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As always your videos are top shelf. Great review I always look forward to your take on gear.

Thanks for a great review, I really enjoy your videos.

Excellent review, as always. And they sound like outstanding speakers, too.

Man I heard these recently and was shocked! Way better than all the Klipsch I heard earlier in the same listening session.

Hi. Awesome channel. I have the JBL LX66 and have to say having bought and quickly got rid of loads of other high spec speakers - these I always go back to every time man…. Educational stuff here guys!

I like the talk about amp and speaker pairings. Definitely want to know more about which amplifiers work best with these speakers. Nice review!

Thank you for the music recommendations.

So look forward to both the genuis knowledge and expertise of production/ presentation values, the BEST reviews bar none... in Perfekter Vollendung ..

Lovely review of the JBL, and enjoyed the comparison to the alternative Klipsch! Editing by Jana remains impeccable. Cheers, and please hydrate well during German summer heat!

Darko, solid work.

I like your vidéo , like your living-room and like your expertise. Following you allows me to work on my english. Cheers from France.

Boom! Love my JBL LX44 and they STILL are kicking great solutions. Well done sir!

Hey John, thanks for doing this review. Right now I'm running my JBL 4319s with a Technics SU-G700M2 and matching SACD player and couldn't be happier. I know it's not a horn design but the sound I'm getting is nothing short of sublime.

this was exactly my question thanks for your nice work Carlos aus Catalunya

I really appreciate your honesty and efforts in all of your reviews. I love how you described the JBL'S as "a reviewers tool" when speaking about its potential neutrality/transparency, which sounds like, what I would consider resolving. And for the record, it's ok to say, especially if it's true to what you're hearing. It reminds me of the Goldenear BRX speaker review, when you said the HVFMT could help you discern the differences between different dacs.

Love your attitude dude.

🤗 THANKS JOHN…FOR A TOP NOTCH VIDEO AND YOUR CAREFUL DESCRIPTION AND DETAILS for anyone who might be in the market for these speakers and thanks for the music 🎼 suggestions and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK 👍😍😍😍

FIRST! My kind of speaker! Thanks for the review!

Always top notch!

Thanks (again) for the musical tip😊

great review ...

How can you not love the look of these!?!? I get a feeling these can really sing on a nice high current Bryston amp!

Nice video! I'm hoping you will review the Finkteam Kim 😍

I love the second track on OST WEST. I had forgotten about this album. Thanks for bringing it up

Before I started watching your videos I was in the dark about all things audio. Thanks.

Watched this again, glad I did because the first time I was more interested in the 4349's than the music. Will look for that Automat record, great stuff.

Thanks for this. Putting these on my short list next to the Forte IVs. Really need to find somewhere local where I can listen side by side.

The JBL’s remind me of my vintage Electro Voice Interface D’s. PA dynamics with high end HiFi refinement. What’s not to love. Great review John.

GREAT review mate ! A polish friend over at the SHForum is torn between these and the CW4s. He'd go with the CWs, but his room doesn't lend itself for placing them closer to the wall, as they're supposed to be. Should he go the JBL route ? He's afraid he won't get enough bass from them. His amp is a Yamaha A-S2100.

Nice review, thanks a lot. I wish you could put these JBL face to face to the Cornwalls IV

One of my earliest core memories of a truly full-range sound was this guitarist kids' JBLs powered by some proper amplification. It created such an indelible impression that I immediately graduated from my boom box phase. Around that time I wandered in front of a Funktion One system blasting drum n bass from what I could only assume was the far future. It is generally agreed that our memory of how systems sound is not reliable, but these moments are written as vividly and viscerally as a car crash or a first kiss, and gave me something to reach for years to come.

You are top notch sir!

I do like your videos quite a bit. These two speakers are out of my price range but, I really enjoyed this review. I think the JBL aesthetic is amazing. A real ballsy looking speaker.

I auditioned a Lyndorf TDAI 1120 in a studio with the 4349 hooked up and they sounded excellent!

I think the way to go is to have seasonal amps if you live someplace that gets real hot. I got my Decware tube amp for cooler months and a Schiit Ragnarok 2 for the summer months (which I use as a pre-amp with the Decware when I'm not using the Schiit as an integrated.) Loved the review. Horn loaded speakers are not for everyone, but when they resonate with people they seem to stick with them. I know I will.

