Studio L Series

[TerryJ]

So, I've read a few online reviews of the L890's, and they are generally positive.

I currently don't own any JBL speakers, but I've always had a fascination with them since enjoying some Studio Monitors back in the 80's.

Anyway, I have the opportunity to buy some speakers via the Harman Online website with a heavy corporate discount via the company that I work for now. Enough of a discount, I think, to possibly do a "blind buy" ("deaf buy"?) as I can't seem to find these speakers to audition.

I currently am using a pair of B&W CDM1NTs (bookshelf sized). They aren't that bad, but have never "blown me away". However they were a big step up (quality and, unfortunately, price wise) compared to my old NHT SuperOne speakers.

So... I was wondering if anyone has any first hand experience with the L890s, especially in comparison to some higher end brands of speakers (akin to my B&Ws) and how they compare. I wouldn't mind taking advantage of the discount if the L890's will be a satisfying replacement.

-Terry

[Titanium Dome]

(snip)
I currently am using a pair of B&W CDM1NTs (bookshelf sized). They aren't that bad, but have never "blown me away". However they were a big step up (quality and, unfortunately, price wise) compared to my old NHT SuperOne speakers.

So... I was wondering if anyone has any first hand experience with the L890s, especially in comparison to some higher end brands of speakers (akin to my B&Ws) and how they compare. I wouldn't mind taking advantage of the discount if the L890's will be a satisfying replacement.

-Terry

I've heard many Bowers and Wilkins, and I've heard the L890s as well, though not in the same room. The B&W product range is a bit confusing, but in general I think the L890s fit in the 600 Series 3 or 700 Series range. IMO, the JBLs sound better overall, but they are not uniformly better.

For example, the DM604 S3 has a very nice tweeter (with waveguide!) and Kevlar® midrange. This combo performs very well, and its midrange is superior, but its highs are not. Neither the 600 Series 3 or 700 Series has the LF extension of the L890, by almost 10Hz.

The 600 Series 3 looks pretty good, and the 700 Series is attractive, if you like the look. The JBL is better looking in person than in a picture, but it runs in third place in this appearance comparison.

If your "deal" is good, then the L890s would be a super buy, especially if you can get the pair for around $1000 or so.

[TerryJ]

I've heard many Bowers and Wilkins, and I've heard the L890s as well, though not in the same room. The B&W product range is a bit confusing, but in general I think the L890s fit in the 600 Series 3 or 700 Series range. IMO, the JBLs sound better overall, but they are not uniformly better.

For example, the DM604 S3 has a very nice tweeter (with waveguide!) and Kevlar® midrange. This combo performs very well, and its midrange is superior, but its highs are not. Neither the 600 Series 3 or 700 Series has the LF extension of the L890, by almost 10Hz.

The 600 Series 3 looks pretty good, and the 700 Series is attractive, if you like the look. The JBL is better looking in person than in a picture, but it runs in third place in this appearance comparison.

If your "deal" is good, then the L890s would be a super buy, especially if you can get the pair for around $1000 or so.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, my current speakers (CDM line) were the predecessor to the current 700 series. They are better than what I've had before, but I have never... "loved" them, if you know what I mean. Sometimes it's hard to describe (or impossible to describe, in a way) what combination of attributes makes you love a speaker. You just know when you hear it (and hear it for a while... in your home.)

They aren't cheap speakers, and they were reviewed quite well, too. (Which, first, lead me to ask if the Studio Ls were even in the B&W's league. Sounds like they are.)

Anyway, I suppose the corporate discount I can get is a "super buy" because I can get a pair of the L890s (prior to tax/shipping) for $700. It seemed like a really great deal to me, but, not having heard the speakers, that would be an assumption. (If they don't sound great... then $700 is overpriced!)

I am very tempted to pick up a pair!

-Terry

[Arv]

Congrats, Arv. Can we see a picture or two?

I'll take the pics this weekend and post them! I'm glad I got the cherry "fake" wood . They look really good, unless you really know wood it will fool you the wood graining and color is pretty realistic.

