Yep, having that bottom plate via either the grill or the insert is part of the structure and not just aesthetic. Performance is altered with out it.
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JBL Studio 590 Speaker Review
- Thread starter amirm
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Amir if you have time can you remeasure the speaker with grille or the horn cover on? The chance is slim that the speaker gets measured again by someone else. I’m sure a lot of us are waiting for this review for so long and we will appreciate it big time 
If just for the curiosity of seeing the impact of it
If just for the curiosity of seeing the impact of it
F1308
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They should, but most probably they never will, as far as even the most credited reviewers keep saying "astounding value for the price"..." astounding value for the asking price"..." astounding value for the price I grabbed them for".
F1308
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Please, what is the purpose of that cover ?
Thank you.
F1308
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Both options look great to me.
I am about to place four units: a pair undressed and a pair grilled, sounding simultaneously.
Now, pay utmost attention, listen carefully and say what you like your best, the undressed orchestral percussion or the grilled orchestral percussion. Take your time...
May be taikos are best if grilled, adding some more skin to the wave....
And timbals are greatly benefited when undressed, showing its air, opened rattle.
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My take on the product, the distortion at 2kHz seems pretty unnecessary (likewise the 8kHz blip) when you compare it to many other products, and doesn't seem like it should be the hard part to get right, seeing as the bass distortion is good. Frequency response looks good, and looks fixable to almost perfect with EQ. For the sale price they're good, but too expensive when not on sale I'd say.
F1308
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So it is a bad performing loudspeaker, with issues a renamed maker should have avoided.
I don't know if there's some unit to unit variation issues going on with some of them, I've got the 308p Mkii and my pair don't seem to have the 2kHz distortion problem, following are 2 speakers measured at 3.8m at 88.4dB (at 1kHz) which if I remember rightly is the equivalent or near equivalent ofOh, it’s much worse than only these two:
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… I didn’t bother looking further back, but these are about 80% of JBL speakers tested in that timeframe…
All have issues with lower tweeter frequencies, some worse than others. This is the first thing I check whenever I see a new JBL review, and I’m rarely positively surprised regarding this aspect.
To me the 2kHz distortion problem of the JBL studio 590 should be an avoidable problem.
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F1308
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Distance Attenuation Calculator
The distance attenuation calculator finds how the sound level in dB decreases with distance from the sound source.
88.4 dB at 3.8 meters.
100 dB at 1 meter.
96 dB at 1.584 meters
94 dB at 1.993 meters.
But I also have 2 speakers measured there vs one, so you have to subtract the influence of an additional speaker. But even so I thought I remembered when I calculated that it wasn't anymore than 96dB....it depends how accurate your online calculator there is.Distance Attenuation Calculator
The distance attenuation calculator finds how the sound level in dB decreases with distance from the sound source.www.omnicalculator.com
88.4 dB at 3.8 meters.
100 dB at 1 meter.
F1308
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I know, just went searching...quickly.
I am assuming a source, then a decay...
Yep, actually, you're right, I googled my post I did last year when I was measuring my distortion and for some unholy reason I had based my calculations on 2.8m listening distance (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...eview-professional-monitor.20006/post-1618456 ), but I'm actually at 3.8m listening distance (measured just now) - I must have had a complete brain fart that day when I worked out an equivalent of about 94dB at 1m. So we'll take your 100dB and subtract 3dB for taking it down from 2 to 1 speaker - so my distortion measurements in my prior post are equivalent of 97dB at 1m! (Yes, so distortion still ok at 2kHz on those JBL 308p Mkii).
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F1308
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I stare at those numbers.
For me, anything above 85 dB at my ears is absolutely a no go.
Above that my ears ring, unless I am hearing the real thing, to my astonishment.
Yes, 85 dB seems to be a limit for my ears when
hearing a loudspeaker, but I have found no limit so far when I got close to a pipe organ, a trumpet, a saxophone, a cello...very curious.
Distortion involved ?
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Did you listen and compare?
Huh?
Great to see this review, thanks @amirm. But I must say I am surprised by some of these measurements. I have not heard (and some should certainly be audible) many of the issues that are shown by these measurements. Not sure what to think of it, a bit of cognitive dissonance. I will say I have noticed some of the resonances, but not a major issue for my ears and do not at all detract from the enjoyment of this design. As many may be aware from the now defunct $30k thread, I have a pair of the 590s and have been stunned at the performance. And as many also are aware, I have auditioned a LOT of speakers past year or so and the 590s hold their own in many aspects. Are they my end game? No, but especially for the sale price (paid $760 for my pair!), they are a no brainer for a large floorstander.
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I think so. I have a system that goes very loud. And very low distortion. I think they're different sides of the same coin. Now admittedly it's a much larger (and uglier) speaker than any speaker reviewed here at ASR (think Neumann KH420 dimensions but twice as high)
But it sounds effortless at 85dB. It sounds "softer" than a small speaker playing at 85dB.
For speakers the size of a shoebox, well if I play at an average SPL of 85dB... well the sound of distortion is "loud" .. "uncomfortable" or "turn that down!". It doesn't "sound like distortion"
I once measured my son's trumpet or drum kit hit 106+dB peaks for fractions of a second. Most bookshelf speakers; (or amplifiers driving them) are well into clipping at this SPL. And I know what you mean about live music. It gets even louder! I just came back from a gig last night... I measured instantaneous dynamic peaks of 113dB at my listening position, and there were people MUCH closer to the performers than me!
My bet is that if Amir ever got a chance to measure his Salon 2, he'd also say why they sound so big.
He'd measure 86dB, 96dB @1m with very little distortion.
He'd have to wind it up a little more. 106dB would still be low.
Maybe around 109-110dB @1m we would see something alarming (high distortion over a wide spread of frequencies) on the distortion graph.
This is dynamic range. Or freedom from distortion. That the spinorama/CTA2034 doesn't fully characterize. ASR could certainly lead the way with this.
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