JBL vs Harbeth Shootout, Orange County, CA, Sunday 4/29

[toddalin]

One of the AudioKarma members wants to compare the larger JBLs with his Harbeths. The shootout will take place at my home in the North Tustin area of Orange County, CA on Sunday 4/29 from 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM.

I have provisions for doing A/B/X with level matching so this should be interesting. PM or email me if you would like to attend.

[Vintage57]

One of the AudioKarma members wants to compare the larger JBLs with his Harbeths. The shootout will take place at my home in the North Tustin area of Orange County, CA on Sunday 4/29 from 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM.

I have provisions for doing A/B/X with level matching so this should be interesting. PM or email me if you would like to attend.

Which JBL’s and which Harbeth’s and what power?

[toddalin]

JBLs include any or all of modified L200/300s, 2241/2251/Heil, L112s.

Power is a Yamaha RX-Z9 rated at 170 WPC at 6 ohms, and 520 WPC dynamic power into 2 ohms. Source is an OPPO 95.

http://www.audioheritage.org/photopost/data//500/medium/DSC_00031.JPG

I believe these to be the Harbeths.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/839/39751343550_a730b40fb4_z.jpg

[toddalin]

The Harbeth's are the 30.1 model.

Actually, the Harbeths were very nice and more clear and open in the vocal range than the JBLs. Joannie Mitchell sounded very natural without the veil..., better than on the JBLs. Guitar, both electric and acoustic was very convincing. Of course they gave up ~8 dB and didn't have the dynamics of the L200/300s.

BTW, he paid $3,600 for the pair..., used, and confessed that the JBLs certainly offer more for the money.

[Ed Kreamer]

Thanks for the report. Do you have photos and a play list of what you were playing? Is the Harbeth a current product? If so I wonder how it would have fared against a contemporary JBL.( Note: I've NEVER liked the L200. I guess that's a some kind of personal problem.)

Keep on listening.
Ed

[toddalin]

No photos on my part. Huy's wife may have taken some with her phone, but I never saw them.

BTW, the Harbeths sat right on top of the L200 cabinets (on towels) pointed down a bit to the listening position.

SACD Stevie Ray Vaughn, Couldn't Stand the Weather

SACD Loggins and Messina, Loggins an Messina

CD Joni Mitchell, Greatest Hits

CD Eric Clapton, Unplugged

Vinyl Loggins and Messina, Full Sail

These are the Harbeths

https://www.overtureav.com/shop/harbeth-speakers/harbeth-monitor-30-1-detail

[Ian Mackenzie]

Your diy JBL look really impressive...wish I lived near by

[Ed Kreamer]

Ooooo. Spendy little devils.

[Mr. Widget]

Ooooo. Spendy little devils.Yes, and I bet they sound great and image extremely well, but they will not have the lack of dynamic compression or capability of dynamics as the larger JBL, Altec, and many other large vintage systems. It is very difficult to have it all.


Widget

[Ian Mackenzie]

Well that’s opening up a can of worms for a discussion....Lol.

I heard the 40.2’s recently at an Audio club GM.

http://www.melbourneaudioclub.org.au/gm2018.htm#mar18

[1audiohack]

Well that’s opening up a can of worms for a discussion....Lol.

I heard the 40.2’s recently at an Audio club GM.

http://www.melbourneaudioclub.org.au/gm2018.htm#mar18

I just have to say it, I can’t refrain, I tried:

What’s with the power distribution?!? I have a 40,000 Watt 3 phase amp rack with smaller power cable than that.

Maybe I am missing something, I see a few people with their fingers in their ears!

All in fun, don’t be mad at me.

Barry.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Not sure why but that hifi....Lol

It’s all about having fun

The demo was good and those in particular are a well regarded home/studio loudspeaker

That does not mean Jbl does not exist. I think it’s healthy to have an open mind so you can make meaningful comparisons

[Ian Mackenzie]

Hey Barry

How about a fair comparison to your 40,000 Watt pa rig.

On a simplified basis l calculated the average spl difference as follows:

Your pa:
Assuming the pa was a driver with a sensitivity of 98 dB 1 metre at 1 Watt.
The distance to make it realistic is 32 metres.
The power amp headroom is 6 dB below the max power available of 40,000 Watts

So the calculation is dB = 10 * Log (Pout / Pin)
Therefore the spl is 98 dB+46 dB = 144dB @ 1 metre

Therefore we need to find the spl @ 32 metres with 6 dB of headroom
Equations used to calculate the data:
dBW = Lreq - Lsens + 20 * Log (D2/Dref) + HR
W = 10 to the power of (dBW / 10)

Where the distance = 32 m the spl is 108 dB


The Harbeth loudspeaker 30 (HiFi)
Sensitivity (an assumption) 85 dB
Power = 300 Watts
The power amp headroom is 6 dB below the maximum power available of 300 Watts
Distance is 2 metres (a realistic distance)

The calculation for 300 Watts is 85 dB +24.8dB =109.8 dB
We therefore need to find the spl @2 metres using the above formula with 6 dB of headroom
The spl is 97.8 dB

So your pa is about 10 dB louder under the above conditions
I wonder how I’d compares for bandwidth, distortion?



(This post is not to be taken seriously 😐)

See calculator below
https://www.crownaudio.com/en/tools/calculators

[Ian Mackenzie]

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/jbl/4.html

Some comparison with the Harbeth 40.1

[1audiohack]

Hey Barry

How about a fair comparison to your 40,000 Watt pa rig....


(This post is not to be taken seriously 😐)

See calculator below
https://www.crownaudio.com/en/tools/calculators


The next time I have a big rig out and have an extra hour I will take a pair of monitors and delay them about a 100 feet and roll them in and out. The results I think I can predict.

But, I don't have anything with a dome tweeter, they just don't get near loud enough! :)

Barry

[Ian Mackenzie]

Wave guide!