JBL 4319 Studio Monitor Review

[GXAlan]

I just got a pair of 4312E's. The manual states it uses the -1 woofer, not the -2. So the same as the 4319.

And is it true that the woofer in the E model is intended to run full range?

That is likely a typo in the manual unless you have some sort of very early production run. The -2 adds the low TCR wire. Both the technical manual and brochure specify -2

http://www.cieri.net/temp/4312E.pdf
And
http://files.d-tools.com/Visualizations/Approved/JBL/Documents/JBL_4312E_Brochure1.pdf
And description of Jerry Moro and Greg Timbers talking about the low TCR wire in the 4312E
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...ome-invited-by-Greg-Burns-of-Home-Audio-Sound

 

[saberger0357]

That is likely a typo in the manual unless you have some sort of very early production run. The -2 adds the low TCR wire. Both the technical manual and brochure specify -2

http://www.cieri.net/temp/4312E.pdf
And
http://files.d-tools.com/Visualizations/Approved/JBL/Documents/JBL_4312E_Brochure1.pdf
And description of Jerry Moro and Greg Timbers talking about the low TCR wire in the 4312E
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...ome-invited-by-Greg-Burns-of-Home-Audio-Sound

The original owner was a JBL rep, and these are early demo's so that could be it.

Here's the page from my manual:

If it is indeed the -1, what would be the ramifications vs. a -2 from an audible standpoint?

 

[1200FE-8]

I just got a pair of 4312E's. The manual states it uses the -1 woofer, not the -2. So the same as the 4319.

And is it true that the woofer in the E model is intended to run full range?

Hi saberger0357.

That is likely a typo in the manual unless you have some sort of very early production run. The -2 adds the low TCR wire. Both the technical manual and brochure specify -2

http://www.cieri.net/temp/4312E.pdf
And
http://files.d-tools.com/Visualizations/Approved/JBL/Documents/JBL_4312E_Brochure1.pdf
And description of Jerry Moro and Greg Timbers talking about the low TCR wire in the 4312E
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...ome-invited-by-Greg-Burns-of-Home-Audio-Sound

Very true!

Also on JBL Japan website 4312E has 2213nd-2 and 4319 has the 2213nd-1

The 4312E with those 12 inchers with TCR and dual coils must be something, the impulse response and SPL capability and SQ must be all at high levels. And no crossover!!! Bonkers

Think of it: the 2216ND in M2 use dual 3 inch voicecoils with TCR. The voice coil in 2213nd-2 has the same voice coil sizes as that 15 incher!!! The control over lower mass 12 incher must be nuts!!

 

[GXAlan]

Theoretically the Low TCR wire is supposed to increase bass at high volumes but dynamic thermal compression also matters, so people say that bass has greater “attack or slam” while being clean.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5664023A/en

@Charles Sprinkle

(he is now with Kali Audio but may be able to add some comments on the theoretical benefit of Low TCR wire).

 

[saberger0357]

FWIW the original owner of these was Jim Matthews who is a quite well known sound system fellow in the Bay Area, who, among many other things, has been the sound production guy for the San Francisco 49'ers for 30+ years, as well as an engineer for Huey Lewis and Tower Of Power. I have the original boxes and these were shipped to him from JBL/Northridge. So yeah, I'm guessing very early production.

 

[saberger0357]

Hi saberger0357.


Very true!

Also on JBL Japan website 4312E has 2213nd-2 and 4319 has the 2213nd-1

The 4312E with those 12 inchers with TCR and dual coils must be something, the impulse response and SPL capability and SQ must be all at high levels. And no crossover!!! Bonkers

Think of it: the 2216ND in M2 use dual 3 inch voicecoils with TCR. The voice coil in 2213nd-2 has the same voice coil sizes as that 15 incher!!! The control over lower mass 12 incher must be nuts!!

They're still breaking in, but the sound is very clear with concise, yet not really deep bass. Yet. The only JBL's that I can compare them with are my 4412's, which of course is a completely different speaker. The 4412 has almost too boomy bass, and placement is quite important.

