JBL Studio 530 Review - One of the best deals ever!

[@gregorymorrill7558]

Thanks for the review and am happy you decided to spread the word. Many-many of us have been touting these for awhile and often meet some resistance from the suspicious. I love them and did not expect to, they are also the best $300 I have spent ever and I buy lots of gear in this range. I would feel this way of they were full price at $600. These are magical. I will say I totally disagree on a couple points, not to say you are wrong but to simply put my take out there for the folks. 1st- who cares about 40khz, waste of time to worry over and you ought to make that clear to buyers. Beyond that, if anything better to roll off ultra sonic waves & especially avoid peaks in this area, as they can even give headaches to ultra-sensitives even if not truly audible(perhaps why KEF and Focal sometimes turn people off who want to like them). 2nd- I find these sound great at low volumes, nothing out of the ordinary here compared with other gear. Not sure why that didn't happen in your set-up. Seems odd. (of course like all my gear, I do prefer the sound loud!) 3rd- these are small woofer speakers. My ports "fart" equal to or less than every-other 5" driver speaker set I have here including the Revel M105 which doesn't fart much. They fart less than many 6" speakers I have as well. Just curious what are you doing, what tracks and volumes, is your room huge? IMHO anyone with speakers this size and punishing bass aspirations needs bass management and a sub, and especially in any medium to large room. These are smaller room speakers, like practically every 5" woofer bookshelf. I listen ridiculously loudly to non-punishing tracks with zero port noises on the 530's, only the worst offenders offend.(stuff that cause problems in nearly all my bookshelf gear) (My gear is in a smallish room, speakers 8 feet apart, 2 feet from wall me sitting 9 feet away) 4th and FINALLY :)- I am getting a really nice sound-stage for any speakers under 2k and tremendous nuance, like out of this world no way are these under $1500 levels of micro nuance and stage presence. I know each set-up and room is it's own thing but man for $300 these are way out of their league. (a sample of other speakers I have owned that I think are very great for lowish $ and yet I deff prefer the 530's over all of these, KEF Q150&Q100, Pioner Elite EBS73, ELAC UB5, Focal Chorus 706, Infinity R162, Definitive SM55, NHT C-3, JBL 3 series monitors, focal entry level 5" studio monitors. I also prefer the sound to some far more expensive small/bookshelf speaker gear.

[@bearclaw5115]

Got these 530's a year ago because of this video, thank you Ron! Currently they are on sale for $280. You can't go wrong.

[@jcepri]

Just paid $239 for a pair.

[@NickyNicest]

@@jcepri yep killer holiday sale. Got the 520c for $89 as well and 550p for $200

[@tr1pl333]

I have not heard the 530s but I do own the 590s and they are absolutely exhilarating. And terrifying.

[@mattrismatt]

I discovered that *the 530s really shine in a near-field set-up* (at a desk). Place the speakers with the center of the woofer at ear-level and then angled down so that the tweeter has a direct line to your ears. The result? _Sound-stage magic!_

[@bearclaw5115]

I love mine in near field too. I have them out to my sides 3.5-4ft away, tweeter pointed straight to my ear and they are brilliant!

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

I will be dropping my review tommorrow 😆 working 7 days a week is tuff ! You beat me to the punch ! My Dad been a proffessional singer for 45 years and he nailed the sound signature and my dad likes them and thats rare !! 40hz back bass port shuffles out ! Thank you Ron !

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks for watching amigo!

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@Newrecordday2013 have been for about 2 years 😆 Nice review Amigo

[@bigjay1970]

Slacker!🤪🤪😝😝😬😬🤗😇

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@bigjay1970 Big Jay i'm woreout man! , I had to make sure i get atleast 70 hours of listing time on 2 ch stereo and atleast 20 hours on a 2.1 home theater setup before i can review them , and all this after 40-50 hours of break in time on 🔊 😆 and they have now been pared to 5 different amps from cool-netural-warm Integrated amps -recievers seperates , that way i can describe the sound signatute from most equitment to me this is huge !

[@bigjay1970]

@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 Ofcourse I am kidding!🤭😶🤗😇 If you think the 530's sound huge for their size the 590's sound like a giant and I do mean giant wall of sound as Z reviews mentions in his 590 review. He wasn't kidding!🤪 literally sounds like a grand piano in my living room especially after adding the 550p subs that go along in the series. 10 inch sealed for $189 on sale. Heck the are better than the main speakers and weigh 50 lbs for a 10 incher! Built like a tank.! Go look up what a SVS pb 1000 sealed weighs! Not even close!😜🤔🤫😬😬 Can't wait to see your comparison with the polks which oooozzzz quality but I believe may be a little dark in the treble department!

[@markostendorf1122]

They arrived early!!! I love these speakers! Added a sub using my Outlaw RR2160 amp with the crossover set at 100 ....sounds like a perfect mix for a live performance at the mixing board.... blown away

[@Newrecordday2013]

Dude that’s great! I love mine!

[@markostendorf1122]

Great recommendation!

