JBL Studio 530 5-1/4" Bookshelf Loudspeakers (Pair, Black)

touchstone

Jun 7, 2021 7:34 PM

696 Comments

Joined Mar 2012

touchstoneJun 7, 2021 7:34 PM

696 Comments

I can finally get one last pair of these for rear surrounds and the price is the lowest I've ever seen (paid $280 on the previous pair). 520C, 2x 580, 4x 530, 2x SVS SB12-NSD. Should be a decent 7.2 setup. The 590 is just such a monster and clearly designed for people who want to avoid subs I ended up going for the 580.

Is Atmos worth it? Doesn't seem so with surrounds mounted high as they are.

1

RVD26

Jun 7, 2021 7:40 PM

5.3K Comments

Joined May 2007

RVD26Jun 7, 2021 7:40 PM

5.3K Comments

Quote from Baelzar

:

Is that SUB 550P subwoofer they have on sale for $199.00 a good deal?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-seri...+550P.html [jbl.com]

It's okay, but there are better brands for subwoofers such as Monolith and SVS.
The subs and center speakers are the weak points for JBL.

2

1

pixelpusher15

Jun 7, 2021 7:50 PM

565 Comments

Joined Nov 2015

pixelpusher15Jun 7, 2021 7:50 PM

565 Comments

Quote from Baelzar

:

Is that SUB 550P subwoofer they have on sale for $199.00 a good deal?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-seri...+550P.html

For $200 I've heard that is is one of the best for home theater.

2

omar1927

Original Poster

Jun 7, 2021 8:10 PM

8 Comments

Joined Jul 2019

omar1927

Original Poster

Jun 7, 2021 8:10 PM

8 Comments

Hey guys so what would be a good basic receiver/amplifier for these speakers ? It will just be 2 the bookshelf speakers and maybe a subwoofer down the line. Really just want to stream music from my phone (Bluetooth) , hook up a tv, and add turntable later .

nottrollin

Pro

Jun 7, 2021 8:31 PM

11.9K Comments

Joined Feb 2012

nottrollin

Pro

Jun 7, 2021 8:31 PM

11.9K Comments

Quote from Cujobob

:

Small drivers, but these are actually quite dynamic.

This is a killer deal. I've purchased multiple pairs to gift and use in one of my small home theaters.

The downsides to it are: the frequency response drops off above 14 or 15Khz that you likely won't ever notice when listening, there is a small resonance that shows up in measurements and also isn't very audible, and if you push them hard… there can be port chuffing. I've not experienced the chuffing myself because I've crossed them to a sub or didn't play them loud enough to make it happen.

As for positives: they image insanely well, detail retrieval is quite good, dynamic sound, and they work well both with lower end amplifiers, but get even better with great amplifiers.

These have been a top buy under $500 for a long time and they're still great. They're not my best speakers, but what I compare them with cost multiples of their price. The center channel is also quite decent for a small theater - the speakers do a good job of disappearing.

I used to own these (and many other book shelf speakers). The guy I was replying to a guy who asked about the Bass. IMO, the JBL 230 and Infinity R162 with the 6.5" drivers both have considerably better bass.
And I'm not knocking these 530. But for me, I'd want them paired with a sub.

Last edited by nottrollin June 7, 2021 at 06:58 PM.

fintlewoodlewix

Jun 7, 2021 8:42 PM

3.3K Comments

Joined Jul 2017

fintlewoodlewixJun 7, 2021 8:42 PM

3.3K Comments

Quote from He-Man

:

Can anyone comment on how these perform on the bass department? Rated @45 hz, do they perform well on the low end? Trying to avoid a sub in a 5.1 system.

You do not want to avoid a sub. These work best with a sub. Every speaker, no matter the size, wants a sub or four with it.

5

fintlewoodlewix

Jun 7, 2021 8:44 PM

3.3K Comments

Joined Jul 2017

fintlewoodlewixJun 7, 2021 8:44 PM

3.3K Comments

Quote from omar1927

:

Hey guys so what would be a good basic receiver/amplifier for these speakers ? It will just be 2 the bookshelf speakers and maybe a subwoofer down the line. Really just want to stream music from my phone (Bluetooth) , hook up a tv, and add turntable later .

Denon generally makes good gear. Same overall company: Samsung/Harman. I would get an AVR, not a stereo receiver, since the AVRs come with room correction, which is a must.

