JBL Venue Series

[Titanium Dome]

Well, look here. A number of changes tonight.

http://jbl.com/home/products/series.aspx?SerId=VEN&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

[Titanium Dome]

A lot of the Venue Series products look like slightly repositioned Northridge E Series speakers. Slightly changed enclosures, modified drivers (same tweeters, though). Compare an N24AWII with a Venue Tour, for example, or an E150P with a Venue SUB10. Very similar in many respects, yet the Venue gear sticks out in one critical area.

It costs less.

If the equation is the same or better quality for less money, I'm on board.

Black finish with silver grille--but no pictures of the grilles on. I'd need to see it, but it could be cool. Overall, this could be a good move to lower price points while delivering better sound than the competition. If these things get into the stores, they could make those Athena and Paradigm slackers pay attention. You know, the ones who shop price first, then imagine their new Athenas actually sound good. :barf:

I for one hope that JBL can break loose the low end of the market with these. They're not what many of us would buy, but they should be something we can recommend to newbies and el cheapo switchers from other brands. :bouncy:

[Titanium Dome]

Ah, now there's a picture with the grilles up on the Web site.

[Titanium Dome]

JBL is making a practice out of taking Professional Series monikers and bringing out consumer products.

For example there was a Professional Performance Series, then a consumer Performance Series. A Professional Array Series, then a consumer Project Array Series. A Professional Venue Series, now a consumer Venue Series.

The speaker lines are markedly different, of course. That begs the question of the reasoning behind the nomenclature. :dont-know

[Valentin]

I realy dont agree in the marketing stratery, they are damageing bouth lines pro and Consumer

Totaly diffrent products should not have the same name

[Titanium Dome]

The Northridge E Series is going the way of the dodo.

I went to Fry's today for some materials and to listen to the Studio L Series (report to be given in the Studio L Series thread). Lo and behold, there in the sound room were representatives of the Venue Series, ready to demo. They looked pretty good if you like shiny-metal-like grille cloth and a definite tech motif.

Not far away were the comparable E80s, which had a red placard reading "JBL E80 $79.99." Considering the $349 retail price, that was quite a shocker. The Venue Stadium with its $339 retail price and dual 8" woofers was clearly a better performer than the E80 with its dual 6" woofers. But $79.99 is hard to beat.

Likewise there was a NIB pair of E50 bookshelf speakers (retail $499), so I ended up bringing them home. Coming soon: "Anatomy of a Northridge."

Back on track, when I finally located and cornered a sales associate, he confirmed the the E Series is yesterday's news, and it's EOL/NLA on the inventory. The Venue Series is its replacement.

The Venue Series is a nice improvement at a lower price point. I wish JBL luck with it.

[dennis harmon]

A lot of the Venue Series products look like slightly repositioned Northridge E Series speakers. Slightly changed enclosures, modified drivers (same tweeters, though). Compare an N24AWII with a Venue Tour, for example, or an E150P with a Venue SUB10. Very similar in many respects, yet the Venue gear sticks out in one critical area.

It costs less.

If the equation is the same or better quality for less money, I'm on board.

Black finish with silver grille--but no pictures of the grilles on. I'd need to see it, but it could be cool. Overall, this could be a good move to lower price points while delivering better sound than the competition. If these things get into the stores, they could make those Athena and Paradigm slackers pay attention. You know, the ones who shop price first, then imagine their new Athenas actually sound good. :barf:

I for one hope that JBL can break loose the low end of the market with these. They're not what many of us would buy, but they should be something we can recommend to newbies and el cheapo switchers from other brands. :bouncy:

The new Athenas do sound good.I listened to the Venues and the ASF2s and the Athenas were clearly better.(Not knocking JBL,they make good speakers)but in the consumer line the Athenas are a better deal for the money.

[MJC]

Well, I finally saw and heard the Venue series today, @ the local BB.
I had gone in there to buy a surge/emi protector and saw a pair of the Stage and the Voice center.
With the 3 speakers all sitting on metal shelves didn't give the best audition, but they sounded fair for the price.
Its the first time, in at least 6 months, that BB has had any floorstanding JBLs. I was beginning to think BB had dropped the JBL brand.

[JBLfan1984]

I was wondering about this but how many years or warranty do I get for used open box speakers? I got a pair of the JBL Monitor from the Venue Series from Amazon.com and I do know that they have a 30 day thing that you can return it if you don't like them or if they don't work right. But I was wondering is that after 30 days will JBL support the speakers I have? Someone once said I get only 1 year for used speakers but is that true? Or do I get 5 years on open box speakers from Amazon?

[JBL 4645]

You need only to Google several keywords to find that there are several pages on this topic, on the internet. JBL Monitor Venue Series 30 days

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542179175 (http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542179175)

It’s often in small tiny print the, customers’ satisfactory rights on buying a product.

:happyh::tree:

[JBLfan1984]

I did just today call JBL tech support and I talked to one of the managers and they said that they do not support open box or used items at all. Meaning if something goes wrong with the speakers I got I have to pay for parts for the item. I did see the parts for the Monitor on Harman website but depending on what goes wrong it could cost upto around $30 for one part like the woofer. I wish that JBL will cover me since to me these are like new speakers since I never owned the Monitor before.



Other than that I did see some other models of the speakers and I noticed that there was the original Northridge Series, Northridge Series II and Northridge E series and then was the Venue Series but now my question is has the Venue Series been improved at all since the original Northridge Series? I see that the Northridge Series came around 1999 and the Venue Series came around 2006 and I just wondered if anything was updated in the Venue Series that the original Northridge Series didn't have. I know that the ES series updated from Venue Series since it has a new ultra high driver.

But anyways if anyone knows what has been updated from the original Northridge Series to the Venue Series please let me know.



Thank you very much!

[JBL 4645]

Maybe JBL Northridge think most of us are dummies and will bust the speakers in within a few days due to (excessive program music/film power) which is often... busted bass mid to HF drivers, therefore (we are liable to pay for the replacement parts) because we, didn’t read the instructions.

I, think that is what they often print at the (front first two pages or at back of the owners’ manual)?

Otherwise we’d all be slyly asking for free new parts. But do we grumble when the light bulb goes out and moan to the company that we only brought it, two days ago and its now busted?

No we, don’t.
:happyh::tree:

[JBLfan1984]

I got great news I just received a call from JBL and they said open box items like my used JBL Monitor is coverd by warranty for 5 years. So they said if I had any problem I can call them and they can send my parts that I need for free for 5 years. This tech manager contacted the head person of JBL.

[louped garouv]

that is good news for you!

:)

[JBLfan1984]

Anyways is there anyone that knows what has improved on the Venue Series compaired to the other series like the Northridge Series?

[JBLfan1984]

Well I did call JBL techs and talked to the upper tech guys and they told me that basicaly the Northridge Series and the Venue Series etc are the same kind of speakers only looks have changed but all sound about the same. Like example the JBL E20 and the JBL Monitor sound the same only style has changed.


I even did ask if the ES series sound better because of the ultra high drivers but they said since you can't hear it it will sound about the same as the Venue Series or the Northridge Series. Like example the ES20, E20 and Monitor sound pretty much the same. I did also ask then why did they make the new ES Series and they said since Blue rays and other sources don't limit to 20khz anymore thats why they made it go upto 40khz. But he did know that no human can hear it but they just made them since they wanted to make speakers that play highs over 20khz.


I kinda think it's point less since we can't hear past 40khz and also because of that the price tag is soo expensive compaird to the Northridge Series, Venue Series etc.


As well as the Studio L Series they did the same thing to those. Meaning just added a driver that humans can't hear. LOL