JBL Factory Center Speakers

[hjames]

I've got my home system working fairly well, but - sometimes we have trouble making out dialog in films ... so I figure that means we need to upgrade the center channel speaker.

Our current speaker is from the Northridge E Series - the EC25 (a 2 way - top image below)

I'm debating over the idea of going with either an EC35 (a 3 way - the middle image below)
http://www.jbl.com/home/product_supp...d=EC35BE&Buy=N

or tracking down an LC2 (Part of the Studio L Series - looks like a 4way)
http://www.jbl.com/home/products/pro...CheckProduct=Y
(although it looks better to me, I gather the LC1 3way is not quite as nice)

I gather they are somewhat comparable speaker?
Does anyone have any firsthand info about these speakers they can share?

Or - am I barking up the wrong tree and ought to look at some completely different center?
Ideas? Tips?

(The Images below are, in order top to bottom, EC25, LC1, EC35, LC2)

[SEAWOLF97]

I've got my home system working fairly well, but - sometimes we have trouble making out dialog in films ... so I figure that means we need to upgrade the center channel speaker.

I wud not assume it to be the speaker (unless you really just want to buy another speaker ) look at wiring, at the receiver, connections......only certain film ? only certain passages ? all the time/every film ?

Had a similar prob, was the speaker binding posts

[JBL 4645]

Afternoon Heather

Okay what are the left and rights are they those, HUGE JBL 4341? And just what exactly do you have placed in the centre that’s giving you the issues and what films lately have you, been the playing that are the culprits to arise such concern?

[hjames]

Afternoon Heather

Okay what are the left and rights are they those, HUGE JBL 4341? And just what exactly do you have placed in the centre that’s giving you the issues and what films lately have you, been the playing that are the culprits to arise such concern?

From my original post ...
"Our current speaker is from the Northridge E Series - the EC25"

Yep, its not the same as the 4341s - then again, they aren't shielded, so I can't put one of them above or below our 34" (CRT) widescreen TV.

The EC25 was a good start, and a big upgrade over a cheap RCA a friend gave me way way back when we started with multichannel sound.
Probably a good starts is to do what Seawolf says - (pull that center, open it up, and) make sure all the drivers are connected properly.

[JBL 4645]

I’ve typed out different ideas to respond, but I’m dead-stuck on which to post. I can’t stress it any clearly Heather, matching fronts LCR or the highway LOL.

I bet the timbre when sending (pink noise) over LCR is dead giver away in the (centre) and you really need another matching set and revamp redesign of the front room to make it work and I would be very envious of you, if you had three of the use 4341.

[JBLAddict]

I just bought an LC1 ($399 on harman.com) from buy.com for $201, $240 total with shipping/tax

http://www.jbl.com/home/products/pro...CheckProduct=Y

for the money it was a GREAT buy, EOS waveguide pure Ti tweeter, mylar super tweeter, dual polyplas 5 1/4 mids with very clear lifelife voice reproduction, you won't have the current problem with this unit.

sits between two L100As

[Titanium Dome]

I've got my home system working fairly well, but - sometimes we have trouble making out dialog in films ... so I figure that means we need to upgrade the center channel speaker.

Our current speaker is from the Northridge E Series - the EC25

I'm debating over the idea of going with either an EC35

or tracking down an LC2
(although it looks better to me, I gather the LC1 3way is not quite as nice)

I gather they are somewhat comparable speaker?
Does anyone have any firsthand info about these speakers they can share?

Or - am I barking up the wrong tree and ought to look at some completely different center?
Ideas? Tips?

The EC25 and the LC1 have been consistently disappointing performers, particularly in the midrange. There's no dedicated midrange driver, so the duties are shared between the woofers and the tweeter. It's not an effective design for a center, especially when matched with speakers that can over power them.

The LC1 will be better than the EC25, the EC35 will be better than the LC1, and the LC2 will be better than the EC35.

They still won't be exactly matched to your mains, but the dialog will be much improved and clearer. On scenes where sound travels across the front, you might notice a subtle shift in timbre as it passes through the center, but if the main objective is to improve dialog, the EC35 and LC2 are prime candidates.

