JBL

THE TRUE LEGENDARY JBL SOUND! It's among the most respected/emblematic models of the brand and it is still in their catalog after 20 years. Hundreds of sound engineers have worked their masters using the 4312, the most famous album mixed with them is Michael Jackson's Thriller. When it comes to sound reproduction, they are clear, clean, precise, with a very punchy and groovy low end, while the mids/highs lack, at the most, a bit of finesse compared to other speakers. SOUNDS A very proper and transparent sound, you can hear a fly passing by several feet away... Superb stereo image, airy and well-balanced. Two controls to adjust the mids and highs to the acoustics of the room. However, they lack some power to really move the 12" (white) woofer (ref 2213H), despite the 80W RMS, they need to be driven to the limits to sound best. The mid driver is a 5-incher, model LE-5. ref 2213H: WOOFER ref LE-5: MIDS ref LE 25: tweeter OVERALL OPINION I've had them since 2005 after dreaming about them for 30 years, I then bought the 4312A version, with titanium tweeter (ref 052TI) and the white JBL logo on a black background. I also bought 2 pairs of new woofers, as well as the tweeters, to have them as spare parts. Because these speakers are pretty sought-after by people in the know and their price is only going up, besides them being not easy to find. They are sold currently for about $1000/$1300, the first model. I love their musicality and attack. The lows are very round and warm, the mids are well-proportioned and the highs have that chiseled touch that I love! They are awesome for studio! And they are great as a HiFi system or for home cinema, too. However, they are not the best to listen to classical music. As for good amps to go with them, there are some Yamaha and Technics, but the best way to go is a tube MacIntosh! IT'S FOR THE JOY OF YOUR EARS AND YOUR WELL-BEING!! I would love to get the recently launched 4312E, but the pair sells for about $3300.

I was looking for small monitor speakers that were faithful enough and a good value for money. Pretty standard features: 2-way (5" + 1") near-field active speakers Power: 41W + 41W Class D amplifiers Max. SPL: 108 dB (C-weighted) Frequency response: 43 Hz - 24 kHz Thomann volume control EQ: LF (+2 dB / -2 dB), HF (+2 dB / -2 dB) Input: XLR and 1/4" jack Magnetically shielded Auto-bypass function Dimensions: 11.7" x 7.3" x 9.9". (298 x 185 x 251 mm) Weight: 10.1 lbs. (4.6 kg) SOUNDS I didn't test anything in particular, I only followed the reviews and read about them on the net. However, from a more subjective point of view, I have the right sound I need for mixing. The lows are reproduced well enough, despite the woofers being only 5" big, and the dynamics are well preserved. OVERALL OPINION I don't have enough experience with them yet, but they asked to write a review and here it is! I also have the HS50M, but it makes no sense to compare them, the JBL blow them away!! Much more transparent and you can tell they are better quality. I also have the ADAM A5 + SUB7, and I think the quality of the LSR305 is pretty close to the A5, without SUB. Will I push the boundaries so far as to find something better than the ADAM? Or something equivalent (to avoid making any enemies around here :) A small detail: There's some latency when you turn them on, they need some time to be really on, but it's not that annoying. It allows you to turn other gear on without any crackling if you forgot to do it before powering the speakers.

I'm a deejay and have been doing parties in Quebec for several years and I bought a couple of JBL515xt with 625 watts per box. They have an exceptional quality and an incredible power. They are perfect for a venue with 100 persons without a sub, I was able to use them at full power and when I touched the back of the amps, they didn't get hot at all. Equipped with the famous crown amps, they are solid, you get really round lows when you drive them to the max with Pitbull. A good choice, I recommend them, plus they only weigh some pounds.

The JBL Pro Control CM40's are a set of simple passive monitors that I've used for home audio purposes. I've got a pair of these in my house that are actually set up outside and connected to our main stereo system. I don't use them for any sort of professional audio purposes, as I've used them strictly for casual listening. These are pretty small speakers, making them easily mountable on a wall as we have them set up right now. They have speaker cable output connections in the back of it. SOUNDS As far as the sound quality is concerned, the JBL Pro Control CM40's don't sound half bad. They aren't the fullest sounding speakers out there, but for simple listening with the radio, your iPod, or on CD, these get the job done just fine. I haven't ever checked a mix on these or anything like that, as I really don't think that they are suitable for that kind of use in any capacity. I guess you could use them to A/B mixes, as most mixes will benefit from this on almost any speaker setting, but I've yet to do this with the CM40's so I can't really speak to this application of the speakers. OVERALL OPINION I honestly don't know much about the background of the JBL Pro CM40's, but they have served me well in a home audio setting. I can't say that I'd recommend these for anything other than listening in a home theater or stereo system setting, but for this type of use they work fine. They aren't the best sounding home speakers that I've heard by a long shot, but for a cheaper and smaller set of monitors, they're just fine. I wouldn't recommend seeking out a pair of the Control CM40's, but if you stumble upon them for a cheap enough price and need a pair of speakers for your home stereo, they'll definitely get the job done...

