Are JBL Northridge Series a good Speaker?

[ChrisY]

Notice that JR has a huge clearance sale on them and wanted to get anyones opinion on them.

[paul_pci]

I myself would prefer the Polks that you first mentioned in the other thread. Have you settled on a budget?

[ChrisY]

[QUOTE=ChrisY]Notice that JR has a huge clearance sale on them and wanted to get anyones opinion on them.[/QUOTE

[ChrisY]

I myself would prefer the Polks that you first mentioned in the other thread. Have you settled on a budget? Not yet but i'll keep you posted , thanx for asking.

[Century L100]

They're OK, but not anything like the JBLs of years past, IMHO. I recently listened to a bunch of them at a local retailer and in comparison to my 25-year-old JBLs, I wasn't too impressed.

I had just come from another retailer of B&W where I had listened to the DM303 and DM601, which sounded way nicer than any of the Northridge models (although at a higher price).

[ChrisY]

They're OK, but not anything like the JBLs of years past, IMHO. I recently listened to a bunch of them at a local retailer and in comparison to my 25-year-old JBLs, I wasn't too impressed.

I had just come from another retailer of B&W where I had listened to the DM303 and DM601, which sounded way nicer than any of the Northridge models (although at a higher price).
I find them to be so attractive but we already know that looks arent everything dont we.

[GMichael]

They are an OK speaker. Have you had a chance to hear them?

[topspeed]

I think Athena's at the same price point are more refined, but it's really up to you. Some people prefer a hot speaker, others don't. If we all liked the same thing, we'd all own Bose :devil: !

[ChrisY]

They are an OK speaker. Have you had a chance to hear them?
Only in a BestBuy set up and I couldnt listen to them the way I wanted to.There so cheap now at JR that I thought something was wrong with them.

[GMichael]

Only in a BestBuy set up and I couldnt listen to them the way I wanted to.There so cheap now at JR that I thought something was wrong with them.

They are not a "bad" speaker. There are other speakers that people feel are better at near the same prices. Whether or not you would feel the same is up to you.

I see the sale J&R is having. This is only about 10% off of the price they had last year. I doubt you'd have too much trouble finding a deal close to it down the road. Unless you fell in love with them I'd suggest shopping around a few more stores before you make your purchase.

[ChrisY]

Are JBL's on the same level as Infinity's or Polk's and I notice that JBL and Infinity are both companies of Harmon International.Which is better?

[GMichael]

Are JBL's on the same level as Infinity's or Polk's and I notice that JBL and Infinity are both companies of Harmon International.Which is better?

That's hard to say. I have both the JBL E10's and the Infinty Primus 150's. I like the sound from the Infinity's better. But you may like the JBL's. They do look nicer on the wall. I'm sorry that I can't be more helpful with this for you. They are very close. And I see that they are about the same price. The JBL's seem to have more of a laid back sound with less detail. The Infinity's also have a laid back sound but have more detail. Better highs and mids IMO. Circut City has the Infinity's if you want to hear them for yourself.
I've only heard a few Polks and thought they sounded very much them same as the Infinity's.

[ChrisY]

That's hard to say. I have both the JBL E10's and the Infinty Primus 150's. I like the sound from the Infinity's better. But you may like the JBL's. They do look nicer on the wall. I'm sorry that I can't be more helpful with this for you. They are very close. And I see that they are about the same price. The JBL's seem to have more of a laid back sound with less detail. The Infinity's also have a laid back sound but have more detail. Better highs and mids IMO. Circut City has the Infinity's if you want to hear them for yourself.
I've only heard a few Polks and thought they sounded very much them same as the Infinity's.
Thank you kindly , I going do some more listening today.

[audio_dude]

three words:

JBL=
J unkie
B ut
L oud

[GMichael]

Ooh... That hurts. Like a dart in the heart. I'm having trouble breathing now. Everything is going dark..... I see a long tunnel. Now there's a light at the end.... Grammy?

