JBL Studio 530 Speaker Review

[Philippe42]

I own those speakers with the SMSL A0200. I love this combo.
They sound so good with my topping E30 ( smooth with a deep stage ) but i need a XLR DAC to keep the SMSL RCA entry for my AVpreamp. I try the Topping E50, wich is very precise, but it sounds too cold and digital for me . What will be your recommandation for an XLR dac to paired with ?

 

[Teeter]

You might try here for best amp devise. : https://forum.audiogon.com/topics/speakers

Alterative would be: https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/

 

[ryanosaur]

I joined the JBL Party today and am going to try these out. On sale 60% off, 240 per pair. And free returns if I really don't like them.

If I keep them, they will go to Atmos usage, augmenting my Philharmonic bed layer. For the time being, they should be easy enough for my AVR to handle with everything else on external Amps.

Simply too many people have raved about the Studio 5 series Speakers for too long, and I've been looking for a cost-conscious solution to build out my Atmos since diving back into AV in late 2018.
Since I am mostly a Music head, I just couldn't drop huge money on this, and any DIY options would easily cost double.

I'll get to try these out next week.

 

[HorizonsEdge]

I joined the JBL Party today and am going to try these out. On sale 60% off, 240 per pair. And free returns if I really don't like them.

If I keep them, they will go to Atmos usage, augmenting my Philharmonic bed layer. For the time being, they should be easy enough for my AVR to handle with everything else on external Amps.

Simply too many people have raved about the Studio 5 series Speakers for too long, and I've been looking for a cost-conscious solution to build out my Atmos since diving back into AV in late 2018.
Since I am mostly a Music head, I just couldn't drop huge money on this, and any DIY options would easily cost double.

I'll get to try these out next week.

Grats, I am very happy with mine.

I saw atmos and you will discover that these are big and heavy. we can rechristen them JBL Studio Sword of Damocles )

 

[ryanosaur]

Grats, I am very happy with mine.

I saw atmos and you will discover that these are big and heavy. we can rechristen them JBL Studio Sword of Damocles )

Yes. This is not lost on me: I… weighed… the options. They are something like 1.5” shorter than my BMRs, half the weight and fortunately not as deep.
I had wall mounted a pair of BR-1 cabinets (Phil AA+) which were deeper and almost as heavy at 15#.
The shape will also work in my favor; inverted, I will benefit from that sloped top allowing for proper angling.

I had vowed never to drill into Speakers again. I find it unavoidable, sadly, if I am to ever “finish” my room. Fortunately, for the cost being just below my threshold of cringe, and the negligible cost of threaded inserts, I will again.
I also have a high clerestory ceiling which allows for me to mount them appropriately high enough.

Subtle they will not be, however.

 

[Teeter]

My JBL Stage A130's are perfect too. Enjoy your 530's. 530's were just to huge for my small room. I am a DD, 5.1, movie person w some mp3.

 

[ryanosaur]

My JBL Stage A130's are perfect too. Enjoy your 530's. 530's were just to huge for my small room. I am a DD, 5.1, movie person w some mp3.

Hey Teeter! Nice to see you over here, too.
I looked at the Stage A130s and considered them for the size. While I did find some inexpensive open boxes on Crutchfield, pricing was more in favor of the Studios.
I am not bashful about liking big Speakers... Too bad I couldn't find any 10" coaxial options for the same price!

 

[Teeter]

Hey Teeter! Nice to see you over here, too.
I looked at the Stage A130s and considered them for the size. While I did find some inexpensive open boxes on Crutchfield, pricing was more in favor of the Studios.
I am not bashful about liking big Speakers... Too bad I couldn't find any 10" coaxial options for the same price!

My HT room is 8 X 10 in the basement. Yesterday, I just ordered a new pair of ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 They 3" taller than the JBL Stage A130 and will see if they are music to my ears. lol I can return, if necessary. We will see if my ears are any better.....with the ELAC.... My center channel is the psb Imagine XC, which is about a year old.

@ryanosaur enjoy the 530's!

 

[ryanosaur]

Two pair delivered.
Connected 1 pair and took them for a test drive in Pure Direct.
Overall, pretty impressed. While I am used to my Speakers naturally having more bass (Phil 3s and BMR Monitors) that wasn't the most distracting aspect to me. Rather the constraint of the 2-way design around the XO... I didn't get this in Vocals so much but in Piano is where I heard it the most. Piano just sounded flat, lifeless, and (well...) constrained.

For my intended usage, these will be great. Far better than just about anything else I could buy on the market today. Considering the sale price, these are going to slay. Putting these through a high end Speaker-Audition Torture Test is bordering on cruel.

Overall, solid keepers.
Would I want to build a system off these? No. But you could.

 

[ryanosaur]

One more quick follow up...
Tested out the second pair just to ensure functionality. Rather than torture testing them with music to reveal flaws, I just started playing some good ol' fashioned Rock. Distorted guitars, neolithic pounding upon dead animal skins, screaming, Sex and Drugs... the whole nine yards at 11.

Fun.

I wish I had a pair of 590s to really see what this line of Speakers is capable of.

I will say, on the flip-side, that the Port Bung is a joke. It is a small little open-cell foam plug, about 1-1/2" thick that you can see through. It is not my intention to use them, never was. In all, a convenient inclusion, but could be done a touch more thoughtfully IMO. *shrugs

My wall mounts arrive tomorrow.

 

[mstanley117]

I wish I had a pair of 590s to really see what this line of Speakers is capable of.

I snagged the 590s during the current sale and have had them since this past Thursday.