35 degree celcius is just normal day where i live and people still love using tube amp, but we do have AC so hehe, love your videos!

Klipsch Heritage speakers sounds very sweet, dynamic, and musical. But once you hear a big JBL it's hard not to hear how colored the Klipsch are. The way I would describe the difference in dynamics is that the JBLs have more dynamic low end while Klipsch has more dynamic mids/highs. Another way I would describe it is that with Klipsch, the music is driven by the midrange (guitars, vocals, etc..) whereas with big JBLs you feel like the track is being driven by the bass line/kick drum. To me, the bass should drive the track without being overwhelming and for that reason, JBL L112s always end up back in the system and various Klipsch Heresy and Quartet speakers have come and gone.

Great comment on those two loudspeakers for which I show much interest! I am fond of both companies.... still a tough choice :)

I must hear those JBL's some day! Never liked horns, but those sound worth a listen for. Would compare them to my reference ATC SCM 19v2's.

Thank you for the Automat recommendation mate!

Thanks for the review! I've heard their (JBL) higher range speakers with Hegel and I've also liked a lot the JBL. Still, in my opinion they lack infra bass. At least with Hegel. With Mark and Levinson it was even worth. P.S. Fantastic looking speakers!

from personal past history, I was rooting for the JBL all the way. Then I saw the made in China tag , and regretted how the world has changed. This is the company that invented the coffee break as a part of building his new company, after JB Lansang noticed that the ladies winding his voice coils were getting tired and he called a little break. It got to be an informal daily habit, as the work was physically difficult and mentally tedious . Mr. Lansing , noting how his workers responded, formalized a break in the middle of the hours before and after lunch, with the result of happier workers and improved efficiency, With China, while it may cut costs, there is also the chance of slave labor somewhere in the production chain, landing in your pad. the work that inspired the coffee break was edge winding a flat copper wire, to minimize air gaps and build the densest voice coil possible for the amount of turns. The workbreak might have also been influenced by the fact that the workers winding his coils were seamstress recruited from garment manufacturing in the area, and if this new job didn't work out, they could just walk back down the street to their old job. That unmatched in the industry, superior voice coil, used to be a big selling point for JBL, they just had better drivers than the other guy. I was always happy with JBL because the old rock I listened to then and now was probably mastered using, popular at the time, JBL monitors, if that matters, the "west coast sound". My home set up had some of the same drivers I enjoyed as stacks at the Hollywood bowl, so they could sound very realistic. now is where I must address the mention of JBL as being a "party speaker" in the review. Heck yes, with the L65 speaker of old.. Although I never played them loudly for my own pleasure, I moved into a house full of surfer roommates and one guy from the LA rugby team that had a traditional ,once a year , alert the neighbors, costume party. Dancers were screaming with pleasure at the sound. The next morning, I noticed someone had taken the little JBL badge from under the smoked glass top of one speaker, I suppose as a souvenir of one heck of a party. Although I was always supremely happy to have such fine speakers in my system, plus they had the benefit of such high efficiency that you could drive them with a transistor radio, that one night of service, which made memories for many people, made me always a JBL fan. I could recount many other reasons. It's just a shame management decided china was the answer when building the reviewed product. I now have some modern , well made, exotic and very power hungry tower speakers. Made in Canada as an economic development project from the government, where they invested in super computers and sound proof rooms to help design superior made in Canada speakers.

One issue the Forte iv sell for $5,000 while the JBL sell for $8,500. Even the larger Cornwalls sale for over $1,500 less.

I listened to these for many hours with a Mark Levinson amp and oh my I'm in love with them. I just need the $$$ and floor space.

I never thought my old-school Klipsch Forte II would become my end game speakers in this modern era. I need an advice on next level post-Forte speakers to try, as dynamic but better staging and vocal resolution?

Kliptch with Macintosh give me a Steinway vibe. Warm, dynamic and transport you to another place.