[hjames]

Thanks for the lengthy response TiDome - I'll check them out and see what I can find! I do prefer the wood look boxes over the black ash stuff ...

if the main objective is to improve dialog, the EC35 and LC2 are prime candidates.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Ti Dome,

Great post, hence I use 4208's acoss the front and leave the big boys to pure 2 channel stuff. The 4208's are also shielded although its not an issue for the LCD screen.

It seems to work and is more practical than attemping to provide anything approaching a 4345 centre.

[Rolf]

Hi all.

Every center speaker I have tried has been a disappointment to me. I'm not sure, but maybe the only way to get it right is to use the same for the center as for the left and right. In my case a 4343, but I have no room for such a large center.

What I have done is not to use a center speaker at all, and configure the processor in phantom mode. This works fine for me, but I must point out that I do not watch so many movies. Most 2ch hi-fi.

[JBL 4645]

Hi all.

Every center speaker I have tried has been a disappointment to me. I'm not sure, but maybe the only way to get it right is to use the same for the center as for the left and right. In my case a 4343, but I have no room for such a large center.

What I have done is not to use a center speaker at all, and configure the processor in phantom mode. This works fine for me, but I must point out that I do not watch so many movies. Most 2ch hi-fi.

That’s what I’ve been telling everyone else including my friends, but they’ve been brainwashed into believing the speaker that is sold within the home cinema market is the real deal.

Go and look behind, oh what’s the point just go to the Empire Leicester square JBL thread and look for yourselves, that is how its done, matching fronts and its not impracticable its only impracticable when it doesn’t work with mismatching fronts LCR.

Oh, are you missing something so special and unique with the centre channel. Some films carry a different sound that will be masked by left and right front’s phantom mode in Dolby 5.1 or the same with Dolby stereo Pro-Logic 4:2:4 you may hear dialogue level above a certain degree, what you won’t hear is some subtle sounds rustling of clothes or some footsteps, even breathing depending on the type of film.

[hjames]

Well, as I told TiDome in a PM yesterday, I DID win the auction for a Cherry LC2, its on the way. With any luck I'll be able to pull the EC25 and put that LC2 into place, so maybe this time next week I'll have a happier tale to tell about Center Channel dialog!
Like I said before, I'm just not going to find another 4341 for center channel use, so although it won't tonally match them, the LC2 will have to do!

Its a skinny looking box but I can't wall-mount it to the window, so hopefully it can sit on its side on the shelf over the TV where the EC25 used to sit.

The EC25 and the LC1 have been consistently disappointing performers, particularly in the midrange.

The LC1 will be better than the EC25, the EC35 will be better than the LC1, and the LC2 will be better than the EC35.

They still won't be exactly matched to your mains, but the dialog will be much improved and clearer. On scenes where sound travels across the front, you might notice a subtle shift in timbre as it passes through the center, but if the main objective is to improve dialog, the EC35 and LC2 are prime candidates.

[JBL 4645]

Nice going on the bidding Heather, didn’t they have two more of the same because three across the fronts would be nice.

Why not get JBL control 5 and gathering on the size of you’re room, I think they fit in nice and snug with three placed over the front and there magnetically shielded as well. eBay as quite lot of control 5 thou very few JBL control 10 and 12SR in fact nothing on those and if you could get JBL control 10 or 12SR placed over LCR, very nice.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=JBL+control+5&_fromfsb=&_trksid=m270

[hjames]

I hear you, but If I was to downgrade my left and right to smaller speakers,
and if the point was to match the speakers across the front, I'd stay with the Studio L series ...
http://www.jbl.com/home/products/series.aspx?SerId=SLS

The L890s are the correct match for the LC2, not those Control 5s.

Nice going on the bidding Heather, didn’t they have two more of the same because three across the fronts would be nice.

Why not get JBL control 5 and gathering on the size of you’re room, I think they fit in nice and snug with three placed over the front and there magnetically shielded as well. eBay as quite lot of control 5 thou very few JBL control 10 and 12SR in fact nothing on those and if you could get JBL control 10 or 12SR placed over LCR, very nice.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=JBL+control+5&_fromfsb=&_trksid=m270

[JBL 4645]

I can’t believe JBL would place the centre below the left and right LOL. These are the guys that put perfect sound to perfect picture and they stick the centre down by nearly a 15”. I’m only kidding. Also the centre isn’t the same as left and right or it might be the other-way-around. I guess JBL would have to send me some for close scrutiny.

