JBL 308P MKII Studio Monitor Review

[Robbo99999]

Hello, how do you use these (eq) settings?
My connection is TV+DAC+308P Mkıı.
A 30 m2 room and listening position is 7 feet. I prefer House Music and I like bass.

Flipping HF Trim Switch to -2dB (minus 2dB) will make the speaker more Anechoically Flat which we know because I measured the effect of the HF Trim Switch and when applied to Amir's anechoic measurements of the speaker it does make it more anechoically flat. Here's the post where I measured the effect of the HF Trim Switch:

JBL 308P MKII Studio Monitor Review

Got it. :)

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Jake C]

It's hard to believe JBL got this 8 inch woofer/mid responding so much more smoothly than the 6 inch or 5 inch versions of the same series. The distortion levels at higher volumes are a shame, but you can't expect miracles at this price point.

 

[Jake C]

From @MZKM:

Preference Rating
SCORE: 5.6
SCORE w/sub: 7.4

Frequency response: +/-3.2dB 45Hz-20kHz

Is this with the matching JBL Sub? Thanks!

 

[staticV3]

Is this with the matching JBL Sub? Thanks!

The frequency response numbers are for the 308P only.

The score w/ sub is a simulated score with an idealized, perfect sub to give flawless LFX.
Not any specific subwoofer model.

 

[SlaughterX]

Just bought a pair of these for studio monitors... think I will add the subwoofer too.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Just bought a pair of these for studio monitors... think I will add the subwoofer too.

Not enough bass?

 

[Jake C]

Not enough bass?

I can't speak for SlaughterX, but the bass is tight and deep enough for me. However, adding the Sub would give the mains more headroom and lower the distortion in the bass. Low bass distortion when the monitors are pushed is one of the negative items shown in the measurements. Myself, I don't need high volume so it's not an issue.

 

[Robbo99999]

Not enough bass?

I ran these for a long time with just a +5dB Low Shelf boost along with RoomEQ in the bass, so that helped the bass extension a little - they were good like that, but I've got a subwoofer now which I subjectively liked the sound improvement after blocking the ports in the speakers and using the sub to takeover the low end duty. I also actually really enjoyed using these speakers with just an Anechoic Flat EQ and without using any Room EQ (also before I got a sub), and that gave me so much freedom in the room to not care where I was listening from & actually sounded best throughout the room & house like that - I miss that a bit, no nonsense / no hassle. My setup with the sub probably sounds better now at my listening position though. Don't think you really need a sub with these though, not strictly.

 

[SlaughterX]

Not enough bass?

Never enough bass

 

[Xaviedie]

Never enough bass

Sorry for my English (translation) (I'm French)

You need to install thin absorbing panels on the wall behind your speakers. In order to combat the SBIR (it's very important to avoid having a comb curve in your room)

If not, you can have the best speakers in the world, if your room is not treated, or badly treated, you will not hear the sound of your speakers, but of the walls of your room.

The JBL MKII doesn't go very low with an 8" speaker, that means it will do a lot of damage in a small room if it is not treated seriously in the low frequencies (you will need at least 400mm wideband bass traps in the back corners of the room, you can't go wrong in the corners, that's where the energy of the bass waves ends/crosses in the room.

After that, don't forget to treat the early lateral reflections, ceilings + install diffusers on the ceilings and back wall of your room at least => you will have a sound more faithful to your speakers largely.

There is no point in talking about speaker performance speakers if your room is not treated. You will hear the walls of your room sooner.

If you want to hear your JBLs, install them outside, where there is no wall and you will see the difference compared to the inside (wall)

 

[Xaviedie]

Never enough bass

Your speakers are not well placed in your room (configuration), after on the photo. Not balanced on this side of the wall.
We can distinguish the right place to install your speakers in order to have the most neutral responses with room measurements.

It is not always obvious, in this case install on the length of the room, preferably (if possible), install the speakers on a full width wall. And symmetrical orient at 60 degrees towards the listener.
With the acoustics it should largely allow to hear the speakers better with the direct reflections of the tweeters.

We do not put speakers on desks, but on stands, no need to repeat the nonsense of what you see in other home studios and company..
If possible, widen the distance of the speakers more and for stereophony, and move the table away from the speakers so that the waves of early reflections do not bounce on it, and reach you later

Always favor the acoustics before the speakers.

