JBL LS Series Speakers

[admin]

The aesthetic quality of the new LS series of speakers can't be denied. The streak-ebony mahogany finish certainly catches the eye. There are lots of rounded edges and clean lines on these speakers which sort of distracts from the fact that they have essentially a rectangular box enclosure. But the horn loaded drivers and the emphasis on high end response (much past the range of human hearing) over low end (a ~$4k speaker that only dips down to 48Hz) leaves us a little puzzled.

Discuss "JBL LS Series Speakers" here. Read the article.

 

[PhilCohen]

Really available in the U.S.A.?

JBL introduced these speakers 2 years ago, but for marketing only outside the U.S.A., and on JBL's website, you will see that they are still not part of the company's U.S.A. product line.

The company seems reluctant to introduce anything new in this market. Even a 60th anniversary edition of the company's 1980's "ti" series speaker is being marketed only outside the U.S.A., and the overseas dealers who have it won't sell to American customers. That's a shame.

As for the LS series, your description of their deficient low frequency capabilities leave me less than impressed. Perhaps JBL's reluctance to offer the LS series in the U.S.A., is because they realise that, in the U.S.A., the market for speakers with horn-loaded drivers has long been dominated by(and probably always will be).....by Klipsch.

For now, I'm sticking with my existing JBL speakers(Four S312II, one S-Center & an S120PII subwoofer), picked up at a bargain price($1719) from J & R Music world. With five 12" woofers in my small(14" x 14") room, my system is certainly no slouch in the bass department.

 

[PhilCohen]

The latest update on JBL's LS series is this: JBL's revised website product listing for the U.S.A. now lists the LS series floorstanding speakers but not the LS center channel or LS subwoofer. JBL is apparently still wavering and waffling about whether to sell the LS series in North America.
The lack of deep bass capability in these floorstanding speakers makes them dubious for 2-channel set-ups, but JBL's unwillingness to offer the subwoofer or center channel speaker in North America rules them out for home theater use.
My advice to JBL: stop standing still creatively and resume marketing floorstanding speakers with 12" woofers in North America, and let we(the consumers) decided if we need deep bass capability in a floorstanding speaker.

 

[JerryLove]

One feature that JBL touts is that the crossovers in the LS80 and LS60 employ a unique 3-1/2-way crossover network that allows the woofers to operate in different frequency ranges

Perhaps there's an important nuanced difference, but I remember this as far back as the McIntosh XR19 (or was it 21?), where a portion of the bass went to both bass drivers and a (higher frequency) portion to only one to prevent comb filtering and localization problems.

 

[TLS Guy]

Perhaps there's an important nuanced difference, but I remember this as far back as the McIntosh XR19 (or was it 21?), where a portion of the bass went to both bass drivers and a (higher frequency) portion to only one to prevent comb filtering and localization problems.

Sounds to me as if JBL have just heard of the 2.5 way crossover, which has been in general use for about 30 years now! They look like a pretty horrid bore a whole in your head speaker to me. I bet good balance is not in their sonic signature. I never heard a JBL speaker I did not detest.

It is much cheaper to make HF units, than drivers with a decent bass response.
They would have been better off with one tweeter and bass drivers with a lower F3.

 

[3db]

The LS60 got a favourable review from these folks.

http://www.goodsound.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120:jbl-ls60-loudspeakers&catid=56:equipment-reviews&Itemid=37

I admit to being curious baout their sound and would like to compare them to Klipch.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

...a ~$4k speaker that only dips down to 48Hz...leaves us a little puzzled.

The $8K/pr Paradigm S8 response: –3-dB point is at 51 Hz.

The $9K/pr B&W 803D response: –3dB point is at 46 Hz.

Both measurements are from Home Theater Magazine.

But still, a lot of people feel that these speakers give them plenty of bass.

 

[Hasselhof]

I agree with AcuDefTechGuy.

For 2 channel music 48hz if for most people plenty. and as mentioned, some lauded speakers have similar data. For movie use 48 hz is not enough, but for that you would use a subwoofer typically.

I definitely believe that the LS series was made by JBL to be a Klipsch Killer, so it is strange that it is not aggressively marked in the US where Klipsch is a major player.