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Jbl studio 6 speakers! The new magic!

119K views 700 replies 83 participants last post by  marjen 
#1 · (Edited)
Since the new JBL studio 6 series has been released in JAPAN I figured the studio 6 series needs its own thread like the 5 series.

Here some information about the speakers from karmanaudio japan link

Harman International Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo, President: Tom Metzger), from the California birthplace of the world's largest audio brand "JBL", employs a compression driver and horn technology of the traditional, pure audio also speaker system "STUDIO (studio) 6 Series" that can home theater also enjoy the sound of orthodox the early June (center speaker: STUDIO 625C, subwoofer: STUDIO 660P summer 2019) will be released from.

"Studio 6 Series" is taking advantage of a number of horn-type system Poulton was JBL proprietary technology called the signature machine, high acoustic performance excellent installation properties while pursuing, such as furniture-like design and finishing, for home entertainment This is a speaker system lineup that integrates the elements required for speakers.

All series high-range units are Neodymium compression drivers with high resolution and clarity, developed for the JBL Professional's “VERTEC SUBCOMPACT MODEL” SR loudspeakers active in concerts around the world. powered by. The High Definition Imaging (HDI) horn, also developed by JBL Professional, is used to maximize its performance. We realize clear JBL tone with accurate sound image localization. The woofer unit, PolyPlas were both lightness and stiffness TM adopt cone woofer. In combination with JBL's original SFG magnetic circuit, from the time of small volume to the time of large volume, the clear middle-low range reproduction with little distortion is realized. The seamless round-edge cabinet is acoustically designed to maximize the performance of the unit. The combination of the elements included in the JBL Professional speaker, which boasts a rich expressive power, combines the excellent acoustic performance required for a home entertainment speaker with a furniture-like design.

The Studio 6 series has a rich lineup from the large floor speakers (STUDIO 698, STUDIO 680) to the compact bookshelf speakers (STUDIO 630, STUDIO 620) that can be selected according to the installation location. Furthermore, it is a multi-purpose speaker system lineup that also supports AV / theater with center speaker (STUDIO 625C) and subwoofer (STUDIO 660P) added. As a stereo system for music playback, of course, as an AV multi-channel system, flexible arrangement to various listening environments and various listening styles is possible.

From pure audio to home theater, enjoy real sound such as music and movies from JBL's STUDIO 6 series home entertainment speaker in full swing.

Here are the links of the speakers for sale in japan from JBL.com

JBL studio 680

JBL studio 630

JBL studio 625

JBL studio 620
 
#147 ·
The 630 seems to be the only 6 Series to offer something not offered in the 5 series: a bookshelf with a 6.5" woofer.

Hope the 6 series will have a better or at least bigger center speaker than the 520c.
They seem to offer two center options and both better (on paper) than the 520 C:

I am not sure how the design will work for off axis, so hopefully someone like Erin or Amir will measure them. But some better options it appears.
 
#150 ·
You never know. I think back to previous Wharfedale series where most seemed to prefer the 10.1 over the bigger 10.2, but then it seemed the 225 with the 6.5 inch woofer was favored over the 220. It certainly will be interesting to hear people's opinions over time between these two.
 
#152 ·
Just noticed that most of the 6 series speakers are listed on mm.jbl.com, but only the brown versions and there is still no buy button.

mm.jbl.com/loudspeakers
 
#153 ·
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Studio 6's will get a window to be sold by dealers (just like Studio 5's at the beginning) and then JBL will start winding down the stock with sales on their direct site later on. Whether they show up at discount sooner or later will probably depend on how they move through the traditional channels first.
 
#154 ·
One thing that is strange is I have seen the other speakers in the studio 6 series be shown in both brown and black, but not the 698. That doesn't make any sense to me.
 
#163 ·
That’s a real shame. I’ll admit that I have experienced ear fatigue from my system as well…. However, it’s generally from fooling around with beq and listening too loudly…. If I go past -10 on the avr, I’m usually in trouble.
 
#165 ·
I'm surprised by this as well. I've listened to my 590's pretty loud and haven't experienced any ear-fatigue. Don't get me wrong, I totally believe you, because I know not everyone hears things the same.
 
#169 ·
Looking at the specs of the 610's. Wow, are they really rated at 84dB sensitivity? My old N24's are rated at 86dB, and they only have 4" drivers.
 
#170 ·
Has anyone ordered a 665c yet? Are they shipping them right away? Curious to hear ppl’s impression!
 
