JBL then and now

[GXAlan]

Then, it was about engineering

Today, it's about the experience (JBL Consumer)
https://explore.harman.com/video/lifestyle/

JBL Professional marketing still focuses on engineering
Part 1 History:

Part 2 Testing:

Part 3 Design:

This isn't a criticism of JBL or Harman -- it's a reflection of the values consumers have today.

 

[boselover61]

Regardless what harman names them these days, modern jbl speakers are execellent engineered speakers along with being a great value. The latest stage 130 proves high end sound can be had for less than 200

 

[Pawelekdabek]

Regardless what harman names them these days, modern jbl speakers are execellent engineered speakers along with being a great value. The latest stage 130 proves high end sound can be had for less than 200

305/6/8 are also great for their price. The only thing I don't like are their bluetooth speakers, extremely overpriced.

 

[boselover61]

305/6/8 are also great for their price. The only thing I don't like are their bluetooth speakers, extremely overpriced.

Yah their bluetooth speakers are very mediocre but if you can afford them then they are probably some of the best options for bluetooth speakers.

Current JBL models that are bang for the bucks: JBL 305-8 Series, JBL Stage 130, JBL Studio 530. You can't really go wrong with any of them. If you expand further more you get Infinity reference lines and the lowest Revel line in M16.

 

[oldsysop]

JBL the best speaker company ever, ruined by Harman / Samsung.

 

[boselover61]

JBL the best speaker company ever, ruined by Harman / Samsung.

How exactly did Samsung "ruined" JBLs?

 

[richard12511]

JBL is still one of the objectively best speaker manufacturers in the world, so I'm a little confused by this thread.

JBL M2, 4367, 700 series, 300 series, 500 series, HDI series, Synthesis series, SRX800 series, lots of cinema and stadium speakers.

Most of those are SOTA or very close to it in their respective price brackets and categories.

They're also one of the tiny few companies releasing spinorama data for their speakers.

What makes you think they're not a great speaker manufacturer anymore?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

How exactly did Samsung "ruined" JBLs?

After Samsung bought Harman, JBL closed all of its manufacturing in Northridge, CA and fired or laid off their entire manufacturing labor force. These were cabinet makers, driver manufacturing, quality control, customer service. JBL sold off the once huge manufacturing buildings and now they are essentially a fancy strip mall.

Sounds to me like that would constitute 'ruined' if you consider it another nail in the coffin of American manufacturing. Their current products are great - no problem with that. They're just not manufactured by Americans anymore, if that bothers you. It sure bothers me.

 

[boselover61]

After Samsung bought Harman, JBL closed all of its manufacturing in Northridge, CA and fired or laid off their entire manufacturing labor force. These were cabinet makers, driver manufacturing, quality control, customer service. JBL sold off the once huge manufacturing buildings and now they are essentially a fancy strip mall.

Sounds to me like that would constitute 'ruined' if you consider it another nail in the coffin of American manufacturing. Their current products are great - no problem with that. They're just not manufactured by Americans anymore, if that bothers you. It sure bothers me.

Except for the fact that they haven't been manufactured in America for a very long time, even before Samsung bought out Harman. The last JBL line that still have the Northridge, CA label behind their back was made in the 2008, the JBL ES lines. There used to be a Harman factory in my state and it recently closed down in 2019, the only things they made were car speakers and bluetooth speakers. I know guys like Greg Timbers getting laid off sucks but most of the "big" boys like Jerry Moro, Sean Olive still work for Harman.

 

[Ron Texas]

JBL is still making great speakers and even some of them are dirt cheap like the LSR series.

 

[boselover61]

JBL is still making great speakers and even some of them are dirt cheap like the LSR series.

Yes.. and their luxury line like the HDI 1600 measures extremely well and subjectively very good.

 

[anmpr1]

After Samsung bought Harman, JBL closed all of its manufacturing in Northridge, CA ...

That's how it goes. I used to buy shirts from Gant, Sero, Hathaway. Made in New England. With 'free trade' all those factories and jobs went away almost overnight.

With the 'new normal' retail outlets are shutting down left and right. Money is funneled via on-line purchases. It would surprise me if people looking to purchase JBL products even buy from a local retailer. Places like Crutchfield will ship it to you, let you demo it, and take it back if you don't like it. That's been the model, and we will see more of it.

The Synthesis line appears to be a little different, because much of that is installation oriented. So you get it through your contractor, I guess.

What is interesting is that many of these JBL products are probably made in Indonesia. Or elsewhere in a 'cheap labor' environment. Because of that, they should be selling for dimes on the dollar. It's the difference between a PRS guitar made by Cort, and their Maryland made models. Or an Epiphone v. Gibson.

The new JBL integrated amplifier will sell for three large. Compare that to a made in the USA Benchmark amplifier, for the same price. What will give you better engineering value? I don't know how a company like Benchmark does it. Their prices are not high for what you get. How can they sell a world class amplifier made in upstate NY for the same price as JBL sells a made in China amplifier?

It may be hard to read, but the back of the SA700 says "Designed in USA. Manufactured in PRC." That is not, by the way, People's Republic of California.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

That's how it goes. I used to buy shirts from Gant, Sero, Hathaway. Made in New England. With 'free trade' all those factories and jobs went away almost overnight.

With the 'new normal' retail outlets are shutting down left and right. Money is funneled via on-line purchases. It would surprise me if people looking to purchase JBL products even buy from a local retailer. Places like Crutchfield will ship it to you, let you demo it, and take it back if you don't like it. That's been the model, and we will see more of it.

The Synthesis line appears to be a little different, because much of that is installation oriented. So you get it through your contractor, I guess.

What is interesting is that many of these JBL products are probably made in Indonesia. Or elsewhere in a 'cheap labor' environment. Because of that, they should be selling for dimes on the dollar. It's the difference between a PRS guitar made by Cort, and their Maryland made models. Or an Epiphone v. Gibson.

The new JBL integrated amplifier will sell for three large. Compare that to a made in the USA Benchmark amplifier, for the same price. What will give you better engineering value? I don't know how a company like Benchmark does it. Their prices are not high for what you get. How can they sell a world class amplifier made in upstate NY for the same price as JBL sells a made in China amplifier?

It may be hard to read, but the back of the SA700 says "Designed in USA. Manufactured in PRC." That is not, by the way, People's Republic of California.

View attachment 107089

I think Benchmark and similar companies get some of their sub assembles from or made overseas; for instance PCBs which are stuffed except for output transistors, power transformers or SMPS, faceplates and heatsinks, and smaller things like input/output jacks, and speaker terminals among other things. Manufacturers until recently used to be able to mark products "Made In USA" if it was assembled there. Now, they have to say what that JBL receiver says "Designed in California, Made Who-Knows-Where".

 

[RayDunzl]

Here's your local North American JBL factory:

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.549...bbwXcDSQMhxVNgE52g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

Tijuana, Baja California