JBL Studio Speakers: 590 Floorstanding Speaker $500, 520 Center Speaker

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09-17-2021 at 02:44 AM #31

Quote from brandonross

Do you use room correction? If so what flavor? What's the crossover on the center set to?

I have 2x 590s in use and a 520c in a box- with the magic I've witnessed Audyssey XT32 perform on the 590s I'm curious how similar your setup is.

I have tried different configurations with both XT322 and DIRAC, tried crossover of 90, 100, 120 and so on. The problem I believe is that in a large room the 520c will make voices sound small and localized. In comparison having a phantom image with two 580's or two 590's at reference levels sounds like the voices and sound are coming from the entire screen, this gives the impression that the voices of actors are as big as they appear in a 100inch screen.

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09-17-2021 at 11:22 AM #32

Quote from brandonross

To think people are wanting this to do bass! That's laughable. It's going to be nearly 100% of the dialog and various sounds, if the only issue is the bass that's easily solved by the crossover. People want everything to do everything it seems.

People don't understand this simple fact and want a gigantic center as if a center needs to have woofers to be appreciated 🙄

I'm running a RBH r56ci center...and I still run my crossover at 100hz because I want my subs to do the heavy lifting plus I have 590s for the fronts and for the price I paid nothing beats them. Nothing.

The r55ti towers look better, though.

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09-17-2021 at 03:46 PM #33

I just lay a 590 flat for my center speaker.

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09-17-2021 at 03:53 PM #34

Quote from brandonross

Well people have to understand this is $100 center, there really isn't any crossover or EQ that's going to make perform like a $1K(or close to that) center.

In a ideal setup a good center handles more than nearly 100% dialog, even you said "the dialog and VARIOUS SOUNDS".

It may not do heavy lifting but often does mid to light lifting.
If you take all the bass duty away from the center then the blending of sound will not sound uniform or ideal.

I would say if the issue is bass don't skimp by buying a $100 center.
Having listened to this center more than I care to admit, IMO you get what you pay for with it.

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09-17-2021 at 04:28 PM #35

Haters gonna hate! I have a 520c paired with a pair of 530s and I love that ugly silky-smooth baby! Of course I'm using it in a small bedroom system and not some voluminous room. That horned tweeter and I are in love.

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09-18-2021 at 06:00 AM #36

Quote from SmilingWinter1751

The 520c as a center doesn't keep up with the 580's or 590's. It will work with the 530's in a small room near field. For $100 its is a great price for the quality of components it has, I got a pair of 520c on the last deal and put the drivers, woofers, crossover and binding post in a diy speaker cabinet and they sound great as bookshelf stereo speakers. Its a great way to build your own speakers with quality electronics made to work great together.

If you buy components to do your own diy you will end up spending more for less quality and most diy sound mediocre since the components were never intended or designed to measure well acoustically.

That last bit about diy, I'm thinking there should be conditions on that. Cost, yeah, diy you should +33% initial kit price to account all the little things.

That get less part though. Are you talking parts express kits or something like diysg? To trade blows with the 590s I'd put up the 1099 or htm-12.

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09-18-2021 at 07:06 AM #37

Quote from brandonross

I don't think people are running this center speaker full range.
The "bass" range can go all the up to 250hz, which is well above any highpass xover most people would use. Even if you cross this center over at 100-120hz, that's still not a "brick wall". Point being, sending "very high levels" of "bass" that is say from 100-250hz to small woofers like this uses can cause audible distortion.
Therefore this center may sound fine at lower levels, and with left/right speakers that are equal to its loudness limitations, but paired with speakers that get way louder, it can struggle and distort.