JBL Studio 6 Series

[Titanium Dome]

I suspect this means the imminent retirement of the Studio 5 Series, but the Studio 6 Series seems certain in the US and elsewhere after debuting in Japan.

https://jp.jbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dw08526e93/pdfs/JBL_Studio_6_Spec_Sheet_English.pdf

The Studio 6 line continues with the Polyplas low and mid drivers, but places a compression driver inside a faux M2-looking horn..

This means another Timbers-designed Series passes into history.

[Mr. Widget]

Wow! I didn’t realize JBL was still in business!

Just kidding, but over the last 10+ years it seems that JBL Consumer has continued to demonstrate it has lost its way and has been losing what made JBL unique. It is really getting harder and harder to care about anything they do.

When I joined this forum in 2001-2002 you could have 20,30, even 40+ year old drivers rebuilt at the factory and the majority of the JBL systems were able to be repaired and restored by ordering replacement parts from JBL. Try that today.

So far JBL Pro has remained reasonably true to their Lansing Heritage. If we’re lucky they will be allowed to continue their R&D and production of quality gear... but I wouldn’t count on it.


Widget

[Earl K]

The Studio 5 Series is still finding a lot of love from recent buyers ( many testimonials are found over at AK ).

See this thread ( one of a handful )! (https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/jbl%C2%AE-studio-5-series-thread.858379)

Here's one beefy little driver from that ( Studio 5) series ( compared to Klipsch which is seen on the right ).

https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?attachments/1abc84d8-869b-4da7-9cac-c3004f1ad8df-jpeg.1536805/

:)

[martin_wu99]

I suspect this means the imminent retirement of the Studio 5 Series, but the Studio 6 Series seems certain in the US and elsewhere after debuting in Japan.

https://jp.jbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dw08526e93/pdfs/JBL_Studio_6_Spec_Sheet_English.pdf

The Studio 6 line continues with the Polyplas low and mid drivers, but places a compression driver inside a faux M2-looking horn..

This means another Timbers-designed Series passes into history.
Hi Doug,very good news,expecting JBL more new products:D

[L.H. Nick]

https://imssg.com/product-category/home-audio/speakers/

[man00]

I wish JBL would bring back more of their old products

[Triumph Don]

Boy oh boy me too. What old products are you most interested in?

[Mr. Widget]

I wish JBL would bring back more of their old productsI am confident that they never will… especially since the cost to manufacture the old drivers would be horrifically expensive today. That said, the Classic L 100 retro speaker seems to be a decent performer, is getting good reviews, and I believe it is selling pretty well. This may lead Samsung to produce more vintagesque speakers.


Widget

[martin_wu99]

Boy oh boy me too. What old products are you most interested in?
Of course,4344,4345:D

[martin_wu99]

I am confident that they never will… especially since the cost to manufacture the old drivers would be horrifically expensive today. That said, the Classic L 100 retro speaker seems to be a decent performer, is getting good reviews, and I believe it is selling pretty well. This may lead Samsung to produce more vintagesque speakers.


Widget
L100 Classic is too expensive:crying:

[man00]

L100 Classic is too expensive:crying:
True, but even the old stuff in their day was expensive..to me anyway

[Ed Kreamer]

Colleagues;

Yes the L 100 Classic is expensive, and I, at the time of introduction, too thought that they were too expensive. They appear to be selling quite well, and getting reasonably good reviews. So is ti too expensive? Maybe not. Consider the Klipsch re-release of the Forte III. Priced similarly they too are getting good reviews and selling quite well.

There is in Tacoma Wa. ( not too far from the glorious Hood Canal ) a high end store, where one of the guys there has gone off round the bend over the Forte III, and these guys were so locked in to the BBC dip that if it wasn't a made across the pond it wasn't worth considering. WHAT JBL? Well if you like P.A. speakers............. I should point out that this guy is a semi-pro muscician (clarinet, symphonic music ) and states the Forte "Sounds like real music " So maybe the era of the audiophile dip is beginning to come to and end.

As always, we shall see.

Happy Listening,

Ed

[martin_wu99]

True, but even the old stuff in their day was expensive..to me anyway
You should know HiFi gears are never by no means cheap:crying::D

[man00]

I thought about getting some 590's without ever hearing them live. There just isn't any place local to me that sale JBL (higher end) anymore. The height of the 590's was the killing point for me just wasn't going to work out in my setup. Was told by some people that had L100T's and bought the 590's that 590's just walk all over the 100T no contest.

