The OFFICIAL JBL Owners Thread - Page 376

I have two pairs of JBL outdoor NS26AW speakers (should be comparable N26s), one of which does double-duty as rear surrounds in an HT system. My L's are at least two steps up from NS26AW. The difference is particularly dramatic with acoustic guitar music.

If you upgrade, make sure to get the LC2 center channels if you have a HT setup.

Hey guys, I own 2 pair of JBL CST55's. Over the weekend while I was moving to my new home, my friends aka movers accidentally broke the 2 screws that tightens down on the speaker wires. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can find replacements for these 2 screws? I also noticed there seems to be 2 holes that looks like was made for Banana Plugs but when I plug Banana plugs into it it doesn't seem to work. I tried just holding the Banana Plugs down on the speaker terminals where the screws were used to hold down bare speaker wires and it works so the Banana Plugs are good.

Any help would be great appreciated, I hope I can get this working some how =/

I can't find any pics of the model, but virtually all JBLs use a standard 5-way binding post. You can buy them at http://www.parts-express.com or anywhere else. Replacing them will require taking out the crossover from the cabinet. I'd suggest removing it first so you can look at the posts and be sure you're getting the same type. You could also call or email Harman to see if they have replacements. (which they should) parts@harman.com

If that model uses a separate "cup" for the posts, that's all you need to remove.

Thanks for the quick reply, my speakers don't use the 5-way binding post unfortunately. It uses a knob screw that screws down on the speaker wire. I've tried different knob screws but none seems to fit the threads.

Here's a manual to my speakers: See page 6 on wiring info.

http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/...)rev6-5-06.pdf

Big upgrade. If this is for home theater, you have to include the cost of an LC2 with the L880's, as the LC1 center is not up to par. Prices vary wildly, I think the L series stuff is great if you can get it on the low end, not a very good deal at normal retail prices.

If this is for 2ch only, you might also want to consider ES lineup as a more budget friendly solution. ES90's are available at a much lower price.

There is also the new Studio series, which has not gotten a lot of feedback yet, probably because they are oddly styled.

If you are not in a big hurry I would start watching CL or other local sources of used gear. Towers take a big hit on resale. The original studio series, L series, E series, up to the current L series would all be nice upgrades.

Still looks like a standard 5-way post, it's just installed in an odd way. You'll still have to take the thing apart to get them out and see what they look like.

You can use banana plugs with those. Since they're also sold in the EU, they have to have an insert in the hole, which you take out before inserting banana plugs.

Even if the knobs are stripped, the bananas should work, unless by broken you mean snapped off at the post.

Well here it is right in the manual.

Thanks guys, I pryed off the plastic covers off the screw and it fit my banana plug snuggly. I used to just screw in bare wire, but the screw thread is now half sized thanks to my friends aka movers. But I could still screw it into the base so I just switched to using Banana Plugs instead. Thanks everyone for the help. Now I have a pair of functioning speakers again =D

BTW does anyone have recommendations for a 7.1 setup? Since I moved into a bigger house, I now have a dedicated room for Home Theater.

Currently running Harman Kardon AVR25x(forgot the number for x) but it's 50watts x 7 receiver. 4x CST55(front and rear), 1x CSC55(center), Elemental Design A2-300 sub. So I need 2 more speakers to add on this setup.

I'm running HDMI from my laptop to the Harman receiver then to my Projector.

JBLs, of course L820s and LC2 are great "on wall speakers'

Yep, the LC2, L820 do produce the best sound when they're wall mounted, as they get boundary gain from those walls to fill their low end.

I was thinking about getting a QSC Pro amp to run my L890's, anyone else use a pro amp for their fronts?

...or is it TI

I picked up some 2352's and 2447's recently (inspired by the late, great Zilch). Any thoughts on these and how they would comapare to my 2384/2430's? It's for HT using an AT screen.

fairly upset my front wall is common/shared with neighbor.
when i had my L820s wall mounted (for all of a day before i realized it wasn't possible wrt the neighbors..) -- they sounds absolutely lovely. probably because i was able to get them up high as to minimize desk (early) reflections, but still...

and also the closer to the wall you mount them, the higher the frequency of SBIR, and thus easier to treat

Hey guys. With some special accommodations, i get JBL stuff at a great price to upgrade my Polk TSi200 and CS10. Now, i was originally going to get some Energy speakers (CB20s with matching center) but i would like to know more about JBLs offerings.

Now, ill be doing ht/music/gaming 50/30/20. Right now, a Yamaha RXV565 wil be driving them but in the future i will upgrade to an Aventage or Denon with a Emotiva amp.

For now, the fronts im looking at the bookshelves: L820, L830, and the ES30. I would like something neutral sounding, good for music since theyll be paired with my 2 subs: an Emotiva Ultra 12 and a Mirage Onmi S10. I see alot of people here like the 820 over the 830 but i cant find a particular reason as to why. Im assuming because of the configuration of the speaker itself. If anyone could go into detail on a sound comparison it would be greatly appreciated.

And, how do the ES compare to the L series? In sound, output, etc. Im asking all these questions because unfortunately, i cant demo them since no one here has JBL speakers to demo.

Later down the line, i want to get some floorstanders but will purchase them accordingly to which line i go with: ES or L. Since this is a JBL thread, i suppose ill create another thread for a comparison of the two brands bookshelves as to not clutter this one.

Thanks for your time.

