JBL M2 Reference Master Monitor Review

[MAB]

What's your definition of easy? It's always hilarious when people show up and say to almost any consumer products that don't buy it just DIY it easily but then a linked video or forum thread shows someone with all of these tools, skills and even for this person it took lots of hours to build just one.
Yes, it sounds easy that you need to just cut wood, glue it and screw in the drivers but only if you have the tools, no need to almost "shame" someone for buying the real thing (though the 12k USD sounds high, in Europe I can see prices around 8000k euros).

Nobody said 'just cut and glue and screw', that is your slightly hysterical interpretation! For sure woodworking and building things is an effort. But as far as speaker builds, the M2 is really easy and the exact JBL drivers are available for sale. So this is one example of a DIY where you can DIY an exact product. That's the point here. Not that building things is easy.

The thing is, many people at ASR have the skills to do this. Even modest woodworking skills allow this.
And, many people here who don't have the skills or the tools, can have these cabinets made for very reasonable fee. I have helped several with the cabinet dimensions and bill of materials. One member just sent me pictures of their cabinets fresh from the shop, and they look incredible, and apparently not that expensive.
And, many members here also have the skills to create an exact copy of JBL's PEQ and filters so they can be used with generic DSP and amplifiers. It's quite easy, and one of the points of ASR.

The drivers are $2400 for stereo pair. There are multiple DSP options, some quite inexpensive, I used a MiniDSP which cost ~$600 but there are even cheaper. My BOM is less than 15% of a pair of M2 which is about $29k

JBL M2 Reference Monitor System

Reference Monitor System including [2] JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors with 15" Woofer; Dual-diaphragm, Dual-voice-coil Compression Driver; and [2] Crown I-T5000 HD Amplifiers

www.sweetwater.com

 

[Absolute]

You don't really need skills, one could always order pre-cut mdf plates from any workshop with some cad drawings. The magic of M2 lies with the waveguide, so I wouldn't put too much trouble into getting the cabinet exact - unless you want to copy the complete dsp settings with the passive M2 filter in place.

 

[Pulkass]

Nobody said 'just cut and glue and screw', that is your slightly hysterical interpretation! For sure woodworking and building things is an effort. But as far as speaker builds, the M2 is really easy and the exact JBL drivers are available for sale. So this is one example of a DIY where you can DIY an exact product. That's the point here. Not that building things is easy.

The thing is, many people at ASR have the skills to do this. Even modest woodworking skills allow this.
And, many people here who don't have the skills or the tools, can have these cabinets made for very reasonable fee. I have helped several with the cabinet dimensions and bill of materials. One member just sent me pictures of their cabinets fresh from the shop, and they look incredible, and apparently not that expensive.
And, many members here also have the skills to create an exact copy of JBL's PEQ and filters so they can be used with generic DSP and amplifiers. It's quite easy, and one of the points of ASR.

The drivers are $2400 for stereo pair. There are multiple DSP options, some quite inexpensive, I used a MiniDSP which cost ~$600 but there are even cheaper. My BOM is less than 15% of a pair of M2 which is about $29k

JBL M2 Reference Monitor System

Reference Monitor System including [2] JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors with 15" Woofer; Dual-diaphragm, Dual-voice-coil Compression Driver; and [2] Crown I-T5000 HD Amplifiers

www.sweetwater.com

Agree completely. 30.000 is a crazy sum. Absolutely not worth. Even in a professional studio environment you can buy better for a lot less.

 

[jhaider]

Agree completely. 30.000 is a crazy sum. Absolutely not worth. Even in a professional studio environment you can buy better for a lot less.

You can do M2s for a lot less, if you use the DCI network amp, or a BSS processor and your own amplification, instead. Both of those have the necessary correction filters. I think they're a hard to beat speaker regardless of price.

 

[MAB]

Agree completely. 30.000 is a crazy sum. Absolutely not worth. Even in a professional studio environment you can buy better for a lot less.

Not sure what is better and a lot less for the application. You would need to cite specific examples, and what they do better, I would be interested. JBL makes some great sounding speakers, and the M2 are one example that does a bunch of things really well. For sure there are lots of other incredible speakers, but they typically cost more than a pair of M2 which seem like a bargain.
And like jhaider said, you can get a configuration for less than $30k. In my case about $4k for the roll-your-own approach.

