Customer Reviews

JBL HDI-1600

The stereo receiver I am using is a Denon DRA-900H set on 4 ohm using 10G cables. These are "bookshelf" speakers with a very big sound. Also, I have these mounted on the Denon speaker stands made specifically for this speaker. The sound is very good! These are the best sounding speakers I have ever owned by far. I do plan on getting a pair of JBL floor standing speakers in the future. But in the meantime, these speakers are just fine.

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JBL HDI-1600

I have had these speaker for four days now, driving with Yamaha As-801. They are great out of box, have run 48 hrs of speaker break in program and then 2 days of music .Jazz fussion ,rock,blues and classical. they have changed some. The Yamaha is having no problem driving these 4ohm beauties, does not get warm even a little at high volume. My stand has great air flow that is key. They are far superior to my Kef Q350s. I wish I had bigger space the floor standers must be even better. 11x 12x8 room. I have the grey ones, Glad I picked out.

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Perfect

Exactly what I needed to replace my Polk Towers when I needed the space. Couldn't be happier.

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Happy

These are some of the best speakers I've ever owned, and I've owned speakers up to $10, 000. I bought these partly because of the review on Audio Science Review and they were right: "Highly Recommended". Crisp clear sound, nice soundstage. Buy these you won't regret it!!!!!

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Nada mejor...viva! Nothing better!

Una maravilla....not pretensions just perfect audio !! Really ...perfectas... gracias JBL. Wonderful,,, No pretentions just perfect audio!! Really, perfect, thank you JBL.

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Crutchfield response on 10/1/2024

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Amazing speakers!

These speakers are incredibly well built - they're beautiful! I'm still in the break-in period but so far they are a significant upgrade to my JBL studio 530s. My receiver is an Onkyo TX-rz 70 which has plenty of power despite the JBLs being 4 ohm. Everything sounds better - movies and music. But perhaps the most noticeable improvement is the vocals while watching television. I researched for months before pulling the trigger and have no regrets. I doubt I'll ever need to buy another set of speakers.

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JBL HDI-1600

Great sound at a great price.

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Solid performance from a great looking bookshelf pair.

Excellent bookshelf speakers, rewards with large soundstage and solid bass performance when thoroughly powered. Also sounds great with moderate power (Marantz NR1200) but definitely shines with an abundance. Currently connected to an Eversolo DMP A8 and Parasound A21+,solid combination. Compared to the JBL Studio 630, which are also an impressive bookshelf pair, the HDI 1600 have proven to be a level up.

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Couldnt be happier with them!

These speakers are awesome!Still haven't gotten them totally broke in yet but so far I'm amazed.Running them with a NAD 3400 Power Envelope so far and they don't know a 6 1/2 woofer shouldn't produce that kind of bass tone!I don't even need my SVS sub really but I'm still going to use it!

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JBL HDI-1600

I went through a few pair of bookshelf speakers before landing on the JBL HD-1 1600. Love them, nice balance between sound and size .

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JBL HDI-1600 Rates Well

Excellent instrument separation yet not too revealing of crappy recordings. These speakers are a bit warm and not bright at all, and I'm bowled over. These JBLs will play loud very well (if that's your thing); I listen critically at about 82-84 dB, which these JBLs handle swimmingly. We used a Rotel A12 and then a Rotel 1582 Mk II to see what effect wattage has on the speakers. The A12 ran them very well at 120 max watts for a 4 ohm load. The 1582 Mk II provided a 325 watt source for 4 ohm speakers, and the 1582 really opened these HDI-1600s up beautifully. So, I'm going to say, the more power you provide, the better and loftier the sound stage. Use the strongest amplifier you can afford that's comfy pushing 4 ohms to get the best sound. These are tough speakers to push! That's my advice should you be considering purchasing these beasts. The sound is silky smooth when you provide a good power source for hours of enjoyable listening.

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Fantastic speakers for their size and price

Fantastic speakers. You can really hear every instrument on well recorded records. Nothing is buried in the mix. The bass is great. The highs are still bright and apparent, but the bass really comes through, which I appreciate. Larger than most "book shelf" speakers. But they pack a punch. I have some JBL floor standing speakers from ~2013 (Studio L 690s) and these HDI 1600s sound better. Better bass, clearer distinction between instruments. Just fantastic sound.

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JBL HDI-1600

I purchased the 1600s, the Yamaha A-S801 integrated amp and the Wii's Pro Plus in June. It's been 30 plus years since my last system. My wife and I are absolutely mesmerized by the music produced by the JBLs. In the evening, we dim the lights, pour a glass of wine and let the music surround us. These speakers will not disappoint. Thanks Crutchfield.

