Northridge E series

The new surround system is on the way and we are looking forward to sharing our experience with everybody, I use the word we because my wife will be sharing her thoughts also. Both of us really have enjoy this website and would like to share our experience with you. Our love for music and movies is equally shared. :)

Our criteria was to put together a system that will satisfy us and not break the bank, we set our dollar limit at $2000.00. We understand that this will not give us sonic bliss, however we hope to have a system that we will will enjoy and will give us many years of enjoyment.

Ok here is what we purchsaed and what it cost, I have included the retail price and the actual cost all item's were purchased from JBL direct from there e-bay sales.

Item Retail Cost
E80 front's 496.00 215.00
E150 Sub 399.00 157.51
E10 rear's 198.00 53.99
EC25 center 249.00 77.33
AVR135 reciever 399.00 201.50
Total 1741.00 705.33

Shipping 148.00

Grand total 853.33

Hello, and nice to have you both here!
What I think is that you will enjoy the system. Sure, you can always go up, but if you don't sit there and think about/listen to/analyze the gear all the time, you are bound to find that you got WAY more than $850 worth of enjoyment. The gear should be a means to an end. It IS a hobby of diminishing returns. Thanks for posting.
MBB

Well done, rockecat. While the Northrideg E Series gets little mention around here, it one of the best--if not the best--bang for the buck systems on the consumer market. The E Series is the most flexible, expandable, and growable line around.

If in the future you decide to upgrade, you can upgrade the fronts and move the E80s to the surrounds for a whole "new" system without having to buy a whole new system.

Now to temper my praise with a little advice: the first two things to upgrade are the EC25 with the EC35, and replace the E150 with the E250. These changes will improve your system to a degree you can't imagine until you do it. Start saving!!

In the meantime, enjoy your system. Look at my avatar, then look at your tweeters. That's the TD Stamp of Approval®.

Well done rockecat! Less than half retail and under 0.9G including shipping!:applaud:

Hello rockecat (the 2 of you) ! Hope you enjoy ! Nothing like the smell of new electronics fired up for the first time ! OK, besides the sound...

Titanium Dome: I was scoping the EC25 and 35 for a center - how would they blend with "old school" L-112's
(fronts) and L-110 (rears) ? Or should I stay with an older type with similar tweets ?

Nice system - and for under 900 - what a sweet deal!

I've got mostly older gear in my system, but I did get an EC25 center speaker (Beech - to match my IKEA shelf system) when I added a center channel to my system earlier this year (over the Philips HDTV in my Avatar image).
It works fairly well with my old L36 Decades (circa 1976) for the front sound field when watching TV and movies & such. I do drop to 2 channel mode when playing music. I'm not sure what the EC25 will sound like when I finish redoing the JBL 3420 speakers) currently on the floor) and put on top of the shelf where the L36s are now.

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Originally Posted by Titanium Dome

Now to temper my praise with a little advice: the first two things to upgrade are the EC25 with the EC35, and replace the E150 with the E250. These changes will improve your system to a degree you can't imagine until you do it. Start saving!!

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Hey, TiDome - does the EC35 make THAT much of a difference over the EC25? I'd hate to block any more of the window with a bigger speaker box if I didn't have to ...

rockecat:

Congrads on your purhase:applaud: ...the E-series REALLY has a lot going for it. New speakers don't get much respect on the forum, but as Dome said they are the most bang for the buck speakers out there..and the fact that you got them at that price is a STEAL!!!!.... I'm not just saying this either..


In case you don't know me I've been listening to JBL's for almost 47 years and while I appreciate the older stuff I love NEW speakers more...

There's a place in KC here that has a complete JBL room and has a Complete E-series HT setup next to a Performance series HT...I've spent HOURS and HOURS listening to the difference between the two; music - movies, music DVD's etc( you can switch by touching a computer screen - instant change) with all kinds of music and let me say this...

