JBL M2 Reference Master Monitor Review

[synthetic]

Owner of the M2s here. Erin was kind enough to send me the data and I took a stab at equalizing it to look like the marketing spin-o-ramas.

This makes the early reflections and sound power curves also look a lot more like the Harman spin-o-rama than what Erin measured.

I speculate that they are using a different set of filters for the production version. Luckily with the way the m2s are designed we can easily change the target, and thanks to Erin we now have the data to do so.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

I think the thing is what it can do 86dB SPL with minimal distortion it also does at 105dB. If you don't need a lot of oomph, probably not the right speaker.

Also, just eyeballing graphs, I think Erin's vertical axis is more spread out vs ASR, so jaggies look more extreme.

that make sense to me...

 

[tomtoo]

You would be Thunderstruck!

Or hells belled.

 

[tomtoo]

If speakers would be dogs.

The shown KEF.


The M2

 

[VintageFlanker]

Glad to have you back, mate.

 

[Newman]

I've included my video and a couple of the more important takeaway graphics below.

Were you driving it with its bespoke amplification and settings?

These measurements are good, but not what I would consider state-of-the art. I'm kind of disappointed.

Well, if the bespoke amps and settings were not used, it would be like measuring a Genelec with the internal EQ turned off.

 

[Ata]

Owner of the M2s here. Erin was kind enough to send me the data and I took a stab at equalizing it to look like the marketing spin-o-ramas.View attachment 149372

This makes the early reflections and sound power curves also look a lot more like the Harman spin-o-rama than what Erin measured.

How did you do the EQ, by hand in REW?

 

[cany89]

Seems to me the biggest differences to 708 are:

1) SPL capability jump from high to basically without limit in a domestic system
2) directivity control extends lower in frequency (wider woofer and baffle)
3) directivity control breaks down lower ib the treble (big compression driver and exit vs tiny CD and exit)

So an achievement for sure, but I suspect most 70x owners will not be much happier with M2 than what they already enjoy.

As a 705 owner; I was just asking myself what if? My wallet looked at me like oh hell no! And then you dropped your comment lol. Just in time!

 

[ironhorse128]

@hardisj welcome back on asr

 

[thorvat]

Let's see how this goes, shall we?

Have you considered opening a forum on your site? It would be interesting to see how that would go..

 

[thewas]

Well except that this nails flat DI from 800 to 8000hz in a way that not even Genelec or the D&D 8c do.

Personally I prefer the total DIs behaviour of the D&D 8c more, smoother and controller better till 150 Hz

while on the JBL M2 the directivity is significantly drop below 800 Hz like on a typical big loudspeaker

 

[abdo123]

If you don't need a lot of oomph, probably not the right speaker.

who doesn't need a lot of oomph though? Dynamics are everything if not even more important than the FR itself.

I mean i would not buy this to put it on my desk but it's one hell of a speaker for anything else.

 

[abdo123]

Personally I prefer the total DIs behaviour of the D&D 8c more, smoother and controller better till 150 Hz

View attachment 149406

while on the JBL M2 the directivity is significantly drop below 800 Hz like on a typical big loudspeaker

View attachment 149407

For me the D&D looks less controlled, at 1500Hz you have a non-linear hump, followed by a drop in directivity followed by rising directivity again, then another drop at ~13KHz .etc

the D&D is narrower in directivity, but not more controlled.

I still think it's the better speaker, because it was obviously designed with a Klippel with much higher resolution, not to mention the low frequency directivity.

but overall i would say the M2 is more controlled.

 

[thewas]

For me the D&D looks less controlled, at 1500Hz you have a non-linear hump, followed by a drop in directivity followed by rising directivity again, then another drop at ~13KHz .etc

the D&D is narrower in directivity, but not more controlled.

I still think it's the better speaker, because it was obviously designed with a Klippel with much higher resolution, not to mention the low frequency directivity.

but overall i would say the M2 is more controlled.

Our definitions are different then, for me the D&D controls the directivity better as it does it in almost all the important audio band, meaning I personally prefer directivity down till the base tones with a little drop in 13 Khz then having 2 different directivity regions like the M2.

 

[abdo123]

@thewas The Globe plots tell a different story, making the M2 look much less controlled. I can't really tell anymore.

 

[Koeitje]

Well except that this nails flat DI from 800 to 8000hz in a way that not even Genelec or the D&D 8c do.

Except those can't play nowhere near as loud as the M2. The M2 does THX reference levels on its socks.

Anyway, you can't really compare these speakers. They have totally different use cases.

 

[thewas]

but overall i would say the M2 is more controlled.

@thewas The Globe plots tell a different story, making the M2 look much less controlled.

?
So you agree now that the D&D 8c is better controlled?

 

[Sancus]

Except those can't play nowhere near as loud as the M2. The M2 does THX reference levels on its socks.

Anyway, you can't really compare these speakers. They have totally different use cases.

Huh? What does any of that have to do with anything? I was just referring to the technical achievement of a genuinely flat DI curve, that's all. Nowhere did I say I was comparing speakers in total or for any particular use case.

Personally I prefer the total DIs behaviour of the D&D 8c more, smoother and controller better till 150 Hz

Yeah it's an open question what you should do if you can't actually achieve perfectly controlled DI 20-20khz. You either have to have a gradual slope, or a sharp change somewhere. I dunno which sounds better overall, but I also suspect it's the D&D 8C.

 

[abdo123]

Except those can't play nowhere near as loud as the M2. The M2 does THX reference levels on its socks.

The Dutch and Dutch 8C has two 8-inch subwoofers powered by a 500W amplifier, I think you're the one underestimating the D&D.

 

[abdo123]

?
So you agree now that the D&D 8c is better controlled?

yeah. The DI plot in the Spinorama is less revealing when the response itself is messier.