JBL 4349 Review (Studio Monitor Speaker)

[Dougey_Jones]

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.

Kinda what I was driving at. My Revel Performas are very neutral speakers, but in room response is usually a mess for most people, so a 3-5db “trough” doesn’t really mean much in the grand scheme when almost everyone is going to be using room correction.

My pre room correction FR is a disaster despite my neutral speakers and electronics.

 

[Tom C]

Although the trim controls affect the response above the frequency of the measured trough, if you use the controls to decrease treble level, that should have the effect of lessening the relative magnitude of the trough. I have a pair. I tried “correcting” the trough, but didn’t feel I heard much of a difference. Now I just leave it alone.

 

[C. Cook]

Although the trim controls affect the response above the frequency of the measured trough, if you use the controls to decrease treble level, that should have the effect of lessening the relative magnitude of the trough. I have a pair. I tried “correcting” the trough, but didn’t feel I heard much of a difference. Now I just leave it alone.

Yeah, in my room the trim controls don't really do much at all. But that could also be due to 50 years old ears.

 

[RickS]

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

Fair point, but if his measurements were wrong/misleading may be JBL would protest?

Wish I could hear as well as when I was 50. If you are happy, enjoy your speakers. My Zaph 5.2s got some high marks but Amir panned them. I kept them anyway.

 

[thatnorthernsound]

The 1-6 kHz region is the exact opposite of my preferred stereo speaker. A lower energy 1-2 kHz in all angles compared to 2-5 kHz. Most likely it will sound a bit bright, edgy and hard in a typical stereo setup. Not anything I prefer in the long run.

It doesn't, it's very unfatiguing in the treble when set up properly. I've had these for two years, powered by a Denon PMA-A110, Topping D90/A90 into a Hypex 400, Benchmark stack, and now a Marantz PM-10.

Very pleasant and polite at moderate volumes. At high volume they sound BIG...close your eyes and the room disappears. I find myself listening to more and more music with instruments and less electronic. Electronic still sounds great, but instruments just sound so real and tangible that I can't get enough of them.

 

[C. Cook]

It doesn't, it's very unfatiguing in the treble when set up properly. I've had these for two years, powered by a Denon PMA-A110, Topping D90/A90 into a Hypex 400, Benchmark stack, and now a Marantz PM-10.

Very pleasant and polite at moderate volumes. At high volume they sound BIG...close your eyes and the room disappears. I find myself listening to more and more music with instruments and less electronic. Electronic still sounds great, but instruments just sound so real and tangible that I can't get enough of them.

My experience too. A lot to do with super low distortion, especially bass and mid-bass.

 

[Thomas_A]

It doesn't, it's very unfatiguing in the treble when set up properly. I've had these for two years, powered by a Denon PMA-A110, Topping D90/A90 into a Hypex 400, Benchmark stack, and now a Marantz PM-10.

Very pleasant and polite at moderate volumes. At high volume they sound BIG...close your eyes and the room disappears. I find myself listening to more and more music with instruments and less electronic. Electronic still sounds great, but instruments just sound so real and tangible that I can't get enough of them.

One can always find exceptions depending on setup and the complex issue regarding reflections, dealing with the stereo errors as shown by Shirley et al. Clear from the measurements is that the dispersion is not even with its dip1-2 kHz and more energy 3-5 kHz. This is also not in line with current research by Toole et al regarding an optimal smooth dispersion pattern for best fidelity. According to my own testing a smooth dispersion sounds best and preferrably a bit mot energy 1-2 kHz vs 3-4 kHz. Which is the opposite of these speakers.

 

[sheeple]

Have you listened to the 4349's or you are educating two owners about their perceptions based on your opinions?

 

[youngho]

Have you listened to the 4349's or you are educating two owners about their perceptions based on your opinions?

I've come up with a new term: Harmansplaining

Things like https://www.avsforum.com/threads/localizability-of-bass-frequencies-in-rooms.3205312/ as opposed to https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/bass-and-subwoofers.51589/#post-1857133, or https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...er-preference-curve.50602/page-6#post-1850366

People telling you that you can't hear something or that you do prefer something because their interpretations/readings of Harman and/or Toole "said so."

 

[Thomas_A]

Have you listened to the 4349's or you are educating two owners about their perceptions based on your opinions?

It is mainly my own experience of 30 years of DIY of speakers and filters, including measuring and listening to speakers. And the result is that I basically agree with Toole, including the acknowledgment of the Shirley stereo errors. Speakers that exaggerate these errors may sound bright and harsh on certain recordings.