[@tomaburque]

I was able to snag a pair at $299 which is so cheap I was suspicious, but they are the real deal. These speakers got fantastic reviews at $600 when they came out a few years ago. The upper mids and highs are "beamy" meaning it's like a laser projecting the sound to your ears. I like it. I'm a musician and I like to listen to all the individual instruments. The highs are really clear and quick. I love these speakers for acoustic Jazz and anything with female singers with lots of tones in the upper middle range. The speakers came with little plugs for the bass ports in the rear in case there is too much bass, I thought I won't be needing these. Well, sitting on a dresser in my bedroom with the back pointed into a corner, yeah the bass is considerable and goes down really deep. When I switch to Prog Metal the bass is deep and powerful and the kick drums really thump. I have not experienced the bass "farting" issue you described because I have not had them up loud yet as I live in a condo. They don't need a subwoofer but I paired them with a LSR310S JBL subwoofer but I leave it off when my neighbor downstairs is home. In the living room I have about $1500 worth of Polk in a 5.1 system and they sound big and fat and warm. But the crispness and clarity and really low bass means I will do my more critical music listening in the bedroom on the Studio 530s.

[@jcepri]

I paid $239 just now and $89 for the center. I hope they are good. I plan on clipping them at 80 HZ and sending the bass to my svs sub

[@RUMBLEGO1]

@@jcepri How do they sound Jeff? Was thinking about picking them up at that price to try? Do i need them? ....No. With all the buzz about these and at that price i was thinking of checkin them out. Was wondering your thoughts though after just getting these. Was wondering if they are the same materials and drivers and still sound as good as all these past reviews seem to indicate.

[@jcepri]

@@RUMBLEGO1 I bought Polk Audio ES20's instead, which blow the JBLs away.

[@RUMBLEGO1]

@@jcepri Thanks! Yeah i think i'm going to pass. Had them in check out and a little birdie said to skip it.

[@RUMBLEGO1]

@@jcepri BTW. I love Polk speakers. I own the Vintage Monitor 7C's, the 5jr's and also have 2 center channel CS400's that i am using together as mains nearfield(incredible). They ALL sound phenomenal!

[@spinachhandsjklolsmh9053]

Love this simple review format much better :)

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hey thanks! More like this to come.

[@orwhat24]

Can’t wait to see the upgrades yer buddy will do! 🤗

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

@@editorjuno you DIY guys are so much fun :) To mess with the sound profile of these speakers is crazy! They are flat +- 1.3 db from 100hz to 10k hz, , the crossover has 17 parts, Greg Timber designed them and they contain a JBL compression driver, it aint a tweeter and you guys wanna go in there tweakin ? Crazy :) And they DON"T sound platicky! Cheers, Mario

[@k.6867]

Excellent, nuanced, fair and useful review.

[@minho4575]

Everyone knows or should know about the value the studio series represents, especially when they come on sale. Another Greg Timbers masterpiece.

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

exactamente :)

[@gw61]

I bought those a few years ago and then returned them inside the trial period. Then I bought kef 300s. Kept those until I got the Buchardt S400s.

[@marklawrence4116]

Another great job - short and sweet while getting the good and bad well put forth Bravo again

[@rotaks1]

Excellent review! I love this format.

[@1mctous]

The Lounge LCR Mk. III has been the best $300 I've spent thus far. Thanks to Robert & Daniela Morin for making such a transparent MM phono preamp for the money. Your review put it on my radar several years ago.

[@Newrecordday2013]

That’s either a close second or tie!

[@PhilipCMah]

Keep watching the JBL website. Sometimes it goes on sale for around $250 a pair plus free shipping. I actually bought mine "used" because the seller's wife told him to thin out his speaker collection and the JBL were still new inside the box. We demo'd the speakers for about an hour over sweeten tea and made a deal for $200 for the pair.

[@williekenk]

I think you nailed it with these. Fun is the key word. I’m just now moving on from my Studio 580s, and the lack of depth and the dip at the crossover are the main reasons why. Especially that crossover point. At first it was fine, but over time it started to bother me and stand out more and more. I personally found them bright especially when using an amp with a weaker power supply and in a smaller room. The bass is also a little bloated, but that’s more of a room issue. You don’t need a lot of watts, but you do need a robust power supply. I ran the 580s off a 10 watt tube amp, and it powered them wonderfully. The towers are also more efficient, but I bet those 530s could do well off a good 20-30 watt push pull tube. In my experience the amp really has the ability to shape the top end on these. Have fun with them!

[@gregorymorrill7558]

what did the dip at the crossover sound like to you? what speaker did you replace it with?

[@williekenk]

@@gregorymorrill7558 Explaining the crossover dip is a little hard to put into words. Rather than a general midrange dip, it's a smaller frequency range. It's not something you notice on every track, but more something you catch on certain tracks. The best way to explain it is at times the speakers felt more like the top end and bottom end were coming from two different speakers. It doesn't feel like one natural cohesive sound. I replaced them with the Usher T-515 for now. Very much a lateral move with different tradeoffs. The prince was right and I was ready for a change. Still not sure what I'll eventually upgrade to next.

[@robertduvall7392]

An experiment would be to build a mold from the horn and mold a horn overlay out of carbon reinforced material. Probably would rid the plastic sound. These are studio monitors; maybe not the best reference in that regard. Maybe they are good for the bored engineer.

