JBL HDI-3800

Fantastic detail and build quality!

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JBL HDI-3800

The JBL 3800 speakers are real gems. Soundstage is incredible; you can close your eyes and pick out each instrument on a well recorded vinyl record or CD - both front to back and side to side. Even streamed music shows a well spread out soundstage. These appear to be warming up quickly; each listen using the same music and source seems to give fuller and more pronounced soundscape. The bass response is absolutely amazing! I tested this using the Dave's Picks live recording of the Grateful Dead from Chicago (October 22, 1972) and also a Charlie Haden compilation. Haden's nuanced and precise playing comes through beautifully, and Phil Lesh's thundering intro to 'The Other One' just roars through these speakers! Speaker sensitivity of 92 db appears to be practically unheard of in this price range, and the response is wonderful. I power these with a McIntosh MA 5300 rated at about 160 watts at 4 ohms. I've never really spent much time listening to 4 ohm speakers, but these - with the proper amplification - are just spectacular. The sound is full and warm (and getting warmer). Increasing the volume seems to make the sound more balanced and full rather than just louder. I can't say enough about the 3800's and I can't imagine ever needing an upgrade. I heartily recommend the JBL HDI-3800.

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JBL HDI-3800

Out performs speakers twice the price...great soundstage!!!!

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Too soon to tell

I just got these speakers along with my other audio components (Anthem amp, Rotel preamp, Denon CD players, NAD AM/FM tuner))set up a couple days ago. Everything works. On the plus side, it's a pleasure to listen to music against a dead silent background. When the music stops or between, I can detect absolutely no hiss or noise of any kind from the speakers. On the other hand, the music doesn't sound quite like it has for years over my car stereo or ear buds. This will take some getting used to. One seeming oddity. I set the speakers up and set my listening position as directed by the JBL documentation, But whether from the tuner or from one of several CDs I listened to, the sound seemed biased to (soundstage was shifted towards) the left speaker. My solution was to move the right speaker no more than one foot towards the left speaker and now the soundstage sounds about right. I can't account for this with room acoustics.

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JBL HDI-3800

After hooking up these speakers I immediately noticed a great improvement in the highs over my older JBLs which were no slouches either. The highs are smooth and seemingly delivered with a more intense presence. I am still in the break in stage with these new speakers and can hardly wait for them to fully deliver their punch. Best speakers I have ever owned. Large beautiful speakers in the black finish.

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JBL HDI-3800

I love the dynamics and smooth vocals, don't require terribly expensive electronics. I drive mine from a crown xls 2502 and it gives you a solid soundstage that sounds live. good looks along with a super build quality great product!

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JBL HDI-3800

The JBL HDI-3800s are the first set of speakers that have been able to fully transport me into a recording. I'll give you an example. A week or so ago my wife and 8-month-old stepped out so I was really able to crank these puppies to see what they could do. I put on Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Tin Pan Alley," which is a great test of dynamics, soundstage, and atmosphere. Though Stevie Ray isn't in my normal listening rotation, I've listened to this countless times as a speaker test track but this time something changed. As my Gen Z brethren would say, "it hit different tho." After cranking the volume to concert levels I closed my eyes let myself see what happened. About 15 seconds in a weird thing happened and my sense of the speaker location kept moving further and further back until it felt like I was sitting on the top balcony of the venue and listening live. The tangible sense of space, the intense live music sound pressure, the clarity were all just incredible. I was fully transported into the venue until my cat walked up and meowed, which was completely disorienting because I was once again on my couch in my listening room and not front row of the top balcony at Fox Theater in Oakland, which is where my ears and mind had taken me. It's an experience I've been chasing for years of buying audio gear-that truly transformative experience. The JBL HDI-3800s did that.

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Buy These Speakers!!!

Awesome speakers. Provide a full, rich sound. Truly provides an immersive experience.

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