Jbl k2 s9900

[joeinid]

Has anyone heard these JBLs?


http://jblsynthesis.com/productdetail/k2-s9900.html

DESCRIPTION 3-Way 15″ Floorstanding Loudspeaker
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 48Hz – 50 kHz
LOW FREQUENCY EXTENSION 33Hz
RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER POWER 500 Watts
SENSITIVITY (2.83V @ 1M) 93dB
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE 8 ohms, 7 ohms minimum at 100Hz, 4 ohms minimum at 40 kHz
CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES (HZ) 900Hz (24dB/octave) 15 kHz (24dB/octave, high-pass only)
ULTRAHIGH-FREQUENCY DRIVE COMPONENTS 1” (25mm) Magnesium compression driver (045Be-1)
HIGH-FREQUENCY DRIVE COMPONENTS 4” (100mm) Magnesium compression driver (476Mg)
LOW-FREQUENCY DRIVE COMPONENTS 15” (380mm) Pulp-cone woofer (1500AL-1)
HEIGHT 47-5/16″ (1200mm) Plus 0.8” (20mm) for feet
WIDTH 22″ (560mm)
DEPTH 13-13/16” (350mm)
WEIGHT 182 lb (82.7kg)


http://jblsynthesis.com/system/html/JBL_K2_S9900_Red_Pair%20A-23a95e78.jpg

[kevinkwann]

This answer will be of limited use to you because I haven’t. However, I have heard their predecessor: the K2 S9800. They utilized JBL’s superior beryllium-dome compression drivers and were transcendentally good from the standpoint of timbral accuracy, dynamic alacrity and driver coherence. I’ve no idea how their magnesium-driver analogs compare.

[joeinid]

Thanks. I am curious because my 4367's sound so good to me that I'm loving the JBL sound. The K2 look like half size DD67000 almost.

[kevinkwann]

Thanks. I am curious because my 4367's sound so good to me that I'm loving the JBL sound. The K2 look like half size DD67000 almost.

Cool! You could do a lot worse. And it's difficult to do much better.

[ACHiPo]

I'll be listening to a pair of K2 9800SE speakers in a couple weeks. From what I understand they are quite amazing. I'd like to give the active M2s a listen at some point as well.

[joeinid]

Can't wait for your opinion on the K2's. I also still think the M2 would be superb too but amp choice is somewhat limited.

[kevinkwann]

I'll be listening to a pair of K2 9800SE speakers in a couple weeks. From what I understand they are quite amazing.

Lucky you! You're in for a treat provided the electronics upstream are up to the task.

[ACHiPo]

Can't wait for your opinion on the K2's. I also still think the M2 would be superb too but amp choice is somewhat limited.
Maybe I'm mixed up--I thought the M2s were active?

[joeinid]

The M2 use Levinson or Crown anps with active crossover.

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[joeinid]

JBL M2 Reference Monitor System - 2 Speaker System
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M2System/ (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M2System/)



Maybe I'm mixed up--I thought the M2s were active?


The M2 use Levinson or Crown anps with active crossover.

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

http://www.audioshark.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17061&stc=1

[jahjahlove]

Has anyone heard these JBLs?


http://jblsynthesis.com/productdetail/k2-s9900.html

DESCRIPTION 3-Way 15″ Floorstanding Loudspeaker
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 48Hz – 50 kHz
LOW FREQUENCY EXTENSION 33Hz
RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER POWER 500 Watts
SENSITIVITY (2.83V @ 1M) 93dB
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE 8 ohms, 7 ohms minimum at 100Hz, 4 ohms minimum at 40 kHz
CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES (HZ) 900Hz (24dB/octave) 15 kHz (24dB/octave, high-pass only)
ULTRAHIGH-FREQUENCY DRIVE COMPONENTS 1” (25mm) Magnesium compression driver (045Be-1)
HIGH-FREQUENCY DRIVE COMPONENTS 4” (100mm) Magnesium compression driver (476Mg)
LOW-FREQUENCY DRIVE COMPONENTS 15” (380mm) Pulp-cone woofer (1500AL-1)
HEIGHT 47-5/16″ (1200mm) Plus 0.8” (20mm) for feet
WIDTH 22″ (560mm)
DEPTH 13-13/16” (350mm)
WEIGHT 182 lb (82.7kg)



http://jblsynthesis.com/system/html/JBL_K2_S9900_Red_Pair%20A-23a95e78.jpg
the place to ask is on LH....as you did for the M2

[KeithR]

I heard them at Newport with the new Levinson gear, but wasn't a fan. It was very "boom sizzle" which is exciting for some, but not musical to me. Show conditions, amps, etc so who really knows.

[joeinid]

Thanks Keith. I have no intention of replacing my 4367's, but was curious of their other offerings.

[KeithR]

Joe - as you know, these kind of speakers love tubes and tube-like SS, so my guess is it was more equipment based.

[joeinid]

Absolutely agree. My Ayre kills on my 4367's :D, but none of MY amps sound bad :blush:


Joe - as you know, these kind of speakers love tubes and tube-like SS, so my guess is it was more equipment based.

[ACHiPo]

Amazing that with 93 dB sensitivity Harmon recommends 500W of amp power.

[joeinid]

That seems a little crazy. Even 30wpc on my 4367's sounds great to me.




Amazing that with 93 dB sensitivity Harmon recommends 500W of amp power.

[Avid]

Hello Joe,
I have been following threads on this forum since getting my dali epicon 8 a couple of years ago. I have just bought Jbl k2 s9900 after progressing to sonus faber amati futura. I decided to join the forum and hopefully talk further about my new Jbl's. I have always admired stradivari but never pulled trigger on them.

