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Review 4 of 12
Price Paid:
$250.00
from Online Summary:
I have used four Pioneer 3 way speaker systems for the past 25 years with 12 inch bass speakers. As with most foam surround speakers of this era the foam was beginning to show its age. It was either send the bass drivers out for repair or replace the entire system. Although these systems were always good for bass they lacked midrange to my satisfaction which was supplimented with additional amplification and speakers.
Although I have purchased Eltax speaker systems for supplimental sound they have 5.25 inch bass drivers which seems common in many of todays more "trendy" speaker systems. I like heavy bass and this to me, can not be achieved by smaller speakers. My listening requirements are just not satisfied by anything less than a 10 inch bass driver.
I spent a considerable amount of time looking at what was available finding few full range speaker systems available with 12 inch bass drivers which was commonplace years ago. One name that I remembered was Cerwin Vega but for some reason they have become quite obscure from two decades ago when they were easily available and quite common. No dealers in my area had them anymore so I kept searching. I also have some commercial speaker systems with 10 inch bass drivers so I did not rule out a system with 10 inch drivers. I also have powered sub-woofers although I only use them on an as needed basis for certain musical selections.
In viewing the JBL website I found the E 100 may be just what I was looking for. A ( near ) full range speaker system with reinforced low end by having a pair of 10 inch bass drivers. Shooing around on the internet I found one retailer offering the E 100 at what I felt was a more realistic price than suggested retail and included shipping to my door.
Upon unpacking the E 100's I put them side by side for comparison and uniformity inspection and they matched quite well. Labeling was uniform and straight ( no tilted or off center self adheisive labeling ) Although I did not torque any of the hardware everything appeared secure including the speaker terminals and bi-wire terminals. The finish had no noticeable irregularities or other marks or abrasions. As these speaker systems weigh 63 Lbs each they obviously may not get the most tender and fragile handling in shipping. I felt they were sufficiently packaged for shipping as they sustained no apparant damage in transit. The exterior front grill assemblies are packed detached from the front of the cabinet, easily snapped into place after un-packing from the shipping container.
Although I do not fully agree with all of the discussion on the " Break-In " of new audio components, especially line level equipment. speakers being a mechanical object which are required to handle various amounts of power, I did take it easy on the for the first few days of operation after which I decided it was time to " crank em up " and see what they could do.
I am using a Nakamichi RE-10 to drive these speakers. As I described in an earlier review of the RE-10 when I upgraded my amplifiers a few years ago, the Nakamichi RE-10 was one of the very few integrated amplifiers around in my price range that had a true " Loudness Contour " control on it. Some amplifiers on the market offer what appears to be a mid-range attenuator as a loudness control which is unsatisfactory to me. I like plenty of Bass in most of the music I play and an effective amount of Treble is also necessary. A true Loudness Contour control affords me the pleasure of this especially at lower volume levels.
In a stand alone situation ( no additional speakers or amplifiers ) I have been well pleased to find the JBL E 100 speakers ( one pair of them ) to satisfy a majority of my music listening enjoyment. Although the bass is a bit tighter than my 25 year old Pioneer speakers the overall drive is there, even at lower or " reasonable " volume levels. With my Bass and treble controls on full and the " Loudness Contour " ON cranking up the volume does provide a bit of " Boomyness " which to me, adds to my pleasure of listening to certain types of music. In many listening situations that formerly required the use of a sub-woofer I can now rely on only the pair of E 100 speaker systems. The E 100's seem to handle a good amount of power in the lower frequency range without distortion or breakup. I do not rely on manufacturers power ratings as there aer just too many formulas for determining power handling capacity these days. These E 100's seem to be able to take what I give them with ease so power rating wise I know I have made a good choice.
Mid Range, especially the vocals are nothing short of excellent to my ears and I most likely will no longer have to use supplimental mid range systems to fill in where my 25 year old Pioneer speakers trailed off in this area. I also used a second Nakamichi RE-10 to drive the supplimental mid - hi range speakers I was using with the Pioneers. Vocals are great, stereo imaging and presentation are good although that has never been a major requirement for me. I like Big Sound that can be heard throughout the entire house from one source and one pair of JBL E 100's seem to be doing a respectable job in that requirement for a good deal of my musical listening pleasure.
The High end is amazingly clear and maintains a good prescence despite the massive amount of Bass I like to push out of the E 100's . Even when supplimented with a powered sub-woofer the Mids and high end are not washed out. Bear in mind that for the most part I run the Bass and Treble controls to the max with the very effective " Loudness Contour " control of the Nakamichi RE-10 always in the ON position adding that extra bit of Bass and Treble boost to give my auditory sensors a most pleasureable listening experience which may not always give the same perception to an audio pureist although it is what I personally enjoy.
Depending on you own personal listening requirement, the JBL E 100 may very well serve as a good choice in what may be one of the few nearly full range speaker systems available at a reasonable price ( shop around for best prices ) in todays market place. These will give you the " Bigger " sound that I feel just can not be achieved in speaker systems offering bass drivers in the 5 inch diameter range. If you are of the type that wants speakers that are Heard but un seen these may not be for you although I do not feel their size is obnoxious do not confuse these with petete little bookshelf speakers. For certain types of listening you may wish to include a powered sub woofer although if you don't already have one check out the JBL E 100 by themselves and be pleasantly surprised.
Speaking for myself, I made the right decision to buy these speakers, shop around for best price. Strengths:
Good build quality
Uniform appearance including labeling from one speaker to the next
this is a comparatively heavy weight unit that has been well packaged for shipping
For those requiring good bass response the E 100 may be the closest thing available to a full range speaker system. For me, small bass drivers just don't do the job.
Shop around for best price, I paid much less than MSRP buying online which included delivery Weaknesses:
Although an audio pureist may not arrive at the same conclusion I have about the JBL E 100 and considering the price I paid for them I can find nothing to complain about. The though I have had is the possibility of even buying a second pair. Similar Products Used:
Pioneer 12 inch 3 way speaker systems ( 4 ) purchased 25 years ago
Eltax Liberty 5+ floor standing speakers
Carboneau commercial 10 inch 2 way speaker systems
Tannoy Mercury M2
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