The E-series flat out gives the performance series a real run for it's money..A *&^*& SERIOUS RUN..I know that may not go over to well here with some members but it's the truth ( that's why I never said it here before)...Yes, there are differences..At first blush the E-series sounds brighter - esp. in the mid-range and upper mid-bass ( and you say to yourself - damn that's better than the performance series - kind of what may be happening to Johneau with his 4315A to XPL200 comparison)

It's only after listening for a little longer ( and I mean really listening) that you start to see the advanage of the performances series - BUT - That type of listening is not how we listen when we enjoy music or movies...I may say more about this in another thread ( Performance series)

Bottom-line is this..you got a great pair of speakers, at a really great price....The E-series are flat out TOP performers in my opinion..if I didn't have the Studio series I'll be getting some.

enjoy

I'll just say one more thing in general....when it comes to speakers NO One knows more than JBL and GT and his crew in particular.

When you buy a pair of JBL's you are getting your money's worth - no doubt - and it doesn't matter if you spend a $1000 or $30,000 your getting the best deal in that price range.

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Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959

I'll just say one more thing in general....when it comes to speakers NO One knows more than JBL and GT and his crew in particular.

When you buy a pair of JBL's you are getting your money's worth - no doubt - and it doesn't matter if you spend a $1000 or $30,000 your getting the best deal in that price range.

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BRAVO :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:

Ron

One must always state up front "You have to listen for yourself." Don't simply take my word for it.

Having said that, I'll say that the EC35 is in a whole different category. The 3" midrange takes over at 800Hz and goes to 3200Hz, while in the EC25, the 5" woofers have to cover all the way to 4000Hz. That's a heck of a load for 5" speakers, and the midrange suffers. The EC35 has significantly more presence and clarity in the mids, especially on dialog.

Since several posts intervened and there was some confusion:

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Originally Posted by hjames

(snip)

Hey, TiDome - does the EC35 make THAT much of a difference over the EC25? I'd hate to block any more of the window with a bigger speaker box if I didn't have to ...

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Originally Posted by Titanium Dome

One must always state up front "You have to listen for yourself." Don't simply take my word for it.

Having said that, I'll say that the EC35 is in a whole different category. The 3" midrange takes over at 800Hz and goes to 3200Hz, while in the EC25, the 5" woofers have to cover all the way to 4000Hz. That's a heck of a load for 5" speakers, and the midrange suffers. The EC35 has significantly more presence and clarity in the mids, especially on dialog.

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The title of my quoted post is EC25 vs. EC35. Taken in context with the hjames question, everyone can see its application..

dome..

just teasing...:D

Boy, this has not been my week....

Well we definetely feel even better with our purchase now that some members that have some experience with these speaker's have chimed in. we almost bought brand X but my Old JBL's have served me so well and are enjoyed still on a daily basis that we trust JBL to provide us with a great product that they will stand behind.

Well I just finished painting the room , since this room is for visual as well
as audio I spent some time researching color's and thier effect I think it is really going to work out well. I will start posting pic's soon my camera bit the dust and I have to purchase a new one so hopefully tomorrow I can start showing the room and my plan.

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Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959

Boy, this has not been my week....

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I see by your avatar you're considering moving over to the dark side.

Don't DO it, bud.... :scold:

It'll all work out, I promise.... :D

This has been the week from hell for me....I said I would "stink" up every thread I was in didn't I?:rotfl:

well, I'll most likely hear about this also......( I wonder what spin they'll put on this....):blah: :blah:

I need a vacation:applaud: ....get away for awhile and listen to sweet music from some Bose Speakers.....:eek: :crying: :jawdrop:

Thanks for the concern Zilch.....I'm trying to resist the "dark Side" but I'm so angry and hurt..I've given in to my anger and all may be lost...

Rockecat:

Sorry we got off topic in your thread.... Please fill us in when you get everything setup..can't wait to hear how it sounds

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Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959

Rockecat:

Sorry we got off topic in your thread.... Please fill us in when you get everything setup..can't wait to hear how it sounds

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No worries, I was hoping to have everything tomorrow but I recieved an E-mail from JBL that the E80 in beach that I purchased is not in the warehouse, hopefully they will find some or I will have to settle for black.
It look's like I will recieve a part shipment tomorrow so now in a holding pattern to see what show's.

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Originally Posted by Zilch

I see by your avatar you're considering moving over to the dark side.

