Hey Phil, (or any other JBL fans) I've decided to go with either the S38 or S38 II .. (1 Viewer)

[Marcus Lewis]

At all 4 corners along with the Scenter ... These will be matched with my dual 16-46CS+ and S1000 as well as my Rotel RSX-965.

My question is, what stands do I use with these puppies?

I take it the S38's are larger than they look?

I'd like something with as small a footprint as possible ...

Any links that you suggest?

 

[Saurav]

Sorry for butting in here, but do you mostly just watch movies, or do you like to listen to music too? That seems like a slightly lopsided budget allocation to me - from everything I've read, your subwoofers would far outclass your speakers.

Just something to think about, if you're interested.

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

What do you mean by SVS outclassing JBL. I think of subwoofers as a separate class since they do not necessarily have to be voice matched to the loudspeakers. An SVS speaker will work great with many setups including JBL Studios.

The recommended height for the S38s ranges from 18-24". Sorry no good links since I didn't find any speaker stands that height for cheap so I made my own.

I built bookshelf speaker stands for my S38s and used dynamat and felt pads to isolate the speaker from the stand. The result was a black economical bookshelf used for storing things as well as a stand.

The S38s are pretty big to be putting on shelves and I think that they would more fit as a floor stander.

The S38 and S38ii should sound identical, the manufacturer states differences to be color, box dimension, and cone composition.

 

[MikeKaz]

what is the proper class of speaker for a CS+ ?

 

[Saurav]

what is the proper class of speaker for a CS+ ?

How much do they cost? Quickly checking the website, a dual 16-46CS+ with Samson amp (which I guess is what he's talking about) costs $1600. For 2-channel music, his front pair of S38s will cost around $300 - $500. That's 20% - 30% the price of his subwoofer.

That's why I asked if he's interested primarily in movies, or in music too. If it's mostly movies, his 5 speakers cost about as much as his subwoofer, which probably makes sense, I don't know about that. If he's interested in music, it doesn't make much sense to me to have speakers which are 5 times cheaper than the subwoofer. If I had $2000 to spend, I'd get $1500 speakers and a $500 subwoofer, not the other way round.

So, to get back to your question - these subs cost $1600. They probably deliver value worth much more, say $2000 or $2500 worth of "normal" retail subwoofers. Pulling a number completely from my hat, I would pair them with retail speakers in the $5000 range, maybe $3000 in internet-direct or less in DIY.

Again, let me repeat that I'm only talking about my idea about achieving 2-channel audio satisfaction with a given budget. A movie-centric system probably has different requirements.

 

[Marcus Lewis]

Oh boy ... :frowning:
Just when I make a decision too ...
My primary goal is movies / Xbox gaming. HOWEVER, I am also very big on music, but the main reason for the dual 16's was for the IMPACT when trex takes a step in JP3
That said, I am listening to more and more music in two channel mode these days.
My other considerations were Klipsch RF'3s and matching front/rears ...
Or an Axiom setup comprising of M22's, VP150 and surrounds ... or M60's and Vp150 and surrounds ...
Oh gawd I'm all confused again ...:frowning:

 

[Saurav]

Sorry You have to decide your priorities, and what you'll spend time doing with your system. If it's primarily DVD and gaming, your choices make a lot of sense.
Also, if you later want to set up a separate 2-channel system, that's a possibility too.

but the main reason for the dual 16's was for the IMPACT when trex takes a step in JP3

Please don't get me wrong, because I'm not saying that that is better or worse than anything else. I watch one or two movies a week, I listen to music for a few hours every day. And that's sit down and listen, not walk around or use the computer while music's playing in the background. In that kind of a situation, priorities change a little.
If you want to go with JBL, S38s all around are the best bet, IMO. I thought the JBL floorstanders sounded muddy and vague compared to the S38, so they would not be a better opinion, again IMO.

 

[Steve Zimmerman]

Yeah, I'll also add my opinion that it seems odd to spend $1600 on subwoofage and $1000 on a receiver and then spend only $750 on your 5 speakers, unless those speakers are only meant to be an interim solution on the path to further upgrades.