[@Tuseneldawolfenpickle]

I'm with you man. I love their ability to make all recordings I've listened to sound great. They bring music to life. I get the "plastic" sound too. Most of the time it doesn't seem evident however. For me they shine with a variety of well recorded acoustic music. I'm certain most everyone would be blown away by these. Thanks for the good review.

[@Newrecordday2013]

We are hearing the same speaker, that’s for sure!

[@bigjay1970]

@@wa2368 So friggen true! If your not looking for magnapan type of sound these 590's are fantastic for the money! Much better than 530 if you have the room and the strength!😇🤗🤭😬 And the 530's dont suck but lack the cabinet oomph the 590's or 580's can produce!

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

another one? :) Yo'u're not only the 2nd guy on the planet after Ron who thinks these sound plasticky, not even knowing what that means. Not one previous review of hundreds I've read ever mentioned it.... you guys are so weird!! But enjoy the hell out of these awesome speakers anyway :) Cheers

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

@@bigjay1970 my theory on the 530s is that they and the 570s with dual 5 1/4's are actually the better sweeter speaker than the ones configured with the bigger woofers. I am a jazz pianist and jazz listener and the 530's sound superbly thrillingly clear and clean with anything acoustic I throw at them. I just doubt that the 590's have that same finesse. I'm just guessing here....Cheers

[@bigjay1970]

@@mrmaschinaadventures I use the 590's as fronts L and rR for home theater so they work great for that reason but I can understand the smaller versions having a more appealing sound to the trained ear!😉🤗😇😬

[@amazoidal]

You should hear the JBL 590 !

[@nodoubt46able]

yeah ive got the 590s fronts, and the 530s for side surrounds......man its sweet

[@alexau4265]

$459.95 each

[@nodoubt46able]

@@alexau4265 got mine for 350 a piece

[@orpiv]

Loved my 590s from the first note to now 2 years later..Awesome with tube or Soilid State..Definately keepers

[@scottscottsdale7868]

Dude. I was literally just gonna write the same thing. I got mine for $1,000 for the pair. They are brilliant.

[@javaman3765]

ON SALE TODAY 6/22/2021 for 249.00 a pair!! direct from JBL with FREE shipping in cont USA!! Grab them while you can!!

[@admusicmas9694]

Hey Ron I bought this speaker in November I just did a small review on my Spanish channel and man you are right on everything. But for someone on a small room these are good. My room is 13ft x 15ft and they sound great For music . Great review!

[@nicestrat]

To be honest, I wasn't really that impressed with these speakers using my Marantz 2230 (30 watts). Loud port noise. I now have them connected to a Pioneer SA-7800 amplifier (65 watts) and am completely blown away with their clarity. These speakers definitely need some power. No more port noise, btw. I have them approximately 2' away from the walls and approximately 12' apart. AMAZING sound. Also, I don't notice anything that could be considered "plastic-y". You can't go wrong with these speakers unless (imho) they are underpowered. They will definitely expose shitty recordings. Makes you only want to listen to good stuff! Play Beck's "Morning Phase" album and yee shall see! I got them refurbished for around $300....total steal! No damage, whatsoever.

[@EricDSalisbury]

I have the 530s on a Crown XLS 1002 and i'm not getting any port noise either. I did have some port noise when I had them connected to a cheap Sony STR-DH190 receiver. I ran the CROWN XLS as a mono-block bi-wired to my left speaker only and it dealt with the power very well, also no chuffing.

[@NawMan357]

I've had these since 2015 and they're certainly worth having if you have multiple speakers and need to change your flavor. FWIW... I'm using them with, ABSOLUTE SATISFACTION, the Line Magnetic 518ia and the 805ia. BTW, the soundstage IS wide enough to keep me looking over my shoulders... 😳😳 Greg Timbers did a great job with these!👍🏾👍🏾

[@timschutte6924]

I did exactly what you did. I also got the Yamaha 100 wpc, rms stereo amp. It's an A,B type amp. Blows my mind. Nice. For 300 bucks you caint beat it.

[@xy5393]

SINCERE THANKS, kindly do pre-amp or proper processing. These are one of the best speakers JBL ever made.

[@tommythetoe]

looks like a well designed speaker. With that small woofer crossed over at 1500 hz you are going to get great off access response. A well designed horn tweeter can go from 1500 to 15000 Hz and JBL can certainly make a good horn. With such a small box there was little they could do about port noise or distortion. Thank you for the review I have not seen these before and will be on lookout for a sale.

[@chrisallen5579]

Really digging my new 530 purchase...thanks for the detailed review...and what a $235 bargain!

[@recordroom3223]

Hi Ron, New Record Day is awesome!... The obvious A/B comparison would be the Studio 530 vs RP-600m (in my opinion) and I was wondering if maybe adding some dampening to the throat of the horn walls might tame the "plastic" effect? I have seen some older Klipsch speakers with foam carpet padding or similar stuff around the horns to tame them a bit, I have no idea what difference it makes, but it seems like a cheap mod that may be worth trying? And yes, I think Danny could work some magic on those JBL's like he did with the RP-600m.

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

There's no comparison there, the 530s are in the next category up with Revel M16 , Def Tech D-11 Triangle Titus EX, I just dropped my update on them, Cheers, Mario kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnyto4KAdr1gjpI

[@gregorymorrill7558]

Nope. The current crossover is superb. He will only lateral at best. Waste of his time. These speakers are phenomenal. For instance I vastly prefer these over my Revel M105. These are super duper speakers.

