[SRS] JBL Stage A130 Bookshelf Speakers / Yamaha R-S202 Stereo Receiver

[@java_cafe]

JBL A130 is very famous for accurate and well-balanced speakers. Thank you very much for insightful sound demo.

[@leonardblush2557]

Almost bought an open box pair of these in December for $150 to go with a cheap 90s Technics receiver in the bedroom. They're clearly fun, but probably a bit too intense in the upper kids for long term happiness. So thank you, E! My new favorite channel. PS- I'd love to hear how the NHT SuperOne 2.1s compare to many of these newer kids on the block. Being acoustic suspension, they also bring that dynamic into the discussion.

[@joseramoncovarrubiasperez8889]

Hola, podrias darme tu opinión sobre inas JBL stage a170 son para un amplificador Yamaha RN600A, también tengo en mente unas polk s50 o unas psb alpha t20. Por ti opinión gracias.

[@AudioElectronicsChicago]

These are great

[@TheHope12322]

Awesome! Now we need a new Klipsch RP-600M video with the new playlist. Klipsch R-51M vs JBL Stage A130 also would be great to compare.

[@TheHope12322]

You’re right my bad… I found it. I’m currently testing the JBL Stage A130 and Klipsch RP-600M! The JBL Stage A130’s trade blows with the Klipsch RP-600M on the same level. $199 vs $700… Yeah!

[@dre7767]

These are the only speakers I actually enjoyed with this amp

[@williammiebach1798]

Even though I think the Elac B6.2 is equaly lacking in bass authority with this reciever, to me they are a more neutral and accurate sounding combination, and much more lifelike with accoustic recordings, although I'm sure some will prefer the JBL's extra sparkle.

[@IMGhee]

it’s not bad IMO, it’s just this speaker that brings out Yamaha’s weaknesses better. The low range of the JBL (not descending enough) and the 1-2kHz boost are also not good for Yamaha. With the Arcam SA10 it would probably sound nice, I wonder what the A130 would offer.

[@benvenutinelmiocalalejbl9246]

😮😮😮

[@mietekkowalski935]

🤔🎧🎶🎶🎶🎶👍👍🙂🇵🇱

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

This reminds me when I bought these speakers based on measurements alone without listening to it. I saw a few flaws in the measurements and thought hey, those flaws cant be THAT bad, especially for that price. When I got these speakers, I was just puzzled. What in the world went wrong here? Gave it a few weeks and still, nothing changed. Went back to the graphs and realized a few things; a wide 2 - 3db bump from 800hz - 2khz is audible as hell and not to be taken lightly as its in our hearing's most sensitive range, and the spike at 15khz can be a problem for some that can hear it, especially at louder volumes as this speaker can be pushed real hard before it starts to crack. Also, I do not have eq to compensate for that crazy midrange 3db peak which makes this speaker sound unbearable to me. This is also a very forward sounding speaker which everything projected directly at you. There is no 'singer a few feet behind the speaker' effect, and everything seems out of line. No balance at all. Sold it off with quickness. As months passed, Erin measured this speaker and showed a different measurement, still with that ghastly 3-4db peak in the midrange and a damn 5db rise starting from 7khz to 10khz!!! That right there will be audible af and will start to sound shrill and thin, unless you cant hear above 7khz. Not to forget, Erin's measurements also showed a hump at 100hz (or a wide dip from 100hz - 700hz, whichever way you want to draw your intended target curve at), making this speaker sound imbalanced as hell. I think I got the version Erin measured, because it sounded as bad as it plotted in the data. If you want a forward, bright sounding speaker and intend to play real loud, get this. Something you can blast for your small house parties. You want balance and finesse? Nothing of this sort is to be found within miles of this speaker. This is the only speaker I hated that I bought based on measurements, I downplayed that wide 3db bump in the crucial part of the midrange, I dont use an eq and damn JBL came out with 2 versions.

[@IMGhee]

I would not have thought IRL was such a problem. in this demo, I halfway to Yamaha the highlight, the intrusion. however, it is sure to show the weaknesses of the amplifier as well. a jump above 10kHz in the demo isn’t annoying, only when Yamaha gets mixed up in broad-spectrum content like metal tracks.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

@@IMGhee Ive learned from experience that any wide bump, especially in the 1-3khz region is goin to make it sound nasal, tiny, harsh and bright, boxy even if the bump is at 600 - 800khz. The 15khz spike isnt goin to be a problem for most people and content, but once you hear it you cant unhear it. The problem is mostly from the bump where we are the most sensitive to. Also buying a JBL Stage (Arena and Studio most probably included) now is a gamble, god only knows which version you are goin to get. Also an amp isnt goin to cure such flaws, differences are subtle to say the least.