And please don't take this as a slam on the S38s since I own four of them. I'm simply saying that I would allocate that same $3350 somewhat differently with decidedly more emphasis on the mains.

$2000 speakers

$700 subwoofer

$650 receiver

--Steve

 

[Marcus Lewis]

... Ok, first off I'm in Trinidad, so whatever you guys pay for I typically pay 50% more in shipping and duties ... It sucks, but that's how it is.

I have as you said put out quite a bit of $$$ on just the receiver and subs alone thusr far ... Even more than your guestimate ... So maybe I should be thinking more ... expansively? As opposed to just wanting to wrap the system up at this point.

Unfortunately I cannot audition 99% of what I buy because of where I am, so I depend strongly on reviews and opinions of people like your self to guide me.

That said, what do you feel about my alternative setup:

Axiom M60's for fronts, VP150 center, M22's rears (about 1300USD) ...

 

[Saurav]

Haven't heard the Axioms, so I cannot comment on that. Speaking totally empirically, "wrapping up" the system by compromising on the speakers is probably the last thing you want to do. Think about it, the speakers make the biggest contribution to the overall sound/character of the system. Differences between speakers are much larger than differences between amps/processors/digital sources. That's sad that you can't audition stuff, because your taste comes into play the most with your speakers.

If I were in your shoes, and I had a limited budget, and I was setting up a system I wanted to keep for a while, I'd buy the speakers in stages. Get just the front 2, or the front 3, get the rears later, or use your current speakers as the rears for now, or something like that.

How DIY inclined are you? I'm using GR Research Paradox 1s, which cost $500/pr as a kit which comes with a pre-built cabinet, so you just sand/stain/solder/screw things together. This speaker has been compared to retail speakers costing $3K, and I can say pretty confidently that it's significantly better than the S38s. And that's just one example of what you can do. Adire makes kits that are geared towards HT which are supposed to be excellent. If you can get woodworking done, all you'll pay shipping/customs for is the drivers and crossover components, you can have the cabinets built in your country/city/whatever.

All I'm saying is, you might be better off by thinking about where you want to go with your system in the long run, and planning a path to get there, instead of buying something just to fill a gap. I've done that, more than I'd like to admit, and ultimately it's not as satisfying.

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

Since you already have the subs and receiver, I would just finish the job. I think you will be more than happy with the S38s all around and having a complete system.
If I was to build the setup all over again, I would have bought a $550 SVS PCI or $500 JBL Studio twelve. But since you dedicated the theater to bass, the quality of earth shaking bass will most definitly show.
If you have patience, then consider the upgrade route and slowly buy the more expensive speakers.
(Mains > center > surrounds)
Some brands I like are Klipsch Reference, Paradigm, and Martin Logan.
But if I was in your position I would get the S38s, save money, and enjoy JBL sound with SVS bass.

 

[Phil Iturralde]

Marcus - As you can tell, many here have their own opinions and personal recommendations that they like giving based on their so-called feelings and brief auditions. For price vs. performance, I still recommend the winner of the prestigious Innovations 2000 Design and Engineering Awards from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), JBL S38!!!
The prized component in these JBLs is the titanium tweeter, which could create a very clean, precise sound. Cymbals, trumpets, saxophones and violins were reproduced accurately without any hint of coloration. Notes started and stopped without hesitation; JBL has made one of the best-sounding tweeters around.
But the fact is that the following reviews give an accurate picture (w/frequency graphs in Stereophile) of what to expect with the JBL S38s!
Daniel Kumin for January 2000 Sound&Vision Mag. S38* bookshelf wrote

Quote:

**NOTE: The JBL S38 takes its design queue from the TEC AWARD Wining JBL LSR32P PRO Studio Monitor.
Read the above linked expert reviews. They have years of experience, it's not just a hobby slanted by their pet Manufacture Flavor of the month, but from serious evaluations that include subjective and sometimes objective graphs.
You Will Love The JBL S38 and SVS combination - both will play extremely loud volumes without coloration or strain. Most speakers just can't keep up the heritage of the JBLs in this area, and no wonder most reviewers always eludes to that heritage - but now with other accolades as "dense acoustic timbres naturally and effortlessly, with excellent transparency and definition."
Phil