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These speakers don't know they are small

Holy Smokes! These speakers are awesome. I'm powering these with my vintage NAD 3155 amp and they pound effortlessly. I love the clear JBL sound. I don't even need a subwoofer with these speakers because the bass is so deep and solid. I've always been a JBL lover but these speakers have surpassed my expectations. Definitely worth the price. I recommend these speakers hands down.

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JBL HDI-1600

These pair are my last addition to my toy collection...Have a pair of Linton Heritage, a pair of KLH Model 3 and now these JBLs, all bought at Crutchfield. They sound great out of the box. Like everything on them including their beautiful look. Been honest I like the KLH Model three better except for the bass. The bass on these speakers is superior. But I cannot say no at $475 each, so I took the risk after reading all the good reviews. I think that they also worth the regular price of over $900 each. ...... I moved the KLHs to the living room and kept this pair in my music room....Love them......

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JBL HDI-1600

This pair of JBL HDI-1600 replaced a pair of B&W 607 2 speakers which were struggling a bit in a larger space than originally placed. Even before fully broken in, they shine. There is much more bass and an even better room-filling sound. They fill a large T-shaped listening area without straining at all without a sub. Individual instruments and vocals are very clear. I would recommend these speakers for an enjoyable listening experience, even without a sub.

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Bigger isn't always better.

I'm excited to have the JBL HDI 1600 speakers. They are beefy but come in a small package, taking your time with placement will pay big dividends. Also great fit and finish and packed very carefully. Thanks Crutchfield!

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Phenomenal Speakers

Phenomenal speakers. Subtleties that were once unheard are now clear as day; these speakers breathe new life into my old albums.

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JBL HDI 1600

I have been considering these for quite some time. I also have a pair of GR Research XLS Encores that I built with top end crossover parts. I really the the XLS Encore, but they require a subwoofer and also do not do anything to mask issues in recordings. There are many good songs that I don't want to listen to with those because the recordings are not optimal. They tell the "truth" so to speak. (sometimes... you cant handle the truth haha) The JBL's are very different in this regard. They are quite detailed and have great tone, but are not so revealing that i cant listen to sub par recordings. The JBL's have a lot of weight to the sound. The bass is much stonger than i was expecting. These things really get with the program. I've not had any experience with compression drivers, but so far i am very pleased and satisfied with midrange and treble performance. If i could sum up in a few words I would say they are smooth with a thick bottom end. I have them paired with a Yamaha AS-801 and I think it is a perfect match. They will play at 11 all day long without any issues. If you are on the fence and are looking for something that will play loud with authority and not kill your ears with crazy highs you should pull the trigger. You will be impressed i think.

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JBL HDI-1600

I have several high end amps. Accuphase 380, Macintosh 352, Hegal 390, Pass labs 250. I also have several bookshelf speakers. Dynaudio s40, Buchardts 400 SE, Dali minuets se, Golden ear BRX,and NHT 3C. I like different presentations and all of my speakers do just that. I have never had any speakers with a horn and I heard good things about the JBL 1600. Right out the box, they sound very good. I would call these party speakers, in that they have very punchy bass and and like to be play loud. The sound is very rich with not a hint of brightness. Excellent sound stage that sounds tall and wide. Do they top my other bookshelf speakers? They all play a bit more refined, but the 1600 does some things the others cannot.The better the amp you use the better these speakers sound. Most speakers I have purchased took some time to sound their best. Since I am writing this review only one hour after removing the 1600 out of the box, it's possible they might sound even better than what I hear now. I don't think anyone would be unhappy with the JBL 1600. It certainly is a different presentation from my other speakers, so I will be adding them to my collection. My review is based on playing the JBL's with my Accuphase amp.

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JBL 1600 HDI

My first compression drivers & they are spectacular. True loudspeakers that are not brite like Klipsch . The bass is very big & tight with the live sound of those uppers via a waveguide. They do everything very well & Ill never go back to a tweeter . JBl is American music & movie sound complete. AC/DC to Miles these speakers are truly magical. Everything sounds live & natural with a delicate authority. No sub needed in my 30 ft by 16ft room with 15 foot ceilings. I push them with class A 160 watts in 4 ohms & they sound better as the sound increases. You need a quality amp 4ohms to open the 1600s up . They are fun & very dapper in their musical throw . At 1450.00 a pair with tax & delivered is a win for me . At the 2000-2500$ mark there are many speakers to compare , but none have compression drivers . These are my first JBL speakers Ive owned & they remind me of my previous dynaudio evoke 20s but more live feeling rather than the studio sterile composition of dynaudio . The open soundstage is accurate & very real . Everything sound live . JBL is my new love .

