I have the HDI 3800’s, great speakers 🔊🔊🔊 Solid bass to around 40 hz, good midrange, and highs that are snappy and have presence without being bright or in your face. Very wide soundstage from the waveguides. Two things to keep in mind: 1) a sub is needed for true full range sound, and 2) the compression drivers need a good 200 hours to really open up and come alive, then they shine.
@@jstoli996c4s hehe, yes ofc the rf7 has alot more mid mass punch, but lows, not so much. It rly deppends on the room, 30hz is pretty low bass and they do it easily in a "great" room. But the sound of the rf7 cant be compared to the 3800. The rf7 had a big hole in the mids and it just sound ok. They should not have the crossover they way it is. I demoed the rf7 before I bought the 3800, and I was not impressed at all, yes alot og mid bass, but thats it. The 3800 can play just as loud as the rf7 to at much cleaner level, ans the 3800 can also handle more watt
@@chriss881000 yes I agree the midrange on the JBL’s is really good. More balanced and detailed than the Klipsch while still having good presence and snap from the compression drivers.
I've never heard JBL wave guide speakers described as bright. I could see it with some of JBL's older horn designs. Their target as confirmed by numerous measurements is dead neutral with slightly elevated bass.
Thank you for the review. I am new to your channel, but your Arendal review is what brought me here. I am currently considering both the HDI-3800's and Arendal 1723's as my next LCR speaker. I am able to have three of each behind my AT screen. Sounds like the Arendal speakers might win out for you. ;)
Thanks for watching all the way through!!!! Some people watch part of the video then ask me how a speakers compares to something else and I've addressed it in the video! 🤦🏾♂️😂😂
The Arendal is what I ordered, JBL did not have a center or surrounds that fit my needs. I actually looked at Revel as well, but same thing center and surrounds that do not fit my space. The Arendals has numerous options and they timbre match seamlessly based on ever review from people on the forums. ThenArendals also measure as close to flat and linear as you can get with excellent low to no distortion.
I have the HDI 3800’s and they are very good speakers 🔊🔊🔊. They do require a sub for true full range sound, but the bass is solid to around 50 hz. Plus the compression driver needs a good 200 hours of break in to open up and come to life, then they’re really good.
I’m happy to hear you found speakers that will work in your space. I agree the arendals are very low distortion and just sound fantastic with movies and music.
I believe you said you have the Arrendal speakers right ❓ I'm sure they are awesome, but what I don't like is they don't even try to cut the customer a deal. The surrounds are just as expensive as the fronts. Well particular ones. Nice video. Like you I don't know what I like more the wood finish or the color you had for the video. 👍🤔🤔
I would handily pick the Revel F206/F208 over the 3600/3800 as right now on crutchfield they are nearly the same price and with the Revel you get the option of a vastly better C208 which should match the sound better since it's got a vertically aligned midrange so you won't be getting all the oddities like you would with the 2.5 way JBL center as those super wide centers have really bad off axis response. Kef R series, Monitor Audio Silver series, and Svs Ultra series are some other alternatives the the Revel that I think are worth considering and also have good 3 way centers.
Agree about the vastly superior C208. I wouldnt put the SVC Ultra on the list..sure its better than the HDI in terms of response but is not that great either overall.
LOL, I have the Revel C12 for a center (vertically aligned tweeter and midrange). I purchased it because it’s was the only speaker that would fit in the space available in my Salamander Synergy television stand for my 65” TV. The rest of my speakers are JBL HDI series: 3800s up front, 1600s for surrounds. One can easily tell the Revel C12 is inferior to the JBL, but it was a compromise I had to make for WAF. It’s dull and lifeless and decidedly useless for reproducing dialog which is its primary purpose. I’ve been considering modifying its crossover but that would require test instruments I simply don’t have. Sure am glad I didn’t purchase an entire Revel system!!! I guess I’ll have to persuade the wife to accept the HDI center at the expense of esthetics as I’ll have to place it on top of the Synergy stand and the TV on top of the HDI center.