I'll be playing around with these for awhile to see how they break in and where to finalize(mostly) the tone controls. Using a McIntosh MC2300 amp on them so planning on running some power through them.

 

[1200FE-8]

They're still breaking in, but the sound is very clear with concise, yet not really deep bass. Yet. The only JBL's that I can compare them with are my 4412's, which of course is a completely different speaker. The 4412 has almost too boomy bass, and placement is quite important.

I'll be playing around with these for awhile to see how they break in and where to finalize(mostly) the tone controls. Using a McIntosh MC2300 amp on them so planning on running some power through them.

As i said in previous posts i was at the beggining quite dissapointed of the bass depth, attack of my 4312SE's. The bass was not sappy, wasn't sounding like the 1200FE woofers described on audioheritage forum as maybe the best 12 inch unit on the market.

I even had some thoughts, ummm, hmmm maybe JBL is not that great as some "inflate it with praise". Shame on me, after almost 2 years these woofers are crazy good, no chestiness, have grunt, meat on bones, very clean sounding. Sound is quite "delicious" And i did not think possible woofers like this to be capable of so good low midrange from so much mass of moving system. I think after a while yours will become better and better. And we also need to keep in mind our woofers are not in the the best possible box size to truly show what they are really capable of. The tradition and size of 4312 cabinet can be the limiting factor here. For example the Greg Timbers Arrays the box looks larger than 4312 cabinet! And maybe it is so. Enjoy yours.

 

[saberger0357]

As i said in previous posts i was at the beggining quite dissapointed of the bass depth, attack of my 4312SE's. The bass was not sappy, wasn't sounding like the 1200FE woofers described on audioheritage forum as maybe the best 12 inch unit on the market.

I even had some thoughts, ummm, hmmm maybe JBL is not that great as some "inflate it with praise". Shame on me, after almost 2 years these woofers are crazy good, no chestiness, have grunt, meat on bones, very clean sounding. Sound is quite "delicious" And i did not think possible woofers like this to be capable of so good low midrange from so much mass of moving system. I think after a while yours will become better and better. And we also need to keep in mind our woofers are not in the the best possible box size to truly show what they are really capable of. The tradition and size of 4312 cabinet can be the limiting factor here. For example the Greg Timbers Arrays the box looks larger than 4312 cabinet! And maybe it is so. Enjoy yours.

Thank you for this.

The SE's have a different crossover(640 Hz, 5kHz) compared to the E's (2kHz, 5kHz) so that might explain a different bass response? I don't know.

Also different drivers and about 15lbs heavier. So really a different speakers.

I can already hear on acoustic music that these are very nice speakers. Acoustic guitar sounds very lifelike, very rich. Always a good sign.

 

[1200FE-8]

Thank you for this.

The SE's have a different crossover(640 Hz, 5kHz) compared to the E's (2kHz, 5kHz) so that might explain a different bass response? I don't know.
I don't think the woofer xover point is a major contributor to different bass response. The woofers are totally different. SE's have a have a heavier cone=behaving maybe better at low frequencies regarding resonance. SE has ferrite magnet and a single 3 inch voicoil, E has dual neodymium magnets and dual 3 inch voicecoil . The E woofer should be more responsive than the woofer in SE, at least to me it looks like this based on specs it has. And the E woofer has no crossover it could and should sound purer than SE. Plus the E woofer has that TCR wire helping against heat generation right at the source giving it horsepower advantage.

Also different drivers and about 15lbs heavier. So really a different speakers. Comes from heavier ferrite magnet in SE. But the dual neodym magnet in E has more muscle so weight is just a weight here.

I can already hear on acoustic music that these are very nice speakers. Acoustic guitar sounds very lifelike, very rich. Always a good sign.

 

[saberger0357]

Thanks that's very helpful. I'm 64 and have been collecting gear and music since I was a teenager, but admittedly I'm a neophypte with some of the more technical aspects, especially when it comes to speaker design.

