JBL G300 vs The Competition


Using the A & B speaker modes on my Denon DRA 395( w/ SLDC) & the generous 30 or even 60 day MBG offered by some sellers, I have decided to put my JBL G300's( $240) to the test. Tonight I will begin a comparison with my new Def Tech SM 65's($670). The speakers are set at about a 150 degree separation to provide full stereo dynamics.

The G300's produce a bass freq response of about what I consider 40 hz(JBL claims a conservative 50) while the DF's claim 30.

The music for the test is based on my desire for more bass response than the G300's on some tracks w/o being forced to resort to my Ultrasone HFI 680 Hphones.

The fact that a marked improvement in bass is indeed present through the Hphones is evidence that it is there.

The tracks tested will be:

I Feel Fine
Babys In Black-- live
Day Tripper
Tell Me Why
Twist & Shout
U Cant Do That
Money
Old Brown Shoe-- alt version
It Wont Be Long
All My Loving
Fun Fun Fun
IWTHYH
R & R Music
Beethoven
U really Go t A Hold On Me
Walk Dont Run
How Can I Be Sure
A Girl Like U
I Gonna Be All Right
Hold Me Tight
A Hard Days Night

More as the test progresses.
roscoe50
After a couple of weeks the results are as follows.

I didn't get to the first 5 or Money but there were also some editions--

Please Please Me
World W/O Love
Memphis-- Lonnie Mack
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Youre Going To Lose That Girl
Dead Mans Curve
Cant Buy Me Love

The results are:

G300-- 17
DT---- 5

The bass response in the G300 was almost always clearly better than the DT's-- despite the 30 claim.

The 5 DT votes were for Fun Fun Fun-- not necessarily better bass in this one but incredible guitars especially in the beginning. I think I know now what is meant by sound stage.

Rock & Roll Music-- better bass with the DT's here. Enough where I can dispense with the Hphones

Its Gonna Be All Right

Cant Buy Me Love

Dizzy Miss Lizzy

On 2 they both sounded good--- Roll Over Beethoven & World W/O Love

I have never heard a bass recording more awesome than the latter.

The verdict then is clearly for the JBL's and the 65's are going back. It should be noted that I had a pair of SM45's but didn't test them fully-- presuming the 65's would be better. I intend on testing the 45 again because the bass seemed better on them.

But first will be the Monitor Audio Bronze BX-2
One correction as Its Gonna Be All Right can be tweaked so it sounds as good on both speakers. This leaves the SM65 as a clear winner on only 4 tracks
The results of the comparison with the DT SM 45 are in. BTW-- MO is that the 45 is a better spkr than the 65.

Bass expression did improve withe the 45's( enabling me to dispense with the hphones) on the following:

Dizzy Miss Lizzy
How Can I Be Sure
A Girl Like U
I Feel Fine
Day Tripper
Babys In Black(L)
Darlin(L)
R & R Music.

The 45's are quite impressive and I may end up with them but for now a test of the Canton 502.2 will follow.

Roscoe50.  I had the amazing fun and pure pleasure of being the JBL, Denon, Onkyo, Hafler, Ortofon, YSL Vinyl LP Import factory rep from 1977 - 1983 in the Southwest USA.  Among other jobs and tasks, I was in charge of training the retail sales floor staff the best ways and best source material to use to best impress customers as to how and why JBL was the choice of Mix and Mastering Professionals so if you wanted to hear what they intended you to hear on the LPs from their mix, your best ought to use and buy JBL Monitors for your home, ie L100, L166, L110, L212, L36, L26 4311 etc.  I had a deal with Record Bar Records where they allowed me to come in every month and get comped n/c as many as 25-30 retail LPs to take home and use for DEMOs and to train these salespeople and consumers.  I would hold JBL Sale Days in stores every month.  The fun part was to first tell the participants what they were going to hear using JBL to reproduce music and then to watch their faces when that is exactly what happened and MUCH MORE.  Back then my favorite LPs to use were Karla Bonoff's 1st LP "Karla Bonoff", Eric Clapton's "Slowhand" and Brothers Johnson, "Get the Funk Outa My Face" and MANY MANY MORE. If you still today want to hear what midrange voice should sound like, there is still no better material that that KB LP.  My point is, with you using 1965 - 1969 Beatles outdated four-track recorded music recordings, I'd be shocked if anything sounded like real Stereo HiFi Music should sound. The point is using old Beatles or any other Bands 1960s LPs, you're leaving the top end highs, the smooth voice like midrange and any real fundamental bass notes or deeper octave material, from even being available to come out of any 2012 transducer.  Just my 2 cents in helping you test A/B speakers a much better way my friend.