Revel is also a Harman brand with a very similar target sound. The C208 might go very well with the JBL speakers, but I wouldn't expect it to be capable of the same dynamic output for large rooms. I have the bookshelves in the HDI series and they easily exceed 100dB in my small home theater with no sign of strain.
If you took the woofers out of the cabinet and compared the jbl 3800s to the Revel concertas you would observe completely different drivers. The JBLs compression drivers are better but require more amplification. And dont believe all that dispersion nonsense people spout about center channels on the internet. Compare and SVS Ultra Center to even the JBL Studio 665C and you would be surprised.
I have the 3800s. Incredible. Need them to fill my 3400 cu ft listening room! I have dual subwoofers constructed from Revel Sub15 drivers in cloned JBL B380 enclosures driven by a Crown XLi800 amp to supplement bass down to 15Hz. Easily loosens the paneling in my listening room. Why buy the 3600s when for a few $$ more you can have the 3800s!!
I’ve had my 3800’s for over a year, and they now sound like I thought they should! Been living in a small apartment, so I can’t really give them proper juice, so it took longer than expected to break in the compression drivers properly. But boy do they shine now! Yes the bass is good too; I’m just jaded from previously having Klipsch RF7i’s before the JBL’s. Those RF7’s produce insane bass for a tower speaker, no sub needed to rattle the walls with their dual 10s 🔊🔊 That said, the JBL’s are better in every other way!
Update .. I disabled the center, surround and subwoofers channels in my Oppo UDP-203 so that it only outputs a stereo signal. I had previously connected the 7.1 analog outputs from the Oppo to the 7.1 analog direct inputs on my Marantz pre-pro (in order to play DVD-Audio discs), thereby using the DACs in my Oppo to feed an analog signal to my Marantz AV pre-pro, bypassing any digital processing in the pre-pro. I then chose a selection of recordings of acoustic instrumentals and well-recorded male and female vocals from my NAS for a critical listening session lasting most of the day. I obtained the most seamless soundstage I’ve ever heard from any of my previous stereo speaker systems including my 240Tis and my LSR32s. I’m extremely pleased with these speakers, pretty sure they’re the last I’ll ever buy.
I use to be a Klipsch guy.But I recently went to JBL with the stage series.They are a bargain budget speaker,that plays well above its price point.I would love to own this line as well I think these would be great with an parasound 5 channel amp.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist for sure they seem to have a nice rich thick sound. The horns don't sound in your face like klipsch do. If I would have thought of these before finishing up my sim racing room I would have tried them but my cinema is all Arendal 1723 and got some 1723S 5.1 for my rig before they bumped the price up for the second time this year.
I've been reading, watching reviews and "window shopping" for a new HiFi setup for about 2 months now. Very soon into my research I realized that I can do a full blown 9.2.2 system for what I wanted to put into a 2.1. So.....my short list is the JBL HDI series (with the HDI-3600 for mains), the Polk Audio Reserve series (with the R-700 for mains)....and some Arendal 1961 gear (with a 1761 THX studio monitor as the center channel speaker). I will be using a Marantz SR-5015 w/ three Outlaw Audio 2220 monoblock amps for L/C/R power to start out with (that's all my initial budget will allow for). A Schiit Audio Asgard will stand in as the DAC, and it being a decent entry level headphone amp as well is a happy accident. Bass duty will fall on a pair of SVS PC2000 Pro cylindrical 12" ported subwoofers. I may eventually grab one of the Outlaw Audio 2220 monoblocks for every channel. ...and I'm going to use a new old stock 15" TC Sounds TC9 based subwoofer in a custom built sealed enclosure for when I'm in 2.1 mode for music. I couldn't help but notice the $2,000 & up sealed powered subwoofers from the bougie HiFi brands. I can outdo 'em w/ this TC sub on 1kw of clean power. This beast requires a 10 cubic ft vented enclosure tuned to 14.5Hz for a home theater/movie application. On 3 cubes sealed for music, tho...and that's manageable. Small even. I'm excited as hell about it, and I appreciate all the reviews I'm finding for the gear that interests me. I can't do in person demos, so I'm having to rely on this type of stuff to make my decisions.
