JBL Performance Series

[spkrman57]

Mike,

Those look great!

I might have to drop in and see them on my way back home when I get the E130!

Ron

[Titanium Dome]

I am using the AVR for crossover duty, with two IRD monoblock amps for sub duty. I would imagine that back wall treatment would help. I'll add that to the bottom of mine 397 item to-do list.

Better get movin' boy. At ten items* a year, that list will take 40 years to complete, and you're not getting any younger!

The PS1400 does have nice upper bass. Do you feel you gave anything away that you're going to miss?


*That's the TD rate of productivity. Yours may be higher.

[mikebake]

Glad to see you're taking it seriously... so far I've not looked into it much....

Oh, what's your crossover Freq?

I have to re-look but I believe it is 80 cycles.

[mikebake]

The PS1400 does have nice upper bass. Do you feel you gave anything away that you're going to miss?


*That's the TD rate of productivity. Yours may be higher.

Not sure; some tonal character/transient behavior, perhaps. With an 80hz crossover, it's probably not losing much compared to the LE14, and I believe the comments from others with sub1500 experience felt that it was a fairly musical sub given its' abilities.
Also I can apply power/EQ and configure the sub1500 for safer, stronger, lower output than I would want the 14 incher to go. Having heard my buddies, I think I would have been satisfied with the LE14's, but I happened to have these drivers and some amps, so by adding a cabinet it's a win win all around for me, I think. Ported, the sub1500 was really too efficient and had to be seriously throttled back to match the mains. I believe it was discussed that the sensitivity rating for it seems likely to be too low in reality. They are some punchy mothers ported. I believe I am preferring the response I get sealed. It's more of the character I was looking for, with plenty of headroom still. It seems more controlled, better behaved.

[Titanium Dome]

Not sure; some tonal character/transient behavior, perhaps. With an 80hz crossover, it's probably not losing much compared to the LE14, and I believe the comments from others with sub1500 experience felt that it was a fairly musical sub given its' abilities.
Also I can apply power/EQ and configure the sub1500 for safer, stronger, lower output than I would want the 14 incher to go. Having heard my buddies, I think I would have been satisfied with the LE14's, but I happened to have these drivers and some amps, so by adding a cabinet it's a win win all around for me, I think. Ported, the sub1500 was really too efficient and had to be seriously throttled back to match the mains. I believe it was discussed that the sensitivity rating for it seems likely to be too low in reality. They are some punchy mothers ported. I believe I am preferring the response I get sealed. It's more of the character I was looking for, with plenty of headroom still. It seems more controlled, better behaved.

You know, one of my first subs was a Cambridge Audioworks 12" sealed unit in a pretty big box: 10x18x30 (approx. 3.1 cubic ft.). It was quite well-mannered, but subsequent JBL and Fosgate Audionics ported subs handily out punched it.

The little HTPS-400 I picked up with about a 2.2 cubic ft. sealed volume really is more punchy than that old CA, too, but very much more controlled than my ported JBL subs. Makes me wonder about a few things.

[MJC]

Ported, the sub1500 was really too efficient and had to be seriously throttled back to match the mains. I believe it was discussed that the sensitivity rating for it seems likely to be too low in reality. They are some punchy mothers ported. I believe I am preferring the response I get sealed. It's more of the character I was looking for, with plenty of headroom still. It seems more controlled, better behaved.

I think you're right on that. I currently have my two sub1500s setup with one ported in a 3.7cuft box and the other sealed, in a 2.5cuft box. The ported will give me 3~4db more output than the sealed, put I think I like the sealed better. Maybe that's because I'm used to listening to sealed subs(30 years).
I've also been thinking about doing a setup like yours, with my main L212s mounted on top of sealed sub1500s.
One question on that, what is your center to center distance of the 8" mid-bass driver to the sub1500?

[mikebake]

I've also been thinking about doing a setup like yours, with my main L212s mounted on top of sealed sub1500s.
One question on that, what is your center to center distance of the 8" mid-bass driver to the sub1500?

