JBL LSR 4328P vs. others in the price range...

[stevelibby3]

I've been considering purchasing the JBL LSR 4328P's... I produce electronic dance music, and am in need to upgrade from Behringer Truth B2031A's. Other monitors I'm considering are the Mackie HR824's, Dynaudio BM6A's, etc.

Of course the Room Correction software and mic is very appealing with the JBL's, although naturally this feature is included in the price...which would lead me to believe the actual quality may not be combarible to the others I'm considering.

My room is acoustically treated with several panels of Auralex foam, and their basstraps in the upper four corners.

Naturally, I'm going to notice a great difference regardless-given that I'm upgrading from Behringer Truths...although I'm sure one of these choices may be better than the others as far as sound and accurate translation...

Any recommendations, thoughts?

[Alex Niedt]

I have the 6328P's, and I can tell you they're fabulous regardless of room correction. I wouldn't worry about that being a substitute for quality.

[rockstar_josh]

I demo-ed the JBLs and the Dynaudios.... I liked the JBLs but the BM6's really impressed me right off the bat. I would recommend trying to hear them or demo them somehow.

[stevelibby3]

How do you feel about the bass response with the DynAudio's given the smaller woofer? That is the one thing that is shying me away from those, and the bigger Dyns are out of my price range...

*just to edit my original post-I forgot to mention that I'm considering the Mk2 Mackies...not the original HR 824s...

Maybe I should ask this question in a new thread, but how does everyone make a decision when buying new monitors, since we dont get to hear them in our studios before we buy, or A/B them to the ones we're considering...

[bexarametric]

I have both. I love them. I know that is no help.

[gainstages]

as mentioned before, don't buy the JBL because of the room correction. that is a nice bonus, but the quality of the speakers stands on its own. the LSR series is well designed. Yes, there is some cost associated with the room correction but it's worth it, and most other speakers have some sort of digital eq and/or crossover network anyway, so it really didn't cost JBL that much more to do the job right.

Dynaudio is nice. There are some others in that price range that are nice as well. for what it is worth, i've used almost every speaker in that price range, and for my needs, I felt that the LSR provided me the best set of features for my personal needs.

you just need to check them out, and frankly, i don't think you can make a wrong decision choosing between them and the dynaudio.

[stevelibby3]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

I have both. I love them. I know that is no help.

Both meaning the JBL's and the Mackies, or JBL/Dynaudio? Did you happen to buy both sets just for A/B purposes? If thats the case, which ones are you primarily mixing through before running through the others?

What advantages are you seeing over each set?

[superburtm]

for what its worth I bought the 4328's and I am digging themthumbsup All the engineers that have been in my room love them too. Great deal if you ask me.

[bexarametric]

Originally Posted by stevelibby3

Both meaning the JBL's and the Mackies, or JBL/Dynaudio? Did you happen to buy both sets just for A/B purposes? If thats the case, which ones are you primarily mixing through before running through the others?

What advantages are you seeing over each set?

JBL/Dynaudio

I use them both (I also mix on HS80M's). I know that's a lot of monitors, but it works for me. I only NEED one set of monitors. In true GS fashion, I use three sets.

The Dynaudios are smoother. That could be a good thing. That could be a bad thing. It's all subjective. The best thing to do is listen to them and draw your own conclusion. The JBL's give you more low end. The RMC helps too for less than ideal rooms.

[diamondjim]

The JBL 4328P's have much greater detail in the mid to high end than the previous monitors I have owned (Alesis M1 MKII, KRK Rocket 8's).

The bass is also very good, and if you use the room correction using the supplied software you can see where the automated eq modifications are being made to account for bass frequency modes. I added some bass traps behind the monitors and it still made some corrections (a dip of about 15 db in the 85 hz area).

Service from JBL has been very good. I sent them back because the SPDIF was not locking from my RME into the left speaker (it did work on the right speaker). They took them back and sent me a new pair in a week, no questions asked.

For the money highly recommended.

diamondjim
Barn Jazz Home

[willerichey]

I used to use Behringer Truths and then upgraded to the JBL's when they first came out. Let me tell you, that is by far the best investment in recording gear i have ever made. I find the RMC feature useful in making slight corrections but no substitute for acoustical treatment. It is ideal for my setup since I track (drums, guitar, bass, vocals) and mix in the same room.

Unfortunately, there is no plug in, monitor, EQ, or magical RMC out there that will compensate for a shitty sounding room.

To my ears, there is a major difference between using the analog and digital inputs on the JBL's so i am guessing the D/A converters in the JBL's are far superior than the ones in my Delta 1010lt which is another huge plus.

The routing possibilities are really nice as well and will benefit you in the long run if you decide to go 5.1 in the future.

[stevelibby3]

Thanks for the great input everyone... I'm sure I can't go wrong upgrading to these. Willierichey...you mentioned something about the converters possibly being better than your Delta's... That brings me to a whole new question.

I'm also looking to upgrade my interface (M-Audio Firewire 410) to something like an RME Fireface...or even a step further to an Apogee Ensemble... OR simply add a good converter (either Benchmark DAC-1 or RME ADI-2) to my current setup. Keeping in mind I exclusively write and produce electronic music...which is going to be the best choice-and if there is going to be a huge difference in my sound depending upon which route I take.

Of course, being on a budget-I'm only able to get new monitors, or interface or converter...one at a time. Not exactly sure which to pick up first... I'm guessing the monitors since I'm using Behringer Truths...although the converter or interface might make a bigger impact.

[willerichey]

I would suggest upgrading you Monitors first then your acoustics. The most expensive mics and preamps in the world will do you no good if you can't hear what you are recording/mixing properly.


If you do electronic music I am assuming that you would only need at most 2 mic preamps (no live drums). What about the Apogee Mini?

[stevelibby3]

I'm sure you are right, as the monitors will help me to actually hear things more accurately. I know this thread is now getting off topic, but I'll ask just one more thing regarding the interface or converter upgrade.

I know that the Benchmark DAC-1 has a great track record... Just today a friend recommended the RME ADI-2...to save a little money. However the RME for some reason, has been discontinued. Based on price, I'm assuming the Benchmark would be the better choice as far as sound quality.

There are certainly many avenues to take... Keep using the Firewire 410 for recording vocals and hardware synths, and run digital out, into a nice converter. OR spend a considerable amount more for a completely new interface (Fireface or Ensemble), and just utilize the converters within those...

The main question regarding this, is...would it really be worth all that extra money for say the ensemble or fireface? In other words, will that really improve my sound that much? As for acoustic treatment, I have plenty of Auralex panels, and 4 of their basstraps... The room is pretty decent sounding.

I appreciate any comments or feedback on this topic as well... Thanks!

[stevelibby3]

Ill re-ask the last question in a new thread... Thanks guys for the feedback on the JBL's...