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  1. #1
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    k2 s9800 vs k2 s9500.

    I am a happy ovner of a pair of 250ti jubilee.
    but i am thinking of going all the way, and by the k2 s9800, or the older model k2s9500.
    I have listen to k2 s9800.(A VERY FINE SPEAKER). But i have never listen to k2 s9500.
    Is there anyone who has compared these two speakers??
    And if you maybe couldt help my with some tecnical data on k2 s9500.?
    It wouldt help my a lot. Thanks.
    Brian dk.

  2. #2
    Niklas Nord
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    Hello
    I have the s9500 at home.
    This weekend i listened to the s9800 also, it was a big dissapointment. I really did not like it.

    I´m so happy with my s9500

    happy happy

  3. #3
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Hi Niklas,

    Could you elaborate? I would assume that the level of bass is significantly less in the K2-S9800, but what were the other differences?

    Also could you compare the two listening rooms and associated equipment?

    Thanks.

  4. #4
    Member sebackman's Avatar
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    Hi Brian and Hi Niklas

    Niklas, I saw you at the exhibition when talking to Nagref, but missed you with a split second.

    I was at the same expedition as Niklas and have the complete opposite view.

    It was a big “high-end” HiFi (mainly 2-channel) fair with loads of retailers, manufacturers and distributors with all kinds of systems and electronics. The fair was in a hotel so some of the systems were in reasonable large rooms on the conference floors and some in the smaller rooms on the mezzanine floor. The rooms ranked from reasonably good to lousy, so it is difficult to get a fair read on how all the systems would have sounded in the same environment.

    Furthermore some of the vendors had been proactive and brought damping materials and some had not. I listened to at least 20 different systems, some of which were very expensive. As usual I brought my own CD’s (4 different CD’s, of which one HDCD) and had them played on numerous systems. The same songs were played on cheap (well, relatively) and expensive alike. It’s obviously much easier to listen to music that is known to you and also to compare if you use the same songs.

    To my ears there were a few systems that clearly were in a league of their own and among them were the K2S9800. The room they (Harman) were using was way to small, which made the sound somewhat “middy”. But that seems always to be the case, IMHO, with driver/horn combination in large size monitors with short listening distance. BUT, the tonal balance was very good and the sound was very crisp and detailed. Better than any JBL large size speaker I have heard before.

    From my own experience, I do normally not get at all excited over a sound profile when it is very good. That’s just the thing, if the sound is balanced there are now WOW factors, which make me jump and down and say nice words. But the more you listen the better it gets. The wow factors on other systems that initially gets your attention, quite quickly fades and sometimes even gets annoying. I have done that mistake a few times over the years.

    To my ears the 9800 series is a real improvement over the old K2’s (and most other speakers as well). I personally find it interesting that they have returned to a three-way construction after a couple of years in the two-way territory.

    The limitation of the working area for the compression driver/horn paired with a separate tweeter makes the sound more homogeneous and nicer to listen to. All big drivers (>1”) seem to be rather uneven over 12k and also see a roll off from about 12-14k. By adding a tweeter you can avoid some of the equalisation needed to compensate for the driver and the CD horn combination to reach over 10-12k. To my ears that sounds better. The differences are easy to measure but more difficult to describe in words. In my world it just sounds more natural and less “strained”.

    To me the two-way construction of the 4430/4435 worked better then others to follow since they used the 1” drivers that have a more even curve and slightly less roll-off. As for the 1,5 and 2” driver based two-way speakers, including DMS-1, I have always lacked the last ounce of “sparkle” on the top.

    The limitation in 4430/35 (if any) IMHO were that driver/horn combination needed a higher HP XO frequency than the 1,5” or 2” drivers do and thus the woofers had to go further up in frequency. That may in some instances be a challenge for a 15” size driver. I like the sound of the 4430/35 but compared to the S9800 I don’t experience the extremely homogenous and defined sound.

    I built a 4-way monitor some years ago using a 2234, a 2118, a 2426 connected to a 2344 and a 2404 on top. The filter solution was inspired by the 4430/35 and they sounded pretty good. The “bullet” tweeter on top made system more “stabile”, more definition.

    A bunch of my friends are currently using two-way systems based on the 2235/34 or the 2206 paired with the 2446. The same goes for them. They sound very clean and crisp but the uneven curve of the driver/horn and the lack of absolute top end would steer me towards a three-way system. Which also by the way is what I’m building.

    I have played around with the 2451/2332 combinations quite extensively over the last couple of months. I bought 6 sets to build a HiFi/HT system. Maybe a little overkill at home, but hey, we need to have some fun now and then J.

    I’m not claiming that they have the same tonal quality as the horns or the drivers in the K2 series, but even with a digital filter it is almost impossible to get a two-way setup that can match the three-way alternative I’m playing with. I’m using the 025Ti above the driver, but the K2 unit I probably way superior.

    There were a number of nice system at this expedition, some of them high profile brands and very expensive. Regardless of all that, if I only could take home one speaker set it would beyond doubt be the S9800’s.

    At the end of the day only YOUR ears can tell YOU what to go for.

    Best regards

    //Robert

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the info! Excellent

  6. #6
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    k2

    Thanks for your info, Robert.
    From what you write, and what i have experienced.
    There is no way out for my.
    I must do a serious job, saving money, to get my hands on
    a set of s9800.
    But they are very expensive, so time vil show..

    Brian dk.

  7. #7
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    Smile

    Hi again..
    finaly I made it..
    A beautyfull sæt S9800 has replaiset my 250it jubilee.
    and what a sound..
    To listen to them at a radiostore is one thing, but to get them home, and listen in your own room, with your own equipment,
    is something else.
    It's the best speaker I have ever listen to.
    What a joy..

  8. #8
    leif
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    Does that mean that there is a pair of 250 jubilee for sale in Denmark then?

    Leif Arild
    Sandefjord, Norway

  9. #9
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    Hi Leif.
    I have sold my 250jubilee to a radiostore called KT-Radio, for 3 weeks ago.
    you kan try and call them at phone nr. 0045-33311440.
    Maybe they still have them. if not, try and look at www.hifi4all.dk, or www.dba.dk. on these 2 websides there is often different kinds of 250ti for sale.
    good luck.

  10. #10
    Tomas M
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    Hello!

    How much is a pair of (new) JBL K2 S9800 in USA (or in Denmark)?

    Tomas

  11. #11
    Senior Member Guido's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Tomas M
    Hello!

    How much is a pair of (new) JBL K2 S9800 in USA (or in Denmark)?

    Tomas
    In Germany it is 30.000 Euro! We should not talk at price/value coefficient.
    IMO one can not justify such a price. As I said IMO!

  12. #12
    Tomas M
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    Horrible!!!!!!!

    They cost 27.000 Euro in Sweden. I thought that was a joke.

    Tomas

  13. #13
    leif
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    I also think that is a crazy price.

    Well, there is a shop 5 minutes away from my home that has a pair for sale. They have earlier said 250.000 kroner = about 30.000 euros. I think that is more of a dream than a real price for what they can get for them.
    The pair of speakers has been used for demo in the shop, and also at exebithion. One of them got a scratch after being moved into the car on the way to an exebition. Not a very big one, but is is not "new in box".
    They have had them on seconhand market for a long long time without selling them. They are asking for bid.

    www.imageaudio.no

    The pictures of the speakers is not identical to the one in the store.

  14. #14
    Tomas M
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    Referens audio på Götgatsbacken?

    T

  15. #15
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    in Denmark they kost 190.000dk. In euro abaut 27.000..
    A lot of money..

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