As for imaging - horn speakers usually excell in this domain with the right setup, so I'd be curious how these perform e.g. with aggressive toe-in, with crossing point before the listener

Great comparison review. I have been eyeing the Forte IV and well and a comparable horn loaded speaker such as the JBL. I was wondering what speaker in the JBL lineup would be close to the Forte IV. I have the PrimaLuna EVO 400 tube integrated amp and it has been a joy to listen to. Even through the Klipsch RP-6000F’s and the RP 600M.

I have a pair of Klipsch Palladium P-37Fs and these are equally challenging to position.....and yes they are somehwta fussy with positioning and with some toe-in. Finally got there but an effort every single time that you needed to adjust position...phew! But love these speakers and they are also, so good to look at wit the lovely Tigerwood finish. Very sensitive so my prima Luna EVO300 effortlessly drives these speakers :-)

With the difference in price you can buy two Decware Zen Triodes set up in mono. 6 watts per channel for the pair of Klipsch. How fun would that be?

Ooooooo.....2000 Euro is a little bit more than slightly more expensive. Given the great review, it seems to me that the slight benefit that the JBL may have over the Klipsch, it doesn't sound like a 2000 Euro difference. An especially with the fussiness of the JBL positioning. Think I would go Klipsch and save myself 2000 Euro and look to buy something else of HiFi interest.......maybe, just maybe, put those funds towards buying a prima Luna Tube amp LOL ;-) I enjoy your work. Keep on keeping on!

My friend, all your reviews are top notch. Thank you.

Have you tried extreme toe-in where the speakers cross just in front of you? That can make imaging better with horns.

Greetings, let me take the time out to thank you for playing a dub, reggae music is the best genres for exposing the strength & weakness in speaker boxes. It's a pity that more bloggers didn't give us a bit a reggae now & again instead of the same un-colorfull genres you can't dance to but sit there as if one is waiting for one's angel of death to arrive. Great analysis. 👊🏾

Love horn loaded high sensitivity speakers… but you need to try a tube amp for sure 👍🏼

loved the video! you should test them with their best match, a Mcintosh S.S. amp.

I had a pair of 4315's, first as hifi speakers but then as the front L&R in my 7m x 5m theatre, coupled with a 4331A as a centre and a pair of 4301 monitors as the surrounds supported by the immense JBX118S subwoofer (all ex recording studio monitors). The sound was phenomenal and never over bright.. I eventually had to swap the mains for a complete 13 speaker set of Osbornes because the JBL's were just too big and I wanted to upgrade the screen to a full-width 140". I kept the sub (of course) and the 4301's for another room. never regretted owning the JBL's and never regretted the upgrade to the full Atmos set of Osbornes. The sound was certainly an upgrade and the speakers all fit in the space.

I would like a cd with every vinyl too John!

Gorgeousssssss speaker

Thanks John for amazing review as always. I was shocked when I replaced the jumpers on both Klipsch and B&W speaker with good quality jumpers. So when you do not use bi-wire cables I think this is an injustice ( done by manufacturer ) to the speaker.

I have a 4311 from 1974 powered by a Krell kv400xi (200w per channel), they pair very well together.

Should def have a curated list of music my guy 👌

I took the Klippel Listening test with my Revel F208 every few months and never got above the 5th level. When I put the 4439 in their place I jumped two more levels the first try. Very clear speakers. On Classe Delta Stereo amp/Ayre K-X5xeMP preamp/SMSL D400 DAC.

Great!

I live in Florida. Anything that emits heat, especially a space heater like a tube amp is entirely not welcome in my house. Nice to see some JBL love, good job!

Can recommend a Primaluna integrated. They run relatively cooler than a lot of valve amps and have auto biasing so easy to own.

I have a pair of Klipsch Forte 11's. I havent heard those particular JBL's but I love my Klipsch's, the passive rad does it for me. The bass shakes the pictures off my walls hence no pictures in this room. Would love to hear the JBL's though

Wouldn’t a hybrid amp be something to try? Tube pre- and transistor end? Less hot, still kind of tube sound? I’ve got a unison research, and i love it!! Looking for horns, yet do not know what to choose. So thanks for all your reviews and work!

