Difference between JBL speakers? (1 Viewer)

[Stephen Hopkins]

You could also get N28s for around $120 shipped on ebay per pair. This would be $360 shipped for a 6.1 setup. You could later add an N Center and have a 7.1 setup w/ 6 identical speakers and a matching center for around $450.

 

[Pablo Abularach]

Tray,

Pablo, Thanks for the recommendation! What speakers do you use now?

Right now I have Four S26, and S center, and SVS 25-31PCi. And for me it is amazing the sound you get pair with a Marantz SR6200.

I think either series are very good (Northbrige and Studio), for the money I think the NSP1 is the best. If you have a little more you could go for S26 and S center, to be completly honest with you, I dont think there is much difference between the S26 and the N24, because my reciever has 100Hz has crossover, and both the S26 and N24 can go lower than 100Hz. The only thing that you could say it better is tweeter, a little more detail, but not much.

But what convince me was the center channel, I think the N center is very good, but the S center for me was incredible. So I use my HT mostly for Movies, and in this set up the Center channel and sub are the most important parts of your setup. So I went with S center and SVS. And then tried to fit my mains and surround around my budget, S26 was very well review here, and when I audtion them I was convinced. Although somethimes I think I should went for the S36, because I'm spending about $130 just for Speakers Bracelets.

Hope this helps,
Pablo Abularach

 

[Tray]

What is the difference between the series 1 and 2?

The problem I may have is that I think the S26 or N26 will be to big for the space I have on my rear walls.

I wish JBL had a surrond speaker like Axioms do. They are smaller and seem to be more appealing to the eye. Not boxy like the JBL.

 

[Tray]

What about refurbed JBL's?

Harmon Audio is selling several pair of S26's for a good deal.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

The N24s and N26s aren't boxy. They have a nice curve to them The N26IIs moved from the curvy molded enclosure back to a rectangular MDF enclosure.
The only differences in Series 1 and Series 2 is cosmetic. The Grills change in a VERY minor way. Some of the dimensions changed less than an inch. Some of the cone colors changed. Sonicly they are exactly the same.

 

[Adrian_S]

Hi all, I just picked up a Pair of S38's for my mains and a S-Center.

My questions is, what would be the best set for rear and back surrounds for a 7.1 setup?

I was thinking of the S36's (4) or should I go with the (S26's)?

Right now I am using Fluance Bi-poles for my rear and back surrounds and sometimes I switch to Infinity Quadrapoles for the back surrounds.

Would I get a tonal difference/match by making all my speakers JBL's?

Thanks,

Adrian

 

[Mike__D]

Chalk me up as one who preferred the N over the S series. I did direct comparisons and the S sounded "tiny" or "bright" to me, while the N sounded deeper & fuller. So I choose the N38's, N-Center, and N-26's for surrounds.

Wierd? Maybe, but each person has their own taste, and my ears like the N's better (so did my wallet after purschasing them)

Mike D.

 

[Marcelo T]

Well, I had a pair of n26 and s26. The N´s high were more harsh than the s26, and the midbass was weaker. I ended up selling the n26 and getting a s38.

 

[Pablo Abularach]

Adrian,

I was thinking of the S36's (4) or should I go with the (S26's)?

I have S26 all around and they are great, but S36 are very good speakers also, I bought S26 because they were $170 and the S36 were $250, but at the end I had to buy speaker bracelets at $75 a pair, so sometimes I think the S36 were a better option.

My suggestion is to look at weight and dimensions of the S26, see if you can hook them up and intall the without any problems, because the S36 are very easy to install, and were design by JBL as surrounds speakers.

Hope this helps,
Pablo Abularach

 

[Tray]

Ok. Here is what I am thinking.

2 - JBL S38II front L/R

1 JBL SCII Center



I can't decide on the rears. Problem I have is with the size of the S36 speaker (10-1/4" x 14-5/8" x 5").
Would the N24's ( 9-1/2" x 6-1/4" x 4-3/4")work? They are only rated for 100 watts and I want to use the Denon 3802 which is 110 watts.
What do you think?

 

[Phil Iturralde]

They are only rated for 100 watts and I want to use the Denon 3802 which is 110 watts.

