JBL Stage range of speakers available in NZ?

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ShinyChrome

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#245373 31-Jan-2019 15:04

How about that heat NZ?

Anyway, I have been I am looking at adding a set of floor-standers or a sub to my 2.0 setup for not-lots of dollars and these range of speakers came up as an avenue worth exploring.

They are listed on JBL's NZ site HERE, but when I contacted them to see if they ranged that line locally, I got a canned response about sold at JB HiFi, Harvey Norman etc. All of which sell the JBL range of wireless bluetooth speakers, but seem to have no visibility of the HT stuff. Jb HiFi is reaching out to them to see what they can get, so will update if I hear anything back.

I already have a pair of 6.5" bookshelf speakers from JBL's sister company Infinity (a great budget friendly range that would be awesome if they sold here, but rut-roah), so I was interested to see how this range fits into the NZ market (or doesn't).

Anybody heard of them before?

RunningMan

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#2170810 31-Jan-2019 15:19

Slightly OT, but had you considered something second hand from further up the price range - get better sound for the same money?

Something along these lines perhaps? https://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/home-audio/speakers-and-stands/home-theatre-sets/listing-1928335837.htm

ShinyChrome

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#2170957 31-Jan-2019 17:50

RunningMan:
Slightly OT, but had you considered something second hand from further up the price range - get better sound for the same money?

Something along these lines perhaps? https://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/home-audio/speakers-and-stands/home-theatre-sets/listing-1928335837.htm

Thanks for the suggestion, not a bad price for amount of gear you are getting.

The only thing that really stops me is the age of most of the stuff selling on there. Anything more than 5 years old with electronic goods makes me question how much longer it will last.

And in that case as well, it being in Auckland and myself in the Manawatu would also be a bit of a deal breaker.

Dunnersfella

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#2171025 31-Jan-2019 21:07

I don't like your chances...

Samsung own JBL / Arcam / Harman / Infinity now - and their focus is products like bluetooth speakers, soundbars and the likes.

You'd certainly want to listen to the JBL's before buying them.

Also, Infinity home audio speakers are no longer made.

Harman (owned by Samsung) are only supplying car audio Infinity's at this stage.

elpenguino

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#2171041 31-Jan-2019 22:34

ShinyChrome:
RunningMan:

Slightly OT, but had you considered something second hand from further up the price range - get better sound for the same money?

Something along these lines perhaps? https://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/home-audio/speakers-and-stands/home-theatre-sets/listing-1928335837.htm

Thanks for the suggestion, not a bad price for amount of gear you are getting.

The only thing that really stops me is the age of most of the stuff selling on there. Anything more than 5 years old with electronic goods makes me question how much longer it will last.

And in that case as well, it being in Auckland and myself in the Manawatu would also be a bit of a deal breaker.

Speakers can suffer from perishing of the cones and suspension folds so your concern is not unreasonable, but OTOH I run 25 year old speakers that are still in perfect working order so don't discount used gear altogether.

There's dealers who specialise in used gear - if you visit one you'd be able to see and hear the gear before buying.

There's a guy in lower hutt with lots of used gear if you're ever in the hood.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

ShinyChrome

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#2171115 1-Feb-2019 08:59

Dunnersfella:

I don't like your chances...

Samsung own JBL / Arcam / Harman / Infinity now - and their focus is products like bluetooth speakers, soundbars and the likes.

You'd certainly want to listen to the JBL's before buying them.

Also, Infinity home audio speakers are no longer made.

Harman (owned by Samsung) are only supplying car audio Infinity's at this stage.

Yeah, it has become a nice little swag of companies for Samsung.

The JBL Stage range was only released late last year, so I have hope for them. If the prices are competitive enough, I'm prepared to take a swing on them without listening based on reviews / listening to other products in the Harman family. But it is probably more likely gonna be that the market differences between US and here mean the prices aren't really all that competitive against the established stuff.

It's my own fault really for spending too much time on r/hometheater.....

Speakers can suffer from perishing of the cones and suspension folds so your concern is not unreasonable, but OTOH I run 25 year old speakers that are still in perfect working order so don't discount used gear altogether.

There's dealers who specialise in used gear - if you visit one you'd be able to see and hear the gear before buying.

There's a guy in lower hutt with lots of used gear if you're ever in the hood.

I guess I'm not discounting used gear; refurbished or a 0-3 year old stuff I would have no qualms about. Outside of that, the value proposition heavily drops off for me. Plus I have to get it has to pass the WAF test, so it has to look half decent as well.

A dealer is a different story, but honestly I just thought it was a bit of a dying trade. Can't even remember the last time I saw one.

Who is the guy? I occasionally pass through Lower Hutt. On my way to somewhere else. With the doors locked and windows up. (j/k don't hate me I have lived in UH/Petone/Wellington)

elpenguino

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#2171159 1-Feb-2019 10:10

ShinyChrome:

Dunnersfella:

I don't like your chances...

Samsung own JBL / Arcam / Harman / Infinity now - and their focus is products like bluetooth speakers, soundbars and the likes.

You'd certainly want to listen to the JBL's before buying them.

Also, Infinity home audio speakers are no longer made.

Harman (owned by Samsung) are only supplying car audio Infinity's at this stage.

Yeah, it has become a nice little swag of companies for Samsung.

The JBL Stage range was only released late last year, so I have hope for them. If the prices are competitive enough, I'm prepared to take a swing on them without listening based on reviews / listening to other products in the Harman family. But it is probably more likely gonna be that the market differences between US and here mean the prices aren't really all that competitive against the established stuff.

It's my own fault really for spending too much time on r/hometheater.....