I traded some gear I wasn't using for these speakers locally. As mentioned, I own a pair of 4412's, but they also were a recent acquisition and the first JBL's I've ever owned. But I liked them enough to decide to go for these. I figured their pedigree was enough to give them a try.

I've been playing them now for a few hours and depending on the music I am getting some very decent bass response. I'm looking forward to working them in over the next several days and then reporting back.

 

[GXAlan]

If you are really adventurous you can open it up and try to see. As far as I know, the 4312E was made after Northridge manufacturing closed. If it is made in USA, then you know it is early production. Also, it could be a typo in the users manual and you have the -2.


One of the things about the 2212Nd-1 and -2 is that there is very low distortion in the bass which also makes it feel leaner than it is. You will tend to tolerate/listen to higher SPLs.

Since the 4312E is running full range, it cannot have the same bass as the 4319 or M2 BUT that full range may work better for something like guitar strings.

 

[saberger0357]

If you are really adventurous you can open it up and try to see. As far as I know, the 4312E was made after Northridge manufacturing closed. If it is made in USA, then you know it is early production. Also, it could be a typo in the users manual and you have the -2.


One of the things about the 2212Nd-1 and -2 is that there is very low distortion in the bass which also makes it feel leaner than it is. You will tend to tolerate/listen to higher SPLs.

Since the 4312E is running full range, it cannot have the same bass as the 4319 or M2 BUT that full range may work better for something like guitar strings.

Thanks.

They were made in Mexico, but sent from Northridge to the previous owner. I have the original boxes.

I'm not going to open them up. I'll just assume it's the Nd-2. It really doesn't matter to me.

I have a big powerful amp and that will help with the bottom end. I prefer realistic bass anyway. Already I can hear they excel with acoustic bass.

Hopefully at some point I'll find somebody who has spent time with these and some of the legacy 4312's or other models that these are supposedly descended from. Would love to hear how they stack up.

 

[GXAlan]

Thanks.

They were made in Mexico, but sent from Northridge to the previous owner. I have the original boxes.

I'm not going to open them up. I'll just assume it's the Nd-2. It really doesn't matter to me.

I have a big powerful amp and that will help with the bottom end. I prefer realistic bass anyway. Already I can hear they excel with acoustic bass.

Hopefully at some point I'll find somebody who has spent time with these and some of the legacy 4312's or other models that these are supposedly descended from. Would love to hear how they stack up.

If they are made in Mexico then it’s the 2213Nd-2. That technical manual doesn’t show any revision and 2010 was the transition from Northridge to Mexico.

I grew up with the L112 which would become the 4319 in my opinion. The L100 ran full range woofers which is reflected in the 4312E. It’s the last Greg Timber’s/Jerry Moro combo from JBL. The L112 was the “audiophile” version of the L100 with a proper crossover. It also tried to provide a flat frequency response which is different from the modern “Harman Curve”.

The 4312E and 4319 were both Japanese market speakers which means they were voiced to be leaner than US standards reflecting the smaller typical room for Japanese audiophiles and the lower seating position (which also translates into room boundary reinforcement).

The L112 had excellent bass but the foam surrounds rot. The use of cloth versus rubber surrounds is interesting because the DD65000 (rubber surround) had the the deepest sounding bass while the DD67000 has more impact with cloth surround.

Both the L112 4319 throw a wide soundstage. It’s not holographic in terms of individual pinpoint instruments but one where the speakers disappear. The 4319 detail and resolution are superb. The Studio 590 had more bass than the 4319z

I have said that there are two simple reliable test tracks that really highlight the strengths of the 2213Nd-1/-2.

Echo Game from House of Flying Daggers Soundtrack
The Blu-Ray sounds great on a decent home theater while the CD soundtrack is a jumbled mess. Except the stereo soundtrack isn’t a jumbled mess. It’s a true reference sound track. On home theater, you get to your loud SPLs using 7.1 or 7.2 speakers so each speaker doesn’t have to work that hard. For stereo, it’s a real test of the woofer’s ability to play loud without distortion. On the 4319, every drum is clean and crisp at loud SPLs. My guess is 105 dB peaks.

