Are JBL Studio L890s nice to listen?

[marcus_helsinki]

I have had MRV-308s for a quite long a time, and they sound nice&soft. They are nice also while listening long periods with moderate levels. Have you listened to L890, I have had no possibility yet, because they have just arrived in Europe... and the dealers are not eager to take it in their small listening rooms...

Markku

[Titanium Dome]

We've been discussing this a while, and you'll find some information here:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ead.php?t=7115

In the second half of the thread, member MJC writes about his experience owning a pair of L890s. Check it out.

[marcus_helsinki]

I'll read some more there, already read some... And if I get a chance to listen to...
Does anyone know where to find measurements from my old JBL MRV308s and if not,which kind of an equipment would be optimal (precise enough but cheapest possible) for making frequency measurements?

[Titanium Dome]

Some basic info is found here, including specifications:

http://manuals.harman.com/JBL/HOM/Te...RV308%20ts.pdf

[marcus_helsinki]

that information is very useful (I found it earlier from this forum), I found out that MRVs are two-way even if they have 165 and 200 mm woofers!

But they may be so old that frequency response curves are hard to found.

But who has listened to L890:s, are their tweeters nice for ears. E.g. B&W 804:s tweeters would destroy my ears while the tweeters of MRV-308:s, which are made of Titanium, are the frendliest I have found.

Markku

[Valentin]

try the jbl pro LSR6332
very nice and soft titanium tweeter since it was made for studio hearing for many hours with out geting tierd
i have the and they are great

[marcus_helsinki]

I have titanium composite tweeters in my MRV308s, such are also in the LSR6332.
It is said in the manual of LSR6332 that that kind of tweeters are especially good for long periods of listening for ears.
The frequency response of LSR6332 seems to be very linear. The pricing is relatively high, and perhaps a subwoofer is needed.
There are all-titanium and Mylar tweeters in L890, I don't know whether these are as nice to listen for hours.

One questin also I am interested in: what is the basic difference between studio monitors and home-hifi? Do studio monitors play well also with low sound levels, e.g. at 60 dB?

[Valentin]

they have less level of compresion and distortion than comon consumer pruducts.
they sound very nice at all levels with out changing with volume

very nice monitors specialy in the midrange

[MJC]

But who has listened to L890:s, are their tweeters nice for ears. E.g. B&W 804:s tweeters would destroy my ears while the tweeters of MRV-308:s, which are made of Titanium, are the frendliest I have found.

Markku

The sound from the 890 tweeters is nothing short of excellent, as its entire range. Clean, clear not fatiguing at all. I've been used to listening to aluminium tweeters for 28 years(very nice), but the titanium is even better.

[marcus_helsinki]

say they that is the order, titanium is better than aluminium and the expensive beryllium better than titanium. Beryllium is said to have less distortion than titanium, and ...

I also read that metal tweeters could have "ringing" i.e. resonance problems that can be mostly eliminated with good crossover planning.
Soft dome tweeters, including I think laminated and composite titanium tweeters damp the resonances.

If a metal dome tweeter is well planned, it not have bad ringing problems, and the best about metal domes is, I read, that they are more natural and detailed.

But with poorly recorded or made music (electronically made sounds (from siniwaves)) can have distortion in itself also, that is then heard from the accurate metal dome.

In nature, when playing in a band, I have also noticed that at least some drum sets sound very harsh naturally, so if they are reproduced accurately at home it is not nice.

So, should tweeters be preferebly softer than natural?

[marcus_helsinki]

It has very good studio sound? But it is more nearfield than 6332...

[Shane Shuster]

say they that is the order, titanium is better than aluminium and the expensive beryllium better than titanium. Beryllium is said to have less distortion than titanium, and ...

None of them are "better" in all areas. Titanium handles more power but resonates at a lower frequency. Aluminum is cheaper but doesnt handle as much power. Beryllium is expensive and personally I think the money is better spent elsewhere.

[Titanium Dome]

I've heard well-made Al drivers that sounded better than poor Ti drivers. There are some AL and Ti drivers that sound better than Be drivers in the right application. However, as a general rule, the perception is that Be is at the top of the performance chain and Al is at the bottom.

There is a sense that Be is the soup du jour in metal drivers, though, and it will take some time for it to find its proper place. There was a time when an Al driver was the wunderkind until expensive, well-made Ti drivers replaced it. Now Be is the new, expensive, well-made wonder, and Ti drivers are inexpensive, mass produced, and used (as laminates) even in entry level speakers.

When Be prices and manufacturing techniques become more common, then I expect to see it follow the same path as Al and Ti, ultimately being replaced by a new miracle diaphragm.

In practical terms, if we look at the high end JBL speakers that use metal mid/high frequency drivers, what do we see?
Performance Series: all Ti
Project Array Series: Al and Ti
K2 S9800: all Be

Look at Revel.
Ultima Studio: Ti and Al
Ultima Salon: Ti and Al

This suggests we should look as much at the application as at the composition of a particular metal driver.

[MJC]

In practical terms, if we look at the high end JBL speakers that use metal mid/high frequency drivers, what do we see?
Performance Series: all Ti
Project Array Series: Al and Ti
K2 S9800: all Be

Look at Revel.
Ultima Studio: Ti and Al
Ultima Salon: Ti and Al

This suggests we should look as much at the application as at the composition of a particular metal driver.

Both the application of the driver material and the total speaker package.
In comparing the L890(w/Ti, but not high end, and doesn't have CC network) to my mirror image, CC network L212(which was high end in '77), the L212s produces a much better soundstage, although the L212s could be improved even more by replacing the Al with Ti and redesigned network for Ti.

[Mr. Widget]

However, as a general rule, the perception is that Be is at the top of the performance chain and Al is at the bottom.

I don't think that is the case. JBL uses AL diaphragms in all of their compression drivers intended for domestic use when Be is too costly for the particular model. Ti is better in terms of durability in pro applications, but it isn't "better" sonically.

For conventional dome radiators there are many examples of linen domes that are superior to Ti or AL... maybe not from JBL, but they should be considered in a discussion of inherent quality.

I certainly agree with you however that you could take Be and make an inferior tweeter to one made of AL or Ti etc... the quality of manufacture and design are certainly as important and probably more so than the material the diaphragm is made of.


Widget