Speakers can suffer from perishing of the cones and suspension folds so your concern is not unreasonable, but OTOH I run 25 year old speakers that are still in perfect working order so don't discount used gear altogether.

There's dealers who specialise in used gear - if you visit one you'd be able to see and hear the gear before buying.

There's a guy in lower hutt with lots of used gear if you're ever in the hood.

I guess I'm not discounting used gear; refurbished or a 0-3 year old stuff I would have no qualms about. Outside of that, the value proposition heavily drops off for me. Plus I have to get it has to pass the WAF test, so it has to look half decent as well.

A dealer is a different story, but honestly I just thought it was a bit of a dying trade. Can't even remember the last time I saw one.

Who is the guy? I occasionally pass through Lower Hutt. On my way to somewhere else. With the doors locked and windows up. (j/k don't hate me I have lived in UH/Petone/Wellington)

LOL, I know.

The chap I was thinking of is Bill, I think his shop is WT audio or something, opposite countdown. His shop is organised in a 'charming' way so if you have something definite in mind maybe call ahead so he can fish things out for you.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Dunnersfella

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#2171324 1-Feb-2019 15:43

Wow... so W T is still going? I've stuck my head in once and then left fairly quickly.

If you're in the Manawatu there's a new audio shop open where MTV Sound used to be (Palmie North), go in there and kick some tyres.

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ShinyChrome

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#2172646 4-Feb-2019 10:22

Dunnersfella:

Wow... so W T is still going? I've stuck my head in once and then left fairly quickly.

If you're in the Manawatu there's a new audio shop open where MTV Sound used to be (Palmie North), go in there and kick some tyres.

Sounds like a ... uhhhh.... "interesting" guy haha

I AM in the Manawatu, I actually work next to them. I've been in there, had a look around, chewed the fat etc; while they have some nice kit, they seem to be focusing on car + higher-end HT.

I guess this is just the NZ market; the majority get sound-bars/HTiB setups from big box retailers and only a minority are prepared to pay for higher grade stuff, so when they do they will go all the way for the high-end enthusiast range. I'm just starting to dip my toe into HT/audio, so I'm looking for that gateway experience (and pricing) of somewhere in between, which seems to be a mixed bag of either limited entry level ranges of bigger brands (Klipsch, Polk Audio, Wharfedale etc) at major retailers or second-hand gear AKA trade-me.

On a side note, I was killing time at Harvey Norman so I checked out the entry level Klipsch towers and center (R-620F and R-52C); from what I could listen to them on the shop floor they sounded good. But I'm always a little wary of their pricing, since they seem to be actively trying to avoid generating price history.

Fred99

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#2201532 19-Mar-2019 12:29

Dunnersfella:

I don't like your chances...

Samsung own JBL / Arcam / Harman / Infinity now - and their focus is products like bluetooth speakers, soundbars and the likes.

JBL also have a pro division, not coincidentally called "JBL Pro", selling sound-reinforcement and studio equipment, including speakers (studio and PA, passive and active).

I think they're probably okay (no first-hand experience - but many users seem to like the stuff), and range from mid to reasonably high end.

I guess that market is less saturated with cheap so-called "hifi" and HT garbage that still looks nice and sounds okay to the iPod generation.

I helped fix (for a studio - it wasn't mine) a very large JBL studio bass speaker a while ago, being retrofitted with a replacement vintage 18" driver that was slightly different model (mounting points mainly) than the original fitted to the cabinet which was '60s vintage. Cranked it up in my garage to simultaneously test it and inadvertently scare the bejesus out of the neighbour's cat that was in my basement.

I've also got a pair of JBL domestic hifi speakers here dating back to the late '70s, they still sound great, cones and surrounds seem to be pretty much as new. They're probably worth about $50 on a good day, and I don't use them for stereo etc in my lounge for other reasons, but when I do listen to them it probably reinforces my personal bias that passive home hifi speaker technology hasn't advanced as much as many would like to believe.

Dunnersfella

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#2202016 19-Mar-2019 20:48

Yup - JBL is distributed by numerous companies in NZ, all of whom have difference focuses.

There's a company looking after pro gear, a company doing car, a company doing bluetotoh docks / soundbars, a company doing high end HiFi etc.

I agree with loudspeaker design, the thing that has changed is that big, boxy speakers no longer fit into super modern houses where a lot of home owners want to hear speakers, but not see them...

If you're in Auckland go and listen to the Klipschhorn's @ Rapallo, a very old design that will still blow you out the door with ease... or some big JBL's at somewhere like Turned On Audio, all great products that don't fit in the super slim / hidden pigeon hole - but they do sound sooooo much better.

Rippedgeek

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#2209146 1-Apr-2019 22:43

I can add my 2c in here. I've owned and deeply loved JBL Studio 530 and Studio 580 speakers, the 530 being the bookshelves and 580s being floorstanders. They are absolutely gobsmackingly good, honestly some of the best speakers I've ever owned. I had to sell my 580s when I moved to NZ and sold my Studio 530s to gather coin for my KEF LS50W set.

I would give many pints of blood to be able to get my hands on another set of Studio 580 or 590s. Unfortunately that is nearly impossible to do in NZ, unless you're willing to pay quite a bit in shipping and customs, since you'd most likely have to get them from the USA.

I'm currently in the process of trying to sell my Mission MX6 floorstanders, and if I can generate enough cash, might see if it's viable to bring some JBL Studio speakers into the country.

Rip

Fred99

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#2209158 1-Apr-2019 23:55

JBL just "re-released" these in the US - in a flashback to the '70s:

US$4000 a pair though. I guess a pair would mean two of the same colour - like socks.