JBL Studio L820 On-wall Loudspeaker Reviewed

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HTR Product Rating

Performance
4 Stars
Value
4.5 Stars
Overall
4.5 Stars

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When you think of JBL, your mind probably goes where mine does: to large, cumbersome and decidedly full-range loudspeakers. And why not? JBL has forged their entire reputation on making party or large-venue speakers for years. So imagine my surprise when JBL got into the on-wall speaker business with the Studio L series and the L820 reviewed here. However, unlike other on-wall speakers, the L820 is surprisingly full-range and, like JBLs of old, still knows how to party.

At $650 per pair, the L820 costs a little more than your average run of the mill on-wall speaker, but acts more like a full range tower than any satellite subwoofer combo ever will. The L820 seems more full-range because it is based largely on its floor-standing siblings, the L890 and L880. The L820 features a single six-inch low-frequency driver mated to a four-inch midrange driver, a one-inch tweeter and a three-quarter-inch ultra-high-frequency driver. The bass and midrange drivers are made of PolyPlas, with the tweeter composed of pure titanium and the ultra-high-frequency driver made from Mylar. The L820 has a sealed enclosure design and a reported frequency response of 55Hz-40kHz and is rather efficient, with a 90dB rating into eight ohms. Because of its various drivers and wide bandwidth, the L820 is crossed over at 600Hz, 3.5kHz and 20kHz.

Additional Resources

The L820 is rather attractive in its design, although a touch larger than usual. The cabinet can be had in three finishes: black ash, beach and cherry wood at no extra charge. The L820 is bi-wireable via its gold-plated binding posts and comes standard with all the necessary hardware and templates to mount it flush to a wall and/or corner.

Competition and Comparison
If you are interested in comparing the JBL Studio L L820 loudspeaker against its competition, be sure to read our reviews for the Paradigm Cinema 330 and the Definitive Technology Mythos Two. You can also find more information available in our On-wall Speaker section and on our JBL brand page.

Continue to Page 2 for the high points and the low points of the L820.

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