The active speakers club

[drummerman]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality.
Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all.
For the price a bargin.
anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

But the looks ... the looks.

They look like they've fallen out of a (big) Xmas cracker.

White looks better imho.

 

[lpv]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality. Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all. For the price a bargin. anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

I dont think these jbl's are well balanced speakers..

pump too much bass from 5 inch driver and the midrange suffers as a result

 

[Vladimir]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality. Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all. For the price a bargin. anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

I dont think these jbl's are well balanced speakers..

pump too much bass from 5 inch driver and the midrange suffers as a result

100% true. Absence of a piano lacquer finish generates a terribly dull midrange.

 

[drummerman]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality. Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all. For the price a bargin. anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

I dont think these jbl's are well balanced speakers..

pump too much bass from 5 inch driver and the midrange suffers as a result

Did you have them on isolation feet on the desk or free standing?

 

[Vladimir]

You have these paired with a sub with a high pass filter at 80Hz right? This is their best setting.

 

[Andrewjvt]

You have these paired with a sub with a high pass filter at 80Hz right? This is their best setting.

Im still trying to get the perfect setup with phase and volume - by ear and no measurement tools but yes running an 12 inch atc sl c4 sub.

I dont always switch it on and much better for movies but it really gives a better kick.

 

[Vladimir]

But the JBLs are still playing full range or they cut off at 80Hz?
I'm not familiar with that subs features.

 

[lpv]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality. Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all. For the price a bargin. anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

I dont think these jbl's are well balanced speakers..

pump too much bass from 5 inch driver and the midrange suffers as a result

Did you have them on isolation feet on the desk or free standing?

I've heard Andrew's jbl's.. on stands

 

[lpv]

But the JBLs are still playing full range or they cut off at 80Hz? I'm not familiar with that subs features.

think about it: can u control what's coming to monitors from a sub?

question is: can u cut off monitors at 80Hz on Benchmark? I've heard it's a well equipped device so maybe..?

 

[Vladimir]

But the JBLs are still playing full range or they cut off at 80Hz? I'm not familiar with that subs features.

think about it: can u control what's coming to monitors from a sub? 

question is: can u cut off monitors at 80Hz on Benchmark? I've heard it's a well equipped device so maybe..?

The matching active sub JBL LSR310 has that feature to connect to the source and then send signal trough a high pass filter to the monitors. Result is bass being done by the sub and rest by the monitors. You get better, cleaner sound and goes louder.
If you simply play a sub in paralel to the fullrange JBLs you gain nothing except some butt shakes for movies.

 

[lpv]

mmm... so you are familiar with 'that sub features'

 

[Vladimir]

mmm... so you are familiar with 'that sub features' 

Not familiar if the aforementioned ATC sub has it.

 

[lpv]

I don't think atc sub got any outputs to send signal back to the monitors as jbl sub can do

 

[Vladimir]

I don't think atc sub got any outputs to send signal back to the monitors as jbl sub can do

Standalone 2.1 studio setups have it all. Example the matching sub for the Yamaha HS series actives. I guess the ATC sub is for HT use where frequency range is delegated by the surround processor / AVR.

 

[Andrewjvt]

I don't think atc sub got any outputs to send signal back to the monitors as jbl sub can do

Standalone 2.1 studio setups have it all. Example the matching sub for the Yamaha HS series actives. I guess the ATC sub is for HT use where frequency range is delegated by the surround processor / AVR.

No the jbls are full range and the atc cant (as far as im aware) cant do it.

As atc are against not running their monitors full range anyway.

It still sounds good.
A muse track on showbiz really hits hard with bass and drums on the intro.

Generally they intergrate pretty well but id rather just run sub for ht and have larger monitors (in the future)

 

[Vladimir]

I don't think atc sub got any outputs to send signal back to the monitors as jbl sub can do

Standalone 2.1 studio setups have it all. Example the matching sub for the Yamaha HS series actives. I guess the ATC sub is for HT use where frequency range is delegated by the surround processor / AVR.

No the jbls are full range and the atc cant (as far as im aware) cant do it.

As atc are against not running their monitors full range anyway.

It still sounds good.
A muse track on showbiz really hits hard with bass and drums on the intro.

Generally they intergrate pretty well but id rather just run sub for ht and have larger monitors (in the future)

I was just curious. Thanks.

 

[Andrewjvt]

I don't think atc sub got any outputs to send signal back to the monitors as jbl sub can do

Standalone 2.1 studio setups have it all. Example the matching sub for the Yamaha HS series actives. I guess the ATC sub is for HT use where frequency range is delegated by the surround processor / AVR.