It’s a great test because you either say this is a poor recording (which really means the speakers aren’t up to par) or you grin from ear to ear with how much bass there is. There is a part half way through the track that has so many drums being played simultaneously that is the best stress test.

What’s also nice is that this is real bass, not movie theater synthetic bass.

Another Day of Sun from La La Land Soundtrack
This is also a great track because it has a few solo parts where you can talk about the typical audiophile terms, but there is also a part with a chorus along with the primary singers. On a good setup, each person’s lines can clearly be heard and understood while on a lesser speaker setup, it becomes a jumble. Again, you imagine the CD to be a poor recording but it’s really a challenge for 2 channel audio.

 

[saberger0357]

If they are made in Mexico then it’s the 2213Nd-2. That technical manual doesn’t show any revision and 2010 was the transition from Northridge to Mexico.

I grew up with the L112 which would become the 4319 in my opinion. The L100 ran full range woofers which is reflected in the 4312E. It’s the last Greg Timber’s/Jerry Moro combo from JBL. The L112 was the “audiophile” version of the L100 with a proper crossover. It also tried to provide a flat frequency response which is different from the modern “Harman Curve”.

The 4312E and 4319 were both Japanese market speakers which means they were voiced to be leaner than US standards reflecting the smaller typical room for Japanese audiophiles and the lower seating position (which also translates into room boundary reinforcement).

The L112 had excellent bass but the foam surrounds rot. The use of cloth versus rubber surrounds is interesting because the DD65000 (rubber surround) had the the deepest sounding bass while the DD67000 has more impact with cloth surround.

Both the L112 4319 throw a wide soundstage. It’s not holographic in terms of individual pinpoint instruments but one where the speakers disappear. The 4319 detail and resolution are superb. The Studio 590 had more bass than the 4319z

I have said that there are two simple reliable test tracks that really highlight the strengths of the 2213Nd-1/-2.

Echo Game from House of Flying Daggers Soundtrack
The Blu-Ray sounds great on a decent home theater while the CD soundtrack is a jumbled mess. Except the stereo soundtrack isn’t a jumbled mess. It’s a true reference sound track. On home theater, you get to your loud SPLs using 7.1 or 7.2 speakers so each speaker doesn’t have to work that hard. For stereo, it’s a real test of the woofer’s ability to play loud without distortion. On the 4319, every drum is clean and crisp at loud SPLs. My guess is 105 dB peaks.

It’s a great test because you either say this is a poor recording (which really means the speakers aren’t up to par) or you grin from ear to ear with how much bass there is. There is a part half way through the track that has so many drums being played simultaneously that is the best stress test.

What’s also nice is that this is real bass, not movie theater synthetic bass.

Another Day of Sun from La La Land Soundtrack
This is also a great track because it has a few solo parts where you can talk about the typical audiophile terms, but there is also a part with a chorus along with the primary singers. On a good setup, each person’s lines can clearly be heard and understood while on a lesser speaker setup, it becomes a jumble. Again, you imagine the CD to be a poor recording but it’s really a challenge for 2 channel audio.

Thanks!

I'm realizing as I play different pieces of music that indeed this is "real bass" and for that I'm very happy. I'm a big jazz listener of all kinds, but prefer a lot of acoustic bass which is my favorite instrument(also cello in small group classical), and listening to a lot of that today it became clear immediately that these speakers shine when playing that kind of music. Also acoustic guitar.

Too early to tell, but I'm guessing that these speakers will not provide the rock out experience of the 4412's, which, as accurate studio monitors tend to be on the bright side and a 12" rubber surround woofer that goes pretty deep, almost to the point of boominess as I pointed out earlier. They're a lot of fun, and they have their place, but these 4312E's are a completely different experience. And I'm really enjoying what they have to offer.

 

[saberger0357]

FWIW the 4312E's, a 6ohm speaker, sounds much better on the 8ohm taps of my McIntosh MC2300 amp then they did on the 4ohm's.

And they LOVE a lot of power.