Yep I agree I changed from klipsch 8000fs to JBL HDI 3800s and love it. 6 3800s get the house rocking. In the process of saving to change over the in ceiling to the JBLs.
@@tazoriginal just as my experiance to. I bought a pair of 8000f just for fun to swap out wirh my 3800's from time to time. Movies they are very good, but music, they where to boomy for my taste. I had them 75cm from back wall like fmfor all og my big speakers, and after 2 ours my head is so tired from all the "fake bass".. they even add bass i songs that have no f bass at all😅
Hey Cody really enjoy your channel. Just one little criticism....in most of your videos your voice constantly alternates between conversational and whispering. Sometimes it comes across as difficult to understand what you are saying. You could put a compressor on your voice recording which might help but really you just need to speak up a little bit and try maintaining a constant volume or project your voice into the room. Please don't think I am hating on you. I am a fan and love your content. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for watching the videos and being a fan. And THANK YOU 🙏🏾 for leaving this comment, being so nice about it, and actually suggesting solutions. 😁 This is much appreciated, I always want to make my videos better. I will work on projecting my voice a bit more, my wife says I speak softly at times so it’s not just you. 😁 I am a little concerned about clipping but I will work on it. Do you have any compressors you recommend?
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist You have a perfectly good speaking voice. The issue IMHO is you are adjusting your voice to the volume of the room you are recording in. The livestream you did at audio advice live was perfectly fine. Surrounded by other youtubers you automatically scaled up the volume and matched them. A little voice projection trick is to always imagine there is many people in the room and then talk to the person at the back of the room. Your voice will project automatically. Another might be to imagine a person is back behind the camera and you want them to hear you. Clipping only becomes an issue when you speak like your review videos.....going from super quiet to loud mid sentence. You ever notice how singers move the microphone away when they hit the big notes? That is controlling the volume with the mic instead of voice. The opposite end of the scale to you is Gene...lol he sounds almost forced loud which doesn't sound conversational.
Ok got it! There’s a video I’ve already recorded (technics earbuds) that will probably publish Monday but I’ll try these techniques in the video after that. Then I’ll be asking for your thoughts, if you don’t mind. 🙂🙂
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist th-cam.com/video/0m5jFdV9i4M/w-d-xo.html here is a good an simple tutorial on compressor usage for mic i dont know what software you use but all compressors mostly work the same way.
Great review! I have the RP-260 system also. Looking for upgrade. You mentioned Arendal along with these HDI’s. I am looking at those along with KEF R series. I like the detail of the Klipsch but always thought the tone was a little off especially in voices during movies, thoughts on that? And which out of these sound best in tone, detail and Dynamics. Which do you recommend? Thank you for all your great content!
Thanks for watching! I agree the klipsch are a little brighter with voices than normal. For movies I prefer the Arendals because they are more neutral, very dynamic, and very low distortion. I haven't heard the KEF R series but based on other KEF speakers I'd choose them second. Again because the are very dynamic and low distortion even at high listening levels. So as you can tell for movies I'd go Arendal . If you mainly listening to music then I'd give the nod to the KEFs because they handle music very well. Slightly warm with a nice smooth sound.
All of Klipsch centers are just not good due to been 2 or 2.5 way instead of a proper 3-way design. Sadly the same applies to the HDI line. You could use a different brand center but you will need to do trial and error to make sure timbre match is close enough. I have tried several Klipsch centers like the 504c and RC64 iii and they did not impress. I would pick the Revel C208 on sale right now any day over those or even a cheaper THX 365c
Long time Arendal owner since 2016 Because Arendal dont make a centre in-wall I moved from Arendal 1723 centre and 1723 L/R monitors to JBL-SCL-6 centre in-wall and JBL 3800 for L/R both brands are excellent so you cant go wrong
Andrew, I’m currently considering both speaker systems you referenced as well. I’ve also had the same exact thought you did. I feel like my in my heart I would love to have the Arendals, but I also really want an in-wall center speaker behind an AT screen and Arendal doesn’t have that. I feel like I’m leaning towards the JBL as a result because they have the SCL 6 to compliment them. Have you noticed any shortcomings in the JBL’s compared to your previous 1723’s?
