This is going into a coffee shop in Asia (if that matters). The climate is hot and humid for the most part so the Control 29 might be a very good choice because they're indoor/outdoors speakers.
The size of the JBL seems reasonable as well, since these would have to be packed and shipped or boxed up and checked into the flight.
I would also like some recommendation on an amps and pre-amps. Basically decent rig to power any of the speakers you guys are recommending. Possibly three 4 channel amps.
The plan is to have a computer as the source for music and probably a DVD player hooked up to it.
Trying to keep total cost under $4k less a computer and dvd since he have those already. (tell me if this is doable)
He doesn't need any crazy high end stuff. Just something that would put out good sound for the money. Heck he told me he was gonna go all bose bookshelfs until I talk him out of it.
BTW: Do these subs have enough lows in them to avoid adding subwoofers? Doesn't need to hit 30hz or anything, as long as it's balance.
The B2030P does not have any materials that would be subject to easy damage from a hot or humid climate.
The JBL does not need subwoofers, as it responds down to about 40Hz flat, according to factory specification. The 2030P does need subs. The 2030P will give much more natural/realistic sound quality and even tonal fill of a given area - if that matters. And it's not expensive ($150 USD/pair). The price is deceptive. But I have personally measured/analyzed this product and compared it to many other units, so I speak objectively in terms of it's acoustic performance.
I am not sure of the electrical system that is going to be used. But assuming it is available for the Asian country's power grid, the Yamaha P**00S amplifiers are a superb unit for installed high quality audio systems. They are avaiable in a large array of power output ranges. P2500s/P3500S/P5000S/P7000S. Starting at 250 x 2/310 x 2(8/4 Ohms) to 700x2/950x2(8/4 Ohms). Another great option for value and reliablity is QSC RMX range of amplifiers. However, the RMX has a loud fan. If they are mounted in a closet or in a room away from the main room, the fan noise won't be an issue. The Yamahas don't have a noisy fan issue at all to deal with. If using the B2030P, you will also need an active crossover to split to the mains/subs properly. The Behringer CX2310 is a great unit with high build quality and low price. Use an inexpensive small Yamaha mixer(reasonable cost, high reliability) to switch/mix between your sources. The mixer will feed the CX2310, the CX2310 will feed the amplifier inputs. The sources (DVD, Computer, etc.) will feed to the mixer. I would tend to recommend the RMX amplifiers because you only need two for each room. They are 2 ohm stereo stable, so you can hook 3 pairs of the Behringer in parallel to one RMX amplifier for each room. Then use one more RMX for the subs, for each room, assuming you are using custom built passive subs as I recommended earlier for ideal SQ for the budget.
If using the JBL Control 29, you can use standard audio distribution amplifier (the 29 has standard taps for this purpose) and you won't need a crossover or subs.
If natural/realistic sound is the priority, the B2030P set up is ideal - but this leads to more complex set up. If simplicity is the priority at the expense of sound quality, then the JBL is the best option.
-Chris
