JBL K2 S9900 vs Klipsch Heritage Jubilee Horn Speakers.
I recently had the opportunity the have extensive listening sessions both these two wonderful speakers. And, as great as the JBLs sounded (I believe that all horn type speakers are an acquired taste), I much preferred the Klipsch Jubilee speakers over the JBL speakers, and it wasn’t even close!!!. Also, the Jubilees are significantly cheaper than the JBLs. Are you kidding me??? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a horn speaker lover, per se, although, years ago, I did own a pair of Avantgarde Duo horn speakers for a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. But, it didn’t last. However, my goodness gracious, the Jubilee speakers just swept me off my feet!!! At the dealership, they used SS amplification for the bottom end and tubes on top to drive the Jubilee’s, and it was absolutely breathtaking!!! I found the Jubilee speakers so impressive that, I swear, if I had enough space in my listening room, it would’ve been extremely difficult for me to resist purchasing a pair of them right there on the spot. IMHO, the Jubilee’s are one of the greatest sounding, and also one of the greatest values in high end, cost-no-object speakers in the world, regardless of price. I believe that the Jubilee’s can complete with any speaker on the planet. And, I’ve heard just about all the greatest speakers in the world, either locally or at audio shows. The Jubilee speakers incredibly, just poured out a wide, open, huge soundstage, lush, greatly emotional, greatly involving, detailed, transparent, hugely dynamic, smooth, airy, bass to die for, holographic, 3D musical presentation like an ocean or a waterfall of musical delight. The Klipsch Jubilee speakers have got the one of the greatest best kept secrets in high end audio. Yes, you get the idea, I was supremely impressed with the Klipsch Jubilee speakers. If I only had the proper space for the Jubilee's, I would buy in an instance and never look back. Happy listening.
Ah...ok. So, Celestion is the real hero, not Klipsch. Perhaps, it should be renamed Celestion Jubilee to give credit where it's due. Ah, wait a sec, that driver appears to cost a 1000 dollars on partsexpress. 35k must be for the big ugly plywood box made in Arkansas (a technological miracle!).....
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@phusis , Yeah, I am a pro-ish guy...I also do know that it costs a whole lot more (different ball game) to develop drivers from scratch (r&d, tooling, facilities, recuperation timelines, tc) and i can justify higher prices for that. If an entity is just buying drivers from someone else for pennies on the dollar, i expect pricing to be lower. Klipsch is not a small company with limited resources. It is either a lack of aptitude or taking the easy route/making an easy buck that I am not all that fond of. Would JBL, Yamaha, TAD/Pioneer, etc not make their own drivers? It would be a freaking joke and downright shameful if they didn't.... There's nothing stopping you all from buying anything. I just have different requirements and standards for manufacturers and what I'm willing to pay when such standards aren’t met.. |
@phusis ...I had the 9800 predecessor ~20 years ago now. I never heard the 9900, but, i’ve heard the jubilee. There doesn’t seem to be a optimal driver <--> crossover "mismatch", so to speak on the jbl ( associated IR --> perceived resolution/clarity/etc..) The Klipsch is perhaps eeking out a win for the OP because of the glorious Celestion driver (all credit to Celestion, not Klipsch) and the active crossover --> possible mitigation of phase shifts, prevention of perceived energy scoopouts as is typical of Klipsches. Eitherway, it’s ok.. i’ve got 4 Yamaha PA horn underdogs keeping me in hog heaven and maintaining fullness of my wallet recently. I’ve got the jubilee beat and If the 9900 sounds anything like the 9800, i’ve got it beat as well 😏. It’s the end execution in a room/architectural space that matters. Here’s a paper for your reading pleasure... https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/9/322589/i_series_white_paper_en.pdf |
