JBL 4319 Studio Monitor Review

[tuga]

As a moderator, you shouldn’t make comments like “inadequacy” as it reflects poorly on you and on this site.

The Japanese also like their 4367, Everest and K2’s, all of which measure well too.

I think several things are in play:
- smaller rooms. JBL Japanese speakers tend to be voiced leaner in the bass despite the large woofers
- lower listening positions and preferred speaker positions.

The typical in room response for an average US room is likely very different from a typical in room response from a Japanese room. I suspect that the average room is has more attenuation from furniture and flooring.

https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/2724

I think that it's mostly a cultural thing, the Japanese love for tradition and craftsmanship.

 

[GXAlan]

He's probably right to be fair but I thought the caveat that I wanted a pair too bought me into the joke and thusly made it ok.

It's perfectly valid, there is a obsession with outdated US speaker designs .

It’s not the most horrible joke, but you get held to a higher standard as a moderator.

I agree that there is a preoccupation. Vintage SA600 integrated amps go for stratospheric pricing and old 4310 and 4311 still sell for $2K+. Part of the reason I bought and sent these to Amir is to quantify what a modern Control Monitor looks like. Not good on the measurements although better in terms of distortion. The one thing that I will try when they come back to me is to test music that I know was recorded and mixed on the 4311/12. The 4319 is where JBL invested money to make it measure the way that it does.

I suspect that the best times of Japan were the 90s and there may be a wish for nostalgia from that perspective.

FWIW, I did also get an XPL-90 to Amir for testing. That is NOT popular in Japan, but the XPL was the highest end US speaker at the time and had Stereophile saying it had the flattest measured midrange. Jerry Moro kept a pair on his desk well into the 2010’s.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ja-loudspeaker-measurements-table-1-loudspeaker-reviews

Some comments on Japan and JBL from the 90s.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-24-fi-935-story.html

 

[QMuse]

It’s not the most horrible joke, but you get held to a higher standard as a moderator.

While it is true that Brits have fine sense of humor it is also true, albeit less known, that it takes time to develop. As @Thomas savage is still young some more time is needed for his jokes to become better, so one day.. Hopefully.

 

[BYRTT]

I also sent Amir an XPL-90. ...

Great thanks spoils us here myself was happy have a pair of TI 120 for a couple of decades in past and IIRC TI series was the first series using titanium tweeter and then came XPL with dual drivers using titanium, look forward see the Klippel haircut.

 

[BYRTT]

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.

Looks more or less a good prediction that it filter itself especially seen in second animations directivity for animated models below i manually added 0,6mH inductance to Amir's system sweep a number i found in a old JBL list and in second animation directivity used is a dirty quick homebrew of a 252mm piston so directivity index is maybe a bit off compared to Amir's.

By the way its some nice piece of JBL hardware ...

 

[napilopez]

It's an interesting theory.

Mine is that they did their best with the available ingredients and considering the aesthetic requirements (reproducing a '70s box).

Well by theory, I meant trying to figure out why I liked them so much.

Most of my other subjective preferences have tied quite closely with my interpretations of the measurements. The other speaker I enjoyed the most was the D&D 8C, for instance. Others were the Devialet phantom reactor, kef R3, and Focal chora, all with seemingly better measurements. And I don't think it was the looks that made me like the L100s so much, because though I appreciate the retro aesthetic, I had the orange grilles and I hate orange.

In terms of sound, if I could buy the speakers I've listened to over the past year, other than the D&D 8C, it would probably be L100, despite the measurements. I know audio memory is a fickle thing, but I do have my listening notes.

I'm supposed to be getting the new L82s at some point, so I'm curious to see how those will perform with the same tweeter and waveguide in a simpler 2-way design.

 

[Liberal Democracy]

While it is true that Brits have fine sense of humor it is also true, albeit less known, that it takes time to develop. As @Thomas savage is still young some more time is needed for his jokes to become better, so one day.. Hopefully.

Well one holds aspirations to be a walking joke as so well exampled by my learned friend.

 

[Liberal Democracy]

not the most horrible joke, but you get held to a higher standard as a moderator.

You must be new here .... ...

 

[Vintage57]

I have measurements of a few more JBLs that I can post:

4365

DD66000

S9900

(THD at 85dB)

We must agree to disagree.

I cannot agree with the term "measure well" when looking at the above information. I don't see a flat frequency response, instead I see the cross section of an ocean on a windy day.

A couple of years ago I bought a pair of 4367's expecting something better than the typical "JBL sound" of bright and boomy. Unfortunately it was still there. Kinda like the sound print from a Harley, which I like on the other hand. But to say it measures well is taking liberty.

