Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)There are no reviews for these speakers yet, so I wanted to write one that will hopefully be useful to other people interested in purchasing the JBL L830's. I purchased these speakers as an upgrade to an existing Onkyo HTIB system I have owned for over a year. While my existing system was already very good, I noticed that during most movies the dialogue was difficult to hear and other sounds were somewhat muddied. I knew when purchasing the HTIB that the speakers included with the set were sub-par, and I had intended to upgrade at some point.
I researched many different brands and speaker types before deciding on the JBL Studio L series. I looked at JBL's cheaper line, the Venue series, but I decided that I wanted to go with the higher end Studio series for a few dollars more. I purchased these L830's for my front L/R and paired them with the LC1 center channel speaker.
The difference in sound compared to my small Onkyo speakers is tremendous. It wasn't until I hooked these speakers up that I noticed how bad my original speakers sounded. The L830's provide a crystal clear sound that is very neutral, and they can drive a decent amount of bass as well, allowing my sub to really focus on the lowest frequencies. My amp is rated at 95 watts a channel, and it seems like the L830's aren't even breaking a sweat even when I crank the volume. It's nice to know there is a lot of untapped power in these speakers, even though I'm not planning to upgrade my amp anytime soon.
Visually, these speakers are beautifully crafted and look very nice. The solid wood construction is very attractive, and the fronts look very cool and modern without the grills on. I was tempted to leave them off but the wife didn't feel the same, so they still look good with flat black grills on the front.
A couple of other things to note... first of all, these speakers are HUGE! They are listed as bookshelf speakers, but they are gigantic and pretty heavy. Not the best match for a flat panel or wall mounted system, and they are probably too deep to fit on most wall-mounted shelves. They work best if you have a deep entertainment center or built-ins with counter tops like I do. Even using speaker stands with these might be tough if they'll be in a high traffic area. Secondly, they are intended to match up with the LC1 center. If you are upgrading your surround system like me and will end up with a mix of these and other lesser speaker models, I would recommend at least getting the LC1 or LC2 to go with it. In my case, these arrived a day before my LC1, and I hooked them up while still using my old Onkyo center. Doing so made it go from difficult to impossible to hear any dialogue in tv or movies. These speakers absolutely overshadowed all other speakers in my setup. Even with recalibrating my amp it was difficult to hear the other channels since these pumped out so much sound. I'm sure most people reading this already know better, but I wanted to at least call it out. Lastly, if you have trouble finding them for a reasonable price, check out a popular online auction site and you might be able to score them direct from the manufacturer at a ridiculously low price if you're patient. Amazon has good deals too, but I'm just saying that it pays to check around. I've seen them go for as low as $140, so at that point you're barely paying more than for a set of Arenas.
All in all, I love these speakers and the amazing sound they deliver. I am sure that some audiophiles will say they can't perform like some of the super high-end speakers out there that cost in the $1,000's, but for their price range I feel you are getting a fantastic and superior sound that can turn most any average system into near-audiophile quality.
Click Here to see more reviews about: JBL L830 3-Way 6-Inch Bookshelf Loudspeaker (Pair, Black)
Click here for more information about JBL L830 3-Way 6-Inch Bookshelf Loudspeaker (Pair, Black)
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