Impulsive buy...JBL Studio L830's

**Exocer** · **12-15-07, 02:53 PM**

Hi guys/gals,
Just browsing along on ebay one day last week I saw some JBL l830's and my curiosity got the best of me... I always wanted to own a pair of JBL speakers and these seemed to be part of what some would consider to be a respectable system, the newer Studio L series. So, i placed a bid and won them!

I currently own the following pairs of bookshelf speakers:

Infinity Primus 150
NHT SB-2
B&W 601 S1
DIY:
Modula MT

If anyone is interested, I do plan to note any subjective differences along with some FR sweeps since this semester is pretty much done

Happy holidays all!

**Sonnie** · **12-15-07, 09:10 PM**

Is this what you got?

They are not so inexpensive for bookshelf speakers. Glad you snagged a good deal.

Looking forward to your comparisons.

**Exocer** · **12-16-07, 02:49 PM**

Exactly that! but, in the cherry finish. Found some pics on google.

Glad I snagged the deal as well

They're scheduled to arrive next week weds, after my finals

**Sonnie** · **12-16-07, 03:02 PM**

They are very attractive speakers to me.

**Exocer** · **12-16-07, 03:08 PM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

They are very attractive speakers to me.

Thanks

**Captain Crunch** · **12-16-07, 03:09 PM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

They are very attractive speakers to me.

No doubt there good looking speakers........
I love my SVS speakers but there not going to win any beauty contest anytime soon.

**Exocer** · **12-16-07, 03:14 PM**

Quote:

Captain Crunch wrote:

No doubt there good looking speakers........
I love my SVS speakers but there not going to win any beauty contest anytime soon.

Those SVS speakers are awesome from what I've read. I've wanted a pair of those for a while now. I guess you can consider me the bookshelf speaker collector

The PB-10 has had my interest from day 1.

**buggers** · **12-18-07, 10:58 AM**

Those look much better than my L112's!

**Exocer** · **12-18-07, 01:42 PM**

They look even better in person

They're sitting atop their stands being broken in at this point, and I love what i hear from them. Possibly the most neutral speaker of my store bought bookshelf speakers. They're extended in the highs without sounding harsh at all, even with poorly recorded MP3's.

One complaint though, is that they seem to be tuned relatively high which can be good depending on their use. They're tuned to have a hump down low, maybe around 50-60hz. For those with limited space and looking for a 2-channel pair with great imaging and bass these should be a consideration. Those looking for a set to use as surrounds might want to stay away from these, they're HUGE and i could never imagine them being mounted on any wall they're that big, unless you stand mount your surrounds.

**Exocer** · **01-07-08, 02:03 PM**

I liked the JBLs so much I won a pair of JBL L820s to match the L830's.

These are the 4-way 5" thick wall mount surrounds/mains.
http://www.jbl.com/home/products/pro...at=BFS&ser=SLS

They should be arriving any day now

**Warpdrv** · **01-10-08, 10:44 AM**

Wow, those are fantastic looking.... Thanks for the mini review... and let us know how the new ones sound...

**thxgoon** · **01-12-08, 12:58 PM**

I had a JBL set up back in the day and I remember the bookshelves were some of the best speakers I've ever had. Congrats! They sure are pretty

**Exocer** · **01-14-08, 07:54 AM**

thxgoon, thanks for the compliments
warpdrv, no problem!

So yesterday I had the chance to hook up the L820's, and I actually feel that this is cheating for COD 4 (online play). The placement of noises is SPOT ON. People trying to sneak up behind me have absolutely no chance to get me before I unexpectedly turn around and...you know the rest

They're a mere 5" thick and fit up against the wall right behind my bed. These could also be mounted against a corner/2 walls since it has two screw holes on each edge to allow for that mounting solution. The fact that they're so slim is IDEAL for this room. They also pack way more of a punch than I expected...I remember explaining to a friend online that these are pretty much little subs on a wall (I sit rather close, maybe this is why) since explosions actually have that transient punch to make a person jump, set to small and crossed over at 80hz!

More of a review to come...for now I am thinking about bidding on a new pair to replace the l830's only because once I get my LCD wall mounted they would look much better up against the wall beside the TV. And the living room system has been in need of a pair of decently bassy bookshelf speakers and the L830's have gobs of bass for their size, and a pleasant midrange to match.

Take care all

**Exocer** · **01-18-08, 08:34 PM**

Well, I had a chance to do some in-room measurements two days ago. The results will be posted here no later than tomorrow.

To begin, my measurement equipment is the ecm/phantom power combo spoken about in the REW forum. The speakers measure relatively flat down to 30 hz on large (l830's) in this room. There is a huge problem around 120hz to 400hz hz that i think my room is responsible for.

Will report back with updates asap.