Don't DO it, bud.... :scold:

It'll all work out, I promise.... :D

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Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959

Thanks for the concern Zilch.....I've given in to my anger and all may be lost...

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Zilch...the transformation is now complete.......

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Originally Posted by rockecat

I was hoping to have everything tomorrow but I recieved an E-mail from JBL that the E80 in beach that I purchased is not in the warehouse, hopefully they will find some or I will have to settle for black.
It look's like I will recieve a part shipment tomorrow so now in a holding pattern to see what show's.

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Bummer...double bummer..let us know how it goes....

Where else can you post about a new system and already get advice on an upgrade before the thing is even shipped! Long live the LHS! :). Enjoy your new JBL's, both of you and thanks for sharing, Steve G.

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Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959

Zilch...the transformation is now complete.......

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That's better.

A JBL Creature II speaker! :p

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Originally Posted by Zilch

That's better.

A JBL Creature II speaker! :p

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I have one of those!

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Originally Posted by Titanium Dome

I have one of those!

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what don't you have?

Well the rear and center speaker showed up today and the rest should be here Wednesday, man I really have ants in my pants just really pumped that we will have real audio to go with the big screen.:bouncy:

A lot of us have never had the opportunity to see the Northridge E Series naked, so to speak.

It'd be quite cool if you could show us the drivers, the cabinet innards, crossovers, etc. Yes, this entails you carefully disassembling some things on your brand new gear.

I eventually worked up the courage to do this with my then new Performance Series gear, even though the thought at first left me cold. The forum members as a whole really appreciated seeing the drivers for the first time.

yes, that true Dome...BUT...it took a looooong time before you got the guts..

Rockecat.......That's just torture making you wait THAT long with only part of it there.

keep us updated....

Ok I will start uploading some pic's, this is a new camera and I had to run some low rez to load.Well I guess my first thought is that the build quality is better than anticipated I assumed being entry level that the quality would be not quite as good. I was wrong the fit and finish is very nice. These are supposed to be re manufactured but they look like new to me, so not sure what the deal is but they carry a warranty as new.

I am going to mount the rear speakers tomorrow, I noticed they are capable of using banana style connectors I have not used these before any thoughts on these VS standard hard wire?

More pic's , If this is to many or you would like something different please let me know

Nice:rockon2:

Keep them coming. So how do you like the E series or is it too early?? Like your vintage stuff all looks like it's in real good shape.

Rob:)

Not too many pictures for me...can't wait to see it when you get it all together.

Nice setup rocket. I bought a pair of E100's last year with the intentions of using them for music. Loud music. I hooked them up to a PL 400II and adcom preamp and I have to say they did'nt sound like I was expecting from a JBL Floorstander. I have to agree that they do have a brightness to their sound. I think these speakers are more suitable for home theatre use than music. I felt the need to tailor the sound so much that I borrowed an equilizer from a friend for a while. I have since separated what little bit of gear that I have into separate music/ht systems.
The Beech looks nicer than the black does for sure. I got the black because it was cheaper and I thought that I would'nt care what color they were as long as they were JBL.

RJ

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Originally Posted by Titanium Dome

A lot of us have never had the opportunity to see the Northridge E Series naked, so to speak.

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It'd be quite cool if you could show us the drivers, the cabinet innards, crossovers, etc. Yes, this entails you carefully disassembling some things on your brand new gear.

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I eventually worked up the courage to do this with my then new Performance Series gear, even though the thought at first left me cold. The forum members as a whole really appreciated seeing the drivers for the first time.

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I just removed the screws from one of the e100 woofers and it appears that it has some kind of sealant holding it in. I tried to pry it out but it does'nt want to give up easily. Gouged plastic frame.:dont-know

RJ

Well the paint is dry on the walls and time to start moving stuff in. I will have everything in Wednesday and will start posting pic's of the room and initial impression's. I would like to tell you that buying a new sound system has been a very time consuming experience and very frustrating. We shopped all the local stores and listened to systems selling from anywhere from $1000.00 to $5000.00 and always walked away shaking our head's guess we are so acclimated to our old stuff that either we are closed minded or the stuff really was bad. At one point I was so discouraged and tired of looking I told my wife I was done, in a moment she said well we have been happy with our JBL's for over 25 years let's just buy them and I am sure they will be fine.Well having not heard them at all I was a little skeptical but you can only shop so long and we will try and give you a honest straight forward opinion in a language that will be crude by audiophile standards but the truth nonetheless.

