JBL 4319 measurements

The formal measurements were done by AudioScienceReview. Those were my 4319’s that I sent to ASR. Now that they are home, I did some in room measurements and also corrected the L-pads for the tweeter.

1) Way better. It is incredibly flat for its in room response. Incredibly crisp.
2) Sensitive to placement. It sounds best when you are in an equilateral triangle. My day to day speakers are the S/2600 so it is a bit of an unfair competition.

My subjective comments:

Subjective Test #1: Girl from Ipanema (Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto, 24/192)
- Very sensitive to position.
- At my listening position (where I measured it), the sound stage was almost monaural somehow. It's not a track that I normally listen to, so I am not sure what it's supposed to sound like.
- Sitting in the equilateral triangle position improved stereo imaging.
- Agree with Amir from ASR in that listening to this track isn't very pleasant.

Subjective Test #2: Another Day of Sun from La La Land Soundtrack
- The Pro Tools recording session for this is maxed out at 768 voices, most being vocal tracks.
- I do a pre-check in first 30 seconds of making sure the jazz band and vocals are matched. A speaker that is too lean will push the jazz band to the background while a speaker that is too "relaxed" will have the band overpowering the singer. There is some middle ground for slightly forward and slightly relaxed. I think the JBL 4319 is in the middle ground but slightly lean.
- At the 1 minute mark, you have the most complexity of the entire song. The test is to listen for the clarity of the voices during this period. The JBL 4319 does really well here in that you can "just listen and enjoy" or you can individual pick out each of the elements and easily follow it. Among the very best speakers I've heard for this test.

(I highly recommend this test for everyone. It's a quick, repeatable test.)

Subjective Test #3: Echo Game from House of Flying Daggers Soundtrack
- really clean/taut bass. One of the most articulate setups where I can "just enjoy" or "isolate" the individual drums. There is a portion that I thought was always just noise or a poor recording (0:45 to 0:50 seconds), but the JBL 4319 is super precise here.
- at normal listening volumes, I'd probably want more bass.

Subjective Test #4. Spanish Harlem, Rebecca Pidgeon
- super clean, the trio of bass notes is very balanced without the "hump" that can be heard on most speakers.

Subjective Test #5. Magnificent Seven, Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Pops; Round-Up SACD
- the opening drum hit at 0:04 is subdued at low volumes.
- The 0:17-0:23 section is super clean and you can hear each of the instruments clearly.

Subjective Test #6. Drum Improvisation, Sheffield Lab Drum & Track Disc (xrcd24)
- super clean at all volumes. No visceral "kick" although each hit of the drum is unique.

Subjective Test #7. John Mayer, Neon from the Where the Light is (Live in LA)
- really highlights the resolution of the 4319. It's better than AKG K3003 IEMs with deeper bass and the sound staging of proper speakers.

Compared to S/2600: Soundstage is wider on the JBL S/2600 (which is a 2-way DD55000) with asymmetrical horns. The JBL 4319 is leaner, but noticeably more detailed. For critical listening, the JBL 4319 may actually be better thanks to the resolution. For relaxed listening or group listening, the S/2600 is better. Center image for the phantom vocal is more focused for the 4319. The bass on the S/2600 digs deeper.

Compared to Studio 590: The 4319 is much clearer and more balanced in terms of frequency response. The 590's were too lean with a weak mid-bass even though it had great bass. This was noticeable on the La La Land Soundtrack. An EQ'd Studio 590 is still probably an amazing deal given the price as long as you can deal with it being top-heavy and not toddler friendly.

Compared to AKG 3003 IEMs: The 4319 is more detailed, has a wider frequency response and has the benefit of soundstage as opposed to being headphones.