**bmd** · **02-05-08, 10:45 PM**

Well, I picked up a pair of the L810s from the Harman ebay store. My excuse was that I need a pair of speakers for my workout room. These are way overkill for that purpose, but how could I pass on the price. I have an ulterior motive as well. I'd like to convince my wife that a bookshelf system in the bedroom was a good idea. I wanted to show her in person a very inexpensive, on wall speaker.

For a first listening, I placed them on top of my B&W604s, hooked them up and played some stereo music through them. I was initially very pleased with the sound. If I sat the right way to get the tweeter(s) at about ear level, they also seemed to have much better imaging than my B&Ws, though this might be expected when comparing a bookshelf to a floorstander.

I returned to listening to them a few days later and immediately noticed a rattling / buzzing noise coming from one of the speakers. I swapped them around and it followed the speaker. I was listening to Kid A and something hit a frequency that really brought the noise out. I swapped to a different disk and I had to go put my ear to the speaker to find the noise, but once I found it, I could hear it at the listening position again.

Bummer. Really sounds like a blown woofer. Maybe I know why they were returned the first time. Only certain sounds or frequencies make the noise really prominent so maybe it was missed in the remanufacturing.

I sent an email back to the store. I guess I'll see how good their customer service is after you've already paid them and left good feedback. I expect that they will take care of me, but we'll see.

**hoardog** · **02-07-08, 06:03 PM**

Hey everyone, i'm new to this forum, i have chance to get these jbl l830 for cheap but was wondering how they would match up with my paradigm center speaker, thanks in advance

**hoardog** · **02-17-08, 01:52 PM**

How are those jbl l830s sounding these days, i still haven't pulled the trigger on them yet, can't find many reviews on them.

**PT800** · **02-19-08, 04:36 PM**

Quote:

hoardog wrote:

Hey everyone, i'm new to this forum, i have chance to get these jbl l830 for cheap but was wondering how they would match up with my paradigm center speaker, thanks in advance

You don't want to mix speaker brands and in many cases not even different series from the same speaker company. Its all about voice matching, so as the sound travels from one speaker to another the timbre stays the same.
About the JBL Studio L series, that is a great line of speakers, and certainly for what they can be had for online. I bought a pair of the L890s most of two years ago and they can deliver the goods.

Quote:

bmd wrote:

I returned to listening to them a few days later and immediately noticed a rattling / buzzing noise coming from one of the speakers. I swapped them around and it followed the speaker. I was listening to Kid A and something hit a frequency that really brought the noise out. I swapped to a different disk and I had to go put my ear to the speaker to find the noise, but once I found it, I could hear it at the listening position again

Were you running them full range, or did you have a sub connected? They're only rated down to 48htz and being they're ported the woofers won't be protected as they would in a sealed system.

**bmd** · **02-23-08, 03:47 PM**

Quote:

PT800 wrote:

Were you running them full range, or did you have a sub connected? They're only rated down to 48htz and being they're ported the woofers won't be protected as they would in a sealed system.

They were being crossed over at 80 Hz and not being played very loud at all. The one that was rattling, you could push the cone gently and hear a nice scratching noise.

One email to Harman and they sent a replacement woofer. It was a five minute replacement job, even with my two year old "helping." This fixed the problem and now they sound very nice. My opinion of their customer service is very high based on this experience.

**02-26-08, 10:20 PM**

I've been looking at the JBL Studio Ls also based on the favorable reviews and good value. I'm trying to decide which model(s) to purchase between the L810, L820, and L830. The room is wired for surround sound with the connections about 8 feet off the ground on the side walls. The two front surrounds are on the side walls about 3.5 feet back from the front wall. The two rear surrounds are on the side walls next to the listening position (but again, 8 feet off the ground). The room is 16.5 feet front to back, and 15 feet wide. The listening position is in the middle of the back of the room. (Let me know if this is not enough detail to picture the room.)

I (obviously) want to point the speakers at the listening position, so I will not be able to use the provided brackets that I understand to provide either a flush wall mount or a corner mount. The speakers will all need to be tilted down, and the front surrounds will need to be rotated towards the listening position. Does anyone have any suggestions which models I should purchase for the front and rear surrounds based on these mounting requirements (and I'm open to purchasing different models for the front and rear if that's what makes the most sense)?

The L830s seem to be more of a bookshelf speaker, so I'm not sure I would want to attempt to mount them. Between the L810s and the L820s, if both are equally mountable I would prefer to get the L820s with the 4-way design. However, with the width of the L820s, I'm concerned how well they will mount on brackets (seems to be more intended to mount flush on the wall).

I plan to finish it off with an LC1 center channel on a built in bookshelf above the TV (versus the LC2 which is intended to be wall mounted) and an L8400 subwoofer. Has anyone auditioned the L8400? (or Any other suggestions for an affordable subwoofer to match the Studio L Series?) BTW, the room is not closed in the back - it opens up to the rest of the house - so I want more power than would typically be required for this room size.

Also, does anyone have a recommendation for brackets to use with the recommend models? Ideally I'd like a solution that does not require drilling into the speakers.