"Subjective perceptions" are not a fixed property; and "opinions" may change given a proper listening test.

 

[thatnorthernsound]

It is mainly my own experience of 30 years of DIY of speakers and filters, including measuring and listening to speakers. And the result is that I basically agree with Toole, including the acknowledgment of the Shirley stereo errors. Speakers that exaggerate these errors may sound bright and harsh on certain recordings.

"Subjective perceptions" are not a fixed property; and "opinions" may change given a proper listening test.

After originally reading this review I was really worried that my ears were broken, this horrible dip that caused everyone to dismiss them outright was surely a deal breaker.

But after doing some measurements in my room the response pretty much followed the Harman curve. I fiddled around smoothing things out with Dirac using a miniDSP DDRC-22D but ultimately decided I liked the sound best without the equalization.

When you compare the 4349 to other similarly priced two-way speakers, like the Dynaudio Heritage Special that Erin's Audio Corner reviewed favorably, the frequency response is pretty darn good. As previous commenters have touched on, there's something to the low distortion and high dynamics that make this speaker incredibly satisfying.

 

[Thomas_A]

After originally reading this review I was really worried that my ears were broken, this horrible dip that caused everyone to dismiss them outright was surely a deal breaker.

But after doing some measurements in my room the response pretty much followed the Harman curve. I fiddled around smoothing things out with Dirac using a miniDSP DDRC-22D but ultimately decided I liked the sound best without the equalization.

When you compare the 4349 to other similarly priced two-way speakers, like the Dynaudio Heritage Special that Erin's Audio Corner reviewed favorably, the frequency response is pretty darn good. As previous commenters have touched on, there's something to the low distortion and high dynamics that make this speaker incredibly satisfying.

Preference of tonality may differ and as Amir wrote these are quite different from the Salon2. One cannot argue regarding preference. Room responses can vary but given the results from Amirs review they seem to sound pretty much as they measure.

 

[MickeyBoy]

It is mainly my own experience of 30 years of DIY of speakers and filters, including measuring and listening to speakers. And the result is that I basically agree with Toole, including the acknowledgment of the Shirley stereo errors. Speakers that exaggerate these errors may sound bright and harsh on certain recordings.

"Subjective perceptions" are not a fixed property; and "opinions" may change given a proper listening test.

What are "Shirley stereo errors"? That term is new to me. TIA.

 

[thatnorthernsound]

they seem to sound pretty much as they measure.

Yes, they sound quite nice

 

[Thomas_A]

What are "Shirley stereo errors"? That term is new to me. TIA.

You can scan this thread where Floyd Toole is discussing this as well.

Blind Listening Test 2: Neumann KH 80 vs JBL 305p MkII vs Edifier R1280T vs RCF Arya Pro5

The dip around 2 kHz is something that I, @Thomas_A, and many others have discussed a lot at the Swedish forum Faktiskt, and even if it's a little step outside the topic of the thread, I like to take the opportunity to ask you one question about it if you don't mind. With modern multi-mono...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Thomas_A]

Yes, they sound quite nice

There are speakers for everyone out there.

 

[thatnorthernsound]

Nice, you should get a job with JBL!

 

[CHenry]

The better speaker positioning for the 4349 is not on the lighter JS-120 stands (meant for the L100) but the strut-reinforced JS-150 stands. The cost is slightly higher, but for a speaker of this size and weight, the better choice. It gives the speaker about 8 inches of elevation from the floor and puts the horn at a seated ear level.

 

[thatnorthernsound]

The better speaker positioning for the 4349 is not on the lighter JS-120 stands (meant for the L100) but the strut-reinforced JS-150 stands. The cost is slightly higher, but for a speaker of this size and weight, the better choice. It gives the speaker about 8 inches of elevation from the floor and puts the horn at a seated ear level.

That's what I'm using, JBL does a poor job of steering owners toward the correct stand. The owner's manual mentions the JS-120 because it was written before the JS-150 was released.

The 4349 is considerably bigger than the L100, I'm wondering how many people purchased the JS-120 because of JBL's mistake.

 

[C. Cook]

One can always find exceptions depending on setup and the complex issue regarding reflections, dealing with the stereo errors as shown by Shirley et al. Clear from the measurements is that the dispersion is not even with its dip1-2 kHz and more energy 3-5 kHz. This is also not in line with current research by Toole et al regarding an optimal smooth dispersion pattern for best fidelity. According to my own testing a smooth dispersion sounds best and preferrably a bit mot energy 1-2 kHz vs 3-4 kHz. Which is the opposite of these speakers.

Equalization?