JBL Studio 590 Speaker Review

[computer-audiophile]

I wholeheartedly chose 4. (great golfing panther) without hesitating in the poll. For the price, these things blow away the equivalent Klipsch and even the next step up.

I also give them the highest rating. It is one of the few speakers on the market that has a relatively large mid-high horn well integrated into a nice cabinet with tolerable dimensions and an almost sensationally low price.

The successor 690 models no longer have this classical exponential horn and also have a minimally lower efficiency. This is a absolute crucial point if you want to operate them with SET tube amplifiers, for example, like the 300B. There every dB counts.

I also find the look of the 690 series comparatively unoriginal. Possibly the JBL Studio 590 will be my last large passive HiFi floorstanding speakers, which I bought as a standard product bought off the shelf and use them unmodified.

 

[5th element]

Oh, it’s much worse than only these two:


… I didn’t bother looking further back, but these are about 80% of JBL speakers tested in that timeframe…

All have issues with lower tweeter frequencies, some worse than others. This is the first thing I check whenever I see a new JBL review, and I’m rarely positively surprised regarding this aspect.

This is a characteristic of compression drivers. If you notice it's pretty much all 2nd order distortion and nothing else. Classic compression driver distortion profile as you get lower.

The upside is that there's very little distortion of any other order. 2nd order is known to be pretty inaudible unless it's at very high levels and even then it's not unpleasant. If it was the other orders I'd be concerned but I'm not so bothered here.

And it's also not shoddy engineering it's just playing within the limitations of the technology. You can go to a bigger compression driver but that will compromise how high the speaker can play so it's pick your poison.

It's also possible that a different compression driver, of the same size, would help. Akin to changing from a small chamberless neo tweeter to something with a chamber. But this would cost money and this isn't an expensive speaker.

 

[voodooless]

This is a characteristic of compression drivers. If you notice it's pretty much all 2nd order distortion and nothing else. Classic compression driver distortion profile as you get lower.

But they are not all compression drivers… There are several domes on my list.

And it's also not shoddy engineering it's just playing within the limitations of the technology. You can go to a bigger compression driver but that will compromise how high the speaker can play so it's pick your poison.

As I already pointed out, there are plenty of 1” CDs to be found that do not exhibit this much distortion. The only problem is, that JBL doesn’t seem to make them. It’s not a limitation of technology, but the brand.

It's also possible that a different compression driver, of the same size, would help. Akin to changing from a small chamberless neo tweeter to something with a chamber. But this would cost money and this isn't an expensive speaker.

Obviously, the designers had to deal with a list of compromises here. And from what I gather, this is the case with numerous models, many of which seem to have the same issue where a lower-quality CD or tweeter is crossed too low to a woofer. And again, if it was just this one speaker... fine, but it's clearly not.

 

[computer-audiophile]

... tweeter is crossed too low to a woofer

This is not the case with the Studio 590. Everything is fine there in my opinion.

On the newer 690 with the small waveguide, they have to go higher on the crossover frequency. Of course you always have to compromise somewhere, but it's good for the horn effect that I want, if the horn covers as wide a frequency spectrum of the midrange as possible.

A classic combination of WE555 and en WE15A can of course do that much better, if you have the space and can afford it.

 

[voodooless]

This is not the case with the Studio 590. Everything is fine there in my opinion.

It's in the damn specs of the tweeter... 590 spec is 1.5 kHz crossover, and visual confirmation of data seems to indicate maybe even 1.4 kHz. JBL 2414H recommends at best 1.9 kHz, which would even be too optimistic.

 

[computer-audiophile]

JBL 2414H recommends at best 1.9 kHz, which would even be too optimistic.

This is true, when you want to use these drivers at a higher SPL, as they do at JBL in some of their PA speakers. There is also a horn made for this available from JBL which is a little bit smaller. I also already used this particular horn for DIY, but have forgotten what is was named - sorry.

 

[voodooless]

I have it for both. It has the same distortion but a bit subdued. I didn't have room to post it. Here it is:

View attachment 307320
Keep in mind that these all add so it is not the case of this one being there and the other not.

What SPL is that? Looks like the main 1.5 kHz distortion is way lower now. If so, my comments about this particular speaker's tweeter may have been premature. I think that would also warrant a correction of the #1 post.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I also give them the highest rating. It is one of the few speakers on the market that has a relatively large mid-high horn well integrated into a nice cabinet with tolerable dimensions and an almost sensationally low price.

The successor 690 models no longer have this classical exponential horn and also have a minimally lower efficiency. This is a absolute crucial point if you want to operate them with SET tube amplifiers, for example, like the 300B. There every dB counts.

I also find the look of the 690 series comparatively unoriginal. Possibly the JBL Studio 590 will be my last large passive HiFi floorstanding speakers, which I bought as a standard product bought off the shelf and use them unmodified.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I also give them the highest rating. It is one of the few speakers on the market that has a relatively large mid-high horn well integrated into a nice cabinet with tolerable dimensions and an almost sensationally low price.

