Anyone using the JBL LSR series monitors?

[guittarzzan]

Hi, they say you can "tune" these to the room you're working in. Anyone using these and do they live up to the claims in your experience?

thanks,
Steve

[kifaru]

I'm using LSR 28 p's. They sound good when they are not intemittantly snapping, crackling, or popping as mine have a tendency to do. I believe that I read in MIX that they are in use at either Lucas sound or ILM, don't quote me on it though.

I must say that I have had problems with these monitors and got the run around from JBL. They have some shitty policy about sending equipment under warranty to their authorized repair centers which are few and far between. I bought my monitors new from B&H in NYC. I would not recommend this model. Based on my experience I suggest that you go with something else. I say this not so much based on the sound quality because when they ain't making noise they kick ass but based on their service. I'm personally saving up for some A.D.A.M.S.

Oh and yes you can tune them. On the back there are 8 dip switches that are for attenuating low or high frequencies
and some other goodies.

Harmon International can kiss my ass.

Still might buy a 9098 pre or C.I.B.

Hope this helps.

[RKrizman]

I've had no problem with my LSR 28's, and you're right, they do kick ass. I'm trying ADAMs now to see if I can work with a more detailed monitor, but the 28's have been true friends over the last few years. A happy combination of accurate yet gratifying.

-R

[Mario-C.]

I've done some mixing using them, they are very good IMO, the low end is a lot tighter than the boomy hr824's, they sound very unflattering too which i liked

[guittarzzan]

Mario, do you recall which model number you were using?

thanks,
steve

[Jax]

I'm using LSR28P's also. The model I think you're asking about are the newest in the LSR line, something like model no. 6532. I can't speak for those because I haven't used them.

Like another poster, I find them accurate and gratifying. The low end is big and round. The tweeter is slightly grating on my ears after listening for a long (about 8 hours) time... which might just be my ears. Other than that, I like everything about them.

I don't expect the newer series to be different by leaps and bounds, but you never know.

p.s. - My only concern with switching to ADAM's is that they won't push as much low end (in the gratifying way... although they are probably more accurate). I say this only because their amp is 150 watts and the 28P's is 250.

[kellyd]

I use the 28Ps. Had them for 4yrs now. Love them and have no mechanical issues. Super solid never a problem. You have to get used to them since they aren't scooped or hyped. Very revealing. You can adjust the freq response but I think you are referring to the new LSR6300 which have the RMC (room mode correction circuit) and RMC calibration kit. Haven't heard them yet. K.

[thethrillfactor]

JBL LSR 28P...

[Mario-C.]

Originally posted by guittarzzan
Mario, do you recall which model number you were using?

thanks,
steve

LSR 28P

he he, I'll assume Thrill hated them...

[guittarzzan]

I'm mainly referring to the new ones that are said to come with tools to help you determine your room's freq response etc and then adjust the monitors accordingly.
The adams sound like great monitors, but if the JBL's would be more accurate in my workspace, then I'd lean that way.

thanks for the info,
Steve

[TinderArts]

I have the 28s and like them, but if you are looking for accuracy, the ADAMs are a better choice.

[Sofa King]

We have the 28Ps and sub.
no problems.
very nice.

[steins]

Been using them (LRS28P) for 4 years. I like them, clients like them (because of the nice low-end) and mixes translates good. I do have a pair of NS10's for "reality-check", but I don't use them as much as I used to.

They have dip-switches for different low-end roll-offs, but I've never messed with those. I guess you can tune them pretty good to the room if you want to.

Stein Tore

[ajcamlet]

i have the 25P's and will will moving to ADAMS soon. The 25's are a different animal the the 28's obviously, and i find the 25 (which are pretty small) to be a little fatiguing & harsh

[RKrizman]

Originally posted by ajcamlet
i have the 25P's and will will moving to ADAMS soon. The 25's are a different animal the the 28's obviously, and i find the 25 (which are pretty small) to be a little fatiguing & harsh

The 25's lack the luxurious low end of the 28's. There is really no comparison. I think there are lots of better options in that speaker size, but very few monitors can touch the 28's. I'm using them side by side with the SA3's now, and it's a tough decision. The ADAMs are very analytical, to my ears, and it's hard for me to "feel" when the mix, or the composition itself, is "right". But I'm still trying. The JBL's, otoh, just feel good when you crank them up. As a composer and sometimes MIDI jockey, I occasionally need that.