My L100t is a favorite two channel listening of mine. I’ve paired this with a Hafler XL-280/945 class a preamp. I stream with a BluOS streamer. Wiring is 10 gauge. This JBL throws a massive soundstage. They hit 20Hz-27KHz with bone jarring authority. There is no heaviness to the low end or mid bass. The mid to high end is similar across dozens of professional monitors and other JBL Series that utilize the two drivers. It’s so very smooth and free from fatigue. They are excellent for any type of music from Sabbath to Classic. Pipe organ is a kick. My pair had the crossovers reworked by a JBL Yoda from Lansing Heritage. The current L100t outclassed my stock L100T3 in every way. I’ll never part with them.

I picked up a pair used. I recovered the grills and cleaned them up from long storage. I’ve been powering these with a very powerful Rotel amp/preamp combination. Wiring is 10 gauge. Excellent soundstage. Wide, beautiful midrange and exceptional low end. I’ve paired this speaker with a HK Citation 7.4 sub that uses the excellent JBL LE-14H1 woofer, driven by a RBH SA-400 sub amp. Match made in heaven. My system is incredibly flat from 21 Hz- 27 KHz. Two channel listening is spellbinding. When used in my 5.1, I use JBL L20T3 for the rear channels. Remarkable system. I’ve use KEF, RBH Sound Reference, Definitive Tech, Hafler etc. these remain my go to system. Similar systems I own are JBL L200T3,L100t3,L80T3,L20t3,L100T, L80t, L20T, L1 through L7,Hafler 300, RBH Sound SX-T2/Reference, entire MC series, SV-61/Reference, 441-SE/Reference, 770-SE/Reference, SX-661/Reference, KEF 104/2, C80, Reference 107

These monitors sound good and we have used about every monitor made by man or machine. I would say they don't remind me of the old 4430 or 4435 the most impressive monitor ever made but they do have a great sound. I think all JBL's made today accentuate the low end compression too much and can be deceiving. These are a bit colored sounding. I would look into the Mackie monitors the MRK 2 for the money. I like flat monitors and the new line of JBL seems to be a bit to compressed sounding for a better word. There is not a real bump on the low end nor on the high end but overall I find it to be very hard to tell a real representation of my mix. I have heard other JBLs with the same coloring but these are better than some of the models I tested from 2005 to 2012 when buying monitors for my smaller rooms. I like the fact they do sound like an older JBL and that is unusual for a newer set of monitors. I have heard a great deal of the JBLs. I have 4430 and 4435's mounted in our sockets in our A studio and in our B studio and both have a great flat response. I always suggest when buying monitors you have to consider the room you are listening in and the acoustics or on most all cases you will be deceived by bad acoustics especially on the bass or low end. Bass enhancement is common place on the newer manufactured monitors so be careful. I would listen to these in a store and run some music that you have mixed. SOUNDS Great stereo imaging. Good clarity but a bit too punchy. When I say punchy I don't mean low end around 20 or 30hz. The effects are a bit too smooth for my liking and that is the case with any newer monitor. I have not found a solid pair that don't mess with the effects a bit. This is also on the user, some mix with a great deal of effects so any monitor along with a poor room can mess with your head. These monitors did not strike me as having any special bad misrepresentation of any effect "tails" or roll offs of any highs or lows on the effects. I found the speakers to have very good grades on the clarity. They were very clear and crisp. I think that if you are looking for speakers with an high end budget I would look into a store that would let you try them out on your credit card and take them back in exchange for another pair. Just to be on the safe side. OVERALL OPINION If I were spending the money I would buy an old pair of NS10M Yamaha's over this speaker to mix on. They are a bit colored but if you want to impress your clients this speaker will suffice and then some. They are clean and crisp and have a JBL sound as only JBL can do. I love JBL but I like JBL's that require power and are really flat from 20-20. www.chrislieckstudios.com

The EON518S delivers great sounding bass out of its Class D power amp. It has a switchable high pass filter and 500 watts of power. This subwoofer is very portable and it really is not that big at all. The EON series of speakers from JBL are very reliable but they are not my favorite ones that they have come out with mainly because at high volumes they do not sound as good. But these are the more affordable subs from JBL so you will not get the best sound that you would on the higher end ones. This sub can be pole mounted or used as a main on the floor. It has plenty of headroom and sounds great in a smaller sized space. On music with a lot of lower tones and pulsating bass it will sound great. I have been using this sub for over a year now and I love using it for smaller spaces because it is a lot easier to transport than my main woofers. That was the main reason that I purchased this in the first place. I did not want to take my main woofers out all of the time just for smaller venues and smaller spaces. I can easily get this in and out of my truck with my other speakers and get it inside the club. This is the perfect woofer for a gigging musician who does not have a crew with him to help with gear. You will be able to take this woofer with you wherever you need to be at and do it all yourself without having to worry about lugging around a lot of weight. If you want more power you can easily daisy chain these together, so that later one if you grow you will not have to repurchase another woofer. This is a must have for a solo gigging musician with limited space and help!

