JBL 4319 Studio Monitor Review

[House de Kris]

When reading this review, I couldn't help but recall my own opinions about my JBL4312Cs, "no position of the mid and high controls make these speakers sound good." In their defense, they are my most requested monitors by DJs when I set up DJ systems. They're loud and can cut through any background noise.

 

[napilopez]

West Coast sound vs. East Coast sound?

The whole control monitor thing is interesting because it really shows that what JBL targeted in the 70/80’s was “wrong” from what we know about “ideal music”.

Scientifically, the whole circle of confusion applies here. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was mixed on a JBL 4310. Phil Collins used a 4311. Sting & The Police was recorded and mixed on a 4435
https://jblpro.com/en/site_elements/4430-and-4435-information

The somewhat ironic thing is that subjective impression of the L100 was that it sounded supremely neutral and transparent.

Barring major errors in my measurements (and the others posted by tuga), my haywire theory is that JBL was going for balanced wide directivity and trying to match the interaural crosstalk coloration caused by stereo listening with the axial response:

(Toole's book, figure 7.2, from Shirley et al 2007)

It's very much a stretch, but note how the on-axis response is quite close to the opposite for that last curve? At the angle I had the speakers set up (about 25 degrees) the correlation would probably be even closer (shifts the dip from 1.8kHz to about 2kHz)

Again, just a crazy theory. And wouldn't pass the mono listening test as the coloration would be more apparent.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Heard some of these in a studio. Not in use as monitors for the desk, but mounted in the waiting area so you could hear what they were doing in the studio. Sounded about as poorly as they've measured. I'd wondered why they couldn't get something else. I guess they were bullet-proof and loud. Good sounding they were not.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Sort of like a mid-field version of NS10s -- could be a useful tool for analyzing the mids and highs specifically. Maybe most useful in the days of tape, early digital, noise reduction, and analog target formats.

 

[GXAlan]

do find the JBL 4307s to be quite enjoyable, I'd be more interested in seeing measurements on those.

https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/kolumny-glosnikowe/3104-jbl-luxury-4307#laboratory

The 4319 is the flagship of the control monitor line, with the 4307 being one of the control monitors too.

 

[direstraitsfan98]

I like these smaller Synthesis speakers. I think most of them are meant for the Asian market. They are very common in hifi shops in Japan and China.

The 4306 in particular are so smol and cute, they really genuinely look like mini 4367s. I've been thinking about grabbing a pair just to try out for fun if I can get a good price on the used market. Maybe even ship them into Amir for measurement

It's hard to get an accurate idea of how tiny they are until you see the backside. Yes, those are normal sized binding posts!

 

[Doodski]

Sort of like a mid-field version of NS10s -- could be a useful tool for analyzing the mids and highs specifically. Maybe most useful in the days of tape, early digital, noise reduction, and analog target formats.

The NS-10M and the JBL 4312XX series are not even comparable. One goes so loud is unimaginable and the other quasi-obnoxious. The JBL given to snappy and thuddy when req'd. It's all very different

 

[GXAlan]

The bad news is that not much that I played on the 4319 sounded that good. It was kind of boxy and closed in with some brightness at times. I thought being old school speaker, it perhaps is a better fit for older music. So I queued up The Girl from Ipanema on my Reel to Reel tape deck and boy, did it sound disappointing.

Did some research. That was recorded at A&R Studios in New York. At the time, it likely would have been mixed on Altec 601b or 604's.

https://greatplainsaudio.com/gpa-vintage-altec-ezine/altec-lansing-604e-super-duplex/

 

[GXAlan]

I like these smaller Synthesis speakers. I think most of them are meant for the Asian market. They are very common in hifi shops in Japan and China.

