JBL Studio 550P 10-Inch Subwoofer Quick Review

[panteragstk]

So, I got one of these JBL Studio 550P 10-Inch Subwoofers from Amazon for $189. MSRP $599.

One of the main questions all of us had was "why does this thing weigh 50lbs?" Well, I know why.

One thing I can say is that it's pretty minimalist which I like. Won't draw attention to itself in my office.

Back is strait forward enough.

Driver looks small compared to the box. Pretty large box for a sealed 10" sub.

Removed the driver and it's not small. Easily 1/3 the weight of the unit.

A few interior shots of the box and bracing. Decent amount of foam, but the thing that's hard to see is that this is 1" MDF all around. Very easily 1/3 weight of the unit with the amp making up the last 1/3.

Gave it a quick listen and it sounds great integrated with my JBL PC setup. Those little speakers sound much better than they have a right to.

I used Nine Inch Nails new album "Add Violence" for the demo. All tracks are bass heavy and this little guy has no issue pumping out the bass. Very tight and clean. I'm liking what I'm hearing so far. What will be the real test is when I get time to run Audyssey again (only XT) and test with some of the demanding movies I have.

Stay tuned.

 

[Pogre]

I've been wondering about this sub! Looking forward to some more of your impressions as you put it through the gauntlet.

 

[lovinthehd]

Found this when searching for the driver model seems you have a Jerry Moro designed transducer there....http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/printthread.php?t=38066&pp=100

 

[speakerman39]

The driver itself looks very good. Certainly a bargain at this price! Thanks for the pics!


Cheers,

Phil

 

[panteragstk]

Ok. I put the little guy though the WOW (war of the worlds) gauntlet and it did very well. I went through the lightning scene and felt the strikes just as I should with a sub like this in my 12'x12' room. The really deep stuff was somewhat missing, but that is to be expected with the F3 of 27hz.

On to the church scene. Well, this really showed how good this little sub really is. Again, the really deep stuff was missing, but this well designed sub got to the brink of over-excursion but never crossed the line. JBL did a great job (as expected) with matching the driver to the box and amp power. There really isn't room for improvement when it comes to how deep this thing can go and how much it costs.

Me being a DIY sub guy I don't feel that $189 is bad at all. I really don't have a gauge for sub pricing anymore so I feel like this was a good buy. I would not hesitate to tell anyone to jump on this while the price is where it is.

What I will say is that my main living room Infinity 1260w with a 300w amp in a 1.2 cu ft box easily bests this sub. It digs deeper than this thing ever will and costs almost the same. Granted, it isn't something you can buy off the shelf, but is a testament to how good Harmon drivers really are.

I'm glad I have a real sub in my office now. This little guy will have a 15" friend some day. I need a table in here...

 

[KEW]

Thanks for the info...especially explaining where the weight is!
Nice to see such a solid looking driver! From the outside, those drivers don't look like much compared to many other companies who invest more in the external appearance and less in the function.

The rings in the drivers remind me of the 12" full range speaker my dad had in his monophonic Heathkit Hi-Fi system, lol! But this one has a lot more magnet than those did!

 

[Pogre]

So I pretty much decided I don't need one of these, then I check my email...

Damnit Amazon! I didn't bite yet, but this is hard to resist.

 

[KEW]

So I pretty much decided I don't need one of these, then I check my email...

View attachment 22205
Damnit Amazon! I didn't bite yet, but this is hard to resist.

Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated!

 

[Pogre]

Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated!

I'm with Pantera on the minimalist look of it too. I like the way it looks, which is bad for my wallet!

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm with Pantera on the minimalist look of it too. I like the way it looks, which is bad for my wallet!

Hey it even matches my speakers but it isn't tempting, it's too small to be tempting...

 

[panteragstk]

I'm with Pantera on the minimalist look of it too. I like the way it looks, which is bad for my wallet!

Excellent...

 

[panteragstk]

Hey it even matches my speakers but it isn't tempting, it's too small to be tempting...

I would agree, but in my 12'x12' office it is doing a nice job. I'm still considering giving it a 15" friend, but feel it may be a bit overkill...

 

[lovinthehd]

I would agree, but in my 12'x12' office it is doing a nice job. I'm still considering giving it a 15" friend, but feel it may be a bit overkill...

Overkill? Whassat? LOL if I didn't already have subs galore and 3 drivers waiting on boxes....

