JBL 705P Studio Monitor Review

[Zzzzz...]

Thanks everyone for highlighting the possible effects of temperature - I didn't realize it could affect response much.

Once I get some time I'm going to read through the KH80 review threads - its measurements look stellar!

Also do we know if it is the speakers that are being affected by temperature and not the mic?

 

[BYRTT]

Thanks everyone for highlighting the possible effects of temperature - I didn't realize it could affect response much.

Once I get some time I'm going to read through the KH80 review threads - its measurements look stellar!

Also do we know if it is the speakers that are being affected by temperature and not the mic?

Temperature effects are not that dramatic in it will just create a smaller shelf 2-300Hz and down that one can interpollate with eyes when reading the charts temperature has nothing to do with diverse resonance flaws and various design errors that happen through speaker systems passband, also will not expect mic to be influenced by temperature because then the Klippel and Neumann engineers would have pointed subject out, have a best reading over there at KH 80 threads ..

 

[Zzzzz...]

So based on that plot of response versus temperature, there is unlikely to be much temperature effect over 1 kHz and hence temperature can't be used to explain my main concern with the 705 spins which is the increased response from about 900 Hz to about 1.4 kHz.

 

[BYRTT]

So based on that plot of response versus temperature, there is unlikely to be much temperature effect over 1 kHz and hence temperature can't be used to explain my main concern with the 705 spins which is the increased response from about 900 Hz to about 1.4 kHz.

Yes forget the temperature deviation in as seen in the Klippel plot its affection is a smooth shelf below 2-300Hz area and nothing more, what you see in Amir's acoustic analyze for 705P is some none ideal design errors here and there often they show up in 400-4000Hz area, now i dont know exactly what your main concern is for 705P but a hint is look at DI curve (directivity index) in it represent smoothness or errors for 72 directivity points (per 10º steps, 36 times horizontals, 36 times verticals), in below animation side by side to 305P MKII you can see DI curve noise for 705P, and by the way animation toggles both of them EQed with same DI EQ policy as a kind of normalization..

 

[cany89]

Do you have the 705i or the 705p?

705i. Paired them with Fostex lab series 600 power amp (200w per channel on 8 ohms I guess).
- Coming up from a 3 driver speaker the low-end bass was missing for my taste, so I added an active sub (connected with speaker cable so no amp delay). So far so good!

 

[Pawelekdabek]

This is S&R measurement of 705P probably in warmer enviroment.

 

[BYRTT]

This is S&R measurement of 705P probably in hotter enviroment.
View attachment 109035

Traced and overlaid to same ratios ..

 

[Zzzzz...]

Traced and overlaid to same ratios ..

View attachment 109041

Yes, this nicely demonstrates the difference (and the S&R measurements fairly closely match JBL's own measurements). I'm pretty certain the sub 200 Hz mismatch is due to temperature differences, based on what was learned from the Neumann KH80 measurements. But as for the rest, what do people think? I find it hard to belief that there would be such a large discrepancy with JBL's own measurements...

It's interesting that people seem to have gotten rather worked up about the KH80 not measuring as expected but not so much with this speaker?

 

[BYRTT]

Yes, this nicely demonstrates the difference (and the S&R measurements fairly closely match JBL's own measurements). I'm pretty certain the sub 200 Hz mismatch is due to temperature differences, based on what was learned from the Neumann KH80 measurements. But as for the rest, what do people think? I find it hard to belief that there would be such a large discrepancy with JBL's own measurements...

It's interesting that people seem to have gotten rather worked up about the KH80 not measuring as expected but not so much with this speaker?

Look Amir have a new technology Klippel wonder robot that roll over most anechoic chambers in low end resolution and use no interpolation so data is as raw true as it gets without data first should pass whatever marketing eyes and in Amir is independant third party he mostly use samples directly from the sales channel so not any golden samples here but what mr and miss avarage will get. About that temperature verse S&R plus manufacture my bet is there is a real kink there in Amir's two samples, because say he was 5 ºC below 20 ºC its not enough deviation and as told resolution in anechoic chambers is not as high as for Klippel scanner plus in anechoic chambers they probably use gating (decrease of resolution) and interpollate with smoothing or some marketing department can have data interpollated. Feel free whatever your interest is that to not believe Amir's two samples measured as they did, on the other hand a front mounted port and baffle step loss plus diffraction should be good excuses Amir's quite higher resolution is what is reality for these two sales channel samples tested.

 

[Zzzzz...]

Byrtt,
No problem. Thanks for your input. I was finding it a little hard to understand some of your earlier posts but I found your last post much clearer. Thanks again.

 

[BYRTT]

Byrtt,
No problem. Thanks for your input. I was finding it a little hard to understand some of your earlier posts but I found your last post much clearer. Thanks again.

Welcome think different non standard ratios on published X/Y scales often can be a problem so i traced the JBL spinorama to same scales as Amir's but notice JBL sample is named 705i where Amir's is named 705P, anybody judge yourself but think not they so different onto same scale ratios and noice in 300-2000Hz area for Amir's resolution have probably some logic answers seen in modeled baffle loss & diffraction plus port noice is excelent resoluted on the Klippel scanner, manufactures on axis and listening window we can probably agree looks very smooth within one to two dB or so and also bit smoother than S&R plus a notch more lower extension and probably what most studio folks/owners love to see and probably what we get if measurement chain resolution typical is lower than a Klippel scanner and/or using some kind of interpollation in the process before output is public printed..