[@gregorymorrill7558]

additionally that (very mild IMHO)plastic effect is likely the mid-woofer. I guarantee you that tweeter and the highs sound metallic(in a good way) very very very sweet metallic highs.

[@peterphan227]

I just ordered the 570s on sale. Can't wait to experience them!

[@AudiophileTubes]

How do you like your 570's? I ordered a pair, and am enjoying them immensely. I find that placement counts a lot.

[@treyhorn5645]

Great review 👍, too cool, I watched the schiit vid first and this review kinda backed up what I was hearing... Thanks, 👍✌️

[@AmericanConstellation]

There's so many bookshelf speakers that sound so nice now...thanks to Elac's Andrew Jones. Sony has em...The Klipsch 600's....The Elac's....This is a very good time for audio...for really great value.

[@agustinduenas5902]

I know you did this review a year ago. I was not going to buy the JBLs at their relatively high price point. However, I occasionally check the JBL website and they were selling the pair for $249. That's an exceptionally low price for this speaker set since other retailers had them much higher. I ordered them and have listened to them for a couple of weeks. They sound great at normal to relatively high sound levels, but beyond a certain point, they just fall apart and the port noise comes in noticeably. You are correct about that and it is jarring when it happens. I had to turn down the volume control knob until the port noise went away. I see that happening again for those recordings that are at a higher volume level than most of the other music I listen to. I just have to keep the loudness knob down enough for enjoyment without cranking it up beyond that. Otherwise, this is a great sounding speaker and I plan to listen to it a lot in the future.

[@dan_hitchman007]

These JBL Studio Series 5 are great speakers (albeit going to be discontinued soon)... during these 50% off or greater sales. Their horizontal center speaker is a weak link in this model line. Most seem to buy the bookshelves or towers as matching vertical left/center/rights across the front. Good for the (discounted) money, but they are ugly and not the greatest in build quality and overall natural vocal reproduction. A little nasally on certain vocal frequency ranges, though a bit smoother in the top end than some Klipsch horn speakers. They are better for instrumental music or special effects laden movies. At full price they have many other speakers as competition. And I am an owner of JBL 590's. For the record, the 530 cabinets are awkwardly designed and have no easy way to wall mount them when used as surrounds. No mounting point (key hole or threaded female mount stud) is included. They pretty much need stands or a wall shelf when in that capacity.

[@dan_hitchman007]

@@kirkcunningham6146 There has been recent scientific analysis and reviewing done on some of the Studio 5's that actually quantify what I was describing. And if you think the cabinets are well built, you haven't shopped much for speakers. They're good for the money if you buy them at 50% or more off directly from JBL or Harman's websites on sale. They're not horrible speakers nor are they the best. You are overstating how good they are. JBL's Synthesis model line is much better, but you will pay a steep price.

[@JC-bl9bo]

Great review. Would you go with this or the SVS Ultra bookshelf? Which is better in general? I'm coming from a more home theater system.

[@Victrola777]

I never hear colored vocals with my 530's, but I am running them on a $5,000 class A amplifier. I think they have the most uncolored vocals of any speaker I have ever owned. I also have people that think I am running a subwoofer, but I am not. I think they are amazing ! (But they do roll off around 16,000 hz) I don't even use my Freya + anymore.

[@johnroberts4571]

There's just no substitute for old school JBL horns...

[@brianjackson708]

New Record Day. 570s $200 free shipping right now. Have your buddy Danny do his work!

[@timschutte6924]

I do agree with that , EDGE where you loose everything. And the port starts to fart. I think if these speakers had a passive radiator and or more sensitive. Then these speakers would be the End Game. As they are, they are different and lively with enough "Clean", power. This is what makes this fun. There's no such thing as what is better. It's what you like. What you dislike. For me, I like my Jamo C93-2s. More for SACD and digital music. I prefer the 530s for analog records. Just something about the JBLs that I really like. Do the blind fold test.

[@MiguelPerez-tl7gy]

My friend recently gave me two JBL Studio 530 and one 530c without the amplifier. What type of receiver or amplifier can I use for these three speakers? I want to set up a kind of home theater position on the left, center, and right.

[@wallywal6139]

I bought these the beginning of January at the sale price and agree it may well have been the best $300 I've ever spent. The 530's ended my speaker search and I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting to pay quite a bit more for something I enjoy as much as these speakers. My Denon PMA 600NE integrated amp powers them just fine with plenty of room to spare. They chuffed on me at volume but once I hooked up my sub, problem solved.

[@markostendorf1122]

Totally had the exact experience.... Klipsch sub and tonal delight

[@billgoldsmith8791]

Ron, I think there are a lot of people that would appreciate you reviewing the Crown XLS 1502. Zeos uses them for his stereo system. I think a lot of people would be very intrested in your opinion as well.

[@mrchinaski4125]

Yes I use them and they are great

[@erichill5328]

I have the JBL Studio 230's. They are great for music and movies. They have the same woofer but in 6.5 and a horn wave guide tweeter. They are some big bookshelf speakers and can play really loud. Super nice sound stage. I'd be interested to see what Danny could do with the JBL Studio 230's. They go for $199 a pair on the Harmon JBL website.

