Spent a little time with JBL SRX835speakers in my living room

[jwgorman]

I had the opportunity to babysit some JBL SRX835 passive PA speakers. I made two speakon to five-way binding post connectors and hooked them up to my Luxman 550AX in the living room. For those unfamiliar with these speakers they are 15" three ways with a differential drive woofer, a closed-back cone/horn midrange and a titanium compression driver tweeter that is also used from 700 Hz up in some of JBL's cinema speakers. 

Quick observations: they seemed very well balanced with their stock passive crossover. They actually imaged really well. The bass was surprisingly articulate and lean (in a good way) when positioned out of the corners a bit, and the mids were well integrated and executed.  I would think for pro sound they would be plug and play unless there were some super reflective or absorbent environmental factors. 

However, I instantly heard a problem with the tweeter that I would attribute to breakup in a frequency that was well within the limits of my old man hearing.  For any critical listening the compression drivers in the tweets would have to go. Again, it seems an odd choice for JBL to use a driver they use in some of their cinema speakers from 700Hz up in the SRX835 when crossed at 2.4KHz. Plus, I was looking at large boxes with steel screens and truck bed liner sprayed on them. 

My take away from this little experiment was it would be interesting to see what would happen if Klipsch made a Cornwall sized speaker, with some of that technology (the DD woofer and the mid cone horn that covers 300-3Khz basically).  I think there is potential there. 

Anyway, while you guys were doing productive stuff, I was playing with PA speakers in my living room. So there you go. 

 

[garyrc]

Maybe they sprayed the tweeter diaphragms with truck bed liner.

 

 

[OO1]

6 hours ago, jwgorman said:

I had the opportunity to babysit some JBL SRX835P passive PA speakers.it would be interesting to see what would happen if Klipsch made a Cornwall sized speaker, with some of that technology (the DD woofer and the mid cone horn that covers 300-3Khz basically).  I think there is potential there. 

 

 

you should see the Powered version JBL SRX835P  , 2000 watts Crown amp -

 

[Marvel]

I believe the xxx835P IS the powered version. The xxx835 is the passive.

[MEH Synergy]

I owned both the passive and the powered versions of these speakers. I feel they need a bit of eq boost in the top end personally. Bass output and extension was ridiculous on these speakers.  I didn't hear any breakup personally in the top end.   Great speakers, just not my choice for a home speaker. For a speaker to crank, wow.   Keepers. 

[jwgorman]

Thanks for the replies guys. Ha. Maybe mine got shot with some bed liner. 
Ah, I stand corrected. The 835P is the powered version, which makes total sense. I indeed had the passive. 
Westcoastdrums, that’s interesting that you got to listen to both the passive and the active and you needed to boost the high end. I probably wasn’t very clear about the resonance I heard. In my living room I felt the high end was actually a bit soft. What I perceived to be a resonance issue was an artificial overtone and character to sounds I was very familiar with in some of my favorite tunes: like coins hitting a hard floor or harmonics on mandolins. 
I was honestly amazed at how good they sounded for an application far outside of their design goals. 
I have to agree, I don’t think I could live with them in my living room stock.  

[MEH Synergy]

" In my living room I felt the high end was actually a bit soft. " 

 

Exactly the same here, hence the boost.   That raspinees you heard was perhaps the drivers needed to break in IMO.   I never heard it using any passive amp or with the powered version. These are a, bit of long throw speakers so it helps to sit a bit further back also. Overall, super impressive for the street price that they can be had for.   Powered, more so give thay they are already tuned. 

[MEH Synergy]

[jwgorman]

11 hours ago, Westcoastdrums said:

That’s awesome. Great minds 😀

[MEH Synergy]

These are killer speakers though honestly. Like many pro speakers that aren't going to be blasting away at 120+ dB. 3 dB shelf eq up top fixes the soft treble at reasonable levels.   Done 

[tromprof]

I use PA speakers at my rural place so they can stand up to being moved frequintly from a sceen porch to back inside when weather is an issue. First pair was Behringer 215XL, currently using some big Yamahas.  I am totally blown away with the good quality sound that can be had for such a reasonable price.  I am not surprised at your positive reaction to those JBLs.  

 

[jwgorman]

I never imagined pa speakers could image. I didn’t know that was a thing. 

[jwgorman]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:19 AM, Westcoastdrums said:

These are killer speakers though honestly. Like many pro speakers that aren't going to be blasting away at 120+ dB. 3 dB shelf eq up top fixes the soft treble at reasonable levels.   Done 

Dang it. Now I want to baby sit them again. 

[MEH Synergy]

21 hours ago, jwgorman said:

Dang it. Now I want to baby sit them again. 

You should permanently babysit some 4722Ns or something similar.