JBL SCS136SI Junk? (1 Viewer)

[Lars_O]

HELP! First post
I'm looking for a "value priced" system to run with my HK AVR330 mostly for movies, some music, in a small/med. sized room. I wanted to go one step above the HT-in-a-box gear, but not drop a ton of cash. My next step up would have been some used Athena AB-2's with a powered sub from somewhere else.....but either way still in or around the $500. mark.
So the question is, are these JBL's in the $300. price range a good value, or just crap? I havent been able to audition either systems, because the BB's in my area are in pretty rough shape in terms of being able to demo systems other than Bose.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Kenneth Harden]

You do know this is coming?

http://www.jbl.com/home/products/pro...Id=SCS&sCatId=

What about the new Athena system? It is a great little system and the quality (sound and build) is very good.

 

[Lars_O]

I didnt, thanks for the info....So what you are saying is the SCS136SI is discontinued/obsolete? Other than what is newer and better will this one still sound adequate, or is it a waste?

 

[Kenneth Harden]

No idea on the sound, but I figure this will replace the old JBL system soon.

 

[Ryan Schnacke]

Obsolete is kind of a funny way to put it. Speaker technology doesn't move quite like computer or decoder tech does. Often the changes from one model year to another are only cosmetic.

My parents have the SCS135 system - same as the 136 but with only 5 speakers. It actually sounds pretty good considering their size. Factor in the price and its the best example of a Bose-killer I can think of.

Of course you have to keep your perspective - the mid/woofers are only 3" drivers and the sub is a ported 8". But this can be a very good choice especially if you really need tiny speakers.

 

[Lars_O]

Thanks for the info guys...From what I've heard, they SCS136si's might be weak on bass, so what I was thinking of doing was using my big floor standing 3-way Technics speaker for the front left and right, putting the JBL sub near the seating area, and then dispersing the remaining JBL satellites and of course center channel. Does this sound like a good plan?
I'm a newbie, so please forgive me if this has been covered before.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Remember, for home theater, the better part of HALF of your sound is coming from the center channel, so big right and left speakers is not going to be a huge improvement - listening to music is a whole other matter.

 

[Lars_O]

Really? I did not know that...maybe I should just upgrade the center channel speaker (unless they have to be "matched" to the others?) with an Athena AS-B2?

i really appreciate your patience with these "newbie" questions....I have done a fair amount of web research, but often the basics get overlooked, or confused with sales hype.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Or, if you like the Athena's (I love them for the price), get some B1's or B2's and a C1. In the USA, the C1 is $150 and the B1's are $150 - and the sound quality would be amazing.

 

[Kevin_Breeze]

Yeah if you can, get matching front, left and center for even timbre across the front soundstage in movies.

 

[Ted Lee]

they're not bad at all. i've sold plenty of them.

but i haven't seen them on display for quite some time...i thought they were discontinued as well. but, according to the website, they're still available. hmmm...

anyway, pretty good sound quality, pretty decent sub, and a very nice price-point. the big-brother (160si) is a much better setup though ... especially the sub. of course, it is about 150 bucks more.

 

[Ryan Schnacke]

To get the most of your sub, place it in a corner. Preferrably at the "front" of the room (near the front speakers). This way you'll excite the most room nodes and you can still get decent phase matching with the front speakers.

You might consider piecing together a system using the JBL speakers (or some similar speakers) and the Dayton "Tiny Mighty 2" sub. I think you can find the JBL's seperately and that Dayton sub is pretty much considered THE best sub you can buy for less than $200 (excluding used and DIY subs).

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...number=300-632

 

[Lars_O]

Great info, guys, much obliged. I'll set the whole thing up and hear how it sounds once my receiver arrives. But I'll lend some serious though t to replacing the center channel speaker with an Athena (or perhaps a used set of 3 if I can find them) and the sub with a Dayton. Dayton's satellites partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-665 are pretty reasonable as well. Are they comparable to the JBL's in the SCS136si set?
They also have a REALLY cheap 5.1 set by Audiosource...is it worth considering?

 

[Ted Lee]

if you're thinking about replacing the center *and* the sub, why are you even buying it?

don't forget about timbre-matching. if you buy speakers from different brands (not including the sub - it doesn't count since it's just lfe) then the speakers all sound different. as sound pans across the room, the tonal quality will change.

 

[Lars_O]

I know....thats what i'm debating at this point.

Here's the 3 options I'm considering....The JBLSCS136si as is.

or, the Dayton sub, Dayton satellite's an Athena AS-B2 for center channel (perhaps with 2 more AS-B2's for front L/R).

or one of the Audiosource 5.1 systems.

Any thoughts?

 

[Ryan Schnacke]

No sense in paying for a center channel and a sub that you're not going to use. If you don't think you'll be happy with the JBL SCS system as a whole, and you can't buy the satellites seperately then go for something else. This thing has a street price of, what, $300? You'd spend over half that much again to replace center and sub.

Here's an idea to consider:
www.hometheaterdirect.com

Look at their Level 1 center channel and satellite speakers. These look maybe a little better than the JBL and Dayton speakers you're considering and probably lots better than the Audiosource speakers. 4" midranges that go down to 80Hz - that's an advantage in this range of speakers. HTD has a terrific reputation and THE ABSOLUTE BEST return policy of ANY web-based seller. If you don't like them for any reason, you can return them and HTD makes sure you get all your money back, including shipping! Nobody beats that.

I'd still go for the Dayton subwoofer since its such a great performer for the money, and likely a big step up from the HTD Level 1 sub.

That would put you at:
$125 for the sub
$30 for the center
$80 for two pairs of satellites
$235 total plus shipping.

 

[Jason Hammerly]

You might consider the Rocket Tykes B stock for $199. Just bought them last night for
$224 shipped to my door. Have lots of favorable reviews. A couple are here and here . I'm giving them a shot. Later.

Jason