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Author Topic: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops  (Read 24230 times)

Nils Erickson

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #20 on: May 22, 2014, 05:07:27 AM »

I'll agree with Bob here... the 725s make for a nice portable rig that sounds very good; I also prefer them to the 722s.  I don't find them particularly "beamy", and I think they are mostly pleasant to listen to and pretty detailed.  I have 2 over 2 Danley TH115s per side myself, which sounds great for a medium trap rig for most of the music I mix.  Nope, it's not the end-all-be-all, but it is rare to hear people complain about it.  They are not too difficult to move either, both tops and subs actually.  Occasionally I'll add another sub per side for larger shows or just bring half for smaller shows; it is very scalable.

Cheers,
Nils
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Jamin Lynch

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #21 on: May 22, 2014, 10:44:20 AM »


I don't own JBL anything, but as a touring club-level guy I am forced get to use SRX rigs in all flavors and states of disrepair.

That being said, I am absolutely not a fan of the dual 15 two way box in pretty much any flavor. I never get good solid coverage out of them.

The 3 way box will probably have a waveguide on the mid driver which will help keep the sound on the seats and off the walls and ceiling....

Hey Tim,

I've heard a couple of those SRX rigs you've worked with before. Like the one at the Aransas fair. 4 725's over 4 728's severely under powered and not splayed (too many tops anyway), will turn anybody off to SRX. Yes, it was not good. The problem was "owner error".

A pair of properly set up 725's over a pair of 728's is pretty awesome.
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Tim Weaver

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #22 on: May 22, 2014, 12:04:47 PM »

Hey Tim,

I've heard a couple of those SRX rigs you've worked with before. Like the one at the Aransas fair. 4 725's over 4 728's severely under powered and not splayed (too many tops anyway), will turn anybody off to SRX. Yes, it was not good. The problem was "owner error".

A pair of properly set up 725's over a pair of 728's is pretty awesome.


Meh. That's not the only 215 rig I've come across that was nasty.

The problem is, that once you get to used something like a properly done trap rig (Nexo Alpha, D&B C4, or even EV QRX153) you start to figure out what it sounds like when done right. Everything just sounds better on a rig like that. Your mix "pops" into focus better.

For me, it's the same mix every night since I'm carrying a console. It is easier to tell the difference.
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Alex Rigodanzo

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #23 on: May 22, 2014, 12:40:26 PM »

I'll agree with everyone with one exception. 15" drivers aren't "beamy", whatever that's supposed to mean.

ALL cones are "beamy".  When the wavelength is approx equal to the cone diameter, the wave becomes "contained" by the cone and begins to beam.  Larger the driver, lower the frequency it starts.  By definition, a 15" beams thru more of the mid freqs than a 12" because it starts lower.  In practice, this probably isn't too noticeable unless you have a single top per side.  After the benefit of smaller physical size and lower weight, this is another small plus in favor of the 722. YMMV.

FWIW, some of us would no way in hell want to put a 100lb box on a sub by ourself.  70lbs is much more friendly.
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Bob Leonard

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #24 on: May 23, 2014, 12:09:28 AM »

ALL cones are "beamy".  When the wavelength is approx equal to the cone diameter, the wave becomes "contained" by the cone and begins to beam.  Larger the driver, lower the frequency it starts.  By definition, a 15" beams thru more of the mid freqs than a 12" because it starts lower.  In practice, this probably isn't too noticeable unless you have a single top per side.  After the benefit of smaller physical size and lower weight, this is another small plus in favor of the 722. YMMV.

FWIW, some of us would no way in hell want to put a 100lb box on a sub by ourself.  70lbs is much more friendly.

Any driver can beam if not properly processed, that's a given. My point is that 15" drivers are seldom the reason a poorly deployed rig sounds like shit, regardless of the brand. Some people hear poor processing, some people find it easier to work a smoother transition from upper cabinet to sub. I'm one of those people. It also appears to me that "beamy" has replaced "brittle" as the catch word for the month. Regardless, it's all in what you feel you can work with best, and what will do the job for you.
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Alex Rigodanzo

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #25 on: May 23, 2014, 09:54:28 AM »


Any driver can beam if not properly processed, that's a given. My point is that 15" drivers are seldom the reason a poorly deployed rig sounds like shit, regardless of the brand. Some people hear poor processing, some people find it easier to work a smoother transition from upper cabinet to sub. I'm one of those people. It also appears to me that "beamy" has replaced "brittle" as the catch word for the month. Regardless, it's all in what you feel you can work with best, and what will do the job for you.

I agree completely that there's nothing wrong with 15's.  Except for size and weight.  And at the Lounge level, when used with subs, I don't think there's any sonic advantage over two 12's.  Every rig I've used up to the one we have now, had JBL 15" tops (either single or dual).  I didn't dislike any of them except the size and weight of the duals.
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Chuck Simon

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #26 on: May 23, 2014, 05:38:11 PM »

How does processing affect the off-axis response of a particuliar speaker?
« Last Edit: May 23, 2014, 05:50:34 PM by Chuck Simon »
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #27 on: May 23, 2014, 08:37:46 PM »

How does processing affect the off-axis response of a particuliar speaker?

Filter slope and topologies affect the acoustic output of the transducers, and hence the acoustic summation.  Proximity of transducers also affects the horizontal/vertical coverage as well.
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Brandon Wright

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #28 on: May 23, 2014, 09:28:52 PM »

Filter slope and topologies affect the acoustic output of the transducers, and hence the acoustic summation.  Proximity of transducers also affects the horizontal/vertical coverage as well.

However, none of this can change the apparent physical size of the woofer, which is what I think he was referring to. All of these "90 degree" 15+horn front loaded boxes suffer from extreme tonal variations as you move off axis due to self-cancellation at the upper end of the 15's passband.
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Jens Droessler

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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #29 on: May 28, 2014, 04:08:03 PM »

Filter slope and topologies affect the acoustic output of the transducers, and hence the acoustic summation.  Proximity of transducers also affects the horizontal/vertical coverage as well.
But only in the plane where the different speakers interact. You cannot change the directivity behavior of a single speaker.in a plane by electronics. In other words you can control the directivity in the vertical plane to a certain point by adjusting the processing for sub and mids accordingly, but it won't change the fact that the lowmids will also be directed at the side walls as well as the audience while the upper mids will basically folow the specs on paper.
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Re: JBL - 2way vs 3way tops
« Reply #29 on: May 28, 2014, 04:08:03 PM »


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