TerryJ - I for one had NHTs but they were really getting old (though still perfectly good) the ones I had are soft domed so the L890s are a bit bright for me but I think any metal dome would be the same. Its hard to find soft domed spkrs nowadays. When I auditioned the 890s I also listened to some Polks in the same price range(though these might not be considered higher end speakers ) and I thought the 890s were better (clarity and bass). For the price that you're getting them I think you can't go wrong since a review on S&V said they were already really good for their price range so if they were 50% off then it makes them an even better deal! Can't you go to a Fry's or Tweeter's?, it's best to listen to them first and not take the word of anyone but if you can't then go for it and if you don't like them sell em and I'm sure someone will buy them from you at that price!

[MJC]

Anyway, I suppose the corporate discount I can get is a "super buy" because I can get a pair of the L890s (prior to tax/shipping) for $700. It seemed like a really great deal to me, but, not having heard the speakers, that would be an assumption. (If they don't sound great... then $700 is overpriced!)

I am very tempted to pick up a pair!

-Terry

I'd say that's a super buy. I paid $699/ea. And they're worth every bit of that price. The L890's entire range is really good. If you have never heard a Ti tweeter, well lets say its a treat. As will all JBLs they are very dynamic and the bass you'll get from twin 8" woofers is amazing.

Yesterday morning I listened to a LP I hadn't heard in years. It was Melanie's(a French singer) Lay Down(Candles in the Rain). I remembered her voice as being fairly high pitched. But I didn't remember how deep the bass got on that cut, it was just amazing thru the L890s.

While I work on replacing the veneer on the main L212s(JBL's top of the line in '77) in the HT I going to but the L890s in their place. Something I haven't done since the first week I had the L890s. Which at that time they weren't broke in and I could tell that the L890's soundstage wasn't as good as the L212's. So now I'll be able to hear if that has changed. The room the L890s are in now(connected to a turntable) is completely different.

[oznob]

I wouldn't go by what anyone on the phone tells you. I was told there weren't any, but decided to take the drive to Sac anyway.
When I get there I see the L820s and a center but no L890 or L880s. A sale guy comes in the sound room so I ask if there are any L890s. He looks on the computer and said "yes there are", I ask "why aren't they on display?" So he brings a pair out so I can do an audition.

Wow, great advice John! I decided to drive to Sac. and see what they had. In the middle audio room they had a pair of L-890's on display. So much for not having any in stock! They also had a pair of 820's on the shelf. I switched back and fourth between the two sans a sub. The switching box on the back wall was pretty easy to figure out as well as the Onkyo AVR powering it all. I was very impressed even though the test material was limited. Unfortunately, I thought I had my travel CD's in my truck. Dummy me, I took them out last week when I had it serviced and forgot to put them back.

I finally talked to a sales guy. He checked and found the display speakers were the only pair. They were $699 each. Upon close inspection, I found a 2" suface scratch on one side, a slighly broken grill and a dent in one of the tweeters. He told me he could knock 10% off if I wanted the display models, uh, no. I then noticed that one of the tweeters on the 820 was perfect. I said I would buy them at 20% off if he would let me swap the tweeters. He left for a while and came back with a set of allen wrenches and left again. I guess that was the green light to swap the tweeters, so, I did. He then came back and said he couldn't find the boxes, owners manual or spikes. The bottom line is, I got 25% off and bought them. A little super glue on the grill and they are good to go. The only thing I need to know is the thread size on the spikes. I have some cones with M6 posts but the 890's are bigger. Any clue as to the size of the threads? Anyway, they sound awesome as is but I know they will just get better! Thanks again John for the encouragement!

Mark

[Titanium Dome]

Woo-hoo for you! Another new JBL owner. That's totally a score!

[oznob]

Thanks Ti, they are a great match for my HK 3480! The 820's sounded very good also. If I decide to go to a home theater system, they would certainly be at the top of my list for surround duty. I would have liked to compare them to the L880. I do have a good compact sub but I figured "a bird in the hand....." As I think you pointed out, they look much better in person than in the pictures on JBL's web site. Even the black finish with the rounded corners and silver accents look very nice. The great thing about black is you can hide the flaws pretty easy. A little black Kiwi shoe polish can work wonders! Going to really give them a workout tomorrow. I don't know if I will be able to load pictures as we still have dial-Up. Sometimes it sucks living in a smaller town!

[JBLnsince1959]

I The bottom line is, I got 25% off and bought them. Mark

Congrads on the score , yes, they look better than the pictures and they sound amazing for the price. JBL did a very good job on those. From what MJC says they just get better with time...

