LSR 305 and 308 discontinued.............read below

[stunta]

It gets confusing with low-cost hi-fi equipment that "punches well above its weight class" (I am cringing as I type this cliche) in subjective listening tests. There is inherent expectation bias when listening to a pair of $300 active speakers. When it outperforms its price point, people tend to use adjectives that lean towards the superlative. Anything but a DBT is not going to help here.

 

[SPFC]

The only Revel speakers I have in hand right now are my Salon 2 towers so I don't think it makes relevant sense to compare it to them. At some point I will get a bookshelf Revel speaker to compare.

I must say, it is very difficult to convey subjective things like sound.

Thanks Amir. Now we want measurements! (of the speakers I mean, I know you have a 28 waist!)

 

[SPFC]

That is a good question.

I have the old LSR305s, and later added a LSR310 sub with my pair. I used them in a moderately large room for a time. Eventually replaced them with some Revel F12's. They stopped making these a couple years ago and replaced them with a better design.

I think highly of the LSR305s. The floor standing Revels which were $1500/pr new and passive speakers do however sound better to me. Both speakers seem to have similar good directional characteristics given how they work in the room. I have a hefty amp on the Revels. They seem to have better dynamics. The small speakers even with sub seem just a little sluggish by comparison. A little reigned in. The Revel's also seem to let fine detail in complex music flow forth easier. The smaller speakers when pushed seem to loose some clarity. Not terrible in that respect just in comparison. I mainly would think you are suffering from the smallness of the speaker. The F12s are a three way with a pair of 8 inch woofers, 5.25 mid-range and tweeter.

I do think the Revels are a bit sweeter more musical speaker than the monitor LSR305s.

Now these all ended up as my video system speakers. F12s right and left, LSR305 as rear surrounds and center. I did use the LSR310 sub. So on stereo music I actually have the F12 and the sub which does work well.

One other thing worth noting. The LSR305s work fine even at 4 feet distance as you would expect for a monitor. The floorstanding F12s really need to be 8 ft or more from you.

I would expect the newer Revels to be better though I haven't heard them.

I have a fair amount of experience with various audiophile speakers that cost much more. Both the Revels and the JBLs are somewhat startling in how good they are for such a modest cost.

Thanks, your comments are very helpful. I am thinking of upgrading my speakers soon (a pair of almost 20 years old Monitor Audio floorstanders) and am considering the Revel Concerta2 F36 in white (the looks will blend in nicely with my decor) or the Performa3 F206 also in white (don't like the looks as much as the new Concerta series plus a lot more expensive, but reports suggests it sounds slightly better). I just need to make up my mind in terms of sound difference, looks and price and choose one. Also open to to the JBL LSR 305/308s or the 205P/208Ps, but the reports coming in from Dr. Savage are not too promising. Whichever speakers I choose I will be crossing them over to a sub.

Based on your LCR, you don't notice a difference in sound between the horn loaded JBL center and the LR speakers?

 

[amirm]

What measurements do you guys like to see? Just on-axis at a few feet?

 

[DonH56]

On-axis, 30 and 60 deg off-axis, 1 m, of course. Be better in my room which is pretty close to an anechoic chamber. Distortion sweeps vs. frequency and power (do try to not blow them up). Impedance plots. You know, the usual stuff everyone wants when they aren't doing the work.

 

[Blumlein 88]

My little measurements in room say you get a better result at 1.5 meters than 1 meter.

But yeah, response, distortion and off axis 30 and 60 degrees would be nice. Using REW not too terrible. You could get all of that with 3 sweeps. And while your at it do what I have been too lazy to do. Take them outside so the room pollutes the results less.

 

[DonH56]

Actually 1 m and 2 m would be good... A number of speakers probably do not target 1 m as the point at which all the drivers are in phase though you'd think the little bookshelves and desktop monitors would be good. M2's, not so much...

 

[Blumlein 88]

Thanks, your comments are very helpful. I am thinking of upgrading my speakers soon (a pair of almost 20 years old Monitor Audio floorstanders) and am considering the Revel Concerta2 F36 in white (the looks will blend in nicely with my decor) or the Performa3 F206 also in white (don't like the looks as much as the new Concerta series plus a lot more expensive, but reports suggests it sounds slightly better). I just need to make up my mind in terms of sound difference, looks and price and choose one. Also open to to the JBL LSR 305/308s or the 205P/208Ps, but the reports coming in from Dr. Savage are not too promising. Whichever speakers I choose I will be crossing them over to a sub.