[@mattrismatt]

The Studio 230s just don't have 'the magic' that the 530s possess. (It's the horn-loaded compression tweeter that does it.) Considering the stiff competition in the $199-350 range, I would never recommend the 230s.

[@dednside5229]

Imaging - In the 90's there were the AR-M1 Now thiers Studio and LSR magnepan JBL studio are so under rated When you connect them to high end amps they respond like the AR-M1 did I used a big mosfet and a tube buffer The 580 i had were more than equal to my genelec that were 5k retail So by all means get Klipsch When you live with the speaker for extended periods of time you just can't overlook the value in a small room , these are really exellent speakers you dont need to upgrade later , just upgrade the food chain and keep these .

[@michaelboyce3619]

I recently purchased a Yamaha RX-6A Receiver (100W) and have the JBL 570 and 520C speakers so far. Am looking for surrounds and a sub but not sure if the receiver will power 530c (subs) or you would recommend something different. I also have a Paraouund New Classic integrated with Polk RtiA3 and would like to upgrade to Elac UniFi 2.0 which you gave a good review. Maybe get UniFi and use Polks a surround? Thanks.

[@malakiy8688]

these speakers are okay they do play certain songs phenomenally. but they dont work well in a living room. Like Z said they are very good ona desk. .but if your gonna listen in the near field may i suggest the often slept on Planet L's or even the M's especially if you geta sub ..but now we are way out of the price range of these speakers unless you go used..but some of the best soundstage and mid-range you will hear on a desk ever! some of the best midrange regardless of price for a book shelf. borderline open-back headphone experience with a super large stage ..but a super lack of low end hence the subwoofer

[@SubUrbanNinja-EDC]

please help.... I have a RX-V385 Yamaha receiver with no amp. I do not plan on getting a amp or a subwoofer. Should I get the JBL 530 or the Definitive Technology 9020? And will my receiver run either one ok?

[@Jeffreyfrmn]

They are the best!!! Picked them up on the same deal!!! Cheers!

[@markostendorf1122]

Hope you’re enjoying yours as much as I am! Steely Dan on tap currently

[@Jeffreyfrmn]

@@markostendorf1122 I am! If you have the ability, check out 'Round Midnight by Kenny Rankin. Really shows what the 530's can do! Cheers -J

[@erics.4113]

You completely nailed this review. I'm wondering: if this is nearly flat response, where are the vocals? The highs are being hot dogged down a hallway into your face and the singer is trapped in a locker. Which is a good place for some singers and these speakers are forward fun and I love em for $239. Now I'm interested in JBL line. I wish there was a version of this that: 1. Fixed the midrange or brought it a little more forward as well 2. Had a similar top end presentation but was a little more realistic sounding and tonally richer 3. Was a bit more punchy, snappy, cracky.. For some reason I don't think the 570 580 or 590 solve this. And I don't want gobs of bass added to what's already there as I have subs. Any suggestions up the JBL line that fit the bill?

[@EricDSalisbury]

I'm curious. How are you amplifying them?

[@erics.4113]

@@EricDSalisbury hmmm not 100% sure actually. I believe I've run them on a creek audio evolution 50a and Cambridge cxa61. Not sure if they got a chance with the NAD C316 BEE yet, and they definitely haven't been on the parasound a21+ but that's next for them. I rotate a lot of speakers and haven't had these on the stands for a little while.

[@EricDSalisbury]

@@erics.4113 I'm curious to know what they would sound like on the Parasound.

[@erics.4113]

@@EricDSalisbury I am too. I just got a pair of triangle bro3 on Thursday (399 on sale and couldn't resist) and they have only been run on the parasound with creek 50a as the pre. But since I have the stands back out I'll run the JBL studio next time I'm home. I have a feeling the muscle of that parasound will wake them up nicely. The triangle sound really good too. Not the last word in clarity but they are smooth and balanced sounding so far.

[@EricDSalisbury]

@@erics.4113 Very nice, I bet the Triangles sound sweet. And I agree, I think that the parasound should wake up the 530s. I ran the 530s on a Sony DTH-190, a Hegel H95, and now a Crown XLS 1002 and they sound best using the XLS as a bi-wired mono block. Unfortunately I only have one, for now.

[@3lueant347]

Very nice review. Fun is the fitting adjective. On my desk with an old NAD 712. Soundstage nicer on my desk than on stands where my LS50s usually sit. Z review haunted me too. He sold them, kept the giant ones.

[@4GotSumthing]

Ordered a pair of 530's - gonna be an interesting test comparing these to Wharfedale Diamond 225. Gonna check them with a 60 watt Yamaha A S-301 and 100 watt A S-801. The Diamonds are nice Brit sound speakers. Very satisfactory in the 10 X 10 room they're in. Smallish size of the 530 has me intrigued and for their cheap price currently ($240!) Why Not? I gotta hear the hype and let my ears decide. Will be an interesting comparison with the near flat response of the 530's driven by the not dull sounding Yamahas.