#174 ·
Everything says backordered, but official prices are up on music direct.

Did anyone else notice that prices are up for the 6 series?







Maybe it's old news but very interesting. Pricey but still way cheaper than their hdi series.
 
#175 ·
Thanks for the heads up.
Just did a quick compilation...regular retail pricing seems to be a little over 1/3 of the HDI series. Pretty smart on JBL's part, as this puts these series within reach of a much bigger % of customers than the HDI series, but clearly differentiates it from the Studio 5 which are roughly 1/2 as much when on sale...they are betting that people will be willing to pay more to get bigger woofers, a better center channel, and most of all, more conventionally attractive cabinets.

  • 620 bookshelves, $550/pr
  • 650P sub, $700
  • 630 bookshelves, $700/pr
  • 610 onwalls, $700
  • 665C center, $800
  • 660P sub, $1000
  • 680 towers, $1200/pr
  • 690 towers, $1500/pr
  • 698 towers, $1700/pr

Interesting how the bookshelves and towers are sold in pairs not singles like the Studio 5.

Wonder how much pricing and singles/pairs availability will change over the coming years... fingers crossed! :)
 
#177 ·
Anyone had luck finding about availability? I am considering the 610 for Atmos to my 590s but so far no luck getting any info at all about USA stock.
 
#178 ·
Response today:
I have heard back from the manufacturer and the current ETA for the arrival of these is October. Please note, ETA’s are subject to change at the discretion of the manufacturer. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Thank you
Customer Service

Music Direct - "It's The Music That Matters"
1811 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago, IL 60660 USA
800-449-8333(Sales) 312-433-0200 (Main) Fax - 312-433-0011 www.musicdirect.com

Music Direct is open Monday through Friday, 9am - 6pm, and Saturdays, 10am - 3pm (CST) excluding holidays.
 
#182 ·
Just noticed that JBL Studio 6 series in wall speakers are on sale now.


I wasn't aware that they were making in-wall versions of the 6 series. These are the least expensive in wall JBL speakers I have seen that have compression drivers. Unfortunately for those looking for atmos speakers, I didn't see a in-ceiling 6 series speaker for sale.
 
#192 ·
It is quite common for driver size to be measured by measuring the frame diameter. JBL isn't the only one. Even driver manufacturers like Seas, Scanspeak, SB Acoustics, etc, don't list driver size by measuring center of surround to center of surround. They all exaggerate.
 
#193 ·
Exactly, it's all marketing. Look at the 590, it's listed as dual 8" drivers, at 200mm each. I understand 3mm isn't a big difference, but you have to ask, how are they measuring it?

I'm more curious how the 6-series sounds and measures.
 
#195 ·
What!? My 590’s don’t have 8” drivers??! That’s it… I’m selling them…. 🤣
 
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#194 ·
My dad has 590s, that's why I bought 698s. Right now I can't compare them 1 to 1. But from what I remember, 698's mids (voices) are better and more detailed, subtle (which is expected). I cant compare the bass, because my dads living room room has different shape and way bigger than what I have, and also my 698s are not warmed up yet. But I expect the lower freq. response must be very similar.

I use 698s with an old Rotel amp, constant power 40W or so. Total loudness @50% of the rotating knob, is very very high - it doesn't hurt yet, but very uncomfortable.
 
#200 ·
My dad has 590s, that's why I bought 698s. Right now I can't compare them 1 to 1. But from what I remember, 698's mids (voices) are better and more detailed, subtle (which is expected). I cant compare the bass, because my dads living room room has different shape and way bigger than what I have, and also my 698s are not warmed up yet. But I expect the lower freq. response must be very similar.

I use 698s with an old Rotel amp, constant power 40W or so. Total loudness @50% of the rotating knob, is very very high - it doesn't hurt yet, but very uncomfortable.
That makes total sense. With the 320Hz crossover, the mid is not working hard to produce bass, so it should be cleaner. The smaller diameter has less of a directivity mismatch, so that is a plus too.

The 698 is the only ( for mains or surrounds) speaker in the 6 series that is different enough from the 5's from what we know to potentially be a significant upgrade.

The centers would be a step up mainly because of their better ability to keep up with the larger speakers in the line. They could probably get a 3 way center in the line under a 10" height with a 4" mid and 6.5" woofers to step up the game, but they did not do that for the HDI, so I guess it would not be in the cards for the Studio 6.
 
