Where is JBL going?
- Thread starter WaynerN
- Start date
Decibel_116
AK Subscriber
Does anyone know how a pair of the new JBL Studio 580 speakers would compare to a set of vintage Thiel CS3.5 speakers?
bshorey
Super Member
I think there's a big difference between letting a brand die, and letting it continue as is. Every big company is run by business people trying to turn a profit. It's inevitable that they will look at opportunities to consolidate across brands, which at some point turns into a badge engineering effort. Do I really need an individual 12" driver for each of my speaker brands, or at some point can I just pick one, stick a label on it for whatever box it's going into, etc.
It's tough to watch beloved brands go this way, but when you become part of a larger parent company it's the way things are. It happens in every industry.
bs
nyhifihead
Well-Known Member
the potential for development of great products is there- crown XLS series in recent years have a cult like following and I see them everywhere, and this is still when crown/HK/jbl was a loose conglomerate
As far as production of speakers the average person can afford that have an edge over the established value brands (elac/tekton/etc) I wouldn't hold your breath
As far as production of speakers the average person can afford that have an edge over the established value brands (elac/tekton/etc) I wouldn't hold your breath
AudioGeek
too hip to function
I haven't heard a pair of Thiels since the '90s, so it would be hard to say. I can say that I like the 590s sound better overall than the B&W Nautilus 803s I owned previously if that's any indication, and you don't need something like the Thiel's line-level EQ unit to get decent 40Hz response (though I do use an EQ).
WaynerN
Addicted Member
I really worked on the new JBLs today. Oddly to make things sound correctly, I had to reverse the phase of the surround speakers....no big deal. So I put on a CD (Camel - Coming of Age) and cranked them up for the first time. OMG!!!! They certainly deserve to stand along side of the Martin Logans.
Here are some observations. First, there is a guy on u tube that did a 33 minute review (and said absolutely nothing) about the 590s. He made some statements that are complete BS. First off:
JBLs can play very softly.
The compression driver is not harsh (if it is, its your source)
They have a huge "sweet spot" so you can share with your sweetie.
With even a modest sub, the 580s have more then enough guts to make glory.
It's the symbiotic driver in these speakers that make them special. They are clear, fast and dynamic. It's blend with the smaller ( and fast) 6.5" dual mid/bass drivers make the speakers "attack", in a very scary (but realistic) way. As a musician myself, the 580s made guitars sound real, drums sound real, Hammond organs with Lesilies sound real. Stuff is floating in the air.
The plus for me is that the 580s are rated at 6 ohms. That makes the power output of my older Sunfire II at about 500 watts RMS per channel. Powerful, dynamic, clean and fast. They are perhaps better then my MLs.
I'm impressed anyway.
Here are some observations. First, there is a guy on u tube that did a 33 minute review (and said absolutely nothing) about the 590s. He made some statements that are complete BS. First off:
JBLs can play very softly.
The compression driver is not harsh (if it is, its your source)
They have a huge "sweet spot" so you can share with your sweetie.
With even a modest sub, the 580s have more then enough guts to make glory.
It's the symbiotic driver in these speakers that make them special. They are clear, fast and dynamic. It's blend with the smaller ( and fast) 6.5" dual mid/bass drivers make the speakers "attack", in a very scary (but realistic) way. As a musician myself, the 580s made guitars sound real, drums sound real, Hammond organs with Lesilies sound real. Stuff is floating in the air.
The plus for me is that the 580s are rated at 6 ohms. That makes the power output of my older Sunfire II at about 500 watts RMS per channel. Powerful, dynamic, clean and fast. They are perhaps better then my MLs.
I'm impressed anyway.
Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
T
Folks looking for an $800 pair of speakers are going to be hard pressed to do better. Buy them while they are still available......
Regards
Mister Pig
These aren't your grandpa's horns. That old stereotype of harshness and ringing is not relevant to this generation of speakers. They are dynamic, detailed, expressive, and very very very neutral.
Folks looking for an $800 pair of speakers are going to be hard pressed to do better. Buy them while they are still available......
Regards
Mister Pig
Zonker92
All shiny and chrome
Yeah, well, I'm doing a lot of Googling now. Reviews, images, specs, prices, details etc. I wish they were blowing out the wood grained models; they actually look quite nice. Tomorrow I may try to find someone at Harman's eBay sales department and ask if they have any lying around ...
restorer-john
Addicted Member
I think I prefer the black.
Sounds like an $800 bargain of the century if you ask me.
Sounds like an $800 bargain of the century if you ask me.
WaynerN
Addicted Member
While the 590s get a bit better reviews, they are also much larger and much heavier, like 50" tall and 70 lbs. I also don't listen to music that loud and had an existing sub-woofer, so the extra everything of the 590 wasn't needed.
Zonker92
All shiny and chrome
I see what you mean; big size difference. The 590s are huge!
The few reviews I've found have been brief and vague; no real testing or analysis. One negative comment I keep seeing is that the plastic feet are total shyte, and often break in shipping; just held on with wood screws. Sounds like an easy upgrade, though.
The few reviews I've found have been brief and vague; no real testing or analysis. One negative comment I keep seeing is that the plastic feet are total shyte, and often break in shipping; just held on with wood screws. Sounds like an easy upgrade, though.
