Oops I did it again...

[JohnMichael]

...and I am having fun.

I became interested in a speaker. A speaker of a type in the past I would not consider. An inexpensive speaker that does not detract from my dream speaker budget. This speaker received 5 stars in What Hi-Fi. They described it as fun sounding yet refined and I have been in need of fun. I purchased the JBL Studio 530 stand mount speaker.

This is my first speaker with a horn loaded tweeter. The tweeter is crossed over to the mid/woofer at 1,500 Hz and the mid/woofer is 5 1/4 inches. The speaker is not a high efficiency design as it is rated at 86 db. The enclosure is slightly over 18 inches tall and about 8 1/2 inches wide and 9 inches deep. The cabinet is made from 3/4 inch mdf. There are no parallel sides but the sides are not curved. The speaker is bi-wireable which I am happy about so I can use my best cables. Due to the height of the speakers they look better on my 22 inch stands.

My initial response to the speakers is Wow. There is nothing to the sound that has bothered me about horn loaded tweeters in the past. Sweet and detailed and combined with the mid/woofer great imaging. I know horns can control dispersion and in my small room the lack of reflections adds clarity. As good as I thought the OML1's image the JBL's are better. The detail and layering are very good. Bass sounds as extended as the OML1's but not as deep as the MA RS6's. The JBL's bass is good and quick with a little more snap than the OML1's. The Studio 530 has good instrumental textures.

I have found a fun and musical speaker at a budget price. I will write more as I listen to the speakers. I am impressed by what $600 will buy with modern speaker design.