[@4arocker]

Ugh. So today, my "used" pair arrived from an Ebay purchase. They were listed as "good" condition. In reality, they are just "fair" with cabinet scrapes, dings on the corners and missing the tweeter insert panel. A quick search revealed that Amazon has a limited number left in stock for $419 + tax and free (Amazon Prime) shipping. I also have the Klipsch RP600M and am building the crossover from GR-Research to finish that upgrade. Also, have the Elac B6.2 with a few upgrades to the crossover. In reality, I'm enjoying the sounds of all 3 of these speakers. The "fair" pair of 530s are going back to the seller and Amazon will have the new 530s to me in 2 days. The 530 impresses me. For the money, it's a "no brainer".

[@billgoldsmith8791]

I bought these speakers because of your post on the sale and Zeos's review. So, thank you very much. At $300, they are an incredible bargain. I am listening to them in my living room which has vaulted ceilings and is open to my kitchen. The couch is approx. 18 feet from the speakers and the room is at least 50 feet in length with a max ceiling height of 14 feet. We don't listen to the speakers at loud levels. But I was wondering If I would notice a difference if I used a Crown XLS 1502 amp to drive them from the 2802's preouts? Thank you in advance. I enjoy your videos very much.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Congrats on the purchase! Glad you are digging them! Never heard the crown amps so I’m not sure!

[@billgoldsmith8791]

@@Newrecordday2013 Thank you for the reply. Do you think that an increase in quality watts would achieve my goals or that the Denon 2802 is sufficient? The 2802 has 90 watts/channel at 8 ohms. The Crown 1502 has 350 watts/channel at 8 ohms. Assuming similar quality, would the additional watts make a difference at normal listening levels?

[@jcjc1842]

Bill, when you listen in your kitchen, do you notice a dramatic drop off in quality compared to listening in your couch. In other words, does the JBL 530s have a wide dispersion when one is off axis even in your living room?

[@Newrecordday2013]

It’s possible but to be frank, I’m loving these on 100 watts!

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

Hi Bill, yea, I wonder too. The Crown 1502 into 6 ohms average will push huge watts but I wonder if watts rather than current is the only part. I'm currently pushing them with a top of the line old Denon AVR4308, that's supposedly 170w channel into 2.0, so I wonder. My brother and I did fit at xls1502 to his front end with a Denon receiver, to drive his Klipsch towers and it absolutely does sound great, no mistake there. Geez, your question is almost impossible to answer except to say that at 86db and 6 ohms, the 530s need plenty of power and current. Matching is another question..... Cheers, Mario

[@MaGorSeven]

Nice review man! Tnx

[@Newrecordday2013]

You are most welcome!

[@topdog9007]

I have a floor standing jbl 270 and am thinking of replacing them with these 530s for left and right channels. How do they compare ? Thanks

[@1st_D3adz0n3]

Couldn't find anywhere, but I searched JBL speakers with connect+ to use with my JBL Link 500 and these came up. Do they actually have it? I would love to be able to pair them with it, and then POSSIBLY upgrade to the 590's later if they do as well. But it's been hard to find a specific yes or no for their speakers with connect+ in any of my previous searches

[@themadeira]

Great review, thanks for that! I see you have the Anthony Gallo Strada 2 as well. Would you mind to compare quickly? No need to comment on lower frequencies as the Strada2's basically cannot do it properly. Thanks!

[@Newrecordday2013]

Strada review is coming soon

[@alice1982ist]

I´ve got the right stands and a rega brio. what would you say? buying without hearing this gear?

[@DesertILI]

How would you compare them to the X-LS Encore? I've been thinking of maybe doing either of them for my surrounds. Sound quality is really the only thing I'm concerned about between the two. I do some woodworking as a hobby so building the cabs is no problem and they're close enough in price that it's not a factor either.

[@JetSetBaroni]

Hey Ron!! how do the JBL 530s compare to the ELAC Uni-fi UB5 Bookshelf Speakers?? I would love to know your comparison of the two.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Ugh! Two totally different sounding speakers with different strengths and weaknesses! I love both and would probably listen to then depending on my mood! In a nutshell, the 530s offer more presence. Where the unifis to my ears are more about the linear truth. Or, more of a straight line sound... if that makes sense?

[@JetSetBaroni]

@@Newrecordday2013 I love my JBL 530s. Been on the fence about purchasing some ELAC UB5s. Thanks for the reply!!

[@chrisj9008]

Plug the port with the port plug and run with subs. Thats likely going to be killer. Transient light main driver with a TON of headroom out of that compression driver.

[@chrisj9008]

Edit.. having just ordered 2 pairs. I will say the horn seems held back compared to my 580s. The horn seems held back to deal with the smaller 5 1/2 as its the same driver as the 580s. Be currious biamp'd and DSP processed what the drivers would do.. the drivers seem more than well built... and then some...

[@tripn4days]

In regards to the port chaffing, I wonder if adding one of Polk's Power Port diffusers would help clean that up a bit?

[@herrtrigger7220]

Would these do well above 80hz as front L/C/R in a theater rig? 3 of them on sale would be $167 each. I know I'll have an extra speaker (sold in pairs) but I don't care since they would be so much cheaper than anything else.

[@travis4798]

Horns change the dynamics of the tweeter, aka at the tweeter maybe the claimed 45khz, but drops off after 15khz from deflection.

[@jonnsmusich]

I added an SVS sub woofer and bi amped them... Try that and feel your socks being blown off...Bought mine ten years ago when JBL was still JBL and not Harmon... Does really well with classical music and chamber music...