@@AKrumenacher thanks for the question I was initally very impressed with the JBL HDI 3800 and they look lovely in the walnut finish but as time goes buy I feel I miss and prefer the full size Arendal 1723 monitors for L/R luckily I still have the Arendals 1723 as side surrounds so its easy to swap them round to confirm the SCL-6 work fine with the Arendals but if Arendal ever release a in-wall I would repurpose the SCL-6 hope this helps Andy
@@AKrumenacher Personally I did a Pros and Cons assessment and considered my options if thinks didnt pan out with JBL The change from Arendal started because I upgraded my 106" PJ screen to a 138" screen which meant my Arendal 1723 Centre was close to the floor I was surprised that the front stage still sounded coherent but I really wanted to go for a in-wall centre so I sold my Arendal 1723 centre and went for a JBL SCL-6 in wall Cons with the SCL- 6 turned out to be lack of a back box so you have to make your own having a CD it sounded slightly bright but it has improved over time the frequency response could be better when measured with REW but that could be down to the screen in front so I may space the screen further from the front wall and add acoustic treatment that said it sounds fine with my Arendal 1723 L/R so no regrets I still have the option to put my Arendal 1723 monitors back as L/R and repurpose the JBL 3800 as side surrounds I doubt I will ever sell the full size Arendal 1723 monitors
so you upgraded to the Arendal 1763 because they sounded better than your klipsch 260f. You also listened to JBL HDI 3600. How did 3600's compared to your Arendal 1763? You also listened to the emtoiva T2+ and T3+. Are emotiva worth or aim it for the money or go Polks R700, or perhaps go HDI 3800s? I got 2000k budget and I like warm and/or natural sound but with some forward sound. I looking for towers for dual duty 70%movies 30% music. I currently have RP280f so thats all i have for reference
Excellent review, surprised you consider them bright considering you have those Klipsch which are really bright, especially when pushed. I am moving from my Klipsch RP-280f to Arendal 1723 towers.
Yea, they are not as bright as my klipsch but they are still a little more bright than neutral. Let me know what you think of the Arendals compared to the Klipsch when you get them. 😁
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist Will do. Replaced Klipsch RS35/25 side/rear surrounds with 1961 Heights last week and they sound great. The front stage is backordered for another 10 days.
So you’ll be using the the 1961s as surround/ rear and 1723 as fronts? Definitely let me know what you think. I haven’t heard the 1961s how they sound in comparison.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist I have space limitations for side/rear surrounds so I went 1961 heights for those. They arrived other day and actually they timbre match my Klipsch pretty nicely and sound amazing. Using Audyssey dialed them in well on my Denon X7200 and Monolith 9X and have 1723 Towers/Center coming next week for LRC and because my front heights will be about 18 feet away I wanted to match the front stage better so went 1723S heights. I am keeping my dual PSA V1800s for now so this system should sound amazing.
I think I’d try out the Emotiva T3+ for less than half the money. I know the numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but I’d bet the T3 would be the better choice for me. I can’t wait for some reviews of them.
I do have a question. I am wanting to upgrade my tower (and maybe centre for clearest vocals) speakers, If I gave you or a local though bias hi-fi retailer links to say 3 or four youtube videos demonstrating the type of sound (music and movies) I most enjoy, with a bit of explanation for the choices and a budget, could you make suggestions of speakers that would be most likely to fit my taste in music with any real accuracy without me being there in person to try them out? I can't physically go out to hear any new speakers so I'm in the difficult position of wanting to buy speakers that to me cost a fortune, these speakers are my would really stretch my budget at $8,000 AUD probably plus a couple of hundred $ for delivery. I Really wanted to buy the Arendal 1723 Towers and centre channel but when I put them in the cart I realised two things, on top of the cart price I would likely pay 10% GST Goods and Services Tax plus potentially an importation tax and Arendal wanted $1,530 AUD for shipping charge. That would mean a minimum of $7000 AUD and I don't know how the Arendal trio would compare to speakers of a similar value bought within Australia.
it's a bargain , I have way too many speakers but one of them is a pair of JBL K2 and other JBL Synthesis speakers .. they are truly remarkable speakers
@Rich Perez wasn’t very accurate in the mid range was kinda flat.Voices sounded nasally. It really depends on the sound you like. What I like you might not.