#196 ·
If it makes you feel any better, my HDi-3800 speaker's (big brother to the Studio 698) 8" woofers measure as 7" from the outside, but if you remove the woofer from the cabinet, you will see that it's bigger than 7". From the picture I took of my woofer months ago it looks like an extra half inch in either side that could make the woofer a legitimate 8 inches, but I never measured it when I had it out.
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tread Automotive design Synthetic rubber
Automotive tire Fluid Liquid Rim Cookware and bakeware
 
#197 · (Edited)
I Posted this in the Studio 5 thread, thought I would post it here since it is germane...
Just for grins, I wrote Harman Customer service to see if I could get the Technical/Service manual for the 690 since it is not on line. The response was that they were new speakers and they did not have them.

Then he said the Technical team wanted to know why I wanted them.

I explained I was just trying to assess the differences made between the 5 and 6 series besides the HDI waveguide and nicer cabinet and that info would help. I also pointed out that while new here, they have been for sale in Japan since 2019, which is why I thought it might be available.

If I get any further feedback, I will pass it along. I am not holding my breath.
Surprisingly, I did get some follow on info.

Font Number Screenshot Circle Event


So that implies that the woofers have not changed from the 5 series? Possibly.

They did not mention the crossover, but it has to be different because of the different crossover frequency. Also, the waveguide will change the impedance of the compression driver because of how it loads it up. So it may or may not need multiple parallel notch filters to flatten the peaks in response that the entire 5 series have. And with the higher crossover frequency, the series notch filter to dampen the resonance of the driver.

It will be interesting to see if they follow up with more tech info, or back to back listening impressions. I will post anything else they send.
 
#201 ·
Modern JBL speakers tend to have a steep roll off at low frequencies in order to preserve sensitivity. For music they "should" dig low enough if you have them close enough to a wall to get some low end room gain and with proper EQ. For movies you will really need a subwoofer to pair with them.

I found that when in pure direct mode, my last two speakers with dual or triple 8 inch woofers (studio l890 and HDi-3800) didn't fell like they dug as deep as my old studio S312 (with a single 12" woofer). When i actually took some measurements I realized that my HDi-3800 was measuring flat to 20hz in my room. The reason why it didn't sound like it was hitting as low is because there was no natural rise in the lower frequencies. Most people perfer a harmon curve where the lower frequencies are slightly louder than the higher frequencies. Even with the subs disabled I was able to get some decent bass for music by enabling Audyssey and adding a house curve to the low end. Simply adding some subs and crossing over at 60hz was the best though.

Here's a picture to show you what I am talking about. The orange/light green lines are with pure direct and the blue line is with a house curve. No subs in either case. This was an experiment, I ended up using subs later.
Computer Audio equipment Font Line Screenshot


Your studio 698s may be different, but adding a house curve or subs should help.
 
#202 ·
I am not talking about 20Hz. I mean 698s have almost as much low freq as my TV built in speakers. There is barely anything under 100Hz.
What is the sense of having 2 black coffins in my living room, if they sound like book shelve speaker and need a sub?

PS. Instead of a good sound I bought a headache.:(
PPS.The last probability is that my Rotel amp is somehow broken.
 
#203 ·
Wow, nothing under 100hz doesn't seem right. All my floorstanding speakers were purchased used, so I don't know how long it takes to break in a speaker. Maybe someone else in this tread can comment on that.

I assume you don't have a measurement mic to run REW. Could you find a frequency sweep video on YouTube (like this ) and use a phone app to measure the SPL for each frequency? It won't be 100% accurate but should be better than nothing.

It could be your amp, so if you have a different amp to try that could try that. In my other room, I am driving my old studio S312 speakers off of an old harmon receiver with 40W per channel. So the your 40W per channel amp should be enough for a high sensitive speaker like the Studio 698 to sound good with but more powerful amps would probably drive the speakers much better. I have a decent amount of power feeding my theater speakers.
 
#208 ·
#211 · (Edited)
Does Monolith have decades of knowledge and experience designing speakers? Do you see Monolith speakers being used in professional recording studios, audio for video mixing studios and commercial theaters? JBL continues to produce more affordable lines of speakers based on trickle down technology that started with the M2 in 2013. The new Studio 6 series are based on the JBL Synthesis SCL series of speakers, but at a more affordable price. Pretty much an apples to oranges comparison.


 
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