[@____T326]

Would you please try an review the Wharfedale - EVO 4.2’s? That’d be awesome!!Love the video’s btw

[@jeffreyepiscopo]

Ron, have you heard the KEF Q150? Those go on sale for $300 sometimes as well.

[@Newrecordday2013]

No I haven’t

[@gregorymorrill7558]

I have, I prefer the 530. No comparison for me. That said the Q150 is excellent and different sounding to the 530, and someone else may prefer it. Buy them both and return the one you like less. or if you like them equally(and you might) toss a coin.

[@vitalykoss1897]

Could you advise these speakers for the old 50s-60s opera records, which are sometimes of very poor quality. I would like to make these records a little “lively” and probably I do not need very truthful and transparent speakers. If not these, what others can you advise?

[@wayneaustin7]

Hey Ron, I hope the family’s good. What filters do you use when taking bass out of speakers so your H Frames can do the heavy lifting? Cheers

[@adolphjanssen6580]

I know what you mean about the port farting/noise . I blokked mine off with two passive radiators. It does sound better only you lose some spl (soundpressure)

[@jrjacobsil]

Please understand that the horn is throttled way back to match the woofer that is covering a range that goes lower than is natural.

[@PP-nb3cg]

Hello, I notice you have a pair of Gallo Strada 2 speakers in the background, have you had any experience of the Gallo TR3D subwoofer? It's hard to find any reviews of it. Thank you for your time.

[@orwhat24]

Ron made an interesting comment in there about listening levels and it got me thinking. My beef with my current speakers is they sound awesome at disco levels, but at more reasonable levels they muddy and get uninspiring. Just not pretty or exciting or right. As people comment and reviewers review I’d love to know what sounds good down here at conversational levels. Anyone else?

[@gregorymorrill7558]

These sound good at conversation levels. (though like all speakers that I own they do sound better loud, I have many speakers - every single pair does sound somewhat better loud. That does not mean they sound like crap at a light level) Try these out.

[@ultraneight]

I bought the 590's on sale after watching z reviews. They're huge and unwieldy, I couldn't believe my wife allowed them to stay, I guess that says something about the sound they make. I have them powered by a b&k 5 channel amp, they likey are seeing 225-250 watts per channel. To avoid a lengthy review, I'll condense this as much as possible. They sound full, like a wall of sound, no frequency seems to stand out. My ears hear them as mostly flat, the bass is severely lacking for such a large tower speaker but hey, that's what my sub is for. I find myself loving this speaker and wondering how there isn't more talk about them until, on rare occasions, I hear an ever so slight graininess in certain vocals. With this said, I still think they're great speakers for the price, especially if you don't care about or maybe even appreciate the size. Lastly, I feel like they loose a lot of composure when pushed harder. They don't pop or bottom out, they just start gradually sounding bad. Turn the volume down a bit and the detail and fullness returns. I'm still evaluating so this is my immediate take. It may change as I listen more. Hope this helps!

[@DjElflaco4]

Just ordered these on cyber monday! What amp/dac combination would you recommend if possible at he $200 price range?

[@najidrum]

Did you figure out what’s good?

[@DjElflaco4]

@@najidrum yeah I asked on hifiguides forum for recommendations and I ended up going with the topping e30 DAC and emotiva basx A-100 AMP. You could go with the topping D10s instead of the e30 but I chose the e30 because it has multiple input options. The D10s only has usb in and I require optical in as well so that’s why I choose the e30. They also recommended all in one solutions but they were a little more expensive. Just google jbl 530 amp hifiguides and the forum will come up.

[@recordroom3223]

I currently have a pair of Energy 4.1e, And a pair of Original Large Advent speakers. I’m at a pretty confused point here, Because I was entertaining the idea of selling both pairs to buy one new “modern” pair of speakers... but there’s so many to choose from, it gets me dizzy. I was considering the Klipsch RP160M, JBL Studio 530, ZU Dirty Weekend, and several other brands have piqued my interest along the way. The two amplifiers I own are an NAD 3020 (1st gen, series 20), And a Topping TP-60. I like both for different reasons, But the audiophile itch is acting up again, And now I started looking at amplifiers as well!!! Without hearing the Studio 530 or the RP160M in person, if the reviews are any indication, it appears that the JBL’s are more my speed. I trust Ron’s opinion, and aside from the “plastiky” tonality he mentioned, I’m thinking that the Studio 530 is the way to go? ...The life of a budget audiophile

[@fhaquuu]

I own these and can agree with all you've said. One stand out trait of these speakers is the volume level is consistent no matter how far or close you get. Also the sound is very precise and easy to listen to. I pair these with subwoofers. Can say honestly the best speakers I have ever heard in the price range or above.

[@hangover4833]

Can u confirm that these speakers have port chuffing noises when driven hard?

[@jimbob3030]

@@hangover4833 Everyone confirms they do that past a certain sweet spot, they also confirm you can just set the crossover point on your receiver to like 100hz and have a sub do the woofing and it's problem solved. Either that or get 580's or 590's if you want to play loud. These are little bookshelves, the bigger ones do loud better.

[@robertesposito7496]

Just order the JBL 530s for $239, and was wondering if my marantz 1504 50 watt slimline would be able to power these speakers?