[martin_wu99]

I thought about getting some 590's without ever hearing them live. There just isn't any place local to me that sale JBL (higher end) anymore. The height of the 590's was the killing point for me just wasn't going to work out in my setup. Was told by some people that had L100T's and bought the 590's that 590's just walk all over the 100T no contest.
Forget 590,it is called studio speaker,but it has nothing to do with studio.

[BMWCCA]

Forget 590,it is called studio speaker,but it has nothing to do with studio.
So, that alone makes it unworthy??

[L.H. Nick]

"I wish JBL would bring back more of their old products"


I am confident that they never will… especially since the cost to manufacture the old drivers would be horrifically expensive today. That said, the Classic L 100 retro speaker seems to be a decent performer, is getting good reviews, and I believe it is selling pretty well. This may lead Samsung to produce more vintagesque speakers.


Widget

Why would JBL wish to bring back designs from 40 or more years ago? Back then, the designs were questionable at best: 12" woofers that were run up to 1,500Hz? Five inch midranges that were run up to 5,000Hz? Drivers placed seemingly at random on a baffle? Harman has spent huge amounts of money into researching what people like and those parameters are simply not what their testing tells them people like.

Why would the cost of manufacturing old drivers be expensive today, other than that Harman no longer has tooling to do so, and that cobalt is now harder to obtain? In any event, who cares? Has not Harman spent years researching new magnetic materials and new motor geometries to improve their speakers? Are you really saying that a Century will sound superior to a Classic? Are you really saying that the woofer on a Century is more highly engineered than the woofer on a Classic?

When it comes to esthetics, I agree with your wish to bring back old school design. Old JBLs were gorgeous. I suspect that Harman would be only to happy to replicate that look, except that modern laws about what can be permitted with regard to woods and wood finishes prevents them from doing so.

[martin_wu99]

So, that alone makes it unworthy??
Not because the name "studio",there is a big gap comparing with 43 series/44 series/S3900/S4700,just have a audition:D

[BMWCCA]

Not because the name "studio",there is a big gap comparing with 43 series/44 series/S3900/S4700,just have a audition:DSure, but those are often ten-times the price of the Studio 5s and 6s. I own a pair of 4345s and still think the world of my L7s and L5s.

[Ian Mackenzie]

"I wish JBL would bring back more of their old products"



Why would JBL wish to bring back designs from 40 or more years ago? Back then, the designs were questionable at best: 12" woofers that were run up to 1,500Hz? Five inch midranges that were run up to 5,000Hz? Drivers placed seemingly at random on a baffle? Harman has spent huge amounts of money into researching what people like and those parameters are simply not what their testing tells them people like.

Why would the cost of manufacturing old drivers be expensive today, other than that Harman no longer has tooling to do so, and that cobalt is now harder to obtain? In any event, who cares? Has not Harman spent years researching new magnetic materials and new motor geometries to improve their speakers? Are you really saying that a Century will sound superior to a Classic? Are you really saying that the woofer on a Century is more highly engineered than the woofer on a Classic?

When it comes to esthetics, I agree with your wish to bring back old school design. Old JBLs were gorgeous. I suspect that Harman would be only to happy to replicate that look, except that modern laws about what can be permitted with regard to woods and wood finishes prevents them from doing so.

I think you will find The Widget is correct.

It’s more about the manufacturing process, tooling and labour involved to the create what these vintage drivers were back in the day. Do you know the capital investment to put a new driver in production. I have been quoted close to $1 mil in sales to break even.

Incidentally your comments on the 12 inch driver are out of context.

The 4310 design was developed specifically to emulate the 1.5 khertz response peak in the Altec Duplex 604 in which an array of 4310 had a size advantage over the 604 enclosure. The 4310 was JBLs foot hold into the studio market and went on to become one of the most successful loudspeakers of all time. The engineers liked, everyone liked it so who are you to challenge historical events.

Besides a correctly engineered 12 inch driver can be optimised to crossover at 1500 hertz if you know how. Most if not all pro loudspeaker manufacturers on the planet have drivers in their catalogues that can do this.

You might want to think twice before blowing off any more provocative tripe around here.