 

[Pulkass]

Would you mix in those? Would you master in those ? I dont . I make do with Focal.

 

[unknownuser]

Nobody said 'just cut and glue and screw', that is your slightly hysterical interpretation! For sure woodworking and building things is an effort. But as far as speaker builds, the M2 is really easy and the exact JBL drivers are available for sale. So this is one example of a DIY where you can DIY an exact product. That's the point here. Not that building things is easy.

The thing is, many people at ASR have the skills to do this. Even modest woodworking skills allow this.
And, many people here who don't have the skills or the tools, can have these cabinets made for very reasonable fee. I have helped several with the cabinet dimensions and bill of materials. One member just sent me pictures of their cabinets fresh from the shop, and they look incredible, and apparently not that expensive.
And, many members here also have the skills to create an exact copy of JBL's PEQ and filters so they can be used with generic DSP and amplifiers. It's quite easy, and one of the points of ASR.

The drivers are $2400 for stereo pair. There are multiple DSP options, some quite inexpensive, I used a MiniDSP which cost ~$600 but there are even cheaper. My BOM is less than 15% of a pair of M2 which is about $29k

JBL M2 Reference Monitor System

Reference Monitor System including [2] JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors with 15" Woofer; Dual-diaphragm, Dual-voice-coil Compression Driver; and [2] Crown I-T5000 HD Amplifiers

www.sweetwater.com

I happen to have a friend with a very big wood working lab, l direct, he does! We will copy somehow the concept, buy different hi quality drivers, less expensive than the impossible JBL! And build an even heavier, de coupled, non resonant enclosure. For 2500 euros we make the trick. X over is external electronic.

Sorry guys, for whatever reason I misunderstood your posts and thought that you are suggesting that anybody who's purchasing M2s instead building it is a fool.
Now I'm the fool for visiting this thread as a newbie here, better to stay silent from now on haha

 

[Pulkass]

If you have 30k to spare buy them-

 

[jtwrace]

If you have 30k to spare buy them-

M2's for $30k? Not even close!

 

[Pulkass]

As ACDC STATED 48-15-20 '' you can bet they have got it all.

 

[MAB]

Sorry guys, for whatever reason I misunderstood your posts and thought that you are suggesting that anybody who's purchasing M2s instead building it is a fool.
Now I'm the fool for visiting this thread as a newbie here, better to stay silent from now on haha

No worries.
I actual built a pair.
The initial prototypes took me a day to cut and glue.

They could have been made with a circular saw and a router.

The tweeter frames were made from rough lumber.

They are tremendous speakers, one of the all-time greats.

 

[Pulkass]

Remember 48 '' 15'' 20'' enclosure --super braced--dampened---de coupled---that ain t. No vents---re make. re model Roxy Music

 

[MAB]

Remember 48 '' 15'' 20'' enclosure --super braced--dampened---de coupled---that ain t. No vents---re make. re model Roxy Music

Numerology

 

[Pulkass]

You made an awful horrible Cabinetto- as we Say in Naples : Cabinetto-

 

[MAB]

You made an awful horrible Cabinetto- as we Say in Naples : Cabinetto-

You made a weak insult!
At least I made a speaker to listen to.

 

[Bartl007]

Agree completely. 30.000 is a crazy sum. Absolutely not worth. Even in a professional studio environment you can buy better for a lot less.

Please never pay full retail for JBL/Harman products. My M2's and DCI/N amplifier (L+R pair +5000 watts of DSP amplifier) were only 31% of the $29k retail quoted above (tax and shipping included). Though the amp was factory refurbished, the speakers were brand new, drop shipped from JBL.

For those considering the M2, high volume pro audio retailers are your friend!

 

[Pulkass]

So you paid 9000 the lot?

 

[Bartl007]

So you paid 9000 the lot?

No, I paid $9,003 for the lot....

Details here: https://www.avsforum.com/threads/synthesis-on-the-cheap-deals-thread.3202733/

 

[Pulkass]

HASHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I missed 3 bucks---my 30 years at the bank don t fail me.

 

[Pulkass]

No worries.
I actual built a pair.
The initial prototypes took me a day to cut and glue.

They could have been made with a circular saw and a router.

The tweeter frames were made from rough lumber.

They are tremendous speakers, one of the all-time greats.

How do you cut them drivers? Two way or three way?