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Hi,
I have a pair that I have been using for a couple of years now.
Currently I use a Pass Labs X350.8.
Prior was a Pass Labs X350.5.
This is a lot of power for a 89dB speaker, and sounds great!
Full scale. As loud as I want.
These speakers can take the power without stressing out.
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I am quite taken by the lack of color, and effortless dynamics. I compared them with the WP6, and found the JBL better in many ways. They are real sleepers. I will have to try out some Pass gear. I have always have liked his gear. PT |
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Yes, the dynamics are really fantastic.
I can't believe that there is not more interest in this speaker. I have not heard anything I like better yet, and I have been at this for awhile. The compression drivers, once heard, are impossible to deny.
I am interested in your experience with the tube amps and the 1400s. What is the minimum power you have gotten by with? What do you find lacking and what do you find engaging?
As for the Pass gear, audition it. I think you will find this to be a great match.
There is plenty of nuance and plenty of realistic dynamics. I like the power.
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I am using a 70 wpc tube amp which seems to be coasting. I have tried EH kt88 and Gold Lions, more detail with EH, more body and warmth with GL. I like both. Next week is the 90wpc V-Caped Quickies. After that, 100 wpc MFA TRIODES. Bass with the tube amp is very deep, controlled, and dynamic. Damping factor is 11-12, same as the Quickies. Silver cable is used. I may upgrade the gold binding posts and use biwired cable or try 4 Quickies at 180 wpc of tube power. So many options. I may go with Silver Rhodium posts or Eichmann posts. PT |
With a 70w tube amp I doubt you are hearing the full extent of bass extension and power that these very good loudspeakers are capable of. |
One of the members of our audio club (Las Vegas Audio Club) has a pair of these, they sound great! The amps: 1000 W Crown industrial amps. I heard this system cranked. You'll be picking your jaw up off of the floor.
I have the JBL S4700s, which are, for the most part, equivalent in sound to the 1400 Arrays, and there might be something to using high powered solid state amps with these very efficient speakers. I'm looking at the Accuphase A-70, which is a Class-A lower powered amp, but can drive very low impedances. It drove a pair of very insensitive Magico speakers @ CES 2015 with no problem at all. But that Pass Labs X350.5 and .8 has gotta be one of the best, if not the best high powered stereo A/B amps out there...I would get that over the Bryston, but the Bryston is a good choice too, and it's a bit cheaper as well... |
If you wanna go Bryston, then get the 4B SST2. That's what I use (actually the older SST model) at the present time with my JBLs. I haven't got it to clip yet. Another idea is to bi amp with tubes on the mids/highs, and solid state on the bass. But that needs to be carefully done. It's a bit tricky. |
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Oh, yes.
I also used an Audio Research Ref 110.
It's been awhile now but I seem to remember liking the combination well enough.
I would like to hear the JBls with the new Ref 150.
I just finished listening to Bartok For Children, Jeno Jando, Piano (NAXOS).
Really, the X350.8 and the JBLs are not missing much!
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I am using Marantz reference gear: MA9S2 monoblocks with matching pre and cdp. I love the combo. |
Dave 72, I bet the JBL speakers sounded better than the magico speakers hands down! |
I just tried the Quicksilver Silver mono, similar to the new Silver 88, and the match is very synergestic. Great bottom end control and extension. Eventually I will try all 4 of them. Just very well matched. PT |
Dave 72, I bet the JBL speakers sounded better than the magico speakers hands down! Probably, but the magazines don't want you to know that, or they just don't know. lol. |
Dave 72, seem's JBL introduced synthesis LS-80 speaker's, along with the other synthesis LS model line, have you had the chance to listen to these speaker's? |
Those have been around for a while now actually. no, I haven't heard them yet. |
Dave_72, How long have they been around, unless I missed something, I just noticed this new line of JBL speakers, The last time I was on the JBL sysnthesis web-site, I admitt, it must been a while, a few months to a year, but that's it, unless JBL did not put these on their web-site until long after they where on the market?, the LS-80 speaker looks appealing, I wonder what the retail is, and the specs? |
At least 3 years. I'm not sure, I believe so. Retail is around $4 or $5k. Maybe even $6k. The specs are in the reviews, just look them up via Google. |
Dave72, I was correct then, The JBL LS-80 was on the market way before they put them on the sysnthsis web-site. |
Yes you were. As well as the new to North America 4365 which have been available in Europe and the Far East for quite some time now...:D |
Dave 72, the 4365, mmm, never heard of this one either, man, I enjoy talking to you, you are the one to come to about alot of JBL speakers, I suppose I can search this model out and see what the fuss may be about this model, have you any exsperience with the 4365? |
Well, again, they're very new to North America, and for some reason haven't been publicized yet except on dealer websites. http://www.homeaudiosound.com/?portfolio=jbl-4365-studio-monitor No experience with them other than reading about them. One of the club (Las Vegas Audio Club) members just got a pair, so eventually I'll be up at his place to listen to them! Take care! |
Thanks Dave 72, please let me know your impression's of the JBL 4365. |
You're welcome, and I will. It might be a little while, though. |
Hi,
I thought I would add something new.