Interesting you find them bright as the cea2034 measurements don’t show them to be bright at all. In fact, they are quite neutral. Also, not a single other subjective review found them to be bright. Might be your untreated room that is caused you to feel that way. When the Sceeening Room AV blind tested them against the revel F208 and they were extremely close and only the wide dispersion of the revel caused them to edge out the JBL. Nothing with tonality. But dispersion is a preference and room dependent. Shame you’re perpetuating the “horns are bright” myth.
Not to be a a## here, but plz read up on what u are making a video on before shooting the vid. Some misinformation here. Mids are not coming out from all 3 drivers, just the top driver.
I have the HDI 3800’s, great speakers 🔊🔊🔊 Solid bass to around 40 hz, good midrange, and highs that are snappy and have presence without being bright or in your face. Very wide soundstage from the waveguides. Two things to keep in mind: 1) a sub is needed for true full range sound, and 2) the compression drivers need a good 200 hours to really open up and come alive, then they shine.
Thanks
U must have them in a really bad rom? They go easly down to 30hz with great clean ouput, ands its alot of data on it
@@chriss881000 maybe I’m spoiled by my previous Klipsch RF7i’s which were bass monsters. I love the JBL’s, just wish they had more low bass.
@@jstoli996c4s hehe, yes ofc the rf7 has alot more mid mass punch, but lows, not so much. It rly deppends on the room, 30hz is pretty low bass and they do it easily in a "great" room. But the sound of the rf7 cant be compared to the 3800. The rf7 had a big hole in the mids and it just sound ok. They should not have the crossover they way it is. I demoed the rf7 before I bought the 3800, and I was not impressed at all, yes alot og mid bass, but thats it. The 3800 can play just as loud as the rf7 to at much cleaner level, ans the 3800 can also handle more watt
@@chriss881000 yes I agree the midrange on the JBL’s is really good. More balanced and detailed than the Klipsch while still having good presence and snap from the compression drivers.
I've never heard JBL wave guide speakers described as bright. I could see it with some of JBL's older horn designs. Their target as confirmed by numerous measurements is dead neutral with slightly elevated bass.
Beautiful speakers. I hope to buy this set up. 👍😎
Thank you for the review. I am new to your channel, but your Arendal review is what brought me here. I am currently considering both the HDI-3800's and Arendal 1723's as my next LCR speaker. I am able to have three of each behind my AT screen. Sounds like the Arendal speakers might win out for you. ;)
Thanks for watching all the way through!!!! Some people watch part of the video then ask me how a speakers compares to something else and I've addressed it in the video! 🤦🏾♂️😂😂
The Arendal is what I ordered, JBL did not have a center or surrounds that fit my needs. I actually looked at Revel as well, but same thing center and surrounds that do not fit my space. The Arendals has numerous options and they timbre match seamlessly based on ever review from people on the forums. ThenArendals also measure as close to flat and linear as you can get with excellent low to no distortion.
I have the HDI 3800’s and they are very good speakers 🔊🔊🔊. They do require a sub for true full range sound, but the bass is solid to around 50 hz. Plus the compression driver needs a good 200 hours of break in to open up and come to life, then they’re really good.
I’m happy to hear you found speakers that will work in your space. I agree the arendals are very low distortion and just sound fantastic with movies and music.
Thanks for sharing.
An integrated amplifier with tone controls/bass & treble controls......and you can adjust the highs if if they are too bright.
I believe you said you have the Arrendal speakers right ❓ I'm sure they are awesome, but what I don't like is they don't even try to cut the customer a deal. The surrounds are just as expensive as the fronts. Well particular ones. Nice video. Like you I don't know what I like more the wood finish or the color you had for the video. 👍🤔🤔
I would handily pick the Revel F206/F208 over the 3600/3800 as right now on crutchfield they are nearly the same price and with the Revel you get the option of a vastly better C208 which should match the sound better since it's got a vertically aligned midrange so you won't be getting all the oddities like you would with the 2.5 way JBL center as those super wide centers have really bad off axis response. Kef R series, Monitor Audio Silver series, and Svs Ultra series are some other alternatives the the Revel that I think are worth considering and also have good 3 way centers.
