I was at JBL a year or two ago for a media event, possibly a pre-CEDIA preview and part of the day was spent in a conference room listening about how Harman has been spending lots of time and money doing in depth marketing studies. The focus was on human engineering and learning about the routines, needs and preferences of a wide variety of people from across various age groups, socio-economic backgrounds and from different parts of the world. I did not think much about this at the time as I was focused on the gear we would be listening to that day.
Fast forward a year or so and I am at the rooftop bar of The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel for the introduction of JBL’s Stage 2 Loudspeakers and Modern Audio AV receivers and it all clicked. These products are not aimed at those who are already reading audio magazines or hanging out in the audio section of their electronics store. These products are aimed at people who want to up the performance from their Bluetooth speakers and soundbar systems, people who now have enough space and a little bit of disposable income to make that step up without diving deep into the world of performance audio or home theater gear.
JBL found that there were a lot of people that wanted easy to use gear that would sound good and look nice. This is a significant departure from the audiophile world which has become very specification focused, often at the expense of the user experience. Throughout the event the focus was on the user experience and not specifications. After more than two decades of being a member of the press I always get a little bit suspicious when a manufacturer tries to direct attention away from one area so a made a note to be sure I checked in on these details later.
What Products Did JBL Actually Introduce?
We were introduced to two separate but complementary lines. The first was the MA AV receivers. The “MA” stands for Modern Audio and the lineup consists of five models ranging from $399 to $1,599 and are divided into two groups. The first three models are part of the base “MA” lineup with the highest two models receiving an “HP” designation in their model name to signify High Performance. My first glance at the receivers made it clear that JBL threw out the traditional industrial design with all white faceplates that have a large display flanked by two large control knobs. A closer look reveals a row of five buttons below the display with a power button in the lower left corner. The HP models come with color displays and changeable “underglow lighting” that reminds me of my son’s gaming PC. Traditionalists need not worry as the lineup is also available in traditional black as well.
All five models have digital and analog audio inputs including HDMI with ARC with all but the entry level model being eARC capable. The entry level model is 4K compatible and the rest have 8K compatible HDMI either indicating optimism that 8K sources are coming soon or perhaps some insight gained from being part of the Samsung family. Bluetooth is also included in all models but the higher end models can support more advanced codecs and transmit Bluetooth as well as receive. The top three models also have a built-in moving-magnet phono stage with the top two being Dirac compatible as well. Dirac is by no means needed as JBL’s EZ Set EQ comes standard on all models and will utilize your iOS or Android device’s microphone to get your room setup done in about two minutes. Receivers range from 5.2 to 9.2 channels of Class D amplification starting at 60 Watts per channel and going up to 140 Watts per channel. The JBL website provides a full list of features and specifications if you are interested.
The Stage 2 loudspeakers are the other half of the introduction with eight models ranging in price from $299.95 to $1,199.95 per pair. The lineup is comprised of a pair each of floor-standing and stand mounted speakers, a center channel, a height module and a pair of powered subwoofers. All speakers are available Espresso or Latte woodgrain finishes, aka light or dark. The light colored speakers have a white baffle and grille and the dark ones have black fronts. They are attractive and understated in appearance making it unlikely they will call much attention to themselves and I say this in a good way. The speakers look clean and modern and should fit into most contemporary décor spaces. Before I move on to the technical details I want to mention that my photos and description do not do the speakers justice. You might assume, as I did upon learning the price points, that the finishes would look cheap and they would feel flimsy. You would be wrong. The wood grain finishes are well applied and the grille material looks more like a cotton jersey material than old school grille cloth. Overall, the exterior is clean, modern and well executed. It would be at home on speakers costing twice as much.
Taking a look at the Stage 260F, the smaller of the two floor-standing speakers, you will see two, 6.5 inch woofers below a one inch aluminum tweeter set into one of JBL’s highly regarded HDI horn assemblies. The speakers are configured with a 2.5-way crossover. The rear ported speakers are 40.8 inches tall, 7.9 inches wide and 13.9 inches deep and sit on a slightly wider and deeper plinth. The larger floor standing speaker is also a 2.5-way design with the stand mounted speakers being two-way speakers. Of note, the wedge shaped 240H height module speakers actually have a switchable crossover allowing them to operate as either a typical surround speaker or as an Atmos module. All appear to use the same tweeter assembly and similar polycellulose ribbed cones of different sizes.
Listening to the Stage 2 Loudspeakers with the Modern Audio Receivers
Over the course of the event we were able to listen to the Modern Audio Receivers and Stage 2 speakers in a variety of configurations including stereo and multi-channel, with and without subwoofers. While the unfamiliar rooms and gear combinations make any critical assessments unfair, my experience was positive. The overall consensus of the group was that the audio performance of the gear punched well above what the price points would suggest. The speakers were clear and intelligible without becoming harsh. Bass response of the floorstanding speakers was very respectable and clean. They are not going to rattle the foundation but did a good job reproducing drums and bass guitar.
Why I Am Excited About the JBL Stage 2 Loudspeakers and Modern Audio Receivers
At FutureAudiophile.com we want to grow the community of those that appreciate and enjoy higher quality audio systems. These products are designed to do just that. We all have lots of friends who have enjoyed our systems but when we encourage them to get their own at home we hear excuses about expense, space, aesthetics and being too hard to use. JBL systematically and carefully addresses these most common barriers. I have no doubt that a large part of the market research was to identify not just the wants of the market but also the perceived obstacles.
The Modern Audio Receivers and Stage 2 speakers make audio, whether it be a turntable based stereo system, a streaming based system or a full multi-channel home theater system welcoming to those who never got past the soundbar and headphone stage. It is this type of welcoming that we hope will lead to the sustainment and even growth of the audio market. We look forward to a more in depth look at the new gear in the future but our first impressions provide a big thumbs up in both expanding the work of those who have real audio systems at home and the performance these systems will provide to propel these listeners along their audio journey.
