JBL S38 or similar for stereo setup (1 Viewer)

[Ben LG]

My Infinity and Marantz setup is not cutting it anymore for the music Ive been listening to recently (Evanescence, hard rock etc.). I bought the SR6200 AV reciever and DV4300 dvd player less than two months ago so I will be keeping those but I would like to switch my Infinity speakers to ones that are more "hard-hitting" and lively. The Infinity and Marantz combo produce a very smooth and detailed sound but lacks a bit in the midrange, especially for this type of music.

I checked out Sound & Vision and Stereophiles review of the JBL S38's and it got me interested, especially for the price they have them for at J&R so I will probably go check them out. Any other bookshelves that you guys would recommend to take a look at in the same price range as the S38's or for a bit more? Also, what stands are you guys using for the S38's (want to stay under $100 for stands plus space is a important factor since it will be used in a 12 x 12 room). Last, will placing the S38's in a upright position rather than the intended horizontal position alter its performance in any way? I use my system mainly for 50% music and the other 50% for live concert DVDs with the occasional dvd movie.

 

[DonnyD]

The JBL S38 does represent a great value for stereo and for HT... I used the original S38 for my brothers HT/stereo setup and they just seem to get better and better. The mid-range is a strong point of the S38 but they do all the ranges pretty good. I didn't note any difference in them regardless of vert or horiz positioning. Being front ported, they do well in a bookshelf too.
I am an old JBL fan and own a pair of the L100 from the 70's. I have found nothing, including the newer JBL, that comes close to the power and drive these speakers have. If you could find a nice pair of those or the 43** series, you'd have killer stereo and hard to beat in your face sound. I use mine for my mains in HT but if I wanna rock, I just run them 2 channel.... that's when they still amaze me.