Analog source: SOTA Cosmos Series III turntable, Graham 2.2 tonearm, Dynavector XV-1S cartridge.
Preamplification: Manley Labs Steelhead, Aesthetix Io Signature, Boulder 2008 phono preamplifiers; Mark Levinson No.32 Reference, VTL TL7.5, Jeff Rowland Design Group Synergy IIi, Ayre K-1x line stages.
Power amplifiers: Lamm M2.1, Manley 250 Neo-Classic, Classé CAM-350 monoblocks; Plinius SA-102.
Loudspeakers: Calix Phoenix Grand Signature.
Cables: Phono: Hovland Music Groove 2 (SOTA). Interconnect: Acoustic Zen Silver Reference, Wireworld Gold…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Belt-drive LP turntable with geometrically resonance-optimized shape. Speeds: 33 1/3, 45rpm, variable to ±0.1%. Drive: standalone motor, belt drive. Bearing: bronze-plated hardened steel, inverted. Platter: acrylic with highly polished surface, 2.75" (70mm) H. S/N Ratio: 84dB (no conditions or reference level given).
Dimensions: 18.33" (470mm) W by 9.33" (240mm) H by 15.25" (390mm) D. Weight: 79 lbs (36kg), including motor.
Serial number of unit reviewed: Not noted.
Price: $2800. Approximate number of dealers: 50. Warranty: 5 years.
…
JBL speakers remind me of college.
I lived in a very musical fraternity house in the 1970s—almost everyone bought a new system for his room immediately upon moving in. (Not me—I mooched until I could afford the cash and space for a true high-end system, which was well after graduation.) Our house was evenly divided into three schools: the "boom and sizzle" California school had JBLs; the "reserved and polite" New England school swore by Advents—after all, the school itself was located in Advent's home of New England; and the "creative school," who illegally purchased the parts and plans…
Further up the frequency spectrum, I noticed that the speaker exhibited an emphasis in the upper midrange and lower high frequencies that manifested itself differently, depending on the instrument involved. All percussion sounded natural, but on well-recorded jazz discs, such as Bill Evans' Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Verve/Classic V88762-45, 45rpm), ride cymbals sounded more closely miked than they actually were. Woodwinds and female vocals, such as the clarinet, piccolo, and soprano in Kohjiba's Transmigration of the Soul (from Festival, Stereophile STPH007-2), sounded natural but…
The sound of Stravinsky's The Firebird (Mercury Living Presence/Classic SR 90226) summed up the strengths and weaknesses of this intriguing speaker. The explosive dynamics and ease with which the S38 reproduced the orchestra in full cry was much more reminiscent of the performance of many large floorstanding speakers I've heard—throughout this densely orchestrated work, it was very easy to follow each individual instrument on the S38s' open and airy soundstage. But while the JBLs produced a very wide soundstage, with precise imaging and considerable depth in the center of the stage, the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way horizontal, mirror-imaged, magnetically shielded bookshelf speaker. Drive-units: 1" titanium-dome tweeter with rubber surround and Elliptical Oblate Spheroidal® waveguide; 4" polymer-coated, cellulose-fiber midrange cone; 8" polymer-coated, cellulose-fiber woofer cone. Sensitivity: 89dB/2,83V/m. Frequency response: 45Hz-20kHz, -3dB. Crossover Frequencies: 800Hz, 3.2kHz.
Dimensions: 17½" W by 11½" H by 12 7/8" D. Weight: 28 lbs each.
Finishes: Wood-finish vinyl.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: NM0852-004955/6.
Price: $599/pair…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Rega Planar 3 turntable with QR Design Ringmat, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Aurum Beta and Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital source: California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II Power Boss CD player.
Integrated amplifiers: Creek 4240SE and 5350SE.
Cables: Interconnect: MIT MI-330SG. Speaker: Acarian Systems Black Orpheus.
Accessories: Celestion Si speaker stands.—Robert J. Reina
Sidebar 3: Measurements
At first glance, the JBL S38 looks old-fashioned, with its side-by-side midrange unit and woofer. But then you notice the metal-finish cones and the tight vertical array of the midrange unit and the tweeter, and it becomes possible, to echo Bob Reina's phraseology, that this isn't your father's JBL. One area, however, where the S38 is definitely a JBL is its high sensitivity: an estimated 91dB(B)/2.83V/m.
In addition, while the speaker's impedance magnitude drops to around 4.1 ohms in the lower mids and the high treble (fig.1), it is generally an easy load…
A primary reason you almost always see modern speakers using a vertical array of drive-units is that this places any crossover interference effects in the vertical plane, where they will be both predictable and have minimal effect on the speaker's perceived balance. When you place drive-units side by side, however, there will be suckouts to the speaker's sides, due to destructive interference when the path difference to the listening or measuring position combines with the phase shift due to the crossover to give cancellation of the two drive-units' outputs.
This can be seen in fig.4,…
The following letter was received in response:
The JBL heritage
Editor: I was very pleasantly surprised to find the review of the JBL S38 in the June 2001 Stereophile. I can't help but think that this brand has been unfairly written off as "mid-fi" for the past two decades. In fact, Lansing speakers defined the High End as early as 1930s and JBL has never left that market. James B Lansing's Iconic of 1937 was the laboratory reference standard for loudspeakers at CBS, NBC, and UCLA, and was recognized as the finest speaker available for home use. The 1950s saw the JBL Hartsfield…