No the jbls are full range and the atc cant (as far as im aware) cant do it.

As atc are against not running their monitors full range anyway.

It still sounds good.
A muse track on showbiz really hits hard with bass and drums on the intro.

Generally they intergrate pretty well but id rather just run sub for ht and have larger monitors (in the future)

I was just curious. Thanks.

I actually never really wanted a sub but was an impulse buy as was so cheap.

 

[drummerman]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality. Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all. For the price a bargin. anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

I dont think these jbl's are well balanced speakers..

pump too much bass from 5 inch driver and the midrange suffers as a result

 

Did you have them on isolation feet on the desk or free standing?

I've heard Andrew's jbl's.. on stands

Apart from possible room issues the cheap cabinet construction, thin mdf/no bracing could play part in it.

One could easily remedy that but it may take away the non-fatiguing balance.

They clearly made well considered compromises, no surprises for the small money they cost.

 

[Vladimir]

Just had another longish listen this morning and again amazed by the sound quality. Crystal clear vocals and nice tone balance bass well defined. Long listen sessions do not give fatigue at all. For the price a bargin. anyone want cheap quality sound or a 2nd system - ideal

I dont think these jbl's are well balanced speakers..

pump too much bass from 5 inch driver and the midrange suffers as a result

 

Did you have them on isolation feet on the desk or free standing?

I've heard Andrew's jbl's.. on stands

Apart from possible room issues the cheap cabinet construction, thin mdf/no bracing could play part in it.

One could easily remedy that but it may take away the non-fatiguing balance.

They clearly made well considered compromises, no surprises for the small money they cost.

People have done that and reported back zero sonic improvements, audible or measurable.
Only cabinet cheapnes related issue is the resonance arround 200Hz from the back plate, which is paper thin. All desktop monitors sub $1500 have this. It's easy to remedy, but again no holistic night and day improvements. Only when hiting that note with a single instrument a musician will notice it's slightly off.
Where the sound character comes from is lack of distortion, neutral sound on all axis and good driver integration. It is a sound rarely heard in hifi or cheap studio monitors. Admitedly not as exciting as many less well engineered kit.
To enjoy good sound for little money one has to accept the cheapness as something unrelated to performance.

Harman audience tested these 305s paired with the 310 sub and they score extremely bad in sighted tests, and extremely well in unsighted tests, outperforming much more expensive and exotic floorstanders. Their flaw is that they cant go as loud.

 

[Pedro]

I don't own ATCs. It must be another Pedro. Well, we're millions of Pedros here in the Iberian Peninsula (I'm from Portugal)

My main system is Naim/Neat and I was thinking about those JBLs for another room

I do now. This morning I went to dealer to demo a pair of SCM11s and after a couple of tracks I just fell in love with them.

Two Pedros, both ATC owners. Less confusing now.

 

[Vladimir]

I don't own ATCs. It must be another Pedro. Well, we're millions of Pedros here in the Iberian Peninsula (I'm from Portugal)

My main system is Naim/Neat and I was thinking about those JBLs for another room

I do now. This morning I went to dealer to demo a pair of SCM11s and after a couple of tracks I just fell in love with them.

Two Pedros, both ATC owners. Less confusing now.

Haha that is pretty cool! Congrats on the new pets. *drinks*

 

[Pedro]

I don't own ATCs. It must be another Pedro. Well, we're millions of Pedros here in the Iberian Peninsula (I'm from Portugal)

My main system is Naim/Neat and I was thinking about those JBLs for another room

I do now. This morning I went to dealer to demo a pair of SCM11s and after a couple of tracks I just fell in love with them.

Two Pedros, both ATC owners. Less confusing now.

Haha that is pretty cool! Congrats on the new pets. *drinks*

Thanks Vladimir!

They're brilliant

 

[Andrewjvt]

I don't own ATCs. It must be another Pedro. Well, we're millions of Pedros here in the Iberian Peninsula (I'm from Portugal)

My main system is Naim/Neat and I was thinking about those JBLs for another room

 

I do now. This morning I went to dealer to demo a pair of SCM11s and after a couple of tracks I just fell in love with them.

Two Pedros, both ATC owners. Less confusing now.

Haha that is pretty cool! Congrats on the new pets. *drinks*

Thanks Vladimir!

They're brilliant

What amp drive them with do you?

 

[Pedro2]

On your new SCM11s. They are great speakers and will serve you well I'm sure. Congratulations to your country on its winning entry last night at Eurovision too! Only caught the end when the votes were being counted as it's not really my thing but thought the song was rather poignant and sweetly sung. Made me nostalgic for the EU even before we've left......

 

[Vladimir]

Eeeewwwwwwww