1

2

Frugal-Deals

Jun 7, 2021 9:08 PM

605 Comments

Joined Nov 2008

Frugal-DealsJun 7, 2021 9:08 PM

605 Comments

Quote from nottrollin

:

I used to own these (and many other book shelf speakers). The guy I was replying to asked about the Bass. IMO, the JBL 230 and Infinity R162 with the 6.5" drivers both have considerably better bass.
And I'm not knocking these 530. But for me, I'd want them paired with a sub.

As a former owner, do you think these are worth the price? Any reason why you shifted away from them?

nycab

Jun 7, 2021 9:10 PM

884 Comments

Joined Jul 2007

nycabJun 7, 2021 9:10 PM

884 Comments

Quote from PoopyMcPoopyFace

:

Denon generally makes good gear. Same overall company: Samsung/Harman. I would get an AVR, not a stereo receiver, since the AVRs come with room correction, which is a must.

Disagree with your brand recommendations (denon and Samsung) but agree with avoiding a stereo receiver. TV/Movies are tough to watch without a center channel.

1

MumboJoombo

Jun 7, 2021 9:19 PM

90 Comments

Joined Dec 2010

MumboJoomboJun 7, 2021 9:19 PM

90 Comments

Quote from BrilliantRyloth

:

Damn wish their studio monitors would go back on sale like they used to go for under $200. Been waiting for 2 years .

Big mistake on my part was Holidays 2018, not ordering a second pair of the 306P MKII.

$152+tax for the pair when I bought it.

My order back then: https://i.imgur.com/ncLzV06.png

2

1

NEO_Dax

Jun 7, 2021 9:31 PM

235 Comments

Joined Jul 2015

NEO_DaxJun 7, 2021 9:31 PM

235 Comments

How would these fair with a vintage stereo receiver, solely for listening to records?

fieldcar

Jun 7, 2021 9:32 PM

671 Comments

Joined Nov 2017

fieldcarJun 7, 2021 9:32 PM

671 Comments

Quote from Baelzar

:

Is that SUB 550P subwoofer they have on sale for $199.00 a good deal?
https://www.jbl.com/studio-5-seri...+550P.html [jbl.com]

I bought 2 of them at $190 about 6 months back. They are pretty good, but in my mid to large sized room, they start rolling off at ~30Hz. This means that they are great for music, but if you desire a bit more punch in the chest, the SVS SB1000pro or the monolith THX 10" are probably your next best options. I've since added an SB2000pro, and man. It goes down to 18Hz. I do still prefer the JBL's for music though, as they punch without any port chuffing. Good luck!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I have that Klipsch 12" that goes on sale all the time for around 180-200. The JBL is better IMO. The amp on the Klipsch hits an internal limiter noticeably earlier than the JBL.

Last edited by fieldcar June 7, 2021 at 02:36 PM.

nottrollin

Pro

Jun 7, 2021 9:34 PM

11.9K Comments

Joined Feb 2012

nottrollin

Pro

Jun 7, 2021 9:34 PM

11.9K Comments

Quote from Frugal-Deals

:

As a former owner, do you think these are worth the price? Any reason why you shifted away from them?

These were very hyped when they first came out and then they went out of stock for like 3 straight years. So when they finally popped up back in stock in 2019, I just had to check them out for myself.
These speakers are fine and I'm pretty sure this is the all-time low price.

I mostly shifted away because I had a speaker buying problem and I just had way too many.

3

1

chefp

Jun 7, 2021 9:39 PM

1.3K Comments

Joined Dec 2009

chefpJun 7, 2021 9:39 PM

1.3K Comments

These speakers look different because they use waveguides for the horns. This improves the immersiveness of the sound stage. It really does make a difference. Listening to a Dolby Atmos surround sound test with a 3.1 setup (center, sides, but no rears), with my eyes closed I can pinpoint where the sound is coming from in 360 degrees around me. It's uncanny.

1

LongShao

Jun 7, 2021 9:46 PM

31 Comments

Joined Jan 2019

LongShaoJun 7, 2021 9:46 PM

31 Comments

Quote from looser24

:

These are professional quality so better than any of the Klipsch deals right?

Usually they get compared with RP-500M/RP-600M
But this price is way better. I have Klipsch 5.1.2 but I choose this on my PC setup

JBL Studio 530 5-1/4" Bookshelf Loudspeakers (Pair, Black)

$250

$600

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