Hey big stereo , did you get everything back together Ok ?

Pioneer and JBL L46's gotta love it I have a Pioneer SX-1050 hooked to L46's :applaud:

Ron

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Originally Posted by rockecat

Hey big stereo , did you get everything back together Ok ?

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Taking the screws out was as far as I got. The woofer frame did'nt want to come loose from the box. They're stuck on with some kind of sealant or something. So yes, I put the screws back in and left it alone.

It bugged me till I tried it again and this time I got the woofer out.
Here's the back of the woofer. And the xover inside the box

All tight! You are the man/person/woman/thing!

Thanks for following through.:applaud:

0

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Originally Posted by pioneer1050

Pioneer and JBL L46's gotta love it I have a Pioneer SX-1050 hooked to L46's :applaud:

Ron

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Very cool ,you have one of the big Mo's I would guess at the volume at 9 o'clock the 46's are singing and breathing .I know my 950 working both set's is very happy to accommodate.:bouncy:

LOL! Man/woman/thing.
My name is Richard. Friends call me RJ

Way to go Richard.

Now, I'd love to see the backside of that tweeter. I'll bet it says "Made in France." Hopefully there's an actual gasket behind it and not just that black JBL sealant.

Yes that's correct, just a gasket. I had to take one out the second week I had the speakers. Had the high freq's boosted too much with an equilizer that is gone now, and the Phase 400 turned up about two thirds must've cooked it. But I can do no more disassembly tonight because I have to go to work in a bit. Maybe tommorrow.

RJ

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Originally Posted by Titanium Dome

Way to go Richard.

Now, I'd love to see the backside of that tweeter. I'll bet it says "Made in France." Hopefully there's an actual gasket behind it and not just that black JBL sealant.

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Hey TD, 2000 post, man that is a is a whole lot of :bs:I have no doubt the best is yet to come.:cheers:

Time for an update, I woke up early since UPS is supposed to show up today with the rest of the goodies and figured I would get a head start on getting the room together. everything was going well until I tried to mount the left rear speaker this room is in my basement and the speaker needs to be mounted above access to storage underneath the stairs. There is a sub-floor above the sheet rock ceiling of the storage room and without knowing for sure there is no way I will drill into it. So for the time being I will have four inches of wire showing:banghead:

Here is some pic's of todays progress so far , now I need some food and advill. Hopefully UPS will show soon so I can finish.

I can already feel the good times and warm emotions that your room will bring. Well done! You must be very excited. :yes:

She is all hooked up and running:applaud: All I have left is a little wire mgmt.
We will run it for a few day's then let you know how we feel about it.

well... I can't wait to see how you feel about them. Just noticed that you're in Columbia, Mo.....I'm in KC...not too far away..

wow those speakers look tiny in your picture somehow :P, (must be the giant tv)

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Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959

well... I can't wait to see how you feel about them. Just noticed that you're in Columbia, Mo.....I'm in KC...not too far away..

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I noticed there are several members in St,Louis and Kc area maybe we can get together and have some BBQ,and Beer or the liquid of your choice.:bouncy: We would like to spend some time listening to several different formats before we evaluate.

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Originally Posted by QwertyAccess

wow those speakers look tiny in your picture somehow :P, (must be the giant tv)

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MMMMMMM big TV good :applaud: :applaud:

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Originally Posted by rockecat

I noticed there are several members in St,Louis and Kc area maybe we can get together and have some BBQ,and Beer or the liquid of your choice..

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Another "Earthquake Country" cluster of JBL fans? ;)

hmm but one thing bout those subwoofers, is i hear they have reliability problems with the amplifier in them overheating or something. Anyone know of this?