The flat-screen should be raised and lowered alone with the LCR so that all LCR are the same height as I’m very picky on sound, sound comes first flat screen last.




I like the JBL L830 three across the front yes. bi-wireable should go fine with (Behringer DCX2496) for extra loudspeaker maximum protection.



GeneralMaximum Recommended Amplifier Power150WPower Handling (Continuous/Peak)75W/300WNominal Impedance8 OhmsSensitivity (2.83V/1m)90dBFrequency Response (±3dB)48Hz – 40kHzCrossover Frequencies2.5kHz, 20kHzUltrahigh-Frequency Driver3/4" (19mm) Mylar® dome, cast-aluminum chassis, mounted in a
Bi-Radial® hornHigh-Frequency Transducer1" (25mm) Pure-titanium dome in JBL EOS™ waveguide, cast-aluminum chassisLow-Frequency Transducer6" (150mm) PolyPlas™ cone with rubber surround, cast-aluminum chassis, HeatScape™ motor structure, Symmetrical Field Geometry™ (SFG™), oversized Kapton® voice coil, magnetic shorting ringMagnetically ShieldedYesBaffleLow-diffraction, IsoPower™ bafflePortFreeflow™, on rearNetworkStraight-Line Signal Path™ (SSP™)TerminalsGold-plated, 5-way binding posts, bi-wirableDimensions (H x W x D)15-1/4" x 8-3/4" x 12-3/4" (385mm x 222mm x 320mm)Weight per Speaker22 lb (10kg)GeneralPair-packed

A dozen x8 JBL L8400P subs placed below the screen fronts in close proximity (coupled) that should give you a mini Empire in the front room.


GeneralAmplifier Power (RMS)600 WattsPeak Dynamic Power1200 Watts;
the Peak Dynamic Power is measured by recording the highest peak-to-center voltage produced by the power amplifier with its limiters disabled, across the output of a resistive load equal to minimum impedance of the transducer, using a 50Hz sine wave burst, 3 cycles on, 17 cycles off.Bass Driver12" (300mm) PolyPlas™cones with rubber surround, cast-aluminum chassis, HeatScape™ motor structure, Symmetrical Field Geometry™ (SFG™), oversized fiberglass voice coil, magnetic shorting ringFrequency Response (–3dB)22Hz – Low-pass crossover frequencyLow-Pass Crossover Frequencies50Hz – 150Hz, continuously adjustable (150Hz when using speaker-level connection)InputsGold-plated 5-way binding-post speaker-level; left and right line-level, switchable to LFEOutputsGold-plated, 5-way binding-post speaker-levelEnclosure DesignSealedBaffleLow-diffraction, IsoPower™Dimensions (H x W x D)16-1/2" (15-1/2" without feet) x 15-1/2" x 15-1/2"
(419mm [394mm without feet] x 394mm x 394mm)Weight per Speaker58 lb (26.4kg)


Last but not least x12 L820 for the ultimate surround channel wrap-around with no compromises.


GeneralMaximum Recommended Amplifier Power150WPower Handling (Continuous/Peak)75W/300WNominal Impedance8 OhmsSensitivity (2.83V/1m)90dBFrequency Response (±3dB)55Hz – 40kHzCrossover Frequencies600Hz, 3.5kHz, 20kHzUltrahigh-Frequency Driver3/4" (19mm) Mylar® dome, cast-aluminum chassis, mounted in a
Bi-Radial® hornHigh-Frequency Transducer1" (25mm) Pure-titanium dome in JBL EOS™ waveguide, cast-aluminum chassisMidrange Transducer4" (100mm) PolyPlas™ cone with rubber surround, cast-aluminum chassis, HeatScape™ motor structureMagnetically ShieldedYesLow-Frequency Transducer6" (150mm) PolyPlas™ cone with rubber surround, cast-aluminum chassis, HeatScape™ motor structure, Symmetrical Field Geometry™ (SFG™), oversized Kapton® voice coil, magnetic shorting ringBaffleLow-diffraction, IsoPower™ bafflePortSealed enclosureNetworkStraight-Line Signal Path™ (SSP™)TerminalsGold-plated, 5-way binding posts, bi-wirableDimensions (H x W x D)12-1/4" x 15-1/2" x 5" (311mm x 391mm x 127mm)Weight per Speaker19 lb (8.6kg)GeneralWall-mount hardware included; wall- or corner-mount