The JBL Pro PRX 618S is a 1,000 watt active subwoofer that has a really low response. Anyone who needs to have that really low bass for their show; this is the sub to get. It sounds great in small and larger spaces and when paired with the right speaker cabinets it gives an all around complete sound that is very full and rich. The woofer is 18 inches which was bigger than the woofer that I was using before it, I was not sure how much the size would matter because in most situations when I comes to a woofer a few inches will not make that much of a difference. So it was not the size of this woofer that makes me love it, it is the frequency range and how it handles the low bass. This sub weighs around 80 pounds which is not bad considering it is an 18 inch and sounds great. It has 2 XLR outputs and 2 XLR or ¼ inputs. It is self powered and can be mounted on a pole. Most of the artist that I know that recommended me get this subwoofer told me they think it sounds better on a pole so that is the way that we have used it the most. The price of this speaker was a little on the high side but if you want a great sound you will have to pay for it. I made my original purchase of the JBL PRX618S in 2011 and since then I have purchased another one. These are now being used as our main subs for most of the shows that we run. This sub is truly one of the best on the market, and compared to high end subs the price really isn’t that bad. This sub is a must have for anyone who is a live performer or runs the audio set ups for clubs and venues.

The JBL Pro 4408As are a set of passive studio monitors that I've used in a radio broadcast control room. I haven't used these in a traditional recording studio setting, which is where I'm generally used to working. They can however be used in a variety of settings without a doubt. I don't know what kind of power amplifier was being used with these when I was listening on them, but it will indeed require an external power amplifier since they are passive monitors. SOUNDS I was definitely impressed with the sound of the JBL Pro 4408As. While I didn't use them for critical listening or mixing, right off the bat I could tell that they had a full sound. We were using them for listening to the radio broadcast that included both music and speech. It was absolutely a pleasant listening experience as I could hear the full range of frequencies well, including a good amount of low end. Judging from doing simple listening on them, I'd definitely say that they'd be suitable for use as near field monitors in a recording studio, but I can't say how well they would work for mixing or other applications where you would need to do more critical listening that what I was doing. OVERALL OPINION I haven't seen the JBL Pro 4408As in any professional recording studios, but I'm sure that some studios out there do have them since they have a great sound and are designed for both use in recording and broadcast studios. The price is about right for a nice sounding set of monitors like this, but again since I haven't used these during critical listening situations I can't say how they would compare to other studio monitors in this price range. JBL has a great reputation for making high quality studio monitors, so in no way was I surprised by the great sound that the 4408As have. I'd recommend jotting these down on your list of mid range priced studio monitors if you're in the market for some.

The JBL LSR 2328 P is a bi-amped powered studio monitor that is very affordable and has a clean design. They have a frequency response of 44 hz – 18 kHz with a low frequency extension of 37 Hz. There are controls on them for input level, low frequency adjust and high frequency adjust. They are not very big standing only 15.5 inches tall and 10 inches wide. But they have a nice weight to them (almost 30 pounds). They can be mounted though I just had them on my workstation table top and they still sounded great without any acoustic treatment under them. SOUNDS The sound quality is very clean, the low end is pretty tight but can get to be too much when turned up to high volumes so most of the time I would only mix the low end at very low volumes to get it as clean as I possibly could. OVERALL OPINION If the low end sound was a little cleaner when turned up to high volumes I would say that these are some of the best speakers you can get in this price range but that is where I feel like they differ from the KRK G2 speakers. The sounds are almost identical except for the low end and especially at high volumes you can hear a huge difference. If you are going to spend the money to have these monitors I suggest just getting the G2’s from KRK because you will have a way better sound on the low end. Unless the low end isn’t that important to you. The speaker itself has a nice finish on it and looks great in the studio being a matte/metallic black. It does not scratch easily either and will keep its shine throughout the time the user has it. I like these speakers a lot just not the low end when turned up.

The JBL PRX625 is a dual 15 inch speaker system (active) that has a pretty high price tag on it compared to other brands with the same specs. The difference is that this is a JBL speaker and you will be paying for quality, and quality you will get! These speakers are beautifully made and are easy to carry due to the built in handles on the side of the speakers. The outer shell of the speakers is made with more of a shiny finish and it will not scratch easy. The JBL PRX625 has a D class Crown digital amplifier with 1500 watts of power. It has XLR line input and a ¼ microphones or instrument input on it as well. I purchase these speakers back in 2011 and I have used them a lot of times since then. These are some of my main speakers that get used the most. One issue that does happen with these speakers is that they have a tendency to “overheat”. If they over heat a lot it can cause serious damage to your speakers so purchasing a protection plan from your vendor will be a great investment. If they do over heat sometimes it is due to a cable that is having a polarity issue. That was the issue we had and after we switched cables it never happened again. But I have heard stories from other users that have had major overheating issues that damaged the speaker permanently. The sound of these speakers is great, they have a lot of bass and they hit pretty hard in the club which fits perfectly into the style of music that I work with. I currently use these in smaller to medium sized clubs about 5 times a month. Every since that cable got switched the overheating issue got resolved and now they have no issues and an amazing sound.