 

[KEW]

I'm with Pantera on the minimalist look of it too. I like the way it looks, which is bad for my wallet!

So I pretty much decided I don't need one of these, then I check my email.
Damnit Amazon! I didn't bite yet, but this is hard to resist.

Actually, the Borg reference was directed at Amazon in their relentless Pursuit to capture your wallet! They are steadily getting better and better at observing/targeting us, it is only a matter of time before we all get Alexa implants and dash buttons become old school! We will be assimilated!

 

[panteragstk]

Overkill? Whassat? LOL if I didn't already have subs galore and 3 drivers waiting on boxes....

Yeah, I think I'm at 4 drivers waiting on boxes and one that has a box and an amp that is waiting on a table to be built around it.

 

[Nilrem]

So, I got one of these JBL Studio 550P 10-Inch Subwoofers from Amazon for $189. MSRP $599.

One of the main questions all of us had was "why does this thing weigh 50lbs?" Well, I know why.

Nice! Thanks for all the pics/info. That 10" driver is a bit more than I expected from JBL. As a JBL fan, I've been disappointed with their consumer subs over the years.

Anyone notice that the 550P also has speaker inputs on their site?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-series/SUB+550P.html

I wonder why they switched it to just RCA, or if maybe they are selling 2 versions.

 

[KEW]

Nice! Thanks for all the pics/info. That 10" driver is a bit more than I expected from JBL. As a JBL fan, I've been disappointed with their consumer subs over the years.

Anyone notice that the 550P also has speaker inputs on their site?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-series/SUB+550P.html

I wonder why they switched it to just RCA, or if maybe they are selling 2 versions.

I suspect that somewhere along the way, JBL accidentally mixed up their plate amp photos. I do not believe the 550p has speaker level inputs. If you look at the Amazon listing, you will see the speaker level inputs. Currently there are eight 5-star reviews and two 2-star (or 1-star?) reviews. The 2 "negative" reviews are by people who bought this sub with the expectation/need for speaker level inputs!

Like you, I am disappointed that JBL didn't "grab the bull by the horns" and start producing high performance subwoofers. However, my expectations for a 10" sealed sub are a good woofer to fill out the low frequencies for music, and that falls squarely within JBL's competencies! Anyone looking for LFE should look elsewhere.

 

[lovinthehd]

I suspect that somewhere along the way, JBL accidentally mixed up their plate amp photos. I do not believe the 550p has speaker level inputs. If you look at the Amazon listing, you will see the speaker level inputs. Currently there are eight 5-star reviews and two 2-star (or 1-star?) reviews. The 2 "negative" reviews are by people who bought this sub with the expectation/need for speaker level inputs!

Like you, I am disappointed that JBL didn't "grab he bull by the horns" and start producing high performance subwoofers. However, my expectations for a 10" sealed sub are a good woofer to fill out the low frequencies for music, and that falls squarely within JBL's competencies! Anyone looking for LFE should look elsewhere.

Amazon reviews aren't all that model number accurate IME....Amazon invited me to answer questions on the 580 before I even bought them....and generally their reviews often mix model numbers among similar models IME.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Nice! Thanks for all the pics/info. That 10" driver is a bit more than I expected from JBL. As a JBL fan, I've been disappointed with their consumer subs over the years.

Anyone notice that the 550P also has speaker inputs on their site?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-series/SUB+550P.html

I wonder why they switched it to just RCA, or if maybe they are selling 2 versions.

I agree. Before I knew much better, I bought a jbl PB12. Like many, the amp died so I re powered it with another amp for use as an mbm. This is a pic of the jbl driver(which looks eerily similar to the ones in my mains) next to one of the tc sounds from a pc12+. It's what the jbl wants to be when it grows up. Lol!

 

[killdozzer]

Anyone notice that the 550P also has speaker inputs on their site?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-series/SUB+550P.html

I wonder why they switched it to just RCA, or if maybe they are selling 2 versions.

I think part number solves this little mystery:

P/N 353590 - 001 as in:
Detail:

• JBL Inc. Speaker Subwoofer
• Studio L Series
• Model L8400P
• Color: Black
• S/N 00A0253-01145
• PN. 353590-001
• 12" subwoofer
• 600-watt amplifier
• 120v - 60Hz
• Measures approx. 16 1/2" x 16 1/4" x 15 1/4"

That picture you linked belongs to a stronger model.