K2 9800

[Alex Lancaster]

Even worse: How many on these Forums has heard a 9800?, I have not had the chance.

[pangea]

I've neither owned, nor listened to those babies, but I sure as hell, would love to.

But for now, I'm quite happy with my 2235's, fed with 800W each.
Does that give enough controll and headroom?

BR
Roland

[BooBoo Magoo]

I'm quite happy with my LE8T's fed with 30W each. Is that enough control and headroom? I can't imagine 2235H's or 1500AL's sounding any better. They are just big old slow fifteens with muddy bass.

[pangea]

I'm quite happy with my LE8T's fed with 30W each. Is that enough control and headroom? I can't imagine 2235H's or 1500AL's sounding any better. They are just big old slow fifteens with muddy bass.

Ha, the 2235 will have your wimpy LE8T's for breakfast any day!
Know that the bass is as rock steady as the cliff of Gibraltar with my 2235's!

BR
Roland

[BooBoo Magoo]

Ha! They would have to catch them to have them for breakfast, but they are too big and lazy to catch my nimble little LE8T's.

[Mr. Widget]

Widget... I agree the 1500al is a remarkable woofer but the last octive is a bummer. Its too bad a sub is needed. For the price JBL should have included one. They do in the REVEL line.

One example of just how wonderful the 1500AL is, is how well it does handle a bit of EQ at the bottom. I also discovered while working with the Project May, that using a pair of them with a bit of EQ resulted in VLF that was quite good. Using one pair or two, I was never able to hear any compression or strain from these woofers at any power level I could take.

Japanese ears, American taste... I have seen it in print several times that one reason for the British sound, or the East Coast Sound, West Coast Sound etc. is more to do with building materials and room size than anything else. While my room is far from an anechoic chamber it seems to give almost no bass boost. It is 24' by 27' by 10' with very large openings on the short walls making it appear some what greater than 27'... in HT application I use a remarkable amount of VLF and it seems quite tame until a mortar shell explodes. This is why I said at the outset that the bass from the 1500AL may be just right for may rooms... CLASS A loves his 250s, he'll probably want a bit more bass. I know a hell of a lot of people who are not JBL fans because the bass is too heavy (think L65 here) for these people the low end of the K2-S9800 may be just right.


Widget

[Mr. Widget]

Well servo is not the only direction to heaven, but its heading the right direction. Radical control and reduction of distortion.. (a reduction from 25-40 % to only 5% is normal)

Maybe... I have heard some of the Infinity servo woofers and found them OK but not really quite the route to my idea of audio heaven. I own a Velodyne servo sub and find the "control" to be too controlling. The damn thing sounds more like a bass pump than a speaker producing music. I find it too mechanical sounding... it is true the distortion is very low, but with very good woofers the distortion isn't a real problem at reasonable power levels.

Many "big and new" speakers sounds more "weak" than old ones. Simply because the controll has become better....

My humble theory is that the new woofers maby sound "thin" because they are better controlled then units based on woofer-technology from 1980.

I think there is some validity to this idea. However, a woofer like the Sub1500 is quite controlled and is nowhere near thin. This is an extreme example but I used it to force the point. There are many woofers out there that are tight and controlled sounding (when used in a properly designed box) that have ample low frequency extension.


Widget

[Zilch]

What about a kick-ass JBLproject with servo and environmental "control"..ya ya i know reflections can not be manipulated/controlled, but standing waves and distortion can.

JBL and H/K are making ever bigger commitments to room correction technology. See current LSR, for example....

[Rolf]

Ha! They would have to catch them to have them for breakfast, but they are too big and lazy to catch my nimble little LE8T's.

WOW!

Rolf

[BooBoo Magoo]

WOW!

Rolf

JK!

[Maron Horonzakz]

BOO BOO.....Scram you little brat (LE8T) You cant play with us big boys. I have those little full range brats too. But I never never shake them....I also never let them play in the big streets. The mid west is a waistland when it comes to the newer JBL systems I cant find a dealer that will handle them. Maybe the JBL rep is afraid to walk the streets here after dark.

[CLASS A]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.....

I have read alot of reviews on the web since and have decided to go for them after christmas. I have re-checked the spec of the 250 Jubilees and they are +/- 2dB, 50Hz-21KHz, usable responce (-6db) 30Hz-25KHz, 89 dB, 2.83 volts @1m, crossover frequency@ 350Hz, 1.2KHz, 5KHz.
Concidering the K2 9800 Goes down to 45Hz (-6dB), I m sure they are just fine.
Funny thing is, I have heard many top end speakers with great frequency responce eg: B&w N800 dimond@ 32Hz - 28kHz ±3dB on reference axis, -6dB at 25Hz and 33kHz, 90dB spl (2.83V, 1m). On paper, the low end figuires just slaughters my 250 Jubilees, but not in the real world. The bass from the Jubilee's have much more attact and bottom end grunt, I have tested it back to back with my own recordings.
From my own conclusion and I have found this also when I used to be very heavy into car audio, the American gear are all rated very conservatively compared to the rest of the world. I rest my case........
I will pass on photos and comments when I get them in the house.
Thanks again....Cheers

[Titanium Dome]

This will be a New Year's you'll never forget. Best of luck in procuring these wonders, and please be generous with your impressions once you have them.