How did this happen?
How did this happen?
Good question.How did this happen?
That listing of "performance series" products is a real mish-mash of models from various product lines.
In would say this is so because JBL choose to make these products available to their custom / "performance series" dealers (so they have diverse solutions at their disposal). But by no means are the majority of those products at the same performance level as the PC600 and PT800.
This occurred in 2006 as linked to earlier in this now very long thread.
http://www.hometoys.com/news_detail.php?id=10513348
There's no question that the original Performance Series was centered on the PC600, PS1400, and HTPS400, with the HTPS400 as a sub sub (subwoofer substitute) in some markets, and the P81 and P941 in walls coming for those who wanted in wall options without going to the THX certified Synthesis Four Performance near-clones.
Out.
I have a pair of Control 28's in my basement and for what they are (a meager little 8" 2-way) the things rock. Taking it easy on the low bass, they will really pump the sound out and eat everything a 250/600 peak amp will feed them. Far as compact outdoor monitors go, they really are "Performance" worthy.
I'd say the P1x subs are the ones stinking up the lineup.They at least LOOK to be carbon copy updates of the E/P Northridge subs, which stink. Sloppy, sloppy, subs. Appalling those subs are in the same line as the 400. 8400 should be in there.
I'll probably make a new thread elsewhere, but it's appropriate to at least mention the passing of J. Gordon Holt in July. This Stereophile founder produced an excellent review of the JBL Performance Series for UltimateAV, which I've linked often over the years.
Holt was willing to give credit where credit was due, and praised the Performance Series at a time when JBL was languishing under the "junk but loud" label.
Thanks, Gordon.
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/speaker.../31/index.html
Out.
BOING! Here comes the monster thread back to life. 1293 posts and 77K views is just too good to let it rot away like some stinking pachyderm.......................
I get to spend precious little time at all listening to music (or movies) on my Performance system. Ever.
Built the fire last night, glass of wine, and the 9 year old and I retreated to the cave; got to play a wide variety of music, and made the commitment to listen to these things more often.
I also connected the cable box and ran through a bunch of music channels; a stumbled across a contemp. Christian channel with just a female voice and piano. One of the best modern job of recording piano I've heard. I spend alot of Sundays next to an excellent pianist on stage playing a nice grand, so my reference is fresh.
The PS held up quite nicely, along with the sub1500's.
Also watched Angels and Demons, and was perplexed on how to tame the constant and overblown LF/VLF, without turning on lights and reacquainting myself with the AVR menu. I just shut one sub off. Perfect. Must have been the wine, took me 20 minutes to come up with that one...............................
Yeah, it's amazing how much VLF those things put out being that they are so inefficient and all.
I definitely prefer them to the 2242-based subs.
The boys rented GI Joe and watched it last night; in the beginning it has that ultra VLF kinda gimmicky effect, but man, it moves air and works the hell out out of the subs. As for inefficiency, I'm in a smallish basement room with block walls, but I only use two SS amps with basically 200 watt power supplies. Plenty.
The Performance Series came up briefly in my visit to Northridge. The designer is still pleased with them, though the PS1400 has been a little problematic. I know I've had my issues with it, and I got a tip or two.
Lately the built-in amps have been unreliable, so I need to try to get them fixed or do something radical like remove them completely and seal the back of the box. Then I can use external amps, maybe those 600W/ch Haflers.
Taking the amp out would slightly increase interior volume, which might or might not be a big deal.
Out.
I knew you'd show up here in short order. This thread is like a bar you haven't been in for awhile.
I like the driver alot, but I wondered about those amps. My buddy has the PS1400 and I always thought it could do with a beefier amp section.
I get to use mine all the time. I'm using them with L8400 subs that seem to do the trick for me. I've not heard them with other subs so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing but we feel the 84's just fine and I had to put pads on all the kitchen cabinet doors so they would quit banging during movies. If I were to upgrade anything it would be the subs but these little 12"ers are a good size for the room.
Originally Posted by mikebake
Belly up to the bar, boys, TiDome is buying a round!
The L8400P actually sports a 600W amp. Then that amazing little bastard, the HTPS400, has a 1000W amp in it! Compared to the 400W unit in the PS1400, either 12" sub is better endowed.I get to use mine all the time. I'm using them with L8400 subs that seem to do the trick for me. I've not heard them with other subs so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing but we feel the 84's just fine and I had to put pads on all the kitchen cabinet doors so they would quit banging during movies. If I were to upgrade anything it would be the subs but these little 12"ers are a good size for the room.
Downstairs, I'm driving a pair of Fosgate THX subs with LE14H-1 drivers. The boxes are bigger and I'm pushing 600W into each. They really do perform better with the extra enclosure volume and the extra power.
Out.
You weenies with no PS1400 stacks do not get to call your systems "Performance Series" systems.
"Subs" they are not, by contemporary standards. What the PS1400 would be better called is: "the bottom end" of a PT800. The stacks are impressive for music, more like a 250ti than not, with substantial bottom end for any requirements except maybe the most demanding pipe organ recordings. Authoritative, clean and precise. But viewed as a sub, they fall pretty short. For that reason you do need to include a good sub or 2 to fill out LFE and extreme LF in music.
I'm still looking for a HTPS400 or 2, but until one shows up the L8400P is doing fine. I'm not sure what more power would do for a PS1400, since the drivers don't have that much excursion in the first place. But I think that trying to make a "sub" out of a PS1400 is a flawed idea. Better to start with a real sub in the first place and let the PS1400 do what it does best.
Yeah, I guess I don't, but a sub1500 under it defines performance, as it muscles the hell out of whatever it's fed.
Wasn't the Sub1500 sold as a substitute for the PS1400 in the European markets?
I still like ports for music and sealed for LFE. Maybe somewhere there's a sub than can fill both roles.
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