Based on your LCR, you don't notice a difference in sound between the horn loaded JBL center and the LR speakers?

The F36 which I haven't heard was the replacement for the F12 more or less.

I did hear a bit of difference between the 305 center and F12s. I don't know it has a horn sound. I don't see the JBL as being a horn so much as what they call it...a waveguide. The difference best I could tell wasn't really in the tweeter, but in the woofer midrange of the 305. Or perhaps the crossover between them. I found tilting the 305 slightly reduced the difference quite a bit. It wasn't terrible anyway. One had to try and hear it to be bothered by it.

It may be because the center speaker is about 18 inches (45 cm) lower than the tops of the F12s. I have a projection screen so cannot place the center speaker in line with the side speakers as far as height goes.

 

[12B4A]

Probably the only measurement that'd be very interesting to see is if they solved the 200hz resonance/rattling problem in the MKII. I'd be tempted to sell all of my 305s and refresh them with the MKIIs if they fixed that.

Edit: Blumlein, I remember reading Dr. Geddes had described the M2 waveguide as a "kinder, gentler diffraction horn."

 

[Sal1950]

What measurements do you guys like to see? Just on-axis at a few feet?

Max obtainable spl possible till just before the smoke comes out.

 

[amirm]

Max obtainable spl possible till just before the smoke comes out.

My wife is leaving town tomorrow so I can actually run such tests.

 

[Old Listener]

What measurements do you guys like to see? Just on-axis at a few feet?

Frequency response - On axis and 30 degrees off axis (horizontally) at distances of 0.5 meter, 1 meter, 2 meters, 2.5 meters and 3 meters.

The ones that matter most to me are the 0.5 and 3 meter measurements.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Maybe this is what Thomas needs to do with his 705P's.

Being in the UK, I wonder if this can replace the smoke in the JBL's.

We know this alternate part won't work as the grounding is wrong.

 

[Sal1950]

Maybe this is what Thomas needs to do with his 705P's.

Being in the UK, I wonder if this can replace the smoke in the JBL's.

Maybe send a jar to @dallasjustice ?

We know this alternate part won't work as the grounding is wrong.

Lucas, AKA The Prince of Darkness, as we in the motorcycle/auto world knew them.

 

[Soniclife]

Max obtainable spl possible till just before the smoke comes out.

With frequency sweeps if possible as well, be good to know how loud they go before the bass stops getting any louder.

 

[Thomas savage]

My wife is leaving town tomorrow so I can actually run such tests.

Yes turn up the hifi, I will send word out that your home alone and looking to party.. , expect guests and cover the sofas could get messy.

 

[SPFC]

Not sure if anyone has seen this video testing the waveguide of the first gen LSR308.

 

[amirm]

Not sure if anyone has seen this video testing the waveguide of the first gen LSR308.

I saw this a few days ago. I think the presenter is confused by what the waveguide is doing. The modifications to the guide (the wrinkled look) is so that it creates the precise directivity to match that of the woofer at transition. By doing so the off-axis response remains similar to on-axis. Since we hear the sum total of direct+indirect (even in near field listening), that makes for a better speaker.

A side effect of this may be that the tonal character of the speaker doesn't change as much/wider sweet spot but it is not the intended purpose.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

I saw this a few days ago. I think the presenter is confused by what the waveguide is doing. The modifications to the guide (the wrinkled look) is so that it creates the precise directivity to match that of the woofer at transition. By doing so the off-axis response remains similar to on-axis. Since we hear the sum total of direct+indirect (even in near field listening), that makes for a better speaker.

A side effect of this may be that the tonal character of the speaker doesn't change as much/wider sweet spot but it is not the intended purpose.

Actually you are confused. Not the maker of the video, they actually know what they are talking about. Who is talking about the modification, "the wrinkled look" of the guide. Oy! Here is the correct info as per JBL.

http://www.jblpro.com/www/jbl-story...ectivity/image-control-waveguide#.WnKtlXxG0Y0

 

[Thomas savage]

Actually you are confused. Not the maker of the video, they actually know what they are talking about. Who is talking about the modification, "the wrinkled look" of the guide. Oy! Here is the correct info as per JBL.

http://www.jblpro.com/www/jbl-story...ectivity/image-control-waveguide#.WnKtlXxG0Y0

Amirs feeling disoriented with his wife leaving ‘town’, he’s probably staring at the microwave overwhelmed by its potential functionality wondering what button to press in order to heat up the meal his mrs left him.