There's a new generation or two of would-be audiophiles just waiting for home theater products that "sing" specifically to them, believe the good folks at JBL. And wow, is that California crew putting their expertise and money on the line to prove the proposition.
Recently showcased at Republic Studios in Manhattan, JBL is jumping into the marketplace with a staggering line of 13 brand new, highly attractive, mix and matchable Modern Audio products - five MA multi-channel a/v receivers and eight JBL Stage 2 loudspeakers. The receivers are priced from $400 to $1,600, with speakers ranging from $300 to $1,200 per pair. Collectively they're delivering what JBL Senior Director of Product Strategy Jim Garrett calls "a fresh approach to a mature category."
On the high end of the spectrum, HARMAN’s JBL Synthesis brand stands as the pinnacle of luxury audio, crafting loudspeaker and AVR systems that deliver unmatched sound quality and command prices in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Leveraging this expertise, the same team behind JBL Synthesis has masterfully distilled the essence of their ultra-high-end audio experience into JBL’s more accessible products, ensuring exceptional performance at every price point.
This commitment to quality has resonated across generations, as JBL has also been winning the ears, hearts and moolah of Millennial and Gen Z music lovers by the millions with their smartly designed, strong performing and sharply priced earbuds, headphones, portable Bluetooth speakers, streaming speakers and soundbars.
Now the maker believes many of those brand-trusting customers are ready to step up their listening game with an even more sonically satisfying array of JBL home audio gear. Whether it's to fully enjoy their pricey vinyl record stash, to "loudcast" (my term) favorite internet radio and streaming audio services, relish the surround sound tracks of movies and TV series, or pump up the sonic cues of video games - JBL is laser focused on meeting them where they live with products that uniquely blend simplicity, modern design, scalability and affordability.
JBL enjoys rare legacy standing and credibility in Hi-Fi component land. Your parents and even grandparents might cite JBL as the pioneering leader in movie palace and concert sound – from the landmark "Voice of the Theater" speakers that founder James B. Lansing had a hand in creating to the huge sound towers that rocked Woodstock in '69.
Today, audio pros still depend on high-end JBL gear to deliver precise and reliable sound monitoring and playback. This message was underscored by staging the MA coming out party at NYC's Republic Studios, where many of today's top stars on the Universal Music Group roster gather to record, mix and preview their content. Name dropped studio users include Drake, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Future, Nicki Minaj and Shania Twain.
An extra-special fuss was made about Republic's state-of-the-art facilities for spatial music recording – a growing trend which fits hand-in-glove with the playback skills of most JBL Modern Audio products.
Three of the five new MA receivers have the enhanced decoding skills and extra channels of amplification necessary to spatialize your listening space with 360-degree "object placed" Dolby Atmos and rival DTS:X surround processed content. All of the new Stage 2 speakers can be mixed and matched to deliver the goods, befitting your taste, room and budget.
For current artists and contemporary music fans, Dolby Atmos has become a very big deal. Universal Music Group's Curt Behlmer noted that it's almost a given today for artists to mix their content in both stereo and Atmos. "The artist engagement in the Atmos format is tremendous. People are now composing for Atmos initially as a much bigger, broader canvas to tell their story without some of the constraints they're getting in stereo."
What most dramatically sets this new receiver and speaker line apart from the pack is its elegance of design – both visual and ergonomic - that's modern and minimalist. Trimmed in Espresso or an especially striking Latte (creamy white) finish with contrasting wood accents on the speakers, these freshened industrial designs blend uncommonly well with contemporary interiors.
With just two knobs and five buttons on the a/v receivers' faceplates and not much more going on with the wireless remotes (aping the simplicity of Apple TV remotes, it was also admitted), the MA products offer a striking contrast to the traditional a/v receiver with 50 buttons to learn (or more likely ignore).
Setting up and running these rigs is almost as (Zen-ed out) blissful, it's promised. After loading the JBL Premium app on your iOS or Android phone, the MA receivers automatically search for your Wi-Fi network, then offer to tune themselves to your home environment with JBL's own EZ Set EQ room equalizing.
Clearly, one thing that hasn't changed here from a/v lines of old is the "Good/Better/Best" strategy that lures in potential buyers with a leader product, then convinces you that the added features and performance of step-up models are worth making a larger investment.
All five JBL MA receiver models feature low noise Class D amps, starting with the 5.2 channel/60 watts per channel MA310 ($399.95). The line extends up to the flagship 9.1 channel/140W MA9100HP ($1,599.95) with its full color display showing album art and metadata.
In my years as an audio system aficionado, I've wavered between two gear buying philosophies. When acquiring multiple pieces at once I've mostly opted for middle-of-the-line models that offer essential features and performance but skip a few frills. But then when I've felt especially optimistic, flush or futuristic, I have taken the "make a long range investment" route.
Two different stereo system bundles were shown for the "Hi-Fi Curious" first time buyer. First was a $1,000 combo with the step-up MA510 AVR and larger Stage 250B Bookshelf loudspeakers. Paired with a cosmetically matched $399 JBL Spinner turntable, the rig got the hairs on my neck standing up anew from the classic vinyl thump, sizzle and (John Lennon) bellow on The Beatles' "Come Together."
Then, for their full-fledged, multi-channel home theater Dolby Atmos demo, the JBL team showcased a $3,500 bundle built around the MA710 AVR. This detail-obsessed performance package totally wrapped me up and whisked me away as the British pop band Bastille went extra spatial with the strings-swamped "Warmth." Then the "skies" exploded all around me with a riveting aerial dog fight from "Top Gun: Maverick."
As an audio advocate, I've been feeling a mite glum about the state of the industry. At least a couple "leading" audio product makers have had to be bailed out by new owners in recent years, and JBL sister brand Harman Kardon totally abandoned the a/v receiver business.
Now, thanks to JBL's dramatic push, I'm feeling a renewed sense of optimism. A new generation of would-be audiophiles is being courted, hopefully with products that speak to them. Take a look, people. Give a touch. And just listen.
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