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Originally Posted by Zilch

Another "Earthquake Country" cluster of JBL fans? ;)

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Well , we just moved from tornado alley , and I like my chances better with earthquakes we got hit hard twice in a three year period.:blink:

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Originally Posted by QwertyAccess

hmm but one thing bout those subwoofers, is i hear they have reliability problems with the amplifier in them overheating or something. Anyone know of this?

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There was an older PB series that had QC problems, but it hasn't been sold in some time, and a few members have had them with pretty good luck. JBL was aware of the problem and did a lot of fixing, but it's tough to fix a product that wants to break down.

Persistent problems often resulted in free trades for different JBL subs, but owners had to persevere to get it and usually paid shipping.

If anyone ever asks me about a PB Series sub that they can buy cheap, I tell them to run--not walk--away from the deal.

I am not aware of any significant QC problems with the E Series subs.

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Originally Posted by rockecat

I noticed there are several members in St,Louis and Kc area maybe we can get together and have some BBQ,and Beer or the liquid of your choice.:bouncy: We would like to spend some time listening to several different formats before we evaluate.

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I would go for that.

Ok, time to let us about the speakers:bouncy:

and to QwertyAccess... the design of the E-series is More thin..but that doesn't mean less...they are also designed to be used with a subwoofer for very low, strong output..

I've listen to these alot at a store here in KC and I'm really impressed with the subs and the speakers they're really nice...

I think we have run the system enough to be able to give you a fair review. I really thought it would be quite easy to explain but in reality it is very tough, I think part of the problem is that we are old school and have been listening to a good two channel setup so long that a comparison between the two is simply not fair and has no value since the object is to create a system to compliment video and their format's I would also like to mention that some comparisons were done at local stores and are purchase of JBL's was two fold the first being the fact we have owned JBL speakers for over 25 years and also that we were not impressed with anything in our price range that was available to listen to.

The Harman AVR135 is the soul of the system and performs quite well I am very impressed with the quality, I have owned two in the past and they continue to impress me especially at this price level. The 135 will easily drive the speakers to some serious levels and is extremely smooth all the switches work well and the setup was very straight forward. I found it hard to believe but it even rivals my old pioneer in pulling in radio station's. The only issues I have are the remote is not very good all remotes should be lighted this is very important if you are watching a movie and want to pause I don't want to get up and turn a light on to see the button's also the volume and channel switches should be rocker style I like to use my thumb on remotes. you are also required to run a separate video cable to use the on screen menu this makes no sense at all.These are minor complaint's and I would still give the 135 very high marks.

We are using E80's as the mains this was a good call they are way better than anticipated you definitely need to use a sub with them but even at low level two channel they will satisfy you I think are biggest surprise was the tweeters I can see where somebody might think they are bright bit I think they are just accurate this really freaks me out that at this price range you can get this kind of performance. I wont be trading in my old L series but I may find myself switching between the two depending on the artist for just listening to a cd.

The EC25 center is my favorite part of the whole system, this speaker is really above anything we listened to it really creates a sense of space and you don't feel like the sound is just being thrown at you I am just in awe at the price and what you receive it really makes you think that maybe we should throw the vintage stuff out, Just kidding we would never do that but it really is quite remarkable what they have done at this price level.

The E150 sub performs well I would not say that it is spectacular but it does it's job and at moderate levels it seems satisfied ,If you want to shake the wall's you should probably look to a higher level. my biggest complaint is the controls all the adjustments should be on top, having to tilt the sub to reach the controls is kinda silly.

Last but not least by far is the E10 rears what a cool little speaker they really create a ton of space, even at the front of the room you can still hear motion in a movie. I hooked them up to my old pioneer receiver and could not believe how well they perform for their size, plus they just look cool these little devils may just be the best bargain there is, if you need a little speaker for a garage or bedroom these are a great deal.

We definitely got way more than are moneys worth and are very satisfied we spent less than $1000.00 and I think even the hard core audiophile would enjoy watching a movie a with this system.

We would like to thank everybody for letting us share our room with you it made it a lot more fun.:)

Thanks for your update. It was a pleasure following your progress.

I'm glad you gave some coverage to the E Series here. It's probably the consumer line that keeps the rest of the consumer lines afloat.

rockecat:

Great review..and glad you like the speakers..I think the E series a real bang for the buck..