I have not heard the 530's so no comparison to add there. That being said, the 590's have excellent bass extension down to about 25-30 Hz to the point where I now only cross my subs at 30 Hz. I believe the manual says 35 Hz at -6db, but I think that's being a generous or my room might be bass friendly at around that frequency.

I have found that I need a high shelf at about 1500 Hz at -3db to avoid the compression driver overloading the sound, which is probably due to my room having a "live" front wall with minimal treatment. I'm also very sensitive to high frequency noises. The 590's are, to me, fun speakers which do both music and home theater VERY well.

Agreed that the included port plugs are a joke. If anyone was seriously going to plug the ports to further tune the bass, I would recommend something stronger like wool socks. For the 530's, you probably won't even bother with plugging them, but the 590's it's probably more likely given how far down they extend.

 

[laudio]

The only weakness of the 530s is the woofs can bottom out at high volumes if pushed on the low end. I have many speakers for 2 Chan listening. I usually end up back with the 530s (as now) they are a great speaker. I want to move on but can't

 

[ryanosaur]

The only weakness of the 530s is the woofs can bottom out at high volumes if pushed on the low end. I have many speakers for 2 Chan listening. I usually end up back with the 530s (as now) they are a great speaker. I want to move on but can't

I think Ron on his NRD Video Review said the port can get noisy, too. I'm gonna cross these at 90, probably, so none of that should even be a concern for me.

 

[laudio]

I think Ron on his NRD Video Review said the port can get noisy, too. I'm gonna cross these at 90, probably, so none of that should even be a concern for me.

At 90 they will be fine. My usage isn't for HT.. just not very suitable that way because of size for me as non main speaks.

However I have used them with the 550 sub as mains in my HT worked great, but I prefer larger mains crossed lower instead.

So in my small 2 Chan setup that's where they live. Have yet to find a better speaker for that is purpose they just do things right.

 

[ROOSKIE]

I think Ron on his NRD Video Review said the port can get noisy, too. I'm gonna cross these at 90, probably, so none of that should even be a concern for me.

My 530 have never had a port noise issue except on the few most torturous tracks that basically generate port noise on nearly any bookshelf speaker and I am a port noise hater.
I cross my set to subs as well and deff zero port noise in that set-up.
I just love these speakers as an affordable choice.

As a side note. Interesting that you found Piano sounds flat. My GF is a pianist and she loves the 530's and often does not like some speakers due to how the piano sounds. Of course the Phil 3's and BMR are tuff customers for a 530 compro, I Just wanted to point this out for casual folks who read this thread and might worry the 530's have an issue.

 

[Chrispy]

I snagged the 590s during the current sale and have had them since this past Thursday.

I have not heard the 530's so no comparison to add there. That being said, the 590's have excellent bass extension down to about 25-30 Hz to the point where I now only cross my subs at 30 Hz. I believe the manual says 35 Hz at -6db, but I think that's being a generous or my room might be bass friendly at around that frequency.

I have found that I need a high shelf at about 1500 Hz at -3db to avoid the compression driver overloading the sound, which is probably due to my room having a "live" front wall with minimal treatment. I'm also very sensitive to high frequency noises. The 590's are, to me, fun speakers which do both music and home theater VERY well.

Agreed that the included port plugs are a joke. If anyone was seriously going to plug the ports to further tune the bass, I would recommend something stronger like wool socks. For the 530's, you probably won't even bother with plugging them, but the 590's it's probably more likely given how far down they extend.

I still enjoy my better subs over the 590s down low, and crossed 100-110 range but YMMV. I've never tried the port plugs otoh.

 

[TimW]

I will say, on the flip-side, that the Port Bung is a joke. It is a small little open-cell foam plug, about 1-1/2" thick that you can see through.

I thought the same but have done near-field keele style measurements of the woofer with the port bung in place and the response looked like a typical sealed box with 12dB/octave roll off. I'm crossing these over to 12" subs at 120hz.

 

[ryanosaur]

As a side note. Interesting that you found Piano sounds flat. My GF is a pianist and she loves the 530's and often does not like some speakers due to how the piano sounds. Of course the Phil 3's and BMR are tuff customers for a 530 compro, I Just wanted to point this out for casual folks who read this thread and might worry the 530's have an issue.

In retrospect, I wonder if this is what Ron was referring to in that NRD Vid when he said there was a "plastic" sound. Of course he was blaming the the horn-piece for this. IIRC, in his teardown he kept speculating about adding mass to the inside of the horn.
Anyway...
I definitely am not bagging on these. Rather am stoked to be getting such a good Speaker to mount up for my Atmos experiment. Not many Speakers you can pick up at a Buck-Twenty each that will perform like these!!!
Moreover, considering how often I've heard that Atmos can get lost, I wanted something that was fairly neutral overall, but could project well and hopefully not disappear. Sensitivity-wise, these are right on par with my Philharmonic Rig, and while I did not A/B them, I do feel really good about them not being a night and day difference (not the same, either, but unless you are DIYing your own theater room, I don't think you ever really timbre match your entire Bed and Top/Height layers).

 

[Asking Dumb Questions]

Please Help, I recently order a set of 530 and I don't know what Amp I should get to power them. I heard they're hard to drive.

Any you guys recommend something on a budget? It will be setup for Desktop Music Listening.

Thanks.

 

[ROOSKIE]

Please Help, I recently order a set of 530 and I don't know what Amp I should get to power them. I heard they're hard to drive.

Any you guys recommend something on a budget? It will be setup for Desktop Music Listening.

Thanks.

For near field you won't need as much power as a living room or music room set-up. Maybe 25% of the power required there.
It will also depend on how loud you listen. How loud will that be?
The 530 needs some distance for the drivers to integrate and I personally am not sure they are ideal candidates for near field but who knows.