Agree about the vastly superior C208. I wouldnt put the SVC Ultra on the list..sure its better than the HDI in terms of response but is not that great either overall.
I have a Revel subwoofer and I'm very happy with their products.
LOL, I have the Revel C12 for a center (vertically aligned tweeter and midrange). I purchased it because it’s was the only speaker that would fit in the space available in my Salamander Synergy television stand for my 65” TV. The rest of my speakers are JBL HDI series: 3800s up front, 1600s for surrounds. One can easily tell the Revel C12 is inferior to the JBL, but it was a compromise I had to make for WAF. It’s dull and lifeless and decidedly useless for reproducing dialog which is its primary purpose. I’ve been considering modifying its crossover but that would require test instruments I simply don’t have. Sure am glad I didn’t purchase an entire Revel system!!! I guess I’ll have to persuade the wife to accept the HDI center at the expense of esthetics as I’ll have to place it on top of the Synergy stand and the TV on top of the HDI center.
Revel is also a Harman brand with a very similar target sound. The C208 might go very well with the JBL speakers, but I wouldn't expect it to be capable of the same dynamic output for large rooms. I have the bookshelves in the HDI series and they easily exceed 100dB in my small home theater with no sign of strain.
If you took the woofers out of the cabinet and compared the jbl 3800s to the Revel concertas you would observe completely different drivers. The JBLs compression drivers are better but require more amplification. And dont believe all that dispersion nonsense people spout about center channels on the internet. Compare and SVS Ultra Center to even the JBL Studio 665C and you would be surprised.
That zimmer live is gold
Yes, it's very good!
One of, if not the best live concert on Blu-ray.
Jbl you are legend in sound hands down🙏🙏🙌
I have always been a fan of JBL. Their midrange to higher end stuff is great.
I have the 3800s. Incredible. Need them to fill my 3400 cu ft listening room! I have dual subwoofers constructed from Revel Sub15 drivers in cloned JBL B380 enclosures driven by a Crown XLi800 amp to supplement bass down to 15Hz. Easily loosens the paneling in my listening room. Why buy the 3600s when for a few $$ more you can have the 3800s!!
👍🏾
I’ve had my 3800’s for over a year, and they now sound like I thought they should! Been living in a small apartment, so I can’t really give them proper juice, so it took longer than expected to break in the compression drivers properly. But boy do they shine now!
Yes the bass is good too; I’m just jaded from previously having Klipsch RF7i’s before the JBL’s. Those RF7’s produce insane bass for a tower speaker, no sub needed to rattle the walls with their dual 10s 🔊🔊
That said, the JBL’s are better in every other way!
Update .. I disabled the center, surround and subwoofers channels in my Oppo UDP-203 so that it only outputs a stereo signal. I had previously connected the 7.1 analog outputs from the Oppo to the 7.1 analog direct inputs on my Marantz pre-pro (in order to play DVD-Audio discs), thereby using the DACs in my Oppo to feed an analog signal to my Marantz AV pre-pro, bypassing any digital processing in the pre-pro. I then chose a selection of recordings of acoustic instrumentals and well-recorded male and female vocals from my NAS for a critical listening session lasting most of the day. I obtained the most seamless soundstage I’ve ever heard from any of my previous stereo speaker systems including my 240Tis and my LSR32s. I’m extremely pleased with these speakers, pretty sure they’re the last I’ll ever buy.
@@jessestone785 I agree, these HDI waveguides produce an amazing soundstage for just 2 channel stereo.
I use to be a Klipsch guy.But I recently went to JBL with the stage series.They are a bargain budget speaker,that plays well above its price point.I would love to own this line as well I think these would be great with an parasound 5 channel amp.
Nice!!! They do sound good with a good amp. 😁
Never been a fan of JBL but heard the 3600 and 3800 are an incredible series.
