JBL L880CH Black Friday Deals!
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JBL L880CH Black Friday Deals!.
Product: JBL L880CH Amazon Price: Too low to display Availability: In Stock |
The JBL L880 floorstanding towers are Fabulous value for money compared with other manufacturer's and internet only dealers products. Many will claim to have very neutral response and dynamic potential, but JBL has been in the business of making speakers since before many of those companies were glimmers in the eyes of their founders.
You can get expedient measurements of the L880's response curves online (Stereophile has an favorable review with such measurements) and the measurements don't lie. Flat response on axis from 40KHz down to about 30 Hz (with some leeway for room reinforcement) . What that means in terms of listening is that everything sounds exactly as the mixer, engineers, and musicians (or movie makers if that's your bag) intended it to; nothing is being unduly influenced by characteristics of the speakers themselves, hence the description as neutral.
I've been using these paired with an Onkyo TX-SR606, a JBL LC2 center, and some surrounds that frail to be the fronts in an Onkyo package (SKS-HT540) for home theater, but what's been most pleasantly surprising is how great these have gotten me wait on into stereo music listening.
These are superior speakers for both music and movies, but their musicality is astonishing. They do rich, tubby bass, mids, and highs with huge ease. If you push them, they don't sweat, they impartial go louder and louder until your AVR gets to its limits. These speakers have made me reconsider my stance on getting a pre-pro and separate amps in the future. Now I want them worse than ever, unprejudiced to inspect what these are edifying of with 200 Watts RMS vs. the ~90 I'm giving them now.
I've rediscovered my esteem of classical music thanks to these speakers. I can't wait to rep some pipe organ CDs to really effect them through their paces.
Pros
-Very nice looking in cherry carry out (I'll post a photo)
-Astonishing sound reproduction
-Great stereo imaging
-Great punch and dynamics (esp. for movies, but even with driving rock and roll at improper volumes these loudspeakers don't crack a sweat)
-Huge headroom for further amplification (as funds become available)
-Nice interconnects and relatively undetectable crossovers (that's a suited thing)
-Excellent burly range response
Cons
-Size may be an impart for some (I have in bigger is better when speakers are on the table; ogle photo for size reference)
-Bi-wire connectivity is more gimmick than reality
-Plastic feet are a archaic point but don't survey bad
-Resistance ratings are optimistic at 8 ohms nominal (watch Stereophile's review among others, these have a wide patch of 3-4 ohm response that may tax some receivers not rated for those shameful resistances)
In sum these speakers are Wonderful value for money, even at Amazon's prices (though sometimes Harman refurbished ones can be had for less elsewhere on the internet making them even greater value) . They are colossal for home theater applications, but I judge even better for music listening in 2 channel or multi-channel. To be completely objective I wish I could acquire 3 more L880s for multichannel applications but I know my wife would demolish me.
I'm not an audiophile, but I do like classical and jazz music at reference volumes (and play both nonprofessionally) and I can divulge you from my absorb experience with other far more expensive brands at boutique audio stores, these will give speakers at 4 times the label a urge for their money with the true amplification (at least 75 W RMS in proper life, not manufacturers specs) and have blown everything I've heard at twice the mark away solidly.
p.s. There's another reviewer who has suggested that these speakers are the same as the LC2 center channel speaker in the same line. As an owner of both, I can thunder you they are not. Cabinet resonance and porting creates a very different speaker (even my Onkyo agrees as the Audyssey 2EQ calibration program crosses the LC2 over at 60 Hz, but leaves the L880s at "Fat Range") . The bass and midbass are far fuller and more robust from the L880s.
After doing exhaustive research on floorstanding speakers for my modern home theater I decided on the JBL L880s. All of the reviews I read were extremely distinct as well as recommendations I got from dealers. Everything turned out to be true- these speakers are not only well built and sound immense, they are safe looking as well. Their ability to handle all that is thrown at them (music and movie) is exceptional. The range capability is outstanding. After tweaking the crossover frequency and settling on 60Hz (sending the rest to the subwoofer) they sound marvelous. I also purchased the JBL LC1 center speaker to go with them. I highly recommend these speakers- I couldn't be more overjoyed with them.
Shipping was hastily, though amazon did complicate matters by shipping them on separate days, requiring two separate deliveries, not objective one. Had them out of the box in about 10 minutes each, so unboxing was relatively easy, especially given that I was doing it alone without any serve. Currently have them single-wired to a Harmon Kardon HK 3490 stereo receiver, so I am using these in a 2.0 system (no subwoofer) primarily for music and the occasional blu-ray movie. Completely cheerful with their performance so far (two weeks) . Bass is tidy and tight, and even without a sub, these speakers provide wall-rattling bass if I want it. Midrange and highs are determined and obvious as well. The soundstage is remarkably three-dimensional, not unbiased horizontally but vertically as well, and roomy. I listen to all kinds of music from jazz to rock to rap, and I'm finding that the speakers do exceptionally well no matter the genre, though I have to say that they are the most outstanding and impressive with jazz. With blu-ray movies, again, I'm not missing the sub. These speakers mutter considerable enough bass on their beget, and the tell tracks are loud, obvious, and centered. Overall, I would recommend these speakers without hesitation. They gawk and sound stout and are worth every penny.
