Sean Olive Interview

[Ian Mackenzie]

The reality is that despite Harman’s research they have only a very very small slice of the consumer hifi loudspeaker market. So is Harman’s research being correctly applied?

The JBL profile in terms of market visibility is over shadowed by other manufacturers such as B&W, Kef and even boutique loudspeaker brands such as PMC. This is because these brands spend more on advertising and they more frequently have systems reviews.

The JBL real hifi systems appear to live in the lofty heights of the Harman Luxury Group.

The entry point for a JBL system with our expectations here is unaffordable for most of us. It’s a generalisation but other brands do a better job at lower price points under $5,000. Andrew Jones is a proven innovator who can deliver an excellent loudspeaker system at entry price points. Jones points out he does not get buried in measurements but uses his subjective skills to advance. Sales of his designs are proof he is winning preferences. History is littered with technically perfect consumer products that weren’t a commercial success.

I am inclined to believe that Greg Timbers had the ear of the brand loyal JBL consumer market. Greg used his own license to design and voice the designs that JBL are/ were famous for.

Today JBL systems are sanitised any innovative thought process in favour of franchised technology like the imaging control wave guide. It’s a bit like a steak house opening up a chain of Burger King retail outs on street corners. If l tap my 308 LSR the 1/2 inch mdf box bong’s like a bell. Then l get around to it l will re build solid enclosures. GR Research would have a field day.

Harman mass market cheaper ranges through department store chains and DJ retailers (LSR 308 for example). This in my opinion in Harman’s cash flow including their vast lifestyle product ranges. Real hifi on its own is not necessarily a viable business to be in. This has an evident in the way parent investment companies swap around well known consumer hifi brands like Linn, Focal, Tannoy. Problems have hit long standing brands such as Audio Research.

[Ian Mackenzie]

So where does this leave the loudspeaker hifi enthusiasts?

The more astute and adventurous are well aware of the significant benefits of going the diy loudspeaker route. The challenge is designing their own forever system and implementing it correctly. It’s about finding a smarter way of going about it. I intend to fill that gap with some re imagined JBL systems that sound good and measure well.

Ian

[BMWCCA]

This has nothing to do with how engineering expertise relates to sales, and is just my own uneducated opinion as a lifetime JBL owner, in reaction to Ian's take on Sean's interview.

I bought the smaller Andrew Jones models from Pioneer when they were getting so much hype. Shipped to my door, brand-new-in-box, for around $50. I played them once and put them back in the box where they've remained for all these years. Meh. Thought I'd give them to one of my nomadic daughters when they get to a point where it won't drag them down. For now they have smaller JBLs and a throw-away pair of Mordaunt-Short with integrated stands they are happy with and can always leave behind if they move and can't take them.

I also bought a pair of JBL LSR305 when they dropped below $200/pair. Now those were very impressive, especially when you consider they contain four amplifiers in that price. I thought enough of those to buy another pair (still in their box today) for posterity. It's fun to deploy the LSR305 in a room with larger JBLs and ask a first-time listener to pick out which speaker is actually playing.

[Robh3606]

I also bought a pair of JBL LSR305 when they dropped below $200/pair. Now those were very impressive, especially when you consider they contain four amplifiers in that price. I thought enough of those to buy another pair (still in their box today) for posterity. It's fun to deploy the LSR305 in a room with larger JBLs and ask a first-time listener to pick out which speaker is actually playing.

Hello

Now you went and did it! So how does it go?

Rob

[BMWCCA]

Hello

Now you went and did it! So how does it go?

Rob

Meaning the guessing game? They almost never pick the LSR305 as the one playing, but then they have yet to hear the others at that point, so . . .

[Robh3606]

Meaning the guessing game? They almost never pick the LSR305 as the one playing, but then they have yet to hear the others at that point, so . . .

Sneaky!!! Infinity had a speaker called the Infinitesimal and doing demoes they would do the same thing. Saw quite a few jaws drop in those demo's including me the first time!

Rob

[Robh3606]

The reality is that despite Harman’s research they have only a very very small slice of the consumer hifi loudspeaker market. So is Harman’s research being correctly applied?

Hello Ian

I think you need to add JBL Pro into the mix to do a more balanced evaluation. Using just consumer market share I don't think is a good indicator. How many people do you know with Bose Cubes or just use bluetooth speakers streaming off their phones?

This isn't the 70's or 80's.

Their marketing sucks IMHO. If I use the JBL Consumer site to look for dealers I get 2 professional installers. They don't even reference the Harmon store in Manhattan if it's still there. There are very few stores left like Best Buy as an example and JBL is not there?

Go up on the Consumer site and take a look at what you can actually purchase. Sure you can go to Sweetwater and Crutchfield but where's the showroom?

Rob

[DerekTheGreat]

...Their marketing sucks IMHO. If I use the JBL Consumer site to look for dealers I get 2 professional installers. They don't even reference the Harmon store in Manhattan if it's still there. There are very few stores left like Best Buy as an example and JBL is not there?

Go up on the Consumer site and take a look at what you can actually purchase. Sure you can go to Sweetwater and Crutchfield but where's the showroom?

Rob

This isn't the 70's or 80's.

I feel it's like you said, most people listen with ear buds or tiny speakers or a soundbar with their TV. People want to read reviews, buy online and have them shipped direct. I'm getting old, but have yet to meet anyone my age or younger whom even has a receiver, let alone free-standing speakers.

[Robh3606]

This isn't the 70's or 80's.

I feel it's like you said, most people listen with ear buds or tiny speakers or a soundbar with their TV. People want to read reviews, buy online and have them shipped direct. I'm getting old, but have yet to meet anyone my age or younger whom even has a receiver, let alone free-standing speakers.

Hello

I had a number of friends with nice system's back in the day. However as marriage, kids, mortgage and college came knocking most were slowly lost to the inevitable and only 2 kept their systems. One never married the other kept his going. A nice Harmon Kardon set-up with larger Infinities.

His Infinities finally had issues and he got a pair of 590's on sale. Me being a JBL guy he asked me before he purchased and I told him I had a pair to give them a shot. He loves them!

My brother in law just moved and he left me a couple hundred CD's. We have different musical taste so many I didn't have so a welcome addition. I was "wait you or your boys don't want them?" he was nope we all stream and your the only one I know who listens to CD's!

He also had a nice Infinity system. They had fuses so would blow at parties and he got a set of Bose Cubes and never looked back. Needless to say the Infinities kicked the crap out of the cubes.

Priorities change.

Rob

[DerekTheGreat]

Hi Rob.

Priorities do indeed change. I find mine shift from cars to music to the house to video games. I've been through several relationships, college and residences, yet my Firebird has remained at my side for all of it, some twenty years now. I still have the video game systems and games I played in the 80's through today and even have some old notebooks from high school. I still have the first speakers I bought, JBL E90's. (No plans to keep those, looking to sell them, actually.) I'm becoming a step-father to two kids. No plans to sell any of our music or car stuffs. Matter of fact, we recently picked up another bummy truck. Angie calls it, "Lil Red." Plan is to make it reliable so we can road trip it on our honeymoon.

How old is the brother-in-law? The friends? At almost 38, I guess I'm an anomaly.

Also, which Infinities? Years ago, just after I bought my L150A's, I found a set of Column II's. They looked really nice and I thought the down-firing 10" could be neat. Never picked them up, but heard good things about the brand.

[Robh3606]

We are all in our 60's and the Infinities were late 70's early 80's vintage no idea about model numbers. My friend with the Harmon Kardon system had the L100 competitor from Infinity, Same issue as the highs were fused and he had to keep fuses available for parties.

Rob