JBL K2 5500 anyone?

I don't think the 35 Hz will be a brick wall. There is sure to be plenty of energy below 35 Hz. I do not think it is wise to dismiss a world class speaker on this measure alone, unless, like most people, you prefer the North American consumer slow resonant deep impressive bass extension over fast bass with better transients and lower distortion.

Good quality bass below 35 Hz is actually extremely expensive to engineer in significant SPL's. It is not crazy but actually quite reasonable to use a dedicted high quality sub for this task.

Shadorne - you raise a good point. Not sure about the 5500s. but the K2 9900s I heard at RMAF were pretty impressive.

Antonkk - You won't really know anything until you try them in your system and you may very well love them, if they are in good condition. I would be wary if the seller won't let you try them first. Depending upon the price, maybe you could offer to pay a small amount to be credited towards the purchase price if you decided to buy them, sort of like the Cable Company does? At least them he could see you are serious and that might change his attitude. Good luck.

Hello,

Quite an old topic, but I am always surprise to find so few information about JBL K2 speakers, especialy this first serie.
I owned a pair of K2 S5500 and the upper description is quite good: fast basses, good transients, low distorsion and also a great balance. Doing less, but doing good and if you want the 20Hz at home, invest in a dedicated speaker.

As I am a lucky man, I had an opportunity on a K2 S9500 pair, still an apolito design but in maxi format, with more everything (basses, energy, information, tones, dynamic...) and still the same philosophy. You can go deeper, but not in the same conditions (speaker size/volume, distorsion...).

These speakers seem to be rare in US and it's a "harm" because it's really good ones, far better from my point of view than the first Everest DD55000 (tones for example), one among the best JBL.

Thanks
Ugo

JBL specs are anechoic. Real world, in room measurements show a much deeper bass. JBL just does not want to use the "guesswork and optimism-based" phrases, like "typical in-room response......" that so many boutique manufacturers use. I've seen the Everests do 22 hertz flat in a medium room in a home.

You do not see the older speakers in the USA as JBL gave up on the USA market for the large horns due to the market's blind prejudice against horns. A dealer could not order them. But they sold plenty overseas. Just a couple of years ago JBL decided to let them be sold in the USA and started demoing them. There are several great low distortion speakers in the line, from the 1400 array up to the DD67000 Everests.

I am not a dealer, not affiliated in any way with JBL. But I appreciate excellence.

Low distortion was exactly what I said myself past week end. You can listen loudly very easily, not that you need, just that you have pleasure to increase the level song after song. It plays loud and always easy.

Now, that's doesn't significate that it's not able to be detailled or delicate.

I don't appreciate so much the K2 S9800 serie, that I consider as a little bit boring, but the first K2 (9500) is really a great speaker and it's quite sad to realise that the model is unknow (or closed) on US market.