The L820 is the only true 3-way of that bunch. It is, however, designed for wall mounting more than a true bookshelf. Even so it would be my 1st pick for either use.

The L-series has better quality drivers and design. However, the E series is also popular, and the EC35 is a highly praised center channel. The LC2 is the only center in the L series worth mentioning, but is quite large.

Well, thats kinda my question: why is it preferred over the 830? If anyone has done an A/B comparison between the 2, what were the differences?

I have my current TSi200s on speaker stands and TBH, i think 820s would look kinda awkward but if they sound that much better than the 830s, ill take em.

"Better" is not a definable term. The L820 has a dedicated midrange driver, the others do not. Some people prefer the slightly deeper punch of the L830 and ES30 which is likely a result of a bigger box. But only a true mid-range driver can provide a "3-way" sound. The L820 does need to be wall-mounted to achieve it's best bass.

I currently have my L810s (surrounds) wall/corner mounted and the work very well, but we are moving and the new house is very acoustically challenged with a very open "Great Room". I will need to use speaker stands for my surrounds. I have used stands for the 810s in the past with less than desirable results, mainly..they fall off. Has anyone found a stand that works well with these rather narrow speakers? I could just use a pair of old L1s I have in my study, but they are rather beat up and don't think the wife would like them (they are black not cherry).

I know I will be challenged with this room due to the high ceilings and lots of large windows, but it should be fun.

You could use velcro and L brackets. Put strips of velcro on each leg of the brackets, back of the 810s and on the top of the stands. Mount the brackets to the stands and then set the 810s on the stands, pushed up against the vertical legs of the brackets.

Since they already have wall brackets, why not use them to attach the speaker to a stand? You might have to do some fabrication on the stand, but then the speaker can just be "hung" on the stand. The L-bracket idea can be used here too.

Sorry I don't have any help for your surrounds, but I know for a fact my l1's sound better then any speaker from the new Studio L series. I would try to refinish the l1's if you can. Personally I would look for some l5's for mains and sell your newer Studio L speakers.

That is what I did. I originally had two l880's, lc2 and two l830's. My friend had a pair of l1's he let me borrow and I connected them as mains in my studio L setup and was instantly blown away by the sound quality of the l1's. They were so much better then the l880's. So I ended up selling my studio L speakers, but kept the l8400p, and then I bought two L7's four L5's and two L1's. I have the L7's as mains L5 as a center and 2 L5's for rears with the l8400p picking up the very low end.

My point is if you can, or if your wife allows, look for some l5's and sell your studio L speakers. You will be much happier with the sound quality.

Really? So all the positive reviews of the LC1 mean nothing? I have one and am stoked with it. Haven't compared it to an LC2 but have L820s as surrounds. The LC2 is only really an option if you are all mounting it. The sealed nature of the design means that it needs boundary reinforcement and the shape precludes it's use in all but the most cavernous entertainment units.

Also - I have a pair of Ti10Ks so it's not like I'm not fussy.

It's great that you like it, but my opinion of it hasn't changed. I'd also suggest that it's a bit of a mis-match for Ti10k. The PC600 would be a far better match for a serious HT setup. Also, the LC2 does just fine on a shelf as a center and doesn't really need boundary reinforcement on an 80Hz crossover. Put it this way: even without wall mounting the LC2 will kick the snot out of an LC1. It doesn't "need" wall mounting, but it does benefit from it in a full-range application. The LC1 has no mid-ranger driver, which can be a pretty big shortcoming in a center speaker.

I'm glad you stated that was your opinion and not a fact. I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree. If having a three way centre is something you like the idea of then that's fine, there are technical reasons to support it but its impact on the listening experience is debatable. What is not debatable is that the L series is a massive step up from the E series. There are a lot of great two way centres out there and for the money the LC1 is very good value. It is also the best match for my TiKs that I can fit in my current situation. The PC600 is a great centre but as with a lot of people I don't have the room for it. Although I haven't heard the LC2 in the same setting as my centre, I have heard it sitting on a shelf at a friends place and I thought it sounded a bit thin. If the setup had a sub I'm sure it would have been a bit better.

Also, having heard both (albeit not be in the same setting) I can say for certain that "kick the snot" is a comical exaggeration if it is better at all.

There are no absolutes, everything is debatable and there are no "massive" steps here. While we can agree that the E series is further down the food chain from the Ti series than the L series is, the EC35 gets a whole lot more love around here than the LC1 ever has. BTW it's also a reasonably compact center that fits a lot of systems that the LC2 doesn't.

About absolutes, when I had both the L890s and the PT800s, there were days I preferred the sound of the L890s over the PT800s. And we all know the PS is superior to the Studio L series.
Why that was, maybe atmospheric conditions, or my aging ears, who knows.
I know when I had the L890s in the large HT room, w/o a sub, and fed 220w of pure Parasound power, they only lacked the lowest octave. They filled that room.

Perhaps I too am prone to exaggeration as most of us enthusiasts are. I'm sure the EC35 deserves a lot of love but I don't think people should be told to count out the LC1 as a good compact option without giving it a listen.

For the money there are much better performers. It's that simple. Choosing a center speaker based on it's physical size or appearance isn't part of the discussion. User reports on the LC1 have ranged from luke-warm to cold.

I agree with you on the L1's. They sound better that the studio L series. I sold my L830s and LC1 and am now using Monitor Audio RS8's for my mains with RSLCR center (Outlaw sub). Retained my L810s for surrounds.