JBL NSP-1 vs. NHT Superzero (1 Viewer)

[EricHaas]

Hi there. Don't know much about the N24 or the SuperZeroes. I did have a JBL set prior to getting my Paradigms (don't know the model number because purchased a while ago for very cheap). I do think that JBL offers decent quality for the money. They were the best of the "cheap" speakers I auditioned at BB, including the more expensive Bose package.

That being said, statistics measuring things like frequently response tell only a fraction of the story about the sound quality you are going to get from speakers. I like Tom Nausaine and read his stuff with interest, but those kinds of ratings rarely factor into my buying decisions (OK, maybe a little for a subwoofer). Rather, you've got to listen with your own ears. Even Nousaine will tell you that those numbers do not tell you how good a speaker will sound. There is a hint of a suggestion in the post above that a set of $500 JBL's might sound as good or better than most B&W's or the like. After having demoed lots of JBL, B&W, Paradigm, and others I can say that while there are many great bargains to be had, speakers are still much like anything else - You pretty much get what you pay for, though sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.

One poster made an interesting comment about certain brands being favored on the forum. That is certainly true, and I wonder why that is. For example, does Paradigm really make speakers that sound as good as those costing twice the price, or is that a myth caused by a kind of group-think?

 

[Phil Iturralde]

)

"The ripples of Dr. Floyd Toole's groundbreaking work on lab-controlled listening test at Ottawa's National Research Council in the 1980s can be found today in the rapid dominance of such NRC-inspired Canadian speaker lines as Energy, Paradigm, and PSB."

(end of excerpt)

Dr. Toole joined Harman International's new state-of-the-art speaker laboratory in Northridge, California back in 1991, and he's since brought aboard many of his ex-NRC assistants such as Sean Olive and Allan Devantier. These imported Canadian's best loudspeaker minds were given the job to jump-start JBL.

LAB-CONTROLLED LISTENING TEST

In launching the new Harman Consumer Group Acoustical Engineering Lab, Dr. Toole has built an NRC-inspired "home away from home" where the Harmanized Canucks can continue to practice their special blend of subjective- and objective-based speaker design. That's the genius of the NRC and now Harman's Listening Lab: by using not just measurements but also rigorously controlled listening tests with both audiophiles and civilian listeners, engineers can better correlate measured performance with subjective sound quality and push their designs in directions that listeners repeatedly prefer.

SUCESSFUL?

(excerpt from Corey's Stereo Review article, listed above)

"To call Harman's Listening Lab the best speaker-evaluation setup I've ever heard is selling it short.

In fact, the Listening Lab has already borne fruit. In a day spent listening to JBL and Infinity flagship models, the most impressive demo I heard was of JBL's new (remember this article is 1998) HLS610 two-way minispeakers. Despite their size, the pair I heard sounded bigger and better than most of the megabuck high-end speakers I heard this past January ('98) at the Consumer Electronics Show."(end of excerpts)

Auditioning a speaker (HT set) is the key priority before purchasing and I agree. I don't claim that a $500.00 speakers set is better than one that cost $1,500, but what makes Tom Nousaine Standard Bench Mark meaningful is the fact that Under IDENTICAL Test Conditions (Location, Calibrated MIC, Test Software, etc.), . . . you can easily compare and determine the speakers characteristics ability between them in the S&V IN THE LABS benchmarks. Yes Tom Nousaine says to audition, but note that his benchmarks will and do reveal the speakers limitations and abilities, sometimes noted by the actual Speaker Reviewer (Review and Lab Bench Marks are done separately). So, with that thought in mind, isn't it interesting how well the N24s did, using the IDENTICAL Test Conditions used for the B&W??

Another JBL plus is that you don't have to purchase the most expensive speaker within their N & S Series to get the products top-line, Best Tweeter, like some other Speaker Manufactures. No matter which Series you choose, they use the same High Frequency Driver across the entire line (lowest cost to top model) - making each line respectably timbre matched. And if you review some of the other Top Line Popular Speakers high frequency driver, they are made of metal (titanium, aluminum or composite metals).

Food for thought,

Phil

 

[EricHaas]

Phil, I do agree that JBL's are as you say "overachieving," meaning they are better than their price point. I think the same is true to an almost phenomenal degree with Paradigm, though I keep questioning whether or not I am biased since I own them. Then again, I first listened to them without every having heard of the brand.

Frequency response is just that - frequency response. It tells you how hi and low the speakers usefully go. IMO, it is a relatively small piece of the puzzle because it says little about the quality of the sound. I think we can agree that it would be a fallacy to say that one subwoofer is better than another simply because it reaches lower. Yet I also think the argument for using frequency response as an index of performance is a *better* one for subs than for other kinds of speakers. A case in point is Paradigm Studio 100 towers vs. the Studio 40's. If the 100's are set to small and the lows are run threw a sub, I honestly do not think the 100's sound any better. Yet obviously the 100's have a much wider frequency response (and a correspondingly higher price tag).

I didn't know that JBL's all used the same tweeter. That is certainly an advantage if you want to mix and match.