[joeinid]

Hi Avid, welcome to the forum, thank you for joining.

Congratulations on the JBLs. Would love a photo. Please tell us how you like them.

[Avid]

I am enjoying my new k2 s9900 immensely. They are improving rapidly now after around 400 hours of use and that bass driver has had time to slacken off a bit.
To my rolling off middle aged ears the k2 s9900 are my for ever speaker. They are the best overall speaker I have heard. In my opinion their strength is that they have very little weakness in any area.
If I have to be critical compared to the amati futura which they replaced which I think I pretty much optimised in my listening room and were also a great speaker, the K2's don't quite image or have the depth in the soundstage as well as the amati and they are less forgiving than the amati futura of poorer source material.
Other than those question marks and it's only early days in terms of optimising my new speakers into my system, the K2's really do score top marks in all areas.
I am afraid I am a complete novice with computer matters and I am struggling to attatch a picture. I will keep trying.

[joeinid]

Thank you so much Avid, I think you need 10 posts before you can post photos. Keep the information coming, looking forward to more.

[Avid]

Thank you Joe.
Haha, I may well still struggle to post pictures even when I am eligible.
I have followed yourself and Mike's opinions on the range of equipment you have had since Mike obtained his epicon 8.
I ran my epicon 8 on push pull 845 output tubes with around 120 Watts. I think because of their extremely easy impedance they worked especially well with tubes.
For my amati I believe to get better control of the bass a good solid state amp was required so after several auditions about a year ago I purchased the bottom of the range vitus power amplifier with a doubling of output most of the way down with a proper power supply. After owning tube amplifiers the vitus was the only solid state amplifier I thought could come close to tubes.
I plan to retire soon from work at an early age to allow more time for music and riding my harley in summer.
So, having the amati futura sounding exquisitely I wanted to know if that was the very best I could do with my size of listening room and budget. I listened critically to Wilson audio, a second hand pair of s5 magico and the new amati tradition. I was happy that for me the futura was the best overall choice.
When I heard the k2 s9900 I was instantly smitten as on first listen I thought it had many of the best things about the futura taken to the next step.
I struggled with the cost but ultimately knew I couldn't retire without bringing them into my life. To put into perspective I would say from epicon 8 through amati futura and finally Jbl k2 s9900 there has been a retail doubling of cost on each move. This change has yielded around 5 to 10% of overall improvement each time.
I had to have the best I have ever heard even though it has delayed my retirement.
Other items in my system assembled over many years are. Avid acutus turntable, sme v, grado the statement 1 cartridge, ear mc4 sut, albarry ap2 heavily modified pre amp, teac p30, audio synthesis dax ultra analogue, rel stentor 3, entreq tellus 2, 2kva isolation transformer, 2x 1kva isolation transformers, couple of my own design mains filters. Vitus rs100, Jbl k2 s9900. Kimber select ks3033 speaker cable, straightwire crescendo interconnects. Various isolation pieces.
I could talk at length about any item in my system through my experiences but would like to hear about people's thoughts about stradivari v Jbl k2 s9900.
I think this is a pretty well matched comparison but of course each have a different flavour.

[Avid]

I will add that the question marks I have around stradivari are that their performance will be very dependent upon the amplifier driving them. Although I haven't heard stradivari in my listening room I have had a couple of weeks listening to the elipsa and concluded that on that speaker the bass although of good quality had nowhere near the same 'presence' as the mid and treble and that it tended to 'beautify' all music slightly and give every type of music a pinch of the same beautification.
The Jbl's to my ears are much more true to the original artist musical intended interpretation. Their clarity, purity and faithfulness to the original musical intent are amazing. The marriage with my subwoofer is a great match and so together they provide a complete and full range bandwidth.
I would imagine that trying to marry stradivari as easily and successfully with my subwoofer would have been much trickier.
I have only heard stradivari at shows a number of years ago but of course have great experience with the amati futura and elipsa in my own system.
My ultimate reference from 25 years ago was a system based around the kondo ongaku and bringing my Jbl's into my system driven by the vitus amplifier the sound seems to remind me of that mainly due to the seemingly unlimited dynamics with a rare ease of delivery which has fantastic clarity and purity.
Please feel free to counter my comments about the Jbl's with equally exquisite comments about stradivari.

[Avid]

I also pondered the sonus faber il cremonese which over here in England is considerably cheaper than the jbl k2 s9900.
I discounted it before hearing it getting the feeling it required a larger area to work in than my listening room. I hope not to cause a stir of followers of the latest sonus faber speakers but I personally didn't really like the sound of the new sonus faber tweeter. I find it harder sounding than that in my amati futura and with less sexyness and sassyness for want of better expressions.
I find non of this hardness in the treble of the Jbl's but only natural extended treble with smoothness and possibly a hint of extra warmth.

[Avid]

Hehe. Just read back all my posts from today and it sounds like I am desperately trying to convince myself that I have made the right decision and justify the outlay on my new speakers.
At the end of the day there is no right or wrong just whatever each of us can find to intensify musical enjoyment and performance wise there is probably very little between the k2 s9900, the stradivari or the il cremonese.

[joeinid]

You have absolutely made the right decision!

[Avid]

Thanks for the reassurance Joe.
I have been working very hard on speaker positioning and isolations and mains fuses. The speakers have of course had longer running in.
All I can say is for my ears they are now incredible even on questionable quality source material. They take my musical enjoyment to an unexpectedly higher level.
I regularly listen for 12 hours flat only tearing myself away for toilet and occasional sandwich breaks. They constantly take my breath away and are so musically charged bring me to tears far too often.
They allow a connection to the music so strong that all the usual hifi vocabulary just becomes obsolete and pure musical pleasure is all that remains.
I'm in heaven.