I wish JBL mades a version in white/black brilliant version 😁

Klh model 5 and 7 would be interesting comps. I think John touched on a very underrated aspect of speakers which is the quality of sound in low level listening sessions. I prefer long listening sessions at low levels. Harbeth is fantastic for this at least on vocals.

Silly question here, what would the sound results be if you were to lay these on their side, and if possible, which direction would the tweeter be, inside or out?

Speakers that handle dynamics are what I need for Telarc recordings, 1812 overture with digital cannons.

I love that Black Box Recorder album. One of the many reasons I watch your videos even if I have no interest in the object of your review.

From your description it sounds as though I’d prefer the JBL. I’m in the market for a speaker with great scale and dynamics along with great tone, but I just can’t deal with the aesthetics of these two speakers.

Hallo John, ich habe auch JBL Lautsprecher und habe eine Crown 1500 XLi Endstufe angeschlossen,und ein APHEX 204 Aural Exiter and Optical Big Bottom angeschlossen.Klanglich ein Traum wunderbar.JBL und Crown beides von Harman einfach gut.

I've got a pair of JBL 4430's. Legendary

Certainly, huge woofer-drivers and big horn tweeters provide the most headroom in terms of dynamic. The effect can be striking

So a 12 inch honest to goodness real woofer. Back when I was in school we had bookshelf speakers with twelves (we had some substantial bookshelves back the as they had to hold books and record albums). This is probably a good choice as it gets pretty difficult to do a 2 way with a 15". And yes I am sure it would really bloom with a decent SET amp. If I were auditioning these I would use Beethoven's Violin Concerto, Mozart Horn Concertos, Dvorak Ninth Symphony, and a top recording of the Faure` Requiem.

Would a hybird power amp work rhese speakers? Input stage 300b with class D

I don't know about the subjective listening, but I'd expect the JBL's to measure much better objectively, which usually translates into subjective preferences also.

Would a Luxman integrated be a good choice for these speakers?

I too used excuse heat as an excuse to avoid tube amps… I live in an unbearably hot and humid region and thought tubes were only suited for certain types of music which exclude electronic music. I was very wrong, they make electronic/dance music sound great and didn’t heat up my room like I thought it would. it’s been almost a year since i’ve used my Class AB or class D amps.

Would love to have a pair.

Please review any Tannoy speakers

Nice video! But 31% higher price is not exactly what I would call “slightly more expensive”; three months ago I got a new pair of Klipsch Forte IV for 4618 USD shipping included. Of course, American gear is significantly more expensive in Europe than its price on this side of the pond

don't you use air conditioner in your room during summer?

Two way speakers are easier to design and use a simpler crossover. Both probably sound good, price may make the difference.

Hey John, a small request, Can you please review and compare the Magnat Transpuls 1500 to these two?

Automat...yeh nice one ta! I think my speaker choices are very much governed by my relatively small room....so small fat ones prob not best [I've been told this my whole life ;)]...which is why I've gone Concept 500 which are thin and the drivers are above the furniture line...

Surprised that you say the Forte iv’s shouldn’t be placed close to back wall as this is actually what Klipsch and other reviewers have recommended to get best bass from the passive radiator. In my home, I have my Klipsch forte Iv’s about 15 inches away and while they have a very full bass, I don’t think they cross the line into boomy. Also surprised you don’t have a tube amp in your collection. In any case thanks for the review.

Can you test Blumenhofer FS.. against them? You are in Berlin, and there is a chop that carries them.. Then you whould have a nice test trio of horn speakers.

Need to get a pair of Witch Hat Phantom speaker cables on that Naim to get the most out of it. HUGE improvement on the Atom.

How is 2000 euro "slightly" more expensive?

Furniture sliders also work very well.

Agreed on selling vinyl LPs + cd. 👍🤩

Thanks for the tip off on the Automat album.. gave it a listen on Apple with my rather modest Bose 700s and a red dragonfly. Hoping to sell a kidney so I can afford some fancy speakers :)

Are you satisfied with your room treatment ? Is the bass under control ?

You should try McIntosh solid state amp plus an Audio Research tube preamp. My JBL 4365's sound super sweet with that set-up! On a side note, here in the U.S. it's been a hot summer too. 100F for a few days on and off and I'm not in the desert southwest!

Thanks John. JBL !