Feature:
Speakon and 1/4" inputs, nice placement of handles.
Quality:
Cabinets are quite solid and the grills are beefy, they would definately protect the drivers if it was on the floor and somebody kicked it - might dent it, but the drivers would be undamaged. The carpet on my pair is fine, not coming undone and looks great.
One of the screws on the stand mounts was stripped a little bit and I guess worked itself loose over the course of a month - dab of some glue and screwing it back in, haven't had a problem with it since. Probably got over-torqued at the factory.
HF drivers seem like they could be better.
Value:
For 100-200$ less than Peavey SP5's and SP2's, I's a great value.
Desirability:
They looks alright, Flat black with a small orange, JBL logo square at the bottom. Peel that sticker off -if you prefer- and it'd disappear in a good setup. The flat black look makes it slightly menacing.
Sound:
For the money, these are some fairly decent cabinets. I like the sound they make, and they don't require a ton of juice, Quality of output is solid.
The deep bass is quite lacking, but that is to be expected and you need a sub to reproduce the sound correctly with these cabinets.
The HF driver, however, can make your ears bleed, This is not to say they are bad, they aren't, but they do add a very potent high frequency distortion that normal bookshelf speakers wont. I've been having to cut 3khz and up with a 3-9 db shelf with a paragraphic Eq when using these boxes at full power. Listen to a pair of those crappy MTX boxes that are sold at circuit city/bestbuy that 'LOOK' like pro gear, and hear how awful their horn sounds - imagine that, but MUCH MUCH MUCH less and NOT as bad, however it is noticeable - The HF driver in these is WORLDS better than those crap boxes.
It seems like the HF drivers are a little too powerful to be matched with the mid/low drivers. So, use some treble reduction to save your audience's ears, especially in smaller rooms where people are near the cabs. They won't notice the reduction, and even if they do notice, after 5 minutes - their minds will have adjusted to the sound.
Ease of Use:
Know how to use an Eq, and these will be great.... It's a passive cab, doesn't get much easier
Support:
I haven't had a problem yet
Overall:
I'm quite happy with my pair right now. Now that I've heard the Peavy SP2 and SP5 boxes, I do want a pair of those, but they are almost twice as expensive. The JBL's do a great job for a starting DJ on a budget, I personally feel you can't do much better for the money. I've previewed lots of different brands at a few music stores, I even listened to JBL's MRX515 cabinet that's twice as expensive, and it didn't sound much better for the money.
I am happy with my choice, at the time it was the best selection, I felt, for the money, but now that I've heard Peavey SP2's and SP5's - I definitely want a pair of those. Had I waited a few months and known they were going to be released, I would have gotten them. Much clearer, HF doesn't hurt your ears so much, etc.
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