 

[Zzzzz...]

...
Having owned the 705i, of the things I found lacking - the imho inconsequential dip was not one of them. As I said: YMMV.

Hi Tim,
I recognize you as someone who use to post fairly frequently in the various Harman threads over on AVS. Can you expand a little on why you ultimately got rid of the 705i?

 

[RobL]

Just ordered a pair of these...anyone have a suggestion for nice looking stands for them? Do I need to start searching for a sub or do they play reasonably low for music only?

 

[Sal1950]

Just ordered a pair of these...anyone have a suggestion for nice looking stands for them? Do I need to start searching for a sub or do they play reasonably low for music only?

A sub would be highly recommended, not only for low bass but also revealing them of the lowest bass will allow them to play louder without distortion.

 

[cany89]

Just ordered a pair of these...anyone have a suggestion for nice looking stands for them? Do I need to start searching for a sub or do they play reasonably low for music only?

I highly recommend a small, fast sub (I’m no a huge fan of big subs). I used high level input and set the crossover beyond recommended settings like 80-100hz because depending on your room, listening distance etc. the low end of these speakers get lost. I use sub to compensate. But I usually listen to rock/metal and don’t need very deep bass. So this low-mid / bass setting with small fast sub really worked well for me.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

We need to drop those notions of small subs being “fast” and larger subs “slow”. It is a matter of proper integration. OTOH, for most any speakers, including some truly full range speakers, subwoofers allow a better, smoother bass response. In the case of the 705p it could be a requirement. From there the discussion becomes more interesting. Do we need subs that play well in the mid bass? I would say , yes, for these speakers. One suggestion would be a pair of Rythmik FM8. Placemnt is no longer flexible, above 80Hz bass can be located, requiring thus that subs and mains to be very close, or colocated... Another discussion for another time.

Peace.

Peace

 

[richard12511]

Hi

We need to drop those notions of small subs being “fast” and larger subs “slow”. It is a matter of proper integration. OTOH, for most any speakers, including some truly full range speakers, subwoofers allow a better, smoother bass response. In the case of the 705p it could be a requirement. From there the discussion becomes more interesting. Do we need subs that play well in the mid bass? I would say , yes, for these speakers. One suggestion would be a pair of Rythmik FM8. Placemnt is no longer flexible, above 80Hz bass can be located, requiring thus that subs and mains to be very close, or colocated... Another discussion for another time.

Peace.

Peace

I don't agree that "above 80Hz bass can be located". 80Hz is just the THX standard, and from what I've read, 80Hz was chosen because it was an octave lower(160Hz) lower than anyone could reliable locate bass in a blind test. Even then, that was just one person. That person who was able to locate bass at 160Hz was an outlier. No one else in the test could locate bass below 200Hz. This was also with just one subwoofer, Locating the bass with 4 subwoofers is much harder than locating bass with just one subwoofer. I tend to think that anything below 300Hz is probably not locatable with 4 subwoofers, which is inline with what Grimm Audio says in their pdf.

 

[Tom C]

Here’s what I use for my 705p’s. Cheap and sturdy. Won’t win a beauty contest, but not obtrusive either. They are nicely sized for 705, and should accommodate 708, since they’re rated for 75lbs. I really enjoy my 705’s. I have them set up as LCR in my home theater. They are positioned near the front wall, and one is near a corner. There’s enough bass for me for music, but I need to add a sub for movies.


Monoprice



I kind of wish I had gotten 708’s to begin with, but I wasn’t sure I’d like them, and didn’t want to drop that much coin on them sight unseen. Now, I have been waiting patiently for the open box/b-stock half-price sale to come ‘round again, but it’s been over a year since the last one, and I don’t know if I can wait much longer...
Needing a sub is so subjective. It really depends on your room, listening distance, and personal taste. If you sit close to them in a small space, you may have less need for a sub.

 

[Everett T]

I don't agree that "above 80Hz bass can be located". 80Hz is just the THX standard, and from what I've read, 80Hz was chosen because it was an octave lower(160Hz) lower than anyone could reliable locate bass in a blind test. Even then, that was just one person. That person who was able to locate bass at 160Hz was an outlier. No one else in the test could locate bass below 200Hz. This was also with just one subwoofer, Locating the bass with 4 subwoofers is much harder than locating bass with just one subwoofer. I tend to think that anything below 300Hz is probably not locatable with 4 subwoofers, which is inline with what Grimm Audio says in their pdf.

I thought the thx spec was in relation to sealed box mains to integrate the fixed roll off in THX AVRs? I'll have to dig but IIRC there was a correlation.

 

[cany89]

We need to drop those notions of small subs being “fast” and larger subs “slow”. It is a matter of proper integration.

That’s interesting. I tried few subs so far and only one of them - Apart A165 - was fast enough for the music that I’m listening. I have yet to try Rel subs. I heard good about them...