 

[saberger0357]

Update: It took several weeks+, but the 4312E's have really turned into some wonderful speakers. They have now fully broken in and have fantastic bass that took those several weeks to reveal itself. They present not all that different then my L100 Century's, but a bit crisper, due in part to the tweeter and new crossover.

Also these speakers are completely different animals when placed horizontally. For some reason the manual doesn't state this, although manual for other versions of the 4312's(including the SE) all with the same driver layout does. This has the greatest impact on imaging and directivity which is much more limited when the speakers are vertically placed.

And of course even though they are fairly efficient, they really open up with lots of high quality power. My 300 watt MC2300 is a good example.

These are still almost non existent in the States as far as I can tell, but if you can find a pair(preferably discounted/used) I would highly recommend if you know and like the vintage JBL sound they are highly recommended

 

[Doodski]

Update: It took several weeks+, but the 4312E's have really turned into some wonderful speakers. They have now fully broken in and have fantastic bass that took those several weeks to reveal itself. They present not all that different then my L100 Century's, but a bit crisper, due in part to the tweeter and new crossover.

Also these speakers are completely different animals when placed horizontally. For some reason the manual doesn't state this, although manual for other versions of the 4312's(including the SE) all with the same driver layout does. This has the greatest impact on imaging and directivity which is much more limited when the speakers are vertically placed.

And of course even though they are fairly efficient, they really open up with lots of high quality power. My 300 watt MC2300 is a good example.

These are still almost non existent in the States as far as I can tell, but if you can find a pair(preferably discounted/used) I would highly recommend if you know and like the vintage JBL sound they are highly recommended

I sold 4312's for several years and they are kick azz speakers. Very loud and proud speaker.

 

[saberger0357]

I sold 4312's for several years and they are kick azz speakers. Very loud and proud speaker.

I've never heard original 4312's, and I've yet to find anybody who has heard the "E" version which I have make a comparison to the originals. Obviously different drivers, but both run the woofer full range with a similar crossover.

 

[C. Cook]

I'd rather have the pair of Cerwin-Vega 313's I had in the early 80's. Talk about a party speaker...

I had the D2s for many years and loved them. I wonder how they'd compare nowadays. Never had a single complaint with them, really.

 

[sk3383]

Long time reader. New member. First post. Long time admirer of the ASR community.

I know my comments here will likely be dismissed. Despite this, I still felt compelled to add a small contribution to this thread for any folks who may be potentially interested in acquiring a pair of these speakers in the future.

I recently purchased a NOS pair of these JBL 4319 speakers from a local dealer. My pair were manufactured in Northridge, California. I've owned these speakers for about 6 months now.

Quick background; I've owned at least 2 dozen speakers over the past 20 years, majority of which were "award winners" (incl. Altec Lansing, Acoustic Energy, Acoustic Zen, Duevel, Mission, Paradigm, ProAc, Totem, Usher, etc. etc.).

I appreciate Amir's review, the time and effort he put into measuring the speakers, posting his findings and observations. It's solid work. Bravo!

I found Amir's actual listening tests and conclusion quite interesting.

Amir noted that he listened with the speakers on his normal bookshelf stands (I'm assuming these are 20-24" in height) which had the tweeters above his listening position.

Also, this would cause the bass to "load" his room very differently than having them on the ground tilted up, or placed on more appropriate stands.

I suspect this may have contributed to Amir's dislike for the speaker. Is it possible this affected his experience!?

I find the 4319's perform best when positioned so the tweeters are directly at ear level. I currently have them on 15" stands.

I do agree with Amir, they are a little boxy sounding, meaning they wont disappear like slim towers or bookshelf speakers.

However, I also find them well balanced overall. Incredible bass performance! Tight, Fast, Strong, Punchy.

It's not one of those typical audiophile speakers only sounds good with Classical or Jazz. No need to only play "audiophile approved" hi-res stuff for them to sound good.

Nice thing about speakers like this, they sound great regardless of genre or material. Even with lo-res stuff like YouTube or Spotify.

Anyways, don't be quick to judge on specs alone. Specs don't always tell the whole story. Your experience may be entirely different.

--Shawn