 

[parin_patel]

Hey Marcus,
I guess your thread got sidetracked a bit here... anyway, as Phil and others have said, the JBL Studio series has very good performance for what they cost, and I think you'll be pretty happy with them. Unless you're willing to spend some more money, it'd probably be best to stick with the S-38/S-Center combination.
As to your original question, Sanus makes some pretty good speaker stands and these 30 inch stands should work pretty well with the S38's. I use them for my surround speakers (JBL S36) and they've worked out very well for me. You can also find different colors (maple & cherry) and other models by browsing through this section on Crutchfield's website. It should give you a good feel for what's out there.
Hope that helps,
Parin
PS: I noticed that you're from Port-of-Spain... Well, I wish I was there to see the second test match between India and the West Indies that starts tomorrow. Anyway, I'll be trying to keep an eye on the cricket score through the internet.

 

[Steve Zimmerman]

As you can tell, many here have their own opinions and personal recommendations that they like giving based on their so-called feelings and brief auditions

Phil, I hope you weren't referring to my post as "so-called feelings and brief auditions." Again, I'm not taking anything away from the "back-for-buck"-ness of the JBL S38s, which I have owned for 18 months.

Marcus, perhaps offering my opinion about budget allocation was inappropriate--but that's all it is... my opinion. For the price you planned to pay for the JBLs, you'd have a really hard time finding anything better--but I'm not going to post a whole bunch of reviewers links and facts and figures and glowing quotes and such so you'll just have to take my remarks as the "so-called feelings" of someone who really likes the S38s.

Besides, you gotta take magazine reviews with a grain of salt lest I post the less-than-stellar rating of the S38s in Consumer Reports.

--Steve

 

[Marcus Lewis]

I am now TOTALLY confused ...

 

[Mike__D]

Personally, I think whatever type of budget one wants to spend is entirely up to them. If you can save money in any area of HT, then by all means, why not? And it's isn't like you are compromising the quality of your system with JBL's. Too many people think you NEED to spend ton's of cash for great speakers... that's not always the case.

Here at work in our conference room we have Def Tech's hooked up to a Sony ES reciever, my buddy has Energy Encores mated to a Denon 2801, and I have JBL's N-Series hooked to my Onkyo 595. Sure they're all in different room's, with different sources, but after hearing them all, I don't think I'd be much better off with one of those brands.

I say go for the JBL's if you want to save money and have a fantastic sounding system.

Just my 2 cents.

Mike D.

 

[Chris Svencer]

Phil-

I know this is a little off topic but I just have to ask. I always see you post on the JBL S38's and the 36's too. But I never hear you say much of JBL's floorstanding models like the S312, 310, or even the 412P for that matter. Do you have something against their floorstanding speakers or is it just that the S38 is far superior? Sorry if this is too off topic. Just wanted to know. Thanks.

Svence

 

[Chuck C]

I'll throw in my two cents...The S38s and S-Center are great. I'd describe the sound as clear and tight, great mid-range, and nice looks. They have a nice impact on movies. By all means, pick those suckers up; I think you would love em.

 

[Phil Iturralde]

Quote:

Reviews, Awards and Industry recognition bears out that JBL was successful in their latest models.
Phil

 

[Mike__D]

Your welcome Phil
I'm starting to feel as you do in spreading the love of JBL's!
I have to say, there have been many posts about JBL's in the last few month's. When I first got mine, there was hardly a thing on this forum about them, now it's crawling with them. Makes me feel good to see all this. I purchased them on an impulse (i know, bad), and even paid B&M prices for my N38's and N-Center. But, I wanted to hear them in my house, and I know I could return them. Once I heard them, I knew they weren't going back. (Although I could have returned them, then ordered them online for cheaper, but I feel like that's cheating)
And, I just recieved my N-26's from J&R yesterday that I'll be using for surrounds. I also ordered the wall brackets from DynaDirect... they both arrived by UPS ground, only 2 days later after ordering Can't wait to set them up!
A bit off topic, but should I use them as mains for a short period to break them in, or should go ahead and hook em up on the surround channel?
Mike D.