The successor 690 models no longer have this classical exponential horn and also have a minimally lower efficiency. This is a absolute crucial point if you want to operate them with SET tube amplifiers, for example, like the 300B. There every dB counts.

I also find the look of the 690 series comparatively unoriginal. Possibly the JBL Studio 590 will be my last large passive HiFi floorstanding speakers, which I bought as a standard product bought off the shelf and use them unmodified.

Discontinued JBL 290 is a 3 way that avoids both the compression tweeter and 2.5 issues.

 

[dfuller]

These 8-inch woofers seem to have a nasty resonance around 8-10kHz in Amir’s nearfield graph, but the crossover apparently suppresses them well.

I should hope so, they're crossed like 2 octaves below that.

 

[Flexecutioner]

Nice. I had a pair of these that I bought for the $400/each back in 2017 or so and held onto them for about a year before finding a pair of Array 1400s used.

I've been eyeing a local pair of rosewood Array 1400's, but it's tough to justify their $5.5k asking price compared to my other current options. They certainly have an imposing physical presence that I appreciate though.

 

[beagleman]

I should hope so, they're crossed like 2 octaves below that.

Pretty sure he was trying to postulate what "Could" be causing the big 8.5 kHz issues.....

 

[sucramhabib]

Oh my god, finally someone sent this speaker for testing. I'm curious if Infinity Reference R263 is better?

If you can, listen to both and determine which is better to you

 

[sucramhabib]

I don’t care. It’s shit engineering and they should fix it.

Why fix what’s inaudible? To make the graphs prettier?

 

[voodooless]

Why fix what’s inaudible? To make the graphs prettier?

Almost 5% distortion smack in the middle of the area where the ear is most sensitive?

Besides, it may turn out it was the missing plates after all: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-studio-590-speaker-review.47269/post-1695425

@amirm it would be nice to confirm this, and if so, update the #1 to reflect that.

 

[AVKS]

Almost 5% distortion smack in the middle of the area where the ear is most sensitive?

Besides, it may turn out it was the missing plates after all: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-studio-590-speaker-review.47269/post-1695425

@amirm it would be nice to confirm this, and if so, update the #1 to reflect that.

In a perfect world there would be no distortion, sure, but that's a full octave or more higher than where the ear is most sensitive.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Im am still happy to have my Studio 590.

Past weekend we had a private visit from a dramaturge in the field of musical theater who knows through her profession many concerts and music playback in recording studios.

She was totally impressed by my JBL Studio 590 when I played her a piano work from vinyl through my 211 set amplifier. She could hardly believe how realistic it sounds. By the way, in the past she has worked a lot with the composer Wofgang Rihm, whom we hold in high esteem, and has commissioned compositions from him as part of her job.

 

[voodooless]

In a perfect world there would be no distortion, sure, but that's a full octave or more higher than where the ear is most sensitive.

That depends on how you define that area Generally, it's between 2 and 5 kHz. It is true that the most sensitive frequency is around 3.5/4 kHz, though at 7 to 8 kHz, the sensitivity to distortion should be lower, than at 4 kHz, which is the most sensitive part.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Im am still happy to have my Studio 590.

Past weekend we had a private visit from a dramaturge in the field of musical theater who knows through her profession many concerts and music playback in recording studios.

She was totally impressed by my JBL Studio 590 when I played her a piano work from vinyl through my 211 set amplifier. She could hardly believe how realistic it sounds. By the way, in the past she has worked a lot with the composer Wofgang Rihm, whom we hold in high esteem, and has commissioned compositions from him as part of her job.

With vinyl and tube amplifier wouldn't make much difference anyway.

 

[5th element]

But they are not all compression drivers… There are several domes on my list.

As I already pointed out, there are plenty of 1” CDs to be found that do not exhibit this much distortion. The only problem is, that JBL doesn’t seem to make them. It’s not a limitation of technology, but the brand.

Obviously, the designers had to deal with a list of compromises here. And from what I gather, this is the case with numerous models, many of which seem to have the same issue where a lower-quality CD or tweeter is crossed too low to a woofer. And again, if it was just this one speaker... fine, but it's clearly not.

Ah I didn't realise they were using soft domes as well. I didn't have the time to load up every link just to check.

It is a limit of compression driver technology though. Much the same as a limit with tweeters that have wide surrounds. They have inherently high levels of 2nd order harmonic distortion Vs other technologies.

Yes you can lower this distortion, via the typical methods found within high frequency transducer design, but those tweeter types start out from a much worse place.

These are inexpensive speakers though and high quality compression drivers are quite costly.

I do understand your point but a bit of extra 2nd order harmonic distortion isn't really a major design concern. Especially if it will eat into the profit margins significantly.

I hope that the more expensive JBLs don't suffer from this because their engineers certainly know better.