If I didn't have so much I'll get a pair..Makes you wonder what the 260's sound like.

enjoy...

[MJC]

The bottom line is, I got 25% off and bought them. Thanks again John for the encouragement!
Mark

Good going, anytime a person buy display units it should be 25% off. Back in the '70s, when JBLs were never discounted, I got 25% off when I bought the display L212s.

So now that is at least the second time that the Sac Frys has sold out all their L890 stock, including the displays, in four months. And there is a good reason they keep selling all their L890 stock. The L890s are by far the best speaker JBL has had in years of all the speakers that would be considered below the Performance Series.

When I was there, they only had the L890s connected to a Sony receiver's FM out. Of coarse, as I've said before, they didn't even have them on display until I asked, as they had already sold them all and just got a new shipment a day or two before I got there.

[oznob]

http://www.oregondv.com/

The link above is to Brass and Granite Audio in Salem Oregon. A couple of guys who started their business in a garage and have done pretty well. I have no affiliation but have done business with them in the past and they treated me right! I shot them an e-mail to see if they know the thread size. Their list says most JBL's are M6, 6mm, but the 890's are larger.

I have to hand it to Fry's, they certainly don't have enough "knoledgeable" staff but they treated great! When I asked if I could swap the tweeter I was expecting a resounding NO, but was not the case. I fell asleep listening to them last night. Got Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper on right now, awesome!

[MJC]

I was listening to the SACD version of the 1812 Overture, in 2 channel, with the L890s in the main room, w/o any subs. They did a good job of reproducing the canons, of coarse, not to the db level of the subs. Just a "slight difference of power", 220wpc compared to 800wpc. The overall sacd recording came across very well thru the L890s.

I looked in the manual but it didn't say what size the spike threads are.
Your experience in buying the displays reminds me of when I bought the displays in '79. No boxes, no manual. Why can't these clowns at least keep the manuals in a file cabinet.
And Frys sales staff could use a lesson or two on audio as could the guys at Magnolia HT, here.

[oznob]

I was listening to the SACD version of the 1812 Overture, in 2 channel, with the L890s in the main room, w/o any subs. They did a good job of reproducing the canons, of coarse, not to the db level of the subs. Just a "slight difference of power", 220wpc compared to 800wpc. The overall sacd recording came across very well thru the L890s.

I looked in the manual but it didn't say what size the spike threads are.
Your experience in buying the displays reminds me of when I bought the displays in '79. No boxes, no manual. Why can't these clowns at least keep the manuals in a file cabinet.
And Frys sales staff could use a lesson or two on audio as could the guys at Magnolia HT, here.

Many years ago, around 1978 or so, I went to a stereo store in Sacramento, either Stereo Showcase or Turntables Unlimited, anyway, that was the first time I heard the L300's. They were using big SAE mono blocks and a direct disc recording of the 1812 Overture with cannon. I think it was The London Philharmonic Orchestra. Needless to say, when the cannons went off the clip lights on the SAE's were glowing and the L300's were booming not missing a beat! The salesman accidentally switched over to some Infinity's and, when the cannons went off again, the woofers crackled and sizzled a bit then shut down, AWESOME! I have been hooked on JBL's ever since. One of my fondest JBL memories.

The spikes must be larger than a M6, smaller than an M8 and larger than a 1/4". Couldn't find a 3/8 or 5/16 bolt to try so it maybe one of those. To my knowledge, those are the common thread sizes unless they used something off the wall.

[BMWCCA]

I know nothing about these speakers or even this thread but in Googling L890 JBL I came up with this ad from one of my favorite online merchants:
Buy.com. They show the L890BK for $383.99 plus shipping but say: "Very few left In Stock! Order soon -- product may sell out." and do not show a photo. Worth a try if I understand the street price is $699 each? Anyway, thought I'd pass it along. Let me know if it really is the deal I'm thinking it might be. Not that I have any money or room to want to get a pair for myself. Good luck!:dont-know

[Titanium Dome]

And most of the other members of the Studio L Series are there if you look. Also, the old HT Series is represented. (It is currently rebadged as the Synthesis HT line, so JBL must be dumping the older badged models.) :dont-know