[@SPLSPECTRUM]

@@AbsoluteFidelity I've got a Stage A130 and perceived these bumps in mid-range area, really boring in most songs I use to play, but I resolved easily with the Poweramp Equalizer using the parametric settings, applying -3,5db in 1,2KHz - 2db in 2,3KHz and -2db in 3,5KHz, all 0.80 Q-Factor. Now sounds awesome just using a Texas Instruments chip amplifier and good DAC 👌🏼 About the little boost in 15KHz area, I like it.

[@SPLSPECTRUM]

One thing that I don't agree is where you said that the A130 has a forward sounding... No way! The Stage A130 has a really good sound image and sound stage, as it's name suggests. I can feel the voice in the center between the two A130, in some films and musics I can hear some dialogs and instruments behind the box and the very clear left and right stage going out of the box. I think that all depends in which ambient your A130 is and the amplifier or preamp you use. All of this will involve the final result. And still about that bump frequencies, I don't think there is a perfect bookshelf or tower that can please us with a 100% perfect sound, so, I think that a good equalizer will always be welcomed.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

@@SPLSPECTRUM eq will cure the tonality shortcomings of a speaker, but it will never change resonances, dispersion and directivity behaviour. I guess the A130 is an ok speaker for its money, I just personally dont like how it sounds. And when using eq, beware of how you eq it; you have 2 sets of data from ASR and Erin, both will require different amount of equalization based on the on axis plot.

[@williammiebach1798]

Richness kings these speakers are not. Yet they have some genuine midrange warmth, and a respectable overall tonal balance. They lack a bit of bass heft and overall authority,.. and lets face it friends, there's no way that tweeter could ever sound truly natural on the acoustic guitar in 'Fields' with any amp. For it's price this combo is a light footed and cheery listen though.

[@williammiebach1798]

@@DougMen1 You're wrong. They're very good but flawed, and need to be positioned and set up properly near wall boundries, with a neutral to warmish amp and they can be much more transparent and revealing and musical than those. E's demo with the mismatched SA301 is nowhere near the best they can sound.

[@williammiebach1798]

When I said you were wrong I thought you were talking about the Airmotive B1+ wich I was, not the JBL S130s, but I don't think those suck completely either. The 120s have a more natural midrange to me but the same damned shimmery tweeter. The B1+ has promise when set up correctly with the right amp, but I think they just priced them out of contention for me. And no, I didn't know about the $600 Chinese LS3's. Gotta check those out.

[@williammiebach1798]

@@DougMen1 Thanks for that. I'll get to listen to it, and the LS3 vids you sent later tonight. The V15 type IV was bright, clean, vivid and 3 dimensional as hell. It's too lean and bright for me these days, but it can be a blast to listen to once in a blue moon with some of my old eighties records. I read your's and Winston's seething criticism of the Stage 130s. It's an inexpensive speaker, and no worse than average. Did you guys expect it to be a studio monitor? Just another example Mark has given us of how his purchases of speakers based mostly on it's measurment charts was a fail. Also I don't really agree with your recent comments about the R202 being inconsistant with speakers. I don't hear that, the way I have with the Emotiva TA1. To me it's slightly lean but transparent in the mids, and lacks a bit of body, weight and treble openess and detail with every speaker. It either works OK with the charicter of speaker, or it doesn't, but it sounds consistant and not like it's struggling alot to drive any of them to me, unlike the TA-1.

[@williammiebach1798]

You're such an extremist, dude. Things are either great or inexcusably awful with you..including gear you thought was wonderful on the first four demo's. Then it doesn't sound as good to you as it did on the next two, and it's suddenly terrible. This is component synergy at work. Spend a couple grand on components and it still happoens. It damn well better be less pronounced when you pay that much, but in the lower price ranges synergy has always been make or break with system pairings. I listened to the phono cartridge comparisons. The AT150MLX wins it for me on balance, refinement and for revealing more inner detail, but the Shure is brighter and has a bigger soundstage. That Type V is fitted with a decent aftermarket type IV HE stylus, similar to the Jico one on my type IV, but I've heard the Type V sound better with the correct micro-line types. They're all good cartriges, but the worn 45rpm record and the rest of the system is limiting them some.

[@williammiebach1798]

@@DougMen1 Look at the last comment I mistakenly didn't address to you. Hope it doesn't make you mad.😜 I was looking forward to the new Stage 120 demo, wich was instantly recognizable as a technical fail. Damn!

[@infinitely_free_to_be_me]

JBL pulled a bait and switch on the stage series... Don't buy them, you'll regret it for sure! I bought a130's and the a190... Both sound TERRIBLE.. the vocals sound like a $20 radio inside of a cardboard box.