jbl lsr monitors - any thoughts??

I picked up a pair of JBL LSR 4328s today at GC. They are still in the box. Thought they sounded great at the store but they weren't really on my list originally. Thought I would lean towards the Event ASPs or Dynaudios. Haven't been able to find any in-depth reviews on the internet. So I'm wondering if others here have had any experience with these monitors.

I currently use KRK V8s which I used to think were great but now I'm recording more piano and feel like they are just about untamable in the mid-range.

Thanks!

Are you sure you're not just experiencing 'buyer's remorse'?

I don't have experience with them, but they look like mighty fine monitors. What'd they run you?

Personally, I'm gonna pull the trigger soon on a set of Adam A7's.

You probably already know that recording a live piano (assuming that's what you meant) isn't child's play. Mic placement is going to make worlds of difference in midrange and everything else.

That said, I tested the JBL's, the KRK V8's, the Mackie HR824's and the Dynaudio BM5a's, and I liked the KRK's the least. The JBL's were good, the clarity felt a bit soft. The HR8's were really nice but felt a bit fatiguing. I ended up with the Dynaudio's.

To be fair, this was at Guitar Center, and I don't think any of them were calibrated for the room, etc. I did use Steely Dan's "Aja" as a reference so it wasn't all bad.

We used to have a Mars Music store here (R.I.P.).

They had an acoustically prepped room, a console set up to handle it, and about a dozen or so brand name monitors hooked up.

You could flip from set to set for an almost instant comparison.

It's the ideal way to audition monitors, but I don't think too many places have a setup like that.

Maybe a little buyer's remorse, but not too much. I've got 30 days to try 'em out and see what I think here in my home studio. The remorse probably stems from the fact that the v8s weren't cheap and I've had them only about 18 months. That said, I really wasn't happy with them after I started using Akoustik Piano. The detail in those samples really brings out some problems (to my ears) with the KRKs. For everything other than sampled acoustic piano I think they are very good.

I have set up the JBLs and have been using them since my last post. The piano sounds excellent. The local GC has a pretty well treated room and good setup for evaluating monitors. I listened to a piano source and A/B'd mostly the JBLs and Dynaudios BM5a's. Thought the JBL had a bit more strength in the bass (not surprising with the 8in driver. The Dynaudios do have remarkable clarity in the midrange. I'll probably A/B them again before my thirty days is up. The JBLs go for 1400 vs 1000 for the Dynaudios. I think a lot of the difference is in the electronics in the JBL which may be gimmickry to some degree but I do think the room balancing feature made a positive difference when I engaged it and the volume control and power functions available on the remote are definitely convenient.

Those Adam A7s are supposed to be really nice. I think they may be very similar to the Dynaudios. Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone around the Boston area that carries them. I'm going to be in Chicago and Indiana next week. I was thinking of trying to get to Sweetwater just to see the place and demo monitors but Fort Wayne is nowhere near Chicago or South Bend.

I've heard that too...

I'm not sure I agree with that.

They're both very good monitors, but they each definitely have their own sound.

Hard to go wrong with either one, though...it's really entirely a matter of taste.

Try Mercenary Audio in Foxborough. They should have them.

dB

ADAM Audio USA

Dave's a rep, so he's more immersed in the intracacies of monitors and probably the expert here.

The rest of us can only give opinions.

Mine is this: you probably picked the JBL's for a reason.

Yes - go back and audition the others, focusing on Dynaudio, and maybe now Adam's also, but give the JBL's a fair chance while you've got the opportunity.

I understand most monitors take some time to break in (or burn in), so try to get some hours on them with material that covers the frequency range.

Acclimate your ears to the frequencies that you've been dissatisfied with when using your KRK's and make sure to use those frequencies if you do any more comparisons.

There's so many good units out there, that it's natural to think 'maybe I should have gotten...', but all you can really do is take your best shot and try to be happy with it.

Good luck.

I'm actually the VP of US operations for ADAM...impressive sounding way of saying I'm the American distributor.

Expert? I dunno about that. I do spend a lot of time around them, though...that's for sure.

...and they're all relative - mine included.

Choosing monitors is an extremely personal thing. Some people like revealing monitors, some people like sweet sounding monitors, some people like monitors that go boom...you get the picture. In the end, it's pretty much a matter of which ones that work best for you in your space with your music.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something.

dB

ADAM Audio USA

Well, Filtersweep: DB is VP of US operations for ADAM, so he knows that of which he speaks.

I've never heard ADAM monitors, but have heard many good things about them.

What I hear about the Adams, and why they interest me so much, is not so much that they are the greatest sounding speakers, but that they reveal all the details in your mix.

And that when you get your mix sounding good and balanced on them, it will translate very well to other systems.

I have the LSR4328 monitors and I am very happy with them. I originally bought them because I mix and compose for film, and almost all theaters use JBL speakers. I wanted to mix hearing the "JBL sound" so it would translate to movie theaters. That being said... I am very happy with these monitors and have no regrets using them. The room EQ compensation I do not use. But I do have several different volume settings saved for different projects. That does help a lot. At first the high end seemed a bit too smooth, so I was afraid I wasn't hearing everything. I think now it is just natural sounding and not harsh. I have not had any problems hearing high end detail or midrange.

I am very curious to how the Adam A7s sound. I have always wanted a pair of Adam S3-A monitors, and someday I will have them. Anybody compare the S3-A to the A7? I know it's an unfair competition, I'm just wondering if they sound similar?

I would expect them to sound absolutely identical above 1-2kHz - they both use the identical Adam ribbon tweeter.

Folded ribbon, please...

Seriously - there's a significant difference between the ADAM folded ribbon and every other (planar) ribbon driver in other professional monitor that uses ribbons. The planar ribbons are known for being very directional - the folded ribbons are not....

...and mate_stubb is pretty much correct. The top end does vary a bit because of the way the folded ribbon interacts with the each of the different woofers and amps used across the ADAM line, of course...but since the driver itself is identical, it ain't gonna be by much.

dB

ADAM Audio USA

It's actually the mid and bass of the S3-A's that impress me. They sound absolutely huge, detailed and "correct" for the bass and lower mids. I like mixing the highs on smaller speakers (ns10) at lower volume, and then switching to the big speaks to check the lows.

I like that the LSR4328 has detailed bass at higher volumes. The LSR 4326 doesn't do much for me, but I just use those for the surrounds.

I can't wait to check out the A7 in person.