On the other hand if you feel like bagging where Jbl is right now go right ahead.

I am told there was nothing coming out of Consumer for two years until recently. They fired everyone or they left.

[L.H. Nick]

I think you will find The Widget is correct.

That would be cool! Could you be more specific about what it is that "The" Widget is correct about?


It’s more about the manufacturing process, tooling and labour involved to the create what these vintage drivers were back in the day. Do you know the capital investment to put a new driver in production. I have been quoted close to $1 mil in sales to break even.

This does not address my point: were the drivers of yore, and I owned a few of them, audibly superior to the ones available today? Are you saying that the Century had better bass response than the Classic?



Incidentally your comments on the 12 inch driver are out of context.

The 4310 design was developed specifically to emulate the 1.5 khertz response peak in the Altec Duplex 604 in which an array of 4310 had a size advantage over the 604 enclosure. The 4310 was JBLs foot hold into the studio market and went on to become one of the most successful loudspeakers of all time. The engineers liked, everyone liked it so who are you to challenge historical events.

I'm not the one challenging historical events: Harman themselves are doing so. The published specs of the Classic have the 12" woofer crossing over to the midrange at 450Hz. Their LSR6332 monitor had the 12" woofer crossing over at 250Hz.



Besides a correctly engineered 12 inch driver can be optimised to crossover at 1500 hertz if you know how. Most if not all pro loudspeaker manufacturers on the planet have drivers in their catalogues that can do this.

Did not JBL themselves market a speaker called the L88? As I recall it was a Century without the midrange driver. Are you arguing that the L88 should sound as good as the L100? If you are not, then what were the differences between the two that made the L100 sound better? If you are, then what was the point of the L100?


You might want to think twice before blowing off any more provocative tripe around here.

I sincerely regret if my post was provocative. That was not my intention. I was merely trying to probe the thoughts of another poster. However, I do not think my posts were "tripe." While I challenged Widget's assertions, I did not insult Widget personally, nor did I ever intend to do so. Why do you feel you have license to insult me?


On the other hand if you feel like bagging where Jbl is right now go right ahead.

I am told there was nothing coming out of Consumer for two years until recently. They fired everyone or they left.

I feel no need to denigrate JBL's consumer division. They are doing quite well by themselves.

[martin_wu99]

Sure, but those are often ten-times the price of the Studio 5s and 6s. I own a pair of 4345s and still think the world of my L7s and L5s.
But as i know,studio 590 is not cheap at all:crying:

[BMWCCA]

But as i know,studio 590 is not cheap at all:crying:
They've been on the Harman website for as little a $500 each and even now are listed at $699 each. That's pretty darn cheap, for what they do!

[martin_wu99]

They've been on the Harman website for as little a $500 each and even now are listed at $699 each. That's pretty darn cheap, for what they do!
In China,a pair of 590 are listed at 23200 RMB,about 3346 US$:crying:

[jblnut]

You could always look at Revel as I did. I sure think the big Ultima Salon 2's are a logical successor to my beloved 250Ti's. Large floor standing 4-way ? check. Advanced JBL drivers using latest materials science ? check. Beautifully constructed cabinet that passes WAF ? check.

If you can live without the letters "JBL" on the front, there's a lot to like here.

jblnut

[martin_wu99]

You could always look at Revel as I did. I sure think the big Ultima Salon 2's are a logical successor to my beloved 250Ti's. Large floor standing 4-way ? check. Advanced JBL drivers using latest materials science ? check. Beautifully constructed cabinet that passes WAF ? check.

If you can live without the letters "JBL" on the front, there's a lot to like here.

jblnut
I agree with you ,I think Revel has higher class than JBL in Harman Group,more delicate workmanship;more pretty appearance,and of course better sound quality :D

[man00]

I heard some 590's this past weekend and I agree with what I was told...They kill the L100T's not even close sound wise..looks is another story.
IMO

[turnitdown]

Do the 590s have a separate chamber for each 8 inch? If the bottom one is a helper, what frequency does it kick in on?

[L.H. Nick]

I heard some 590's this past weekend and I agree with what I was told...They kill the L100T's not even close sound wise..looks is another story.
IMO

This seems to be JBL Commercial's current strategy: an enclosure made to be so "budget friendly" as to border on the risible, and yet in sound quality the thing manages to punch above its price.