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Great sounding speakers without colorzing the sound too much

I previously had the 306 Mkii Pro from JBL and was mostly happy with those neutral sounding speakers. Got these ones in good deal and the difference between the two is not noticable which is a great thing that these don't add too much color to your sound. They are a tad bit warmer and can go pretty low on the bass end, all of which I am enjoying. Also since these are non-powered as opposed to the previous ones, no electric hiss (never cared for a good power supply for the previous ones). So all in all definitely worth the upgrade!!

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Exceeded expectations

Good clear sound, crisp without being fatiguing. These JBLs have shown they can handle as much power as I want to push through them using a Schiit Vidar amplifier (rated at 200 watts per channel @ 4 ohms). Overall, these are a big improvement over the old Sony SA-VA3 system I had been using for over 30 years. I tried several other modern speakers (including Wharfedale 85th and Revel F206) before settling on these JBLs. I like the rounded cabinet and the retro walnut (real wood veneer, according to JBL, not vinyl -- looks and feels real). I was expecting the JBL design to be a bit harsh in the highs but they're not at all. If anything, these speakers have a little too much presence in the midrange, like just about every speaker in the market. The Revel F206 were particularly glaring/beaming in the midrange, literally making my ears hurt. I use Equalizer APO to dial back 1.5khz (Q0.5) by about -3.5 db, which makes the JBL HDI 1600 a joy to listen to at any volume.

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Small but Mighty

Great speakers. I placed these on built-ins on each side of our fireplace. The small size satisfied the aesthetics for my wife but they delver stunning sound that fills our large great room. The presence of the highs is amazing and the bass is fantastic. Driving with a Yamaha amp that delivers about 80w at 8 ohms. Speakers are 4 ohm. Couldn't recommend more if you are looking for small speakers.

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JBL HDI-1600

Replaced an older set of low end JBL bookshelf speakers with the HDI 1600s. Very impressed with how balanced and bright these speakers are. I've discovered new harmonies and tones from songs that I have listened to for decades.

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Small speaker , big sound

I have owned many JBL speakers over the years , L100s , L65s & pro series, just so you know I have a bias for their products and for good reason . I recently purchased a pair of the HDI 1600s for a small room with a10" JBL sub and powered it with a 100 watt marantz amp. I'm impressed with the quality of sound that this small speaker is capable of producing. Like most J B L products, they respond quite well with a powerful amp. Bob

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JBL HDI-1600

I was looking for a pair of superior speakers for the front speakers of my surround sound. I had limited space and the size of these was perfect. I primarily listen to music on my system so my front speakers needed to be the best. These speakers were perfect. The quality of sound is superb and the base is amazing for a speaker this small. I am very pleased with these all the way around.

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Definitely worth the money.

Sound clear and full. I turned up my Marantz NR1200 receiver to volume 70 and closed my eyes and it sounded like I had a 12 inch woofer in front of me not a 6.5 inch, The singer sounded like she was standing right in front of me singing. I heard a reviewer on u tube that said they could not do a bass drum right but the bass drum on Evanescence sounded great. It made my chest vibrate. The wall I was leaning against in my bedroom was vibrating.

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HDI-1600 gloss black

Vinyl renders beautifully, truly amazing. Now I'm eyeballing the entire Synthesis line. Highly recommended.

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One of JBL's Best

I've owned many JBL loudspeakers over the past 20 years and this is one of my favorites. I purchased the HDI-1600s in the walnut finish which looks great, especially given that all my other speakers have been finished in black. The sound reinforces my experience with previous JBLs - the bass weight and depth is very, very good, the midrange is lively and engaging and the treble is all there without being harsh. These speakers can be played impressively, and very cleanly loud, but need a good amplifier (I am using a good quality 2 channel receiver rated at 100 watts per side). Very highly recommended!

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Stagger Lee

At first I thought these speakers were too much for my taste. After breaking in, they are wonderful. The bass is excellent for a bookshelf. The vocals have an immediacy and presence that is palpable. I would describe these speakers as detailed without harshness and they have an attention capturing presence that is very gratifying. I'm a vocal guy and I love female and male voices on these speakers. After kicking round in the under $1000. market I took the leap and was richly rewarded.

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Buy these speakers!!!

Great bookshelf speakers!!!

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JBL HDI-1600

These speakers have a full sound that fills up my entire room. I got these and the Dynaudio Evo2.0 and these sounds better for a little lesser price range.

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