I admit they were easy to sell, which was nice.

In a forum for Audio Science, Genelec's, Neumann's, Revel's "measure well" for most.

 

[QMuse]

You must be new here .... ...

Yep, new for sure. Otherwise he'd knew your avatars pretty much reflect the height of your humor standards.

 

[GXAlan]

We must agree to disagree.

I cannot agree with the term "measure well" when looking at the above information. I don't see a flat frequency response, instead I see the cross section of an ocean on a windy day.

A couple of years ago I bought a pair of 4367's expecting something better than the typical "JBL sound" of bright and boomy. Unfortunately it was still there. Kinda like the sound print from a Harley, which I like on the other hand. But to say it measures well is taking liberty.

I admit they were easy to sell, which was nice.

In a forum for Audio Science, Genelec's, Neumann's, Revel's "measure well" for most.

Here is some insider comments about the 4367

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...7-first-listen&p=386898&viewfull=1#post386898

One of the things that the Studio 530 and this 4319 seem to do is to have a much smoother in room response than would be expected from the measurements.

The 4319 has a smoother in room response (up to 3kHz) than the Revel C52.

 

[tuga]

Here is some insider comments about the 4367

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...7-first-listen&p=386898&viewfull=1#post386898

One of the things that the Studio 530 and this 4319 seem to do is to have a much smoother in room response than would be expected from the measurements.

The 4319 has a smoother in room response (up to 3kHz) than the Revel C52.

The measurements show predicted, not actual, room response.
The Revel is a centre speaker, the JBL has almost no tilt meaning it is very bright in balance.

I didn't following your link but I expect strong pro-JBL bias at the Audio Heritage forum.

 

[GXAlan]

The measurements show predicted, not actual, room response.
The Revel is a centre speaker, the JBL has almost no tilt meaning it is very bright in balance.

I didn't following your link but I expect strong pro-JBL bias at the Audio Heritage forum.

1) yes. The tilt is the character of the sound, but the smoothness relative to a defined tilt is important too.

2) that’s your expectation bias. where’s the science in that?

 

[Wombat]

For some reason the Asian market is obsessed with 1950s US speaker technology.

Big brown box , big woofer ( let's not assume inadequacy) and a big horn/wave guide ( ok it's kinda hard not to now ) .

Still i was wanting a pair of these too but Amirm says they are rubbish so that's that... Maybe the Harman cheques have started to bounce .

It is my impression from past audio articles that the Japan hifi loudspeaker market preferred 'bright' sounding loudspeakers.

 

[GXAlan]

It is my impression from past audio articles that the Japan hifi loudspeaker market preferred 'bright' sounding loudspeakers.

True. This book on Asian American Taiko makes reference to that

https://books.google.com/books?id=C...Q6AEwC3oECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=Don-shari&f=false

 

[jhaider]

You could try the LSR6332s: https://www.jbl.com/studio-monitors/LSR6332R.html

In their day they were the speakers in Harman's reference listening rooms. From Dr. Olive's old blog.

https://docs.google.com/presentatio...tsaowbpiFvjs_epoBvaTv28o7w/edit#slide=id.i212

One imagines a bunch of Salon2's would have attracted an IRS audit!

The Japanese also like their 4367, Everest and K2’s, all of which measure well too.

Do they? I haven't seen measurements, but several years ago I compared K2s and Salon2s in the basement of the Harman store on Madison. Salon2 sounded much more vivid and expansive.

 

[ROOSKIE]

Interesting speaker.
I'd be very interested in how turning the dials to adjust the sound would affect the measurements. Obviously a lot of work though to measure that many times.

You know I totally get the confusion about why this seemingly large & outdated speaker sells well overseas. Likely not a good answer as to why. I can say with certainty I see folks in my home country, the USA, frequently dropping wads of cash on giant objects that seem to be out of date and poorly designed. (Or if they are well designed never get used in the intended capacity). This happens all around me everyday. People, myself included, are weird.

In any case hopefully the profits from this speaker (which would appear to be very robust profits at it's retail price) help fund the development of some of the speakers that offer the sound I like most.

Looking forward to the next speaker test.

 

[amirm]

Next one is measuring as I type this.... Look for it tomorrow if all goes well.

 

[QMuse]

Well one holds aspirations to be a walking joke as so well exampled by my learned friend.

I have to warn you though that grey hair and larger stomach comes in package with that.

 

[skyfly]

It looks as if the speaker is designed to be used with a small stand such as the one for L100 Classic so that the bass is boosted by floor reflection.