I have been using a First Watt F5 on these speakers. The sound is very clear and real. I like it a lot.
When I want dynamics, though, it's back to the 350.8! |
Cool, sounds good. That sounds like a good match-up ie the 350.8. |
Has anyone used the SDEC as an active crossover for this speaker? |
I own a pair of 1000 arrays - wish I had space for the 1400 but alas. I power them with a Denon PMA 2000 IVR integrated which might be familiar to some of you. Ultra High Current MOSFet design, nominal 80 w per channel but benches at 125 at 8 ohms and doubles that exactly into 4 ohms. It is a beast of an amp however, at 52 pounds, dual mono, it has 120 amp per channel peak current output, Kimber 8TC speaker cable and: The sound is absolutely sublime! I almost never can get it past 9.5 o’clock on volume. And its not ’loud’ its dynamic, neutral, life like, shocking and an absolutely joy to listen to, even and especially at low levels where they do not shrink! Amazing. I’ve been told that the JBL Synthesis 800 amps, bridged, do absolute wonders on these speakers, although its hard to imagine since they already sound revelatory now. I’d like to try them eventually once my space allows for it, however right now I almost wonder if I’ll ever get around to it, they sound so good with the amp I have. |
I had a pair of the 1400s for about a year, I thought they were very good. Used a McIntosh MC452 to drive them. I would still have them but I ran into a very good deal on a pair of JBL 4367.
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@tlong1958:
How do the 4367s compare to the Array 1400s, and what did you do with your Arrays?
I think I might have encountered a similar deal and all that I can tell from the specs alone is that the 4367 is sort of a hybrid 2/3 way design and it's much more efficient (94dB vs. 87 or 88dB), so likely easier to drive.
But what about sound quality? When considering the fact that the 4367 will logically be louder for a given setting, what other differences are there? I'm pretty impressed with the 1400 Array and I don't have the option of listening to the 4367s (unless I take a plane flight and hear them in a strange room, probably equalized), so I'm genuinely curious. Are yours equalized? What do you prefer in the 1400s and what do you prefer in the 4367? |
I traded my 1400s in on the 4367s, I had only owned the 1400s for about a year or so and was very happy with them. The 4367s not only play louder, they remain clear and show no signs of strain at higher volume. The 1400s could sound a bit compressed (for lack of a better term) when pushed hard. The 4367s are also more dynamic at any volume. I used a McIntosh room correction unit with both, MEN 220 I think is the model number. I think the 1400s are very good, but the 4367s are significantly better. They should be, for the price difference.
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I've owned my 4365's now for 6 years and love them to bits. I've driven them with an Ayre V-5xe which was nice, but a little dry. For the last 2 years i've been driving them with the Audio Note Kits EL34 mono blocks at 40w per side. The tubes sound so much better then the Ayre. Much more texture and body. |
Disagree on the comment that the 1400s compress. Might have been an amplifier problem because I've pushed mine very hard using a 400WPC amp and they sound exactly the same but louder the higher the volume. |