When I mentioned that the E series were Brighter than the PS series in the mid range..I wasn't implying that the speakers were overly bright...just that with a comparison to the PS the mid range was a little more forward than the PS ( or maybe the pS is a little darker)...If you are JUST listening to the E series they do not sound overly bright...does that make sense??? The mid range is just brighter than the PS series...

anyway, glad to hear you're enjoying them.....that's what it's all about...

when i worked at abc warehouse,we sold the e series,i was impreast with this line after some breakin they opened up,and sounded real clean.Sold a friend a pair of e90s he has hooked to a rotel rx 1050 stereo receiver 100 watts per. sounds very good.He did raise them about 6 inches off the floor that did make difference,in his room.enjoy

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Originally Posted by oldschool

when i worked at abc warehouse,we sold the e series,i was impreast with this line after some breakin they opened up,and sounded real clean.Sold a friend a pair of e90s he has hooked to a rotel rx 1050 stereo receiver 100 watts per. sounds very good.He did raise them about 6 inches off the floor that did make difference,in his room.enjoy

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ABC Warehouse, eh? That's where I bought my first pair of JBL L7s back in the 90s. Glad they're still carrying the brand.

At one time there in Michigan, I could drive a two mile stretch of Portage Road in Kalamazoo and hit three retailers all carrying JBL, including Highland Appliance, Fretter Appliance, and ABC Warehouse. Highland had a very complete selection and excellent pricing. They sold a ton of JBL in that area.

Now only ABC is there of the three, though a Best Buy opened up down the road, so there are at least two places where the JBL E Series is in stock.

With all the E Series owners out there, we don't hear much from them. I find lots of them on other forums, where I try to engage them, encourage them, and defend them from the "Junk But Loud" creeps that always come after them. So, I'm really pleased to see rockecat's account here. :yes:

This is almost identical to a system I helped a friend put together last year except for the receiver (refurb AVR7000). Those E series really do open up after a while and they sound great. Just silly how good they are for the money...


jblnut

I have been trying to think of a proper analogy that reflects how we feel about our new system. We own several classic motorcycles and we love to ride them ,they make us smile and we enjoy the reactions people have when they see them but when we want to take a long or more serious ride we take a new one. To some extent our two audio systems have some similarity I really thought the new speakers in no way could compete with our classic equipment. I was wrong even what I assumed to be entry level speakers not only compete but in some ways outperform the older speakers , I can only imagine what the higher end speakers must produce.

I am in no way saying that the Northridge speakers outperform my L series only that If you switched roles and used the E series for two channel or used the L series for surround they would be in my opinion out of there respective audio mission. I have gained a new respect for jbl and their continuing endeavour to provide me with equipment to satisfy my ear and wallet.

Ya i worked there a couple of years ago,we sold polk,and jbl studio and e series. i bought my s 3811 there they were the demos,so i broke them in and bought them for 80.00 dollars for the pair after jbl discontinued them.the store manager was a polk man through and through,one day he was in MY sounds room,to demo some speakers for a customer,and the s38 were playing and as they were walking by the 38s they stoped in there tracks.the customer was impressed,and even the store manger was but woud'nt say it.they were the last we had and i already had money down on them.he did'nt sell any polk's that day,the customer got the demo s38 at another abc in gaylord michigan.:applaud:

Since we don't have a dedicated Northridge thread, this is the closest I could find.

Here's a link to a page that highlights the "N" "S" and "E" Series from a guy who's the JBL expert at Home Theater Forum. I searched as well as I could to see if Phil Iturralde was a member here at LH, but didn't get any confirmation. Anyone know him?

http://www.geocities.com/p_iturra/JBL_Labs.html

Mmmmmh, last post in 2007...

The E-series is dead?

I just noticed that a good friend of mine who is not a JBL freak was having JBL E60 in his living room.
I'm not so savvy in this newer stuff and I saw after some searches that this series is kind of "entry level" but I never could find any brochure about this, I found the user manual, even the tecnical manual..... but no brochure, only some pictures.

Anybody has a link?

Thanks