[@timschutte6924]

I found that limit but just before their " MAX " LIMIT as far as audio output there is that musical bliss that I dont get from any other speaker with the exception of my brand new Jamo c93 / 2. Set.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

Worth $300 with a Sony STR-ZA810ES (100w per channel @8ohms)? Mainly used for games and netflix. Not played at very loud volumes.

[@pedecia]

Would a Emotiva BASx A-100 be enough to drive these well?

[@louishamilton9648]

LOVE these speakers. Got em in cherrywood vinyl. They continue to impress, but l am going to augment the lower end with a sub.

[@Newrecordday2013]

I love em as well!

[@dednside5229]

Try a daisy chained SET configuration Maybe a KT-88 or EL-34 . I used a Halfler P7000 off a Tube pre with the 580 It was far better than my 6400$ genelec . These are very well designed , great sounding speakers

[@MrPoots12]

Klipsch RP600m with these improvements Or JBL studio 530 with same improvements? I listen to mostly rock and hip hop. I personally like a deep bass. I’m looking for a dynamic sound with punch. Will be using for home theater and 2 channel music. Looking for best bang for my buck. Thank you for any input.

[@Newrecordday2013]

I’d go with the jbls myself

[@randystern7870]

The klipsch hit harder down low

[@mdjanz]

Going to grab on next sale. You guys doing any revamp on these?

[@ecojiro152]

what would be a good amplifier to power these for computer use on the cheaper side?

[@lizichell2]

Lovely set. I have had them for years

[@lizichell2]

Ashame they are made in China

[@patthewoodboy]

I wonder if you put a very thin layer of felt on the horn might damp out the "plastic" sound ?

[@A1vee]

Straight forward comments supported by science! Honesty++

[@claybomb545]

Did you try the Schiit gear with the Adantes? How do they compare to the JBLs?

[@Newrecordday2013]

Haven’t heard the schiit stack with the adantes - could be interesting!

[@claybomb545]

@@Newrecordday2013 I am running a Rag 2 and Yggy A1 on them, love the combo (Small Room). I've always been curious how freya + tube gain would affect the sound. Eagerly, awaiting Unison USB!

[@olaniyi570]

I found amplifier matching to be very important with these speakers

[@Puppy__Nietzsche]

Now you should get the 590s :) I got them during the holiday season during the sales you mentioned. The sensitivity is significantly better at 92dB. I'd guess the soundstage is better than the 530s and I have no observed any port chuffing.

[@brianjackson708]

New Record Day. Can you upgrade the Studio 570 crossover? (Bigger cabinet)

[@Newrecordday2013]

That’s a good question man - I’ll bet it’s doable.

[@slaving300]

For the price($599 in 2011), they are amazing speakers, but not the best, I have the Totem Acoustic Rainmaker, of course, more expensive($950 in 2004), but they beat those JBL easy.

[@beigepill9322]

It would really be awesome if the GR research guy just created kits for every popular speakers on the market, just like he did for the klipsch. I have a pair of Elac debut and I cant afford to send the speakers in, but if he already tested a pair and designed a new crossover he could just copy that and sell kits. People are not going to care about the tiny difference between one pair and another.

[@recordroom3223]

I wonder what the XTZ Edge A2-300 amplifier would sound like with the Studio 530’s? Maybe using a Schiit preamp with it, and a smallish REL subwoofer? @newrecordday

[@orhanbukic5908]

Z reviews nailed those god send speakers. Enjoy it public listeners.

[@bradhuskers]

What's your opinion on the klipsch sixes?

[@keepitreal5148]

Those speakers are amazing speakers I was skeptical until I bought a pair of 530s and a pair of 590s.

[@beslemeto]

Which ones you like more?

[@keepitreal5148]

@@beslemeto I like the 590s better they have more vivid sound stage deeper base and more sound clarity the mids are amazing!

[@beslemeto]

@@keepitreal5148 Wow.I can't imagine how good they are then.I have the 530s,but i think i will have to look for 590s.Hopefully will find them somewhere.I saw them many times on ebay for reasonable price.

[@keepitreal5148]

@@beslemeto JBL/Harman Kardon usually have a big sale during July 4th and black friday you can get a pair for almost half the price.

[@beslemeto]

@@keepitreal5148 The problem is i am in the UK and you can't find them here.They are discontinued anyway.

[@rs748]

I have these & they’re great for music. Can I hookup another amplifier to them w/the jumpers off for use w/a HT amp

[@audfrknaveen2256]

Hi...thanks a lot !! what is the difference between ARENA, STAGE and STUDIO series in JBL? I am not talking about any particular speaker, but want to understand how JBL separated these 3 series. Arena is an entry level (if im not wrong) I dont know which is superior between STAGE and STUDIO

[@Bloodmoon1985]

You have them in the correct pecking order with the Studio being the higher end. However the STAGE series are incredible for the money.

[@audfrknaveen2256]

@@Bloodmoon1985 I purchased Stage A130 bookshelfs and very happy with them ....

[@Bloodmoon1985]

AudFrk Naveen that’s awesome I also own them. I was shocked how good they are. In fact I did a whole secondary system of the STAGE series.

[@audfrknaveen2256]

@@Bloodmoon1985 great to know !!!! Fantastic value for money here in India