They may have manufacturing issues with this series. FYI, I am a JBL owner (E30 bookshelf) and not too happy about JBL.

 

[jliedeka]

That's a data point to consider. I would like to know why they have so many refurbs. All the reviews I've seen have been really positive.

For the time being, I'm going to try to make the most out of what I have. The speakers I have don't totally suck but they do have their limitations. For starters, I need some stands. They are too close together to create a decent sound stage.

I wish I could blow a lot of money on some really good speakers plus a new receiver and subwoofer now but that's not practical. I guess I have time to think about it. There may be a completely different model next year or whenever.

J

 

[Seth=L]

Pretty much whatever you get is going to smash the Klipsch. I would probably avoid JBL and Klipsch subwoofers for your next purchase though.

 

[DavidG]

Not to discourage you anyway, but pls check EBAY and you will find loads of JBL L series refurbished speakers resold by Harmanaudio. They may have manufacturing issues with this series. FYI, I am a JBL owner (E30 bookshelf) and not too happy about JBL.

I have purchased several speakers from HarmonAudio, including a pair of
L880's, and must say that I have been very happy, especially for the $434 including shipping that I paid for them. Only once out of 7-8 purchases was I not happy with the remanufactured product. HarmanAudio's customer service dept. took care of it right away and paid for return shipping, and sent out a new unit. All of their remanufactured products carry a full, new product warranty. In fact, most of thier products look brand new, they may just be an overstock. I would have no problem at all in purchasing from HarmanAudio in the future.

The L880's, while having only 6" woofers, are still a fairly good sized tower. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of bass that comes out of these speakers, probably due to the cabinet construction. I still recommend using a subwoofer for even lower extension.

I would recommend the LC2 over the LC1 if you have a place to put it. Unfortunately, for me the LC1 worked better in my setup. I also couldn't pass up the $99.95 pricetag on clearance at Frys. I really like the LC1, but when I listened to the LC2 it seemed to have better midrange clarity. This would make sense, because the LC1 is a 3 way speaker, but it has no true midrange, only a woofer, a tweeter, and an ultra high tweeter. The same goes for the L820 vs the L830, with the L820 being the 4 way speaker with a true midrange.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the Studio L series if purchased at a substantial discount like I did. I feel that for under $550 for the front 3 speakers it is quite a bargain. If you do not want to buy remanufactured, there are many other online deals still worth checking out for the Studio L's. At full price there are quite a few other brands that I would look into first.

 

[Halvie]

Was that off ebay or their actual site? It is showing like $440 per l880 not per pair for me. $440 a pair would be a steal imo.

 

[DavidG]

Was that off ebay or their actual site? It is showing like $440 per l880 not per pair for me. $440 a pair would be a steal imo.

That was off of their auction site...*bay.com.

 

[Tomorrow]

That's a data point to consider. I would like to know why they have so many refurbs. All the reviews I've seen have been really positive.

For the time being, I'm going to try to make the most out of what I have. The speakers I have don't totally suck but they do have their limitations. For starters, I need some stands. They are too close together to create a decent sound stage.

I wish I could blow a lot of money on some really good speakers plus a new receiver and subwoofer now but that's not practical. I guess I have time to think about it. There may be a completely different model next year or whenever.

J

JBL offers great value for your money. There is a great deal of history and technology behind those speakers. The Studio L-series gets great reviews for good reason. I also think they're pretty handsome. But just remember that speaker preference is highly subjective.

With regard to all the "refurbished" speakers that HarmanAudio sells on the fleabay, I have found them to be primarily brand new speakers, only sold as refurbs to satisfy their dealer agreements. I believe they use that site to sell overstocks and phase-out gear.

Lastly, I strongly agree with Seth. While JBL makes fine speakers, their subs are lacking and really aren't very competitive with the likes of SVS and Hsu.

 

[Halvie]

Thanks David.

 

[dbryant]

There are no manufacturing issues. JBL/Harman Audio routinely clears out all their overstock by selling them as refurns. I have a 5 speaker set-l830, lc1, l810s that I purchased for $475 shipped as refurbs. They were all new and unopened...

 

[jliedeka]

I've seen the 880s new for 500/ea shipped from B&H but I can't spend that now. I want a better receiver first. If I bought a less expensive receiver like the Yamaha 863, I might have the budget but would still have my crap sub.

Being able to get the front 3 for around 5 bills is tempting but I think I'll wait. If I end up buying the Marantz, I should have the power to drive some higher end speakers. I'd be better off waiting another year or so and getting something I'll want to live with for a long time.

The biggest downside to the JBLs is not having a great opportunity to audition them. B&H has a 15 day no questions return policy but that's just barely enough time to be sure. Places like Aperion usually give you 30 days.

As for the sub, I agree with getting something like a Hsu. I'm waiting to hear more about the Emotiva dual sub but my plan B is a Hsu VTF-3.

Jim

 

[mttam]

I have a cheap JBL home theater in a box (JBL Cinema ProPack 600). The receiver and DVD player are nothing special, but the speakers sound great for the cost. A friend of mine has a higher end Yamaha receiver hooked up to the same JBLs that I have and his system sounds fantastic.