Jbl Studio 230 vs Klipsch RP-160

[William Lemmerhirt]

The Sony HTiB kits I have seen did not make provisions for the sub to be adapted to components outside of the kit.

Interesting. I had a Yamaha htib once that allowed for selectable XO. I was just being optimistic here. Never know!

 

[bradymartin]

im looking at the yamaha 301 for $200

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrn301bl/yamaha-r-n301-2-ch-x-100-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

any cheaper options? not lepai cheap maybe $100 or less. dont need subwoofer

 

[zieglj01]

im looking at the yamaha 301 for $200

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrn301bl/yamaha-r-n301-2-ch-x-100-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html

That can work

 

[bradymartin]

i think ill go for that one when theres a sale.

as far as my thoughts on the jbl 230s vs klipsch 160s here, wasnt a fair comparison.
i was using the klipsch 160s with a lepai amp, vs the 230s with this sony htib. didnt realize the sony htib might have internal crossover

 

[zieglj01]

i think ill go for that one when theres a sale.

Even this Yamaha can work
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrs202bl/yamaha-r-s202-2-ch-x-100-watts-natural-sound-stereo-receiver/1.html

The SMSL will have more power than the Lepai
https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-50Wx2-TDA7492-Amplifier-Adapter/dp/B00F0H8TOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504142154&sr=8-1&keywords=smsl+amp

 

[bradymartin]

holy cow, i hooked them up to zone 2 on my denon x3300 and wow wow wow

i had to check and see if the subwoofer was on
too lazy to switch between these and klipsch 160s today
first impression the sound was very immersive, filled the room nicely.
love that tweeter, bass felt lower than 52 specs. clean lively highs and punchy bass.
if i recommend a family member an inexpensive set id say these and the 235 center which i havent heard.

wondering if anyones compared the 230s to the jbl 305s with the built in amp. both same price

 

[zieglj01]

wondering if anyones compared the 230s to the jbl 305s with the built in amp. both same price

Nothing is really free and there can tend to be some sacrifice -- you are also paying for an Amp to be put in the 305 -- I would be somewhat surprised if the drivers in the 305 can match the 230. The 305 also has a somewhat lightweight box. -- however with that said, one could always compare them.

 

[bradymartin]

Nothing is really free and there can tend to be some sacrifice -- you are also paying for an Amp to be put in the 305 -- I would be somewhat surprised if the drivers in the 305 can match the 230. The 305 also has a somewhat lightweight box. -- however with that said, one could always compare them.

according to 305 specs with that 5 woofer they go down to 43 vs the 230 6.5 woofer down to 52.
you make a good point about cost of adding amp but they do go lower. man i was shocked when i heard the 230s on the denon. perhaps im shocked at how much better they sound than when i had them hooked up to a cheap sony htib with internal crossover

jbl website the 305s are discounted $25 each until tomorrow. so would be $248 for the pair.

 

[lovinthehd]

The 305s are rated to a fairly high spl, believe it would be competitive with what the 230 would be capable of at a guess...nice to have matched active crossovers, but I also would think the cabinet is the weak point. Buy the 305s from a source easily returned to for refund, should you not like them....

 

[zieglj01]

according to 305 specs with that 5 woofer they go down to 43 vs the 230 6.5 woofer down to 52.

jbl website the 305s are discounted $25 each until tomorrow. so would be $248 for the pair.

The JBL 230 is -6 db at 44 hz -- the 305 is a small box, there is only so much they can give -- they may have decent bass on the desk-top with you sitting close -- however set them up in an open room for regular speaker use, and I would be shocked if they match the 230. Also there have been some complaints with resonance with the JBL 305 -- however, buy and try.

 

[JRT3]

My PC desk is almost against the wall, with my LSR-305's 8" - 9" from said wall and now resting on a 4" x 6" x 9" hard foam 'brick', sold by Amazon as a black 'yoga blocks' @ $10.79/pr, inc Prime s/h and s/t. The sounding board bass enhancement and bass resonance were killed by the blocks. In fact, it's like I added a bit of bass extension, too - now even with the LF "tilt' down 3 dB at flat. Great PC speakers on, er, 4" above, the desk. I can't compare them to the 230's or RP-160's - but I can compare them with my NHT SuperOne 2.1's... sort of!

I now have my S1 2.1's, located at ear height on my corner bookshelves, driven by my 50 Wpc Emotiva A-100 BasX fed by my C-7030 CDP. I have my recent purchase MP-301 MK3 SET amp daisy-chained through the Emo amp's Line Outputs and it drives my Heresys - below the NHT's (On the floor!). Of course the Heresys sound the best... even though the 305's have better bass extension than either the NHT's or the Heresys, which, oddly enough, sound the same bass-wise. It must be the crossovers... how else could a 6.5" LF driver - in a small sealed enclosure - have the same bass response as a 12" in a larger enclosure? Of course... the SPL's tell that story... 86 dB vs 96+ dB! The 305's do sound good for the price paid!

 

[KEW]

I have never heard the 230's but the 305's are quite impressive for their price.
Personally, I believe that pro-audio is generally a better deal (less mark-up) than consumer audio.
I would try to get both in my home for 3-4 days to compare if you can find places with a decent return policy. And Amazon is usually pretty good about returns!
Good luck!