Also, I don't know much about driver motor d
Yes, I would argue that vertical response is more important in a desktop speaker than almost anywhere else where you are listening very close, and the speakers may not be angled up ideally.
I think the first part of your post got cut off =]
But yeah. Smoothest response up to 10K or so seems to be around 15 degrees above axis, although it's a bit hard to tell from this messy graph. Regardless, the vertical response is very close to the horizontal response
For an unfair comparison, here's the Neumann KH80 in the horizontal and vertical planes. The Neumann is a similar compact size - a bit smaller in fact - but cost $1,000 a pair.
As anyone who's been following Neumann speakers knows, the KH80's on-axis performance is crazy-flat, the flattest of any I've measured certainly. The horizontal dispersion is pretty much textbook.
In fact, it was flatter than my original stock MiniDSP Umik-1 could capture, so it was only after purchasing a calibrated Umik-1 from Cross Spectrum Labs that I was able to get this close to
Neumann's own measurements. It's always great to see a manufacturer provide a plethora of measurements, and then be able to back those up at home. I wish Harman brands would make their own data more accessible given how much influence Harman research has had on the industry.
In the vertical dimension, the KH80 maintains the impressive flatness up to about 15 degrees above/30 degrees below the listening axis (which Neumann defines as the midpoint between the tweeter and woofer), but then you start to see the expected more of the expected dip in the crossover region.
In (sighted) listening comparisons, the Neumann is certainly the better speaker - to me, the best I've heard in a nearfield config at home - but the JBL puts in an impressive performance nonetheless. The latter is also easier to set up; its dispersion performance at steep vertical angles suggest reflected sound from a desk will be more similar in character to the original sound. Meanwhile, Neumann specifies you should raise the KH80 to avoid desk reflections.
This all makes some sense of course; the KH80 is a "pro" speaker, and typical buyers will be more likely to spay special attention to placement and whatnot. But while the 104 is part of JBL's Pro family, it's price point is definitely more entry-level and aimed at newbies. It's a solid option as an affordable desktop speaker that allows you to get good sound and stable imaging with little-to-no attention to placement.
Anyways, I think this all just goes to show that you tend to get more for your money with studio monitors =]