Got JBL?
Written: Apr 17 '02 (Updated Apr 23 '02)
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Pros: Excellent sound and definition, matched well to other JBL components, great look
Cons: None. It does what it does very well.
The Bottom Line: A very good center channel speaker for a very reasonable price.
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| AVaddict's Full Review: JBL S-Center Center Speaker |
A Little Background
This speaker is run from a Yamaha HTR-5150 receiver connected with standard monster cable. The front speakers are JBL HLS-820s (see my review for more) complemented by a set of JBL S-38 bookshelf speakers in the rear (see my upcoming review for more). I am of the belief that the receiver is of good quality and the room is as optimized as best as possible. Since the system did not previously have a center I am able to effectively assess the performance of the center channel in and of itself, but also as an active part of a larger system.
The movies used to test this speaker include Donnie Darko, Homegrown, Dogma, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and The French Connection special edition. I tried to get some darkness, subtle and quiet dialogue, and some action as well. The accuracy in these speakers displayed during some of the action scenes in Crouching Tiger were amazing, its like you could hear each reed moving individually. I installed this speaker for a close friend as well as the rears and have, since that time about 2 months ago, had ample opportunity to critique them. The only reason I share this with you is simply to give you, the reader, a better idea of how this speaker was assessed.
The Basics
This speaker measures roughly 20"W, 10"H, 8"D and weighs about 16lbs. It will take up to 150 watts and features a 3-way configuration consisting of two 5.25" woofers, a 4" mid, and JBLs well known, and IMO perfected, 1" titanium tweeter. Because this unit is magnetically shielded, it can sit right on top of your tube television with no distortion or damage to the TV. This speaker features pretty decent 5-way binding posts that will accommodate almost all wire terminals.
First Impressions
This speaker is the sort of thing that one can find stacked to the ceiling at your local Circuit City, Best Buy, etc, but is better quality than the price or the store might suggest. The primary reason this speaker was so cheap was simply that the series II are now out and the store had them on "blowout"; they need the shelf space equals the consumer gets a better deal.
The packing was ample as I have generally seen with most Harman International products (JBL, Infinity, HK, Mark Levinson, AKG, etc) of mid or high-end lineage. Though the box was clearly dropped at least once and punctured twice the speaker itself was intact and safe.
One of the things that surprised me was the overall weight of not just the sealed box, but more importantly the weight of the speaker itself. I was expecting something more... not anemic, but less beefy somehow. This is not a bad thing though, it seems to be quite the solid speaker. Compared to the little, but quite capable, AudioSource center channel I used to have, it’s a virtual behemoth.
The binding posts could be a little sturdier, but they serve the purpose. I was able to connect the 12g cable I was using very easily. JBL could have included some felt or rubber casters or feet for the speaker to avoid scratching ones TV. The directions are short and sweet, but how much instruction does one really need?
Sound and Function
This speaker has phenomenal sound for the cost. For $160, this unit has no competition. The reality is that these speakers had an MSRP of $300, but even at that price it shines. Assuming one has the front speakers and sub to provide the bulk of your system's bass needs this unit will do just fine. Although it is only rated to about 70Hz on the low end, this speaker will produce impressive SPLs, and for the average home system 70Hz is more than fine since much of the center channel is speech.
This speaker reproduces the spoken word clearly but accurately. You can expect to hear every s or t or the difference between an m and an n perfectly. Spoken word is not fatiguing either, even at length (CNN, etc), assuming you have equalized the system in a way such that the center channel is not boosted excessively above all other channels. I pulled back the high frequencies a bit simply to avoid the tinnyness that can come from many metal tweeters.
The speaker also seems to handle as much power as I choose to throw at it. In most cases though, you simply aren't going to be putting you receiver’s max into your center channel; 50 solid watts plays a lot louder than you might think. Nonetheless, even if I boost the bass heavily, the speaker responds with grace and fury, with no flap or popping. It’s impressive in all forms, whether loud or imperceptibly quiet, that’s the straight poop.
Final Thoughts
If you are putting a system together and need a center channel speaker or if you are looking for a replacement for the smaller unit you may have gotten to start off with, the speaker with fill your needs well. It produces the lows, mids, and highs clearly and accurately and seems to be unfazed by very high sound levels. Although you may want to aim it a little (I used two pennies on each rear corner) to truly take advantage of the potential this speaker offers, simply plopping it on your TV and hooking it up will produce impressive results. Mmmm, JBL, own a set and you'll understand.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 159.99
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AVaddict
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Location: Texas
Reviews written: 139
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