About 18 inches.

[MJC]

About 18 inches.

Last night I moved the two sub1500s to the main postions and set the L/R L212s on top with 3/4" strips in between. That gives me around 19" C/C of mid-bass and subs.
I watched the FOG and the combined sound of the towers and subs was a lot more cohesive. And the low bass was outstanding. And that was only using those two subs. I took the two 12" subs out of the mix, which had been postioned between the L/R and center. And the center works better with more space around it.
Then I remembered, back when I only had one 12" sub, I did a pink noise test, with the sub at the seated position and walked around the room, with a spl meter, and found that the two hot spots were right behind the towers.
So now its just a matter of getting some 3/4" Ash and cutting a couple of tops for the subs. Bolt the mains to the Ash tops, and use thru-bolts to anchor the Ash to the top of the subs.
So now I've got the next best thing to a pair of PS mains.

[Titanium Dome]

How often do JBL electronics get the photo op? Especially in the Performance Series?

I don't think I'll swap out my FAP T1+ and FAA1000.5s for this gear, but I would like to use the long awaited BassQ some day. I wonder if the AV1 will be absolutely required. I suppose it will.

[MJC]

I don't think I'll swap out my FAP T1+ and FAA1000.5s for this gear, but I would like to use the long awaited BassQ some day. I wonder if the AV1 will be absolutely required. I suppose it will.

W/O one form or another of Harman gear(JBL, Lexicon or H/K) you don't get the option of using L7. And if I'm not watching a dvd with dts-es Discrete, I always use L7. Much better than DD, including the center dialog.

[Titanium Dome]

W/O one form or another of Harman gear(JBL, Lexicon or H/K) you don't get the option of using L7. And if I'm not watching a dvd with dts-es Discrete, I always use L7. Much better than DD, including the center dialog.

Well of course that AV1 is a rebadged Lexicon MC-4 and the AVA7 looks to be a rebadged Lexicon GX-7. They're both nice "entry level" Lexicon products, which means they're above consumer grade and similar to more expensive Lexicon products.

[hjames]

I did some reasearch (Googled it!) and it looks like the AV-1 has a lot going for it! Might make sense to dump my JVC receiver and go with something like the AV-1 ... sure looks like enough ins and outs for me ...
http://www.jbl.com/home/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=AV1&CheckProduct=Y

One thing I can't find is a ballpark price for the thing.
I know what they say about "if you have to ask" but frankly, I always have to ask! ...

Any idea what MSRP is on that thing?

[MJC]

for the thing.
I know what they say about "if you have to ask" but frankly, I always have to ask! ...

Any idea what MSRP is on that thing?

If it is basicly a MC-4 and the MC-4's price is about $4500~$4800. And I was going to get it, but when I saw the H/K635 and only 1/4 the price and the 635 had the EZSet/EQ that the Lexicon MC-4 didn't have.
But for the extra price the MC-4/AV-1 should have better processing than the 635.

[Titanium Dome]

Looking at the new JBL Web page for the Performance Series, I gotta say,

It's become a hodgepodge of disparate parts. The original, fine units are there, but so are refugees and cast offs from lesser lines, like the E Series and the older HT Series (a la SVA 1500), and some in wall oddities, NONE of which are equivalent or seemingly related to the Ti dreaminess of the original Performance Series units.

http://www.jbl.com/home/products/ser...=US&Region=USA

No HTPS400 sub is shown. Speakers with horns? Speakers without EOS Waveguides?

So, again,

[JBLnsince1959]

Looking at the new JBL Web page for the Performance Series, I gotta say,

It's become a hodgepodge of disparate parts. The original, fine units are there, but so are refugees and cast offs from lesser lines, like the E Series and the older HT Series (a la SVA 1500), and some in wall oddities, NONE of which are equivalent or seemingly related to the Ti dreaminess of the original Performance Series units.

So, again,

I was thinking the same thing