Would be nice if they started a hifi line of their bluetooth speakers like HK is but without the hideous designs and overpicing
As I said in the video, they sound great!
@@boppernostopper8598 yeah I'm not a Bluetooth guy at all. I don't have anything that can do wireless connection for sound.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist for sure they seem to have a nice rich thick sound. The horns don't sound in your face like klipsch do. If I would have thought of these before finishing up my sim racing room I would have tried them but my cinema is all Arendal 1723 and got some 1723S 5.1 for my rig before they bumped the price up for the second time this year.
They are good speakers 🔊🔊🔊
The smile on your face tells the whole story Cody.
😁😁😁
Great job bro and if you would of got the matching subwoofer 🔊 it would be amazing 😎👍
Yea I bet it would be! 😁
I've been reading, watching reviews and "window shopping" for a new HiFi setup for about 2 months now. Very soon into my research I realized that I can do a full blown 9.2.2 system for what I wanted to put into a 2.1. So.....my short list is the JBL HDI series (with the HDI-3600 for mains), the Polk Audio Reserve series (with the R-700 for mains)....and some Arendal 1961 gear (with a 1761 THX studio monitor as the center channel speaker).
I will be using a Marantz SR-5015 w/ three Outlaw Audio 2220 monoblock amps for L/C/R power to start out with (that's all my initial budget will allow for). A Schiit Audio Asgard will stand in as the DAC, and it being a decent entry level headphone amp as well is a happy accident. Bass duty will fall on a pair of SVS PC2000 Pro cylindrical 12" ported subwoofers.
I may eventually grab one of the Outlaw Audio 2220 monoblocks for every channel.
...and I'm going to use a new old stock 15" TC Sounds TC9 based subwoofer in a custom built sealed enclosure for when I'm in 2.1 mode for music. I couldn't help but notice the $2,000 & up sealed powered subwoofers from the bougie HiFi brands. I can outdo 'em w/ this TC sub on 1kw of clean power. This beast requires a 10 cubic ft vented enclosure tuned to 14.5Hz for a home theater/movie application. On 3 cubes sealed for music, tho...and that's manageable. Small even.
I'm excited as hell about it, and I appreciate all the reviews I'm finding for the gear that interests me. I can't do in person demos, so I'm having to rely on this type of stuff to make my decisions.
Your setup will be great! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yep I agree I changed from klipsch 8000fs to JBL HDI 3800s and love it. 6 3800s get the house rocking. In the process of saving to change over the in ceiling to the JBLs.
Hi Taz!! I've never heard the 8000 series but I bet it was a pretty big change.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist I loved them for theater but not music. The JBLs do both well. Nice meeting you at Live keep up the great content.
Will do! It was great meeting you too!
@@tazoriginal just as my experiance to. I bought a pair of 8000f just for fun to swap out wirh my 3800's from time to time. Movies they are very good, but music, they where to boomy for my taste. I had them 75cm from back wall like fmfor all og my big speakers, and after 2 ours my head is so tired from all the "fake bass".. they even add bass i songs that have no f bass at all😅
I do love jbl, if you have a good amp not a cheep cinema sound amp. Jbl are not same klipsch more clean sound in jbl.
Thanks for sharing
Hey Cody really enjoy your channel. Just one little criticism....in most of your videos your voice constantly alternates between conversational and whispering. Sometimes it comes across as difficult to understand what you are saying. You could put a compressor on your voice recording which might help but really you just need to speak up a little bit and try maintaining a constant volume or project your voice into the room.
Please don't think I am hating on you. I am a fan and love your content. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for watching the videos and being a fan. And THANK YOU 🙏🏾 for leaving this comment, being so nice about it, and actually suggesting solutions. 😁 This is much appreciated, I always want to make my videos better. I will work on projecting my voice a bit more, my wife says I speak softly at times so it’s not just you. 😁 I am a little concerned about clipping but I will work on it. Do you have any compressors you recommend?
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist You have a perfectly good speaking voice. The issue IMHO is you are adjusting your voice to the volume of the room you are recording in. The livestream you did at audio advice live