[ChrisY]

Ooh... That hurts. Like a dart in the heart. I'm having trouble breathing now. Everything is going dark..... I see a long tunnel. Now there's a light at the end.... Grammy? I just went to listen to some Polks and I find them really pleasing to my ears so I got them and Polk has an incredible website for information. Thanx everyone for your opinions.

[GMichael]

I just went to listen to some Polks and I find them really pleasing to my ears so I got them and Polk has an incredible website for information. Thanx everyone for your opinions.

That's cool. Polk makes a good speaker IMO. What model did you go with?

[ChrisY]

That's cool. Polk makes a good speaker IMO. What model did you go with?
Polk R 30s , they were cheap 35 bucks each. I think there perfect for my small cheap 5.1 system .

[GMichael]

Polk R 30s , they were cheap 35 bucks each. I think there perfect for my small cheap 5.1 system .


Good work. A little research went a long way for you.

[ChrisY]

Good work. A little research went a long way for you.Well I have all of you wonderful guys to thank for my decision so thank you very much.:)

[Woochifer]

I think you need to slow down and get yourself organized. Seems like you're shopping for a bargain rather than a speaker that meets your specific needs. Big mistake to let the price make your decision for you. A clearance price on the JBL Northridge likely means that they got a revised version coming out soon, and somebody, whether it's JBL or the retailer, needs to clear out warehouse space. Keep in mind that most speakers that are about to get discontinued will have some kind of discounted price, so a lot of it comes down to timing.

If you haven't thought about how you intend to use your speakers, the time to think about that is BEFORE you break out the credit card and start making dents in it. There is no such thing as a perfect solution when it comes to speakers, because every one of them will present you with some kind of a compromise or tradeoff. That's why there's no consensus as to which speakers are the "best" or even which ones are "good."

It all comes down to whether the speaker works with your preferences, your sources, and your expectations. The only way to find your best speaker is to start listening and go beyond just what Best Buy carries. Find yourself a local audio store and listen to what they have in their demo room. Once you find some speakers that you like, then arrange to borrow them so that you can hear them at home before you decide. Keep in mind that speakers can and will sound very different in different rooms. Best Buy is a bad place to try things out because of their lousy acoustical conditions (if your local Best Buy store has a Magnolia Home Theater store inside, the demo rooms there are much more condusive to comparison listening).

When it comes to price, the best scenario is to find a good set of speakers and then find the best price for those. And IMO it's just good form to give your local audio store the first opportunity to match a price that you might find online (keep in mind that a lot of online vendors are not authorized dealers, so buying from them will invalidate the warranty).

If you're set on those Polks, then good luck with them.

[audio_dude]

The polks are a great choice for the price...well, now i'm off to buy my Atoms...

[filecat13]

Ooh... That hurts. Like a dart in the heart. I'm having trouble breathing now. Everything is going dark..... I see a long tunnel. Now there's a light at the end.... Grammy?

Nothing hurts so much as the poisoned dart of ignorance, eh? The dude posts that little gem any chance he gets. Maybe he was abandoned by JBLs when he was young?

Chris, to answer your original question, yes, they are good speakers, but good speakers are not always the right speakers for a particular listener. It sounds like you listened to and like the Polks, so you should be happy with those.

That doesn't make the Infinity or JBL stuff bad, just not in your preference for listening at this time.:)

[GMichael]

Nothing hurts so much as the poisoned dart of ignorance, eh? The dude posts that little gem any chance he gets. Maybe he was abandoned by JBLs when he was young?

Chris, to answer your original question, yes, they are good speakers, but good speakers are not always the right speakers for a particular listener. It sounds like you listened to and like the Polks, so you should be happy with those.

That doesn't make the Infinity or JBL stuff bad, just not in your preference for listening at this time.:)

I don't mind poisoned darts. Seems that there's always someone who doesn't like something.

I think Chris just found a great deal on the Polks. I doubt that he had a problem with any speaker other than the price.