The 4306 in particular are so smol and cute, they really genuinely look like mini 4367s. I've been thinking about grabbing a pair just to try out for fun if I can get a good price on the used market. Maybe even ship them into Amir for measurement

https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/kolumny-glosnikowe/3103-jbl-4306

 

[BYRTT]

Some overlays of technical curves for JBL 4319 based on Amir's shared spindata and curves:

Spin plus system impedance and a light blue 2nd order curve (see data in legend) because that low end roll off looks bit weird for a ported woofer system :

And for us nerds great thanks to Amir analyze some of the crossover sections for this review ...

 

[direstraitsfan98]

https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/kolumny-glosnikowe/3103-jbl-4306

On second thought I don't think so. That is some pretty horrorshow measurements.

 

[GXAlan]

And for us nerds great thanks to Amir analyze some of the crossover sections for this review ...
View attachment 61274

[/quote]

The technical documents claim 800 and 3.5 kHz for the crossovers.
The owners manual claims 630Hz and 2.2 kHz
The website claims it's a two-way speaker

https://jp.jbl.com/4319-.html
Japanese website confirms that 800/3.5Khz.

 

[GXAlan]

On second thought I don't think so. That is some pretty horrorshow measurements.

Yeah. Although the colorations sound pleasant? Their measurements for the S3900 are good.
https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/kolumny-glosnikowe/497-jbl-luxury-s3900

 

[wwenze]

Well, such a performance back then would probably be excellent

*Googles*

Wait what you can buy them new?

Oh well not much different from people who are still paying big bucks for BBC clones.

 

[BYRTT]

The technical documents claim 800 and 3.5 kHz for the crossovers.
The owners manual claims 630Hz and 2.2 kHz
The website claims it's a two-way speaker

https://jp.jbl.com/4319-.html
Japanese website confirms that 800/3.5Khz.

Ha ha are we users then confused or what my reason show those curves measured by Amir was because they looks assymetrical verse the symetrical 4th order Linkwitz Riley cuves in below animation that toggles 800Hz/3500Hz verse 630Hz/2200Hz and by the way ... and thanks let your speakeres be reviewed here.

 

[b1daly]

When you consider that most music was mixed on monitors that were far from flat, probably up through the 80s, this might explain why I find modern speakers so unsatisfactory for listening to older rock music.

It's inevitable that the frequency response curve will be reflected in an inverse pattern in the mix, even if faintly. Played back on flat monitors, it just sounds weird.

Because most mixers learn to make mixes that "translate" well, the problem isn't as bad as you might think. In practice, this means that as a mixer, you absolutely cannot rely on just making the mix sound good on your monitors.

If the general thrust of this line of thinking holds true, it would mean that finding a speaker more complementary to a "vintage" mix would be more "hit or miss." This is what I do find.

 

[LDKTA]

https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/kolumny-glosnikowe/3104-jbl-luxury-4307#laboratory

The 4319 is the flagship of the control monitor line, with the 4307 being one of the control monitors too.

I misspoke, I am thinking of the 4306, not the 4307.

 

[tuga]

Looks like 1970 all over again. Classic JBL cosmetics. Too bad the sound is old school as well.

Makes the performance of BBC designs look quite extraordinary for the day.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

I respect the works of Harman luminaries of (Toole, Olive, Devantier, et al) . These people have advanced what we know about speakers. II have the LSR 305 and 308 and wouldn't mind a pair of Revel Ultima Salon 2 for my end game 2-channel system), but these JBL 4319 speakers are not good. No amount of dithering will help. There are better speakers for the same price, some coming from Harman group... Revel, Infinity even JBL branded...
This review further underlines how clumsy and clueless Harman/JBL marketing is. Lot of incredible speakers in their offerings... finding them is a crapshoot ...
Thanks Amir. Such reviews are needed.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

Some overlays of technical curves for JBL 4319 based on Amir's shared spindata and curves:

The crossover schematic is all second order. I have the most horrid feeling that the high end response curve of the woofer is being partly determined by controlled breakup via the ribbed cone. Hence the ragged but steep response. I'm just itching to put a notch element there. Whether the mid-range would cope is another matter. As everyone notes, all very old-school.