R-

[ajcamlet]

Originally posted by RKrizman
The 25's lack the luxurious low end of the 28's. There is really no comparison. I think there are lots of better options in that speaker size,
R-

such as?

[Larrysings]

I have had the 28p's for 3 years now and they have been good and bad. Definitely not a flattering speaker with a lot of tight bass. They go down nice and low and have plenty of tight volume I initially A/B'd them against the Mackies and KRK's and liked them better. If you get it right on them its usually right elsewhere. Just test your mix on a boom box or some other reference to make sure the lowmid bass info is coming through. I had to change my monitors though. I have a very small space (9x10 room with 4x4 vocal booth if you can believe it!). This and the fact that the speakers are rear ported contributed to a lot of boom and bass buildup in the room. It was difficult for me to assess the bass as it obstructed some of the mix. I have a friend in LA using them as well in a large room and it was a non-issue. So now (after falling in love with them 3 years ago) I own the adam s2a's. They are front ported, sound incredible and I have minimal bass buildup near the back wall. I use the JBL's in my living room now for a "real world" reference and to provide a studio feed to musicians recording in there. Incidentally the 28's were known to have been plagued by some low level buzz at times or succeptability to noise. I traced mine in to a dimmer in the other room. Hope this helps. Larry

[RKrizman]

Originally posted by ajcamlet
such as?

Well, it's just personal taste, but I've used the Tannoy 6.5's and the smaller Genelecs and preferred them both to the LSR 25. My point was not to be so critical of the 25's, but just to point out that they lack the one thing that, to my ears, makes the 28's so appealing.

-R

[ajcamlet]

i was just asking, just in case there was something i hadn't heard about that i should check out. the ADAM;s arent cheap, but so far they suit my ears.

[PRS1JAZZ]

1) You cant argue with the amount of $$$ that JBL puts into R&D!

I am going to scare some people here..... BUT.....

for monitoring I have a pair of Dyn BM15A and a pair of NS10's.

But when I want the "real world" feeling I have a pair of 8330's on the wall. They are THX and TLX certified (like that means anything now a days....) BUT they sound FANTASTIC! I bought the pair for $500 with huge omnimounts brand new! Gateway mastering uses a pair also...... you cant argue with that!

[Kamurah]

I have a pair of 25's, and I like them a lot.

They are built like little tanks (probably perfect for a mobile gig), and I find they facilitate mixes that translate very well.

Like anything, though, you have to get a feel for their "sound"....but I have come to trust what I hear from them.

I don't have the sub, (I usually use headphones to check for the real low end stuff).

Best of luck

[guittarzzan]

My main reason for posting this was that the new JBL's are advertised as coming with some kind of kit that one uses to tune the monitors to the room ( I know nothing about this kind of stuff)
My thought was this...would I be better off getting some Adam monitors ( the cheaper ones), which are highly regarded for their accuracy, or the JBL's because of their ability to conform to my room. In the end, would I get more accurate mixes by having some super-accurate monitors or some good monitors that one can supposedly tune to the room they are mixing in?
...and as slutish as it would be, I simply cannot afford both.

steve

[Jax]

My advice is to treat the room first, then deal with the monitors.

Who knows... the tuneable-to-the-room JBL's might really perform as advertised, but you can't go wrong if the room is right from the beginning. And accuracy doesn't matter as much as musicality, IMHO... although ultimately you want a good balance of both. The 28's do that for me.

Learn everything you can about placing monitors given your room size and decoupling them from the floor and desk. Look into soffit-mounting. I've found out several very important things that have made big differences. Read the FAQ section at recording.org's Acoustics and Monitoring forum. It'll easily be worth the time.

What monitors you get doesn't matter half as much as getting an undestanding of them. It's all about getting used to them.

p.s. - It'll probably be awhile before any kind of consensus is reached about the newer JBL's.