[audio_dude]

meh, I've listened to many JBL speaks, their high end stuff is pretty good, but for low end, you're getting quantity, not quality.... like any other car audio manufacturer, gone HT

[GMichael]

meh, I've listened to many JBL speaks, their high end stuff is pretty good, but for low end, you're getting quantity, not quality.... like any other car audio manufacturer, gone HT

I do agree with most of what you said. But JBL has been building home and pro speakers for a very long time. They aren't what they once were but they have made some very good home speakers in the past.

[audio_dude]

ya, they make the occasional gem, but mostly they are good of blasting musicat parties. Their towers are big, bulky, with huge woofers and loads of sound...but they wouldn't impress anybody with audio know how.

[GMichael]

ya, they make the occasional gem, but mostly they are good of blasting musicat parties. Their towers are big, bulky, with huge woofers and loads of sound...but they wouldn't impress anybody with audio know how.


Very true.

[filecat13]

meh, I've listened to many JBL speaks, their high end stuff is pretty good, but for low end, you're getting quantity, not quality.... like any other car audio manufacturer, gone HT

You've got it backward, brother. JBL started in professional movie house sound 60 years ago, went into consumer, studio, and concert gear over 40 years ago, and got into automotive sound about 30 or so years ago after audio pioneer Jim Fosgate's company first thought to put hi-fi gear into cars.

What are some of the current consumer models you've listened to, besides the entry level consumer stuff like Northridge or maybe iPod or computer speakers?

Studio L Series
HT Series
Performance Series
TiK Series
Project Array Series
K2 Series
Synthesis

These are all current products. Have you heard any of them?

[ChrisY]

I havent heard any of the other JBL"s you"ve mentioned but I have seen pictures of them .The TiK Series are very nice looking and pretty expensive. I wonder if they sound as good as they look.:confused5:

[audio_dude]

sorry, I stand corrected...but I still hate jbl :)

[GMichael]

sorry, I stand corrected...but I still hate jbl :)

Hate is such a strong word to be feeling it towards an inanimate object like a speaker. Are you sure that you don't just dislike them?

[Feanor]

three words:

JBL=
J unkie
B ut
L oud

A dealer told me JBL stood for ...

Jesus Bloody Lousy
But then he was selling AR.

[ChrisY]

A dealer told me JBL stood for ...

Jesus Bloody Lousy
But then he was selling AR.
Werent AR speakers considered very good once upon a time?:confused:

[ruadmaa]

Werent AR speakers considered very good once upon a time?:confused:

If I'm not mistaken AR invented the acoustic suspension speaker back in the 1950's. Not many speaker manufacturers can lay claim to that great of an achievement.

[filecat13]

If I'm not mistaken AR invented the acoustic suspension speaker back in the 1950's. Not many speaker manufacturers can lay claim to that great of an achievement.

Right. 1957 with the AR-2A, followed by the more important AR-3. It's a shame the company is now reduced to being a division of Audiovox.

http://www.audiovox.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/GenProductListCmd?type=nprev&catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=5036&langId=-1&page=&urlString=&productId=&brand=

[ChrisY]

I often wonder why a great speaker company becomes less than great with time, one would think they would get bigger and better with time. Does anyone know if the recent AR line of speakers are any good?

[Blue Meanie]

Their towers are big, bulky, with huge woofers and loads of sound...but they wouldn't impress anybody with audio know how.

Or even you, for that matter...

[Florian]

Well i am no fan of JBL, but the Synthesis is ok for movies.

Just a quick comment, how can a 35$ speaker be good?

[GMichael]

Well i am no fan of JBL, but the Synthesis is ok for movies.

Just a quick comment, how can a 35$ speaker be good?

When compaired to a $5 speaker?

[davidhiggins]

Notice that JR has a huge clearance sale on them and wanted to get anyones opinion on them.
I have JBL Northridge II speakers I have had them for 2 years if you can listen to them do it I find them to be good speakers if you can add a subwoofer that is all the better I am using mine with 2 subwoofers

[filecat13]

Which model, David? The use of subs is a good idea. Two are even better if placed correctly. Have you ever read the Harman International white paper on multisubs?

Check it out: http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/multsubs.pdf