JBL 4349 Review (Studio Monitor Speaker)

[Duke]

Is it my imagination, or does the tweeter crossover stop working below like 900 Hz?!?

My understanding is that the Klippel system's microphone is still picking up output from the woofer when it is positioned near the tweeter, hence the woofer's output showing up at reduced level in the tweeter's measurements.

 

[Head_Unit]

My understanding is that the Klippel system's microphone is still picking up output from the woofer when it is positioned near the tweeter, hence the woofer's output showing up at reduced level in the tweeter's measurements.

I would have thought @amirm would disconnect the woofer terminals for measuring the tweeter? Or did I miss something in the how the Klippel works thread?

 

[amirm]

I would have thought @amirm would disconnect the woofer terminals for measuring the tweeter? Or did I miss something in the how the Klippel works thread?

I don't take speakers apart for testing. All measurements are near-field to the driver/port.

 

[C. Cook]

I don't take speakers apart for testing. All measurements are near-field to the driver/port.

Which is, of course, how speakers SHOULD be measured. LOL

 

[changer]

I didn't even know Darko lives in Berlin. I should buy myself a ticket for the express train tonight and teach him how to make quality content.

P.S.: Had he bought himself a tube amp had he know NordStream would blow up?
Berlin summers are sticky, yes, but winters can be cold.

 

[C. Cook]

I didn't even know Darko lives in Berlin. I should buy myself a ticket for the express train tonight and teach him how to make quality content. instead we get this:

P.S.: Had he bought himself a tube amp had he know NordStream would blow up? Berlin summers are sticky, yes, but winters can be cold, Darko.

And he's using the album from The Big Lebowski to review them.

 

[ironhorse128]

Does anybody know if the 4349s would match well with a tube amplifier?

I own the 4349s and now I am thinking about buying a push-pull kt88 tube amp but I am not sure if this would really be a good match.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[levimax]

Does anybody know if the 4349s would match well with a tube amplifier?

I own the 4349s and now I am thinking about buying a push-pull kt88 tube amp but I am not sure if this would really be a good match.

Thanks for your advice.

Most on these boards would say why waste money on good speakers for a poor performing tube amp but to answer your question these speakers would in general work OK with a tube amp because they are efficient (tube amps have less power generally) and 8 Ohm impedance (tube amps do not like low impedance). JBL recommends amps of 25 to 200 watts and these speakers can put out some serious SPL so I would get a powerful tube amp to try to take advantage of them. Rather than a tube amp I would recommend getting a powerful and clean SS amp which would be cheaper, easier, cooler, and higher performing. I am sure they will sound great either way.

 

[C. Cook]

Does anybody know if the 4349s would match well with a tube amplifier?

I own the 4349s and now I am thinking about buying a push-pull kt88 tube amp but I am not sure if this would really be a good match.

Thanks for your advice.

FWIW, and given the usual caveats about how poorly tube amps perform in terms of distortion, my answer is "Yes." I have paired my 4349s with one of these (https://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=54 using KT88s and rolling in some KT120s) and the combo sounds great, especially on old vinyl (which again admittedly are high distortion). But there's something about the way the tube amp helps the JBLs midrange like the guitars in
The Cars "Just What I Needed" that just isn't there using my usual Hypex amp.

 

[Tom C]

I’ve had McIntosh MC275 connected to my JBL 4349’s. It was fine, but the output was nowhere near what I got using Hypex NC1200. That rocks! And costs waayy less $$$$.

 

[ironhorse128]

OK. Thanks for your feedback. I guess I will give it a try. There are just things you have to experience once in a lifetime.

 

[Tom C]

OK. Thanks for your feedback. I guess I will give it a try. There are just things you have to experience once in a lifetime.

True that.

 

[AlexOak]

Probably going for a pair of these, no problem running them with a Marantz Cinema 70s? The room is ab 25-30m2

 

[Doodski]

Probably going for a pair of these, no problem running them with a Marantz Cinema 70s? The room is ab 25-30m2

The JBL 4349 has a efficiency of 91 dB/2.83V/1m and so that makes them a easier load for the amp when compared to other speakers. They will perform best with a high power amplifier. Later if you decide you want the power too then maybe upgrade to a Buckeye Amp etc. Get some newer class D amplification and high power output running those JBLs and you'll have a very cool system.

 

[AlexOak]

The JBL 4349 has a efficiency of 91 dB/2.83V/1m and so that makes them a easier load for the amp when compared to other speakers. They will perform best with a high power amplifier. Later if you decide you want the power too then maybe upgrade to a Buckeye Amp etc. Get some newer class D amplification and high power output running those JBLs and you'll have a very cool system.

So my Marantz should drive them pretty good? I live in an apartment so no need for massive power I guess.

 

[HeadDoc12]

So my Marantz should drive them pretty good? I live in an apartment so no need for massive power I guess.

Based on specs, my guess is that you will be upsetting the neighbors before any risk to damaging the equipment. 50 wpc in that space should drive those speakers plenty loud.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

that trough

It's 3.4-4db.. And Amir admittedly didn't experiment with the switches on the back. This is my favorite of the many audio forums available on the internet, but in some instances it becomes a caricature of itself.

 

[Rick Sykora]

It's 3.4-4db.. And Amir admittedly didn't experiment with the switches on the back. This is my favorite of the many audio forums available on the internet, but in some instances it becomes a caricature of itself.

Lol, this post was quite a while ago and am lucky to remember what I ate for dinner last week! But, at the time, was hardly alone in shading this speaker for the money...

If Amir did not test completely and JBL did not protest strongly, maybe your dog has another fight? If my opinion offends you, please feel free to ignore it. I commented purely on the measurements and have never heard it. Amir said it had great dynamics, but he also warns of his potential bias at the start of the review.

Would be happy to retract my posting if new measurements show this speaker is better than originally shown in this review.

 

[C. Cook]

It's 3.4-4db.. And Amir admittedly didn't experiment with the switches on the back. This is my favorite of the many audio forums available on the internet, but in some instances it becomes a caricature of itself.

As an owner of a pair of these, the trough is not really audible. Also the switches are on the front and they don't really affect the frequency range where the trough is present, IIRC. In any case, I use equalization so it isn't an issue.

 

[C. Cook]

Lol, this post was quite a while ago and am lucky to remember what I ate for dinner last week! But, at the time, was hardly alone in shading this speaker for the money...

If Amir did not test completely and JBL did not protest strongly, maybe your dog has another fight? If my opinion offends you, please feel free to ignore it. I commented purely on the measurements and have never heard it. Amir said it had great dynamics, but he also warns of his potential bias at the start of the review.

Would be happy to retract my posting if new measurements show this speaker is better than originally shown in this review.

Why would JBL protest strongly - or at all - when Amir gave it a recommendation? The trough is present in every T&M I've seen on these things. https://www.hifinews.com/content/jbl-4349-loudspeaker-lab-report