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JBL 18Ti loudspeaker Test Procedure

Sidebar 1: Test Procedure

The JBLs were substituted for the Celestion SL600s in my usual system of Krell KSA-50 power amplifier, Audio Research SP-10 II preamp, CAL Tempest II and Meridian MCD Pro CD players, and Koetsu Red/SME V/Linn Sondek LP player mounted on a Torlyte stand. (At the end of the listening period, I substituted a 1987 Linn/Ittok combination fitted with the new composite armboard and the new Linn Troika cartridge, the whole sitting on a Sound Organization table.)

Interconnect was Monster Interlink Reference A, and Monster M1 speaker cable was used for all…

JBL 18Ti loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 2: Measurements

I measured the frequency response of the JBL speaker in the listening window—spatially averaged to minimize room standing-wave problems—using third-octave pink noise, and measured the near-field low-frequency response with a sinewave sweep to get an idea of the true bass extension. The low-frequency –6dB point, measured nearfield, was 42Hz, but there was a little too much upper-bass energy in the room between 63Hz and 200Hz, suggesting that the woofer could do with a little more damping. Given that this lift will artificially extend the bass extension, the true…

JBL 18Ti loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 3: Specifications

Description: two-way, sealed-box loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" titanium-dome tweeter, 6.5" polypropylene-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Frequency response: 55Hz–20kHz ±3dB. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Maximum amplifier power: 200W.
Dimensions: 14.75" H by 9.4" W by 7.25" D. Internal volume: 10 liters. Weight: 17.5 lbs.
Price: $590/pair (1987); no longer available (2017). Approximate number of dealers: 75–80.
Manufacturer: JBL, a division of Harman International, 8500 Balboa Blvd., Northridge, CA 91329. Tel: (800) 336-…

JVS Works His Way Up the Marriott Tower

I didn't need Rapunzel to let down her golden hair in order to ascend the Marriott Tower. Rather, on Saturday afternoon, I encountered so many good systems in a row on the 7th floor that the music simply pulled me up. Although I hated bidding adieu to each fine listening experience, there were so many of them, at least for a while, that a song from Finian's Rainbow that played over and over in my youth, "When I'm not near the girl I love, I love the girl I'm near," resounded in my head. I'll leave it up to you to decide if that's an amusing reference or a call for 12-Step intervention.

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Jana's Day Two at RMAF

Overheard in the hallway:
"Babe, can you please buy me that cable?"
"But I just bought you so much for your birthday!"
And just like that, day two begins.

"Everything is design": It's one of those phrases salespeople—and New Yorkers in general—like to throw around. I consider myself a humble student of design, constantly enamored of even the most basic packaging. Not even high-performing audio components are immune to my shallow, judging eyes. In the world of hi-fi, I find myself attracted to the angular, the modular, the funky, and the vibrant. There are plenty of good-…

Jason Ascends Higher on Day Three

Impressive bass control and speed on a recording of taiko drums, excellent timbres, and an equally captivating sense of spaciousness on Lyle Lovett's "North Dakota" left no question that this attractive mid-priced system from Paradigm and Anthem would make many an audiophile very, very happy. Even with the "Dance of the Tumblers"—it seems I cannot get through a single audio show without a listen to the well-worn, increasingly wearing music that seems to be one of those fallback tracks of choice for people who don't have much classical music on their server—the system nailed the recording's…

JVS Runs Out of Clever Titles as Day Three Continues

Wanna see the speaker component of my hands-down steal system of RMAF 2017? Introducing the intriguing Tekton Design Double Impact monitor ($2000/pair, or $3000 with upgraded paint finish). Perched atop low-cost Sanus SF 26 stands ($160/pair), and connected to Parasound's Halo Integrated ($2495), forthcoming Halo JC 3 Jr. phono preamp ($1495, shipping later this month), Marantz TT15-S1 turntable with Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood MM cartridge ($1495), and an Oppo BDP-105 ($1200) via low-cost Straight Wire cabling ($700/total), the Tekton monitors, in this excellent system, blew me away.

"What…

JVS Reaches the Top

For those who have been thinking it's time for the people in white coats to carry me away—they actually did. Oxnard, CA-based Dan Wiggins, who spent 25 years in audio development for Sonos, Harman, and lots of other audio brands whose names he keeps to himself, recently decided to follow his passion. A year ago, he founded Periodic Audio, whose BE (Beryllium) in-ear headphones (top price: $299/pair) won a headphone award at the Los Angeles Audio Show.

Not only was the sound good, but the invitation to settle into Periodic Audio's relaxation lounge chairs, which included cellphone…

Jana's RMAF Weekend Continues

In the Krell room, Pink Floyd reverberated through a Krell Vanguard Universal DAC ($4500), a Krell Duo 300 stereo amplifier ($9500), and Focal Sopra No.3 floorstanding speakers ($19,999/pair), with an AudioQuest Niagara 7000 AC conditioner and AudioQuest cabling throughout. “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”—an audio show classic—often sounds harsh and distorted, but here I heard it with a boldly convincing low end and an almost mechanical smoothness up top.

Did you ever buy into the inedible-objects-that-resemble-cute-candy craze? I did. And that’s precisely what drew me to the…

Sunday with Herb

Last year, Vaughn Loudspeakers' flagship Plasma Signature towers ($20,000/pair), featuring eight midrange drivers in a bipolar configuration (four front and four rear), a 12" powered subwoofer, and their signature plasma tweeter, were my BIG best-in-show discovery.

My runnin' buddy and turntable setter-upper, Michael Trei, texted me to come to room such-and-such: "you MUST hear these speakers." After listening to a few songs in silence, Michael leaned over and asked, "So? What do you think?" Beaming and smirking I sputtered (with 100% conviction), "They're the best speakers I've ever…