FYI: Having more watts is better than not enough. Once you REFERENCE Calibrate your HT Speakers / Powered-Sub, the power required to playback your JBL equipped HT speakers @ REF Level or -10 dB less, will be enough to clearly playback those SPL's' without the fear of blowing up your speakers.
During the 2-1/2 years of constant, regular use, my JBL NSP1's (sub = AudioSource SW15) easily reproduced my blockbuster DVD's anywhere between -6 dB to -10 dB below REF Level (DVD depended _AVG. fast peak SPL = 106 dB+), during my once or twice a month Friday NITE DVD sessions with my regular crowd of friends & relatives, with no hint of strain, compression or harm!! I recently moved my NSP1's / SW15 up to my vacation house so we can enjoy crystal clear Cinema Theater SPL after fishing, hiking, skiing, etc.
Phil

 

[Angelo.M]

Mike_D:

Your post was very interesting to me. Although I own both the S38s and the N38s, I find the N38s to be somewhat more laid-back and richer-sounding. Don't know how to describe it. Maybe it's that the S38s are more detailed and don't roll the highs off? Not sure. At any rate, I'd take either, but took both! The S38s are terrific for 2-channel music, and I think the Ns are maybe a bit more to my liking for home theater purposes.

They're both excellent, however. JBL has really bounced back from the damage done to its reputation over the past few years, and they're turning out some great speakers.

-AM

 

[Pablo Abularach]

Tray,

They are only rated for 100 watts and I want to use the Denon 3802 which is 110 watts.

I dont know if the 3802 can drive 110W with all channels driven, manufacturers tend to play with their numbres. And most speakers get damage when you drive them with less power than for over power. So I think power wont be an issue.

Try to see if you could intall S36, they work horizontally and vertically, and much more smaller than S38 or S26, and very easy to hang and install.

Hope this helps,
Pablo Abularach.

 

[Tray]

Once again, good info guys.



Is there a difference in sound from the S36II bookshelf and the S36II wall mountable?

 

[Mark Zimmer]

It depends on a lot of factors. I A/Bed the ND310 and S310 in the store and the N surprisingly sounded better there. It sounded like crap at home. I got the S310s and A/Bed them with the Ns at home and they sounded much better. I eventually went with the S312 to get more full bass, but the Studio series sounded awfully nice to me in the house. FYI, I tend to favor a brighter sound than many people, so YMMV.

 

[Tray]

What I meant was can you tell a big difference between the smaller enclosure of the wall mountable 36 vs the regular bookshelf cabinet of the other.

 

[Hank_P]

I've not heard the bookshelf S36, but I do have a pair of the wall mountable S36's. I would think the small enclosure of the wall mounted version would yeild a slight difference in the low end capabilities. But the wall mounted 36's were designed as a surround speaker to carry more mid and high... and I think they work very well for this. If I'm showing off this speaker, it's going to be Saving Private Ryan, the beach scene... this speaker shines in reproducing a very active/accurate surround.

 

[Andre Aguiar]

Tray,
I got the same setup. 2 S38ii for the fronts, S-Center ii for center channel and 2 S26ii for the rears. They sound awesome. Center channel sound full. The S38 holds his bass (no sub, never had a sub so I can only imagine what one would sound like, but I have to keep in mind of the horsehair plaster I have in my 70 year old house).
The S26ii hold up well. I get a kick when I show my new speakers to friends. I like to throw in the DTS demo disc with The Haunting (goes really low) and Lord of the Rings (bridge scene, chapter 30 I believe). Playing around -22dB I almost always get "Turn that down, its so damn loud" from the "other half" (Onky TX-DS797 is powering the setup).
I put my speakers on these stands Link Removed
I set the S38 Vertically and they sound great. Stands are 26". Surrounds are at same height (fronts and rears at same level, to me, I get a better sound field). The center is a bit higher about 1.5-2 feet higher than the fronts but the imaging is great. It doesn't sound like peoples voices are coming from the ceiling.
I got all 5 speakers shipped for $625 from www.etronics.com
Andre

 

[Tray]

Andre,

Did you mount your surrounds (s26's) on the wall or on stands?

 

[Tray]

Here is what I'm thinking.

HK AVR520
S26II's Front L/R
SCII Center
N24 Rear L/R
Dahlquist PDQ1500 Subwoofer

I understand what everyone tells me about timbre matching but the regular cabinet S26 or any of the cabinet speakers JBL makes seems too large for my wall space. I am thinking of eventually getting the S38's that are for surround. I will upgrade the fronts to S38's at that time as well. I just don't want to spend the $$$ right now.

What do you think if this setup?