Originally Posted by
Titanium Dome
Ultimately it's pointless to argue with someone about brands or about specifications. Others will be emotionally attached to their favorite speakers just as I am attached to mine. We may try to use charts, graphs, and specifications to prove our point, but everyone (except Bose!) can produce those things. Then the argument shifts to "how" the sound was measured, or "why" one specification is more important than another, or "where" the measurement was made, or "what" was used in the audio chain to make the sound, etc.
Very few people have ever listened to many speakers other than the ones they ended up purchasing, and the last time they heard a brand like JBL turns the argument into a "when" did you last hear a JBL, if ever?
The fact remains that JBL is one of the oldest continuous loudspeaker brands in the world. Over its long history, it has accumulated more awards, developed more important technical and engineering innovations, and maintained the most diversified product line than virtually any other loudspeaker manufacturer.
As a part of Harman International, it has access to the world's most sophisticated loudspeaker design and testing facility, has developed the world's most sophisticated listening panels and double-blind listening protocols, and has access to the greatest technical and artistic minds in loudspeaker design, all at the Northridge, California facility.
JBL dominates theater, music hall, stadium, live venue, recording studio, and auditorium sound in many parts of the world. It is the most consistently widely-distributed brand around the world (check its Web site for countries and languages), and it has the largest support activities of any major brand.
JBL recently won international recognition and awards for its Everest II DD66000, following up on its international award-winning K2 S9800. It developed unique and amazing technologies, including transducers, which are world-class and best-in-class in their execution.
JBL is at the forefront of car audio, marine audio, professional audio, and home audio.
It is also true that it is one of the most often criticized brands among boutique speaker owners, snobs, and people who hate big companies. Often these people will compare the under $1000/pair entry level JBL consumer speakers with speakers that cost much more and use that as an indictment of the entire product line. But on a price segment comparison basis, JBL can match or beat any brand out there.
At the high end, it has a number of offerings that will humiliate similar priced lines, but since most people have never heard these JBLs, these people will use poor arguments and specs on paper to make their judgments. I make it a point to go to audio shops when I can to listen to the best they have. I am open to finding speakers that I can afford that will sound better than my JBLs.
But in any case, when someone attacks JBLs, I can say that I have heard their speakers and what my opinion is based on actually hearing them, or I keep my mouth shut if I haven't heard them. If they cannot say they have heard comparable JBLs, then they are ignorant in every sense of the word, and I have no reason to want to argue with an ignorant person. It wastes both of our times.