Thanks for any input that you can provide. I was happy to find a current discussion on this line of speakers!

**PT800** · **02-27-08, 11:39 AM**

Quote:

dj242 wrote:

I've been looking at the JBL Studio Ls also based on the favorable reviews and good value. I'm trying to decide which model(s) to purchase between the L810, L820, and L830. The room is wired for surround sound with the connections about 8 feet off the ground on the side walls. The two front surrounds are on the side walls about 3.5 feet back from the front wall. The two rear surrounds are on the side walls next to the listening position (but again, 8 feet off the ground). The room is 16.5 feet front to back, and 15 feet wide. The listening position is in the middle of the back of the room. (Let me know if this is not enough detail to picture the room.)

Thanks for any input that you can provide. I was happy to find a current discussion on this line of speakers!

First off, check on The OFFICIAL JBL Owners Thread at AVS http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=866797. There are many posts about the Studio L series.
Ya, the L820 is meant to be mounted flat to the wall and when mounted in that way, they need to be no more than 6' to the top of the box to the floor. So if you did that you can always run a length of wire from the speaker outlet down to the speaker.
That is what I did for my JBL PT800 on the side and back walls, as I had wired the room when I thought I might go with dipole/bipole surround speakers 10 years ago.
Also, some have used various kinds of rotating arm mounts to hang the surround and main speakers to fit their particular situations, within the rooms.
As far as the different models of the Studio L series, all are very good preformers and its just a matter of what models will work best in your room.

**gamedog44** · **03-22-08, 02:30 PM**

I have the L-820'S pointing towards my left and right sides as the rear surrounds as they are a "mirrored pair".I have the LC2 as center channel and the L890'S as front left and right.The L8400P sub is caddiecornered on the left front.All driven by a Denon 3808ci and I am very pleased with the sound.Rage against the machines "renegades of funk"had the house shaking.I love my JBL's.I am sure all of the high end (and 5x more costly) speakers that most of the members of this forum talk about sound better but I am a blue collar working man and will not spend 25k on speakers.Trust me you will be very happy with the Studio L series.

**PT800** · **03-23-08, 10:07 AM**

Quote:

gamedog44 wrote:

I have the L-820'S pointing towards my left and right sides as the rear surrounds as they are a "mirrored pair".I have the LC2 as center channel and the L890'S as front left and right.The L8400P sub is caddiecornered on the left front.All driven by a Denon 3808ci and I am very pleased with the sound.Rage against the machines "renegades of funk"had the house shaking.I love my JBL's.I am sure all of the high end (and 5x more costly) speakers that most of the members of this forum talk about sound better but I am a blue collar working man and will not spend 25k on speakers.Trust me you will be very happy with the Studio L series.

imho, dollar for dollar you can't do better than JBLs. In any given price range JBLs will out perform the rest.
JBL covers all price points, the new ES series is replacing the short lived Venues, then there is the Studio L series, which I thought was way above the Venues.
Then there is the Performance Series, with the list price of $1700/ea, or more than the price for a pair of L890s/list. And the $1700 is just for a PT800 or PC600, plus the cost of the sub. About $11k for a 5.2 system.
Then you really jump up, in price with the Array Series, a 5 channel system is around $30k
For that same $30k, one can get a pair of K2 speakers.
And at the top, for twice the price of the K2 is the Everest II.
So JBL covers all bases in home audio.

**gamedog44** · **03-23-08, 05:20 PM**

I purchased all 6 of my Studio L series JBL's for 1900 dollars.The L890's and the LC2 are brand new and the pair L820's and L8400P sub were refurbs from Harman Audio.I think you would be hard pressed to find speakers of the same quality for as low a price.I was thinking maybe you could get a Dali Icon set for maybe 1k more.I am not sure if there would be a huge differance in the sound quality as I have not had the oppurtunity to hear the Dali's.Maybe someone can chime in on this.

**htaddikt** · **03-27-08, 11:01 AM**

Quote:

gamedog44 wrote:

I purchased all 6 of my Studio L series JBL's for 1900 dollars.The L890's and the LC2 are brand new and the pair L820's and L8400P sub were refurbs from Harman Audio.I think you would be hard pressed to find speakers of the same quality for as low a price.I was thinking maybe you could get a Dali Icon set for maybe 1k more.I am not sure if there would be a huge differance in the sound quality as I have not had the oppurtunity to hear the Dali's.Maybe someone can chime in on this.

You have to listen and compare. If by looks alone, you will be dumping the Dali.
They are very plain-Jane but close your eyes and listen, they are excellent IMO.
I have the Ikon 6 up front, Vokal 2 in the center, and OnWalls for surround.
These speakers are very sensitive to placement too. But once you have them set up and broken in (that takes a while) there is nothing to complain about.
And of course, room conditions can make an any speaker sound it's best, or even a good one sound lousy.

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