[This speaker does not lack bass] I have owned the Genelec 8030C without a subwoofer, and the limit is felt, whereas before I owned JBL 308MKII which gave me more pleasure when watching movies for example (without a subwoofer), ..
The advantage of the JBL 308 mKII is that you do not need a subwoofer in medium-sized rooms, especially since the subwoofer will cause more wave problems.. it is largely sufficient in a living room. We have enough information without a subwoofer, much more than the Genelec 8030C which will be great, but with a more limited message.
The subwoofer is not mandatory with the JBL in a small room of 16 square meters

I greatly appreciated the Genelec 8030C, then sold, today, I take back JBL 308 MKII xD

 

[Robbo99999]

Sorry for my English (translation) (I'm French)

You need to install thin absorbing panels on the wall behind your speakers. In order to combat the SBIR (it's very important to avoid having a comb curve in your room)

If not, you can have the best speakers in the world, if your room is not treated, or badly treated, you will not hear the sound of your speakers, but of the walls of your room.

The JBL MKII doesn't go very low with an 8" speaker, that means it will do a lot of damage in a small room if it is not treated seriously in the low frequencies (you will need at least 400mm wideband bass traps in the back corners of the room, you can't go wrong in the corners, that's where the energy of the bass waves ends/crosses in the room.

After that, don't forget to treat the early lateral reflections, ceilings + install diffusers on the ceilings and back wall of your room at least => you will have a sound more faithful to your speakers largely.

There is no point in talking about speaker performance speakers if your room is not treated. You will hear the walls of your room sooner.

If you want to hear your JBLs, install them outside, where there is no wall and you will see the difference compared to the inside (wall)

Your speakers are not well placed in your room (configuration), after on the photo. Not balanced on this side of the wall.
We can distinguish the right place to install your speakers in order to have the most neutral responses with room measurements.

It is not always obvious, in this case install on the length of the room, preferably (if possible), install the speakers on a full width wall. And symmetrical orient at 60 degrees towards the listener.
With the acoustics it should largely allow to hear the speakers better with the direct reflections of the tweeters.

We do not put speakers on desks, but on stands, no need to repeat the nonsense of what you see in other home studios and company..
If possible, widen the distance of the speakers more and for stereophony, and move the table away from the speakers so that the waves of early reflections do not bounce on it, and reach you later

Always favor the acoustics before the speakers.

[This speaker does not lack bass] I have owned the Genelec 8030C without a subwoofer, and the limit is felt, whereas before I owned JBL 308MKII which gave me more pleasure when watching movies for example (without a subwoofer), ..
The advantage of the JBL 308 mKII is that you do not need a subwoofer in medium-sized rooms, especially since the subwoofer will cause more wave problems.. it is largely sufficient in a living room. We have enough information without a subwoofer, much more than the Genelec 8030C which will be great, but with a more limited message.
The subwoofer is not mandatory with the JBL in a small room of 16 square meters

I greatly appreciated the Genelec 8030C, then sold, today, I take back JBL 308 MKII xD

I just wanted to bring up a couple of points related to what you're saying in those two posts to him. I don't really agree that you should listen to your JBL speakers outside in order to know what they should sound like because speakers for how we measure them here are mainly designed to be listened to in a room, you're not supposed to try to replicate what they would sound like when listened to outside. I mean that's what the Harman Speaker Curve is about in terms of how Anechoic Flat Speakers behave in a good listening room. It's arguable that music creators are designing music that sounds best on Anechoic Flat Speakers in a room, on average.

The other point was you said he should widen his speakers to get more stereo effect, but that's not the ideal position, the ideal position is the listener positioned with an equilateral triangle with the speakers, which is a 30 degree angle from listener to each speaker.......so you don't want to just be widening the speakers willy nilly, it depends on where your listening position is. If you widen the speakers too much you won't get a cohesive soundstage being created from them.

 

[Xaviedie]

I just wanted to bring up a couple of points related to what you're saying in those two posts to him. I don't really agree that you should listen to your JBL speakers outside in order to know what they should sound like because speakers for how we measure them here are mainly designed to be listened to in a room, you're not supposed to try to replicate what they would sound like when listened to outside. I mean that's what the Harman Speaker Curve is about in terms of how Anechoic Flat Speakers behave in a good listening room. It's arguable that music creators are designing music that sounds best on Anechoic Flat Speakers in a room, on average.

The other point was you said he should widen his speakers to get more stereo effect, but that's not the ideal position, the ideal position is the listener positioned with an equilateral triangle with the speakers, which is a 30 degree angle from listener to each speaker.......so you don't want to just be widening the speakers willy nilly, it depends on where your listening position is. If you widen the speakers too much you won't get a cohesive soundstage being created from them.

Good evening, I think you misinterpreted my 2 posts, maybe because they were translated ^^

- I specified to direct the speakers (orient) at 60 degrees (if you take your protractor at the level of the speakers, you will see that it is 60 degrees) towards you.

For the distance you will need at least 1m50, otherwise the result would be bad. This is taken from the EBU.
Less than this distance would be bad.
If the side walls are close to the speakers, the room is not good first, you will have to make do, the wideband acoustic panels should do the job.
Know that a room that is too small is insufficient (10m square), we will not be able to do miracles with it. (You have to deal with it, except that I'm speaking more categorically, I don't know the measurements of the gentleman's room, but I'm giving him the basics/fundamentals)

- Listening to the speakers outside was so that he could have an idea of what the sound quality could be like outside the room (without a wall = you can hear the speakers = better sound (test) => he will hear his speakers for the first time since he is no longer in his room naked.

I never advised him to install his speakers outside. It was just so that he could experience it. You have understood with my golden advice that I am not that naive, there are outdoor speakers for that. Obviously, monitoring speakers were designed for indoor use (logical), now he just needs to treat his room well as I advised him to do so that he has an improvement in its sound quality.

PS: I had forgotten, as an absorber, to favor wool glass (AFR 4/5 or 7 => glass wool thickness less than 20cm = rigid; glass wool greater than 20cm = flexible), nothing else. If you make them yourself, equip them with vapor barriers on top for your health.


Thank you for your understanding. I am trained for information in the field. There are a lot of misconceptions received on the net (bad), forums etc. => I see them all the time. (I was just passing by, and to correct what I saw in this image, it is not ideal to buy a pair of speakers (neutral or not) and not be able to enjoy them if you have a bare room)
Acoustics as a priority

I see a lot of people doing tests and company in broken rooms. Bad installation.. & co

I used to be the same when I started, we all go through it, today I prefer to save them time and not make the same mistakes as me. (Experiences)

PS: I don't give myself the label of expert, I hate it, I'm just passionate about audio and acoustics. And I like to share good reliable advice. Since I was trained

 

[Robbo99999]

Good evening, I think you misinterpreted my 2 posts, maybe because they were translated ^^

- I specified to direct the speakers (orient) at 60 degrees (if you take your protractor at the level of the speakers, you will see that it is 60 degrees) towards you.

For the distance you will need at least 1m50, otherwise the result would be bad. This is taken from the EBU.
Less than this distance would be bad.
If the side walls are close to the speakers, the room is not good first, you will have to make do, the wideband acoustic panels should do the job.
Know that a room that is too small is insufficient (10m square), we will not be able to do miracles with it. (You have to deal with it, except that I'm speaking more categorically, I don't know the measurements of the gentleman's room, but I'm giving him the basics/fundamentals)

- Listening to the speakers outside was so that he could have an idea of what the sound quality could be like outside the room (without a wall = you can hear the speakers = better sound (test) => he will hear his speakers for the first time since he is no longer in his room naked.

I never advised him to install his speakers outside. It was just so that he could experience it. You have understood with my golden advice that I am not that naive, there are outdoor speakers for that. Obviously, monitoring speakers were designed for indoor use (logical), now he just needs to treat his room well as I advised him to do so that he has an improvement in its sound quality.

PS: I had forgotten, as an absorber, to favor wool glass (AFR 4/5 or 7 => glass wool thickness less than 20cm = rigid; glass wool greater than 20cm = flexible), nothing else. If you make them yourself, equip them with vapor barriers on top for your health.


Thank you for your understanding. I am trained for information in the field. There are a lot of misconceptions received on the net (bad), forums etc. => I see them all the time. (I was just passing by, and to correct what I saw in this image, it is not ideal to buy a pair of speakers (neutral or not) and not be able to enjoy them if you have a bare room)
Acoustics as a priority

I see a lot of people doing tests and company in broken rooms. Bad installation.. & co

I used to be the same when I started, we all go through it, today I prefer to save them time and not make the same mistakes as me. (Experiences)

PS: I don't give myself the label of expert, I hate it, I'm just passionate about audio and acoustics. And I like to share good reliable advice. Since I was trained

Ok, for speaker positioning I think you're agreeing with me re the equilateral triangle, and I'll include a pic to illustrate the best positioning (which is the same as saying a 30 degree angle from listener to each speaker), so you shouldn't just keep widening your speakers & instead it depends on where your listening position is in order to maintain this ideal equilateral triangle:

As for the 2nd point which we're talking about which is you saying he should listen to his speakers outside one time just to see how they should sound, then I still don't agree with that. Room-Optimised Anechoic Flat speakers in a room will sound different to the same anechoic flat speakers when listened to outside, so I don't think it's a useful comparison to make and shouldn't be a benchmark for what he should achieve sound-wise in his own room. My understanding of the Harman Research in relation to speakers and how we apply that to what constitutes a good measuring speaker in the spinoramas that we look at here on ASR is that it is related to use of the speaker in a room inside & not outside, so you can't expect the speaker to be a benchmark for how it should sound in your room when you're listening to it outside. I don't think you can/should take the subjective experience of listening to your speaker outside as the benchmark to what you want to aim for in terms of how it should sound in your room, and even on a practical level by the time you've listened to your speaker outside and then lugged it inside & sat down to listen to it then you've already forgotton the details of how it sounded outside anyway because our detailed auditory memory is measured in seconds rather than minutes or longer.

 

[Xaviedie]

Ok, for speaker positioning I think you're agreeing with me re the equilateral triangle, and I'll include a pic to illustrate the best positioning (which is the same as saying a 30 degree angle from listener to each speaker), so you shouldn't just keep widening your speakers & instead it depends on where your listening position is in order to maintain this ideal equilateral triangle:
View attachment 435222
As for the 2nd point which we're talking about which is you saying he should listen to his speakers outside one time just to see how they should sound, then I still don't agree with that. Room-Optimised Anechoic Flat speakers in a room will sound different to the same anechoic flat speakers when listened to outside, so I don't think it's a useful comparison to make and shouldn't be a benchmark for what he should achieve sound-wise in his own room. My understanding of the Harman Research in relation to speakers and how we apply that to what constitutes a good measuring speaker in the spinoramas that we look at here on ASR is that it is related to use of the speaker in a room inside & not outside, so you can't expect the speaker to be a benchmark for how it should sound in your room when you're listening to it outside. I don't think you can/should take the subjective experience of listening to your speaker outside as the benchmark to what you want to aim for in terms of how it should sound in your room, and even on a practical level by the time you've listened to your speaker outside and then lugged it inside & sat down to listen to it then you've already forgotton the details of how it sounded outside anyway because our detailed auditory memory is measured in seconds rather than minutes or longer.

Good evening, glad you understood me.

However, I was simply telling him to install his speakers outdoors, just to experiment, to see the difference compared to listening to them indoors in a bare room (not well treated, or not treated, that's all).
=> Just to experiment, the sound quality would be better because he'll be hearing his speakers for the first time.
If not, I agree with you that they were designed for indoor use (in a room), not outdoors (there are speakers designed for that).

 

[Robbo99999]

Good evening, glad you understood me.

However, I was simply telling him to install his speakers outdoors, just to experiment, to see the difference compared to listening to them indoors in a bare room (not well treated, or not treated, that's all).
=> Just to experiment, the sound quality would be better because he'll be hearing his speakers for the first time.
If not, I agree with you that they were designed for indoor use (in a room), not outdoors (there are speakers designed for that).

We're not agreeing on that listening outside point though, which is OK, but I've said why I don't agree with that so that's fine.

 

[Xaviedie]

Illustration by Mr Jean Pierre Lafond (expert "construction theater ... & studio").

It's only logical once you understand how reflections, modes, etc. work. Walls are obstacles that prevent you from hearing the speakers. (modes, reflections, reverberations, and a host of problems => the reason for the arrival of acoustic treatment.

Now, if you remove the walls = no more problems.
You'll hear the direct sound of your speakers.
Try it and see for yourself.
There's a difference between words and actions. If you follow my advice, you'll see that these are real facts.
(You will get a significant gain in the performance of your speakers by playing them outdoors)

The reason studio or hi-fi (indoor) speakers aren't considered for outdoor use is that they're optimized for indoor use. (Design , living room adaptation, etc.) That's where it ends. Regarding the sound itself, there's no miracle; if you put them outside, you'll hear them better than indoors (direct sound).
Except you'll have to carry the amp, the cables, etc., it's not suitable for this use.
Likewise, playing loudly outdoors requires more watts (with professional use (festival etc.)) with large woofers and more massive speakers, compared to speakers for small rooms.

Why is the sound already better in large rooms without acoustics? (compared to small rooms)=> Even if it would be better, the problems will still exist; acoustics are a must.) => Most of the waves ((mid and high frequencies) manage to develop before hitting an obstacle, except for low-frequency waves like 20 Hz, which are quite long The bass (low frequencies) is the element to be addressed first (the most disruptive).. As well as absorbing early reflections. While diffusing the room to the ceiling and rear (essential in homes).
I would like to point out that we cannot have absolute treatment, it is worse in small rooms, nevertheless, we can improve the quality by treating the walls well => doing the best we can, it is already satisfactory

Outside, without walls, there's no need for treatment, as explained above. (Better sound quality, and free ^^)
=> You receive the true sound coming from the speakers (faithful) because there are no obstacles (bare walls and various room size issues, etc.).
Here, reflections, etc., will never return to you.
You will get the most natural sound from your speakers. (Direct Sound)

It's above all intimate. So we have no other choice but to study and then (acoustically) treat our room to hear the direct sound of the speakers. Simple.
It's the basis of everything.



Owning high-end speakers without treating your room is like driving a Ferrari on a muddy road. => You must follow the steps and prepare the path before purchasing the speakers in order to be able to use them.

 

[Xaviedie]

To get back to the topic, giving feedback on your speakers in rooms that haven't been treated or haven't been treated well is pointless (you hear the walls, not your speakers).
Not to mention their placement, as you can see in some photos (there are criteria to follow first and foremost => mandatory. Even if you haven't treated your room yet, at worst).

The reason I'm urging these people to use their speakers outdoors sooner is to remedy this in the meantime, so that you can give your feedback on the JBL 308P MKII, for example.

That was the point of my message, not to have you install your speakers outdoors forever. (Just for testing your speakers, "hearing it")

 

[Robbo99999]

Reflections aren't always a big deal and you don't need to eliminate all reflections, that's why having good directivity is important, which these speakers actually have, so they can sound good in rooms. You don't need to know how the speaker sounds outside, and it's also not a practical test for the reasons I mentioned earlier. Anyway, I'm done now.

 

[Xaviedie]

"It's time to wake up to the harsh reality of sound)"

Sorry, but reflections/waves are the major sound problem in a room. We can add the room's configuration to this. However, in most homes, we have no control over anything; we just make do. Acoustic treatment is the main factor in correcting room problems. Not the right directivity (speakers)... no matter how good it is. It won't correct reflections/waves.
A study should be considered first.
(You can't drive a Bugatti through the mud.)

Especially the bass (place full-range bass traps in the back corners of the room first and foremost) (Have an absorption coefficient descending to less than 100 Hz and of large thickness => 40cm minimum = rear corners of the room (bass trap cubic shape > triangle).
You should know that you can't work miracles in a small room, but you can always reduce the negative impact of the bass (destructive). The JBL 308p MKIIs extend low into the bass frequencies for a bookshelf speaker with an 8" driver. They won't have a good impact in a small room that isn't properly treated, because they're omnidirectional. (My main reason for this intervention)

The treble and midrange are easier to address, as well as early reflections (which are mandatory) because the waves are directional (laser).
Diffusion (thick diffusers) is also mandatory in rooms, especially on the ceiling and rear walls of the room, to preserve the sound.

All of this contributes to being able to hear and enjoy the direct sound of the pair of speakers as much as possible. As if you were listening to the speakers outside => the sound we are looking for in a room (see image below)

At no point did I say that "it's not necessary to eliminate them all" (reflections); we absorb them intelligently (listening area), not everywhere. I also specified the addition of diffusers in key locations. Don't invent anything. What I didn't say, I see that you're being dishonest, and that you refuse to admit that I say a lot of good things here.
Diffusers will bring/keep energy into a room and much more (life)

If you're not targeting me, don't reply and continue to recommend listening to speakers in rooms "without treatment"... (pathetic) => What I understand from reading you
From our conversation, I'm moving things forward, while you've been trying to throw a spanner in the works from the start.
Relax, I brought you some proof. It's strange that you ignore the entire content to focus solely on testing outdoor speakers => it was only for those who can afford it, otherwise the overall content is focused on room treatment (original discussion).

Reading you, you think you're surpassing Mr. Jean Pierre Lafond "renowned." He has incredible experience in the field. (as an expert "recognized")
Everything I say comes from him and Xavier Collet, my trainers. They denied all the bullshit I read online before they trained me. I thought like most people here (everything has to start somewhere).
Acoustic treatment and room layout characteristics are the most important.
I won't even mention insulation, which is beyond the reach of amateurs (construction), especially for home theaters.

Good evening. (Peace)

PS: There are a lot of professional studios etc. that are rotten. Above all, don't be fooled by "the appearance".


Illustration by Mr Jean Pierre Lafond (image above) Racing car driving in the mud = of a pair of speakers in a room not treated (acoustics)
Neutral speakers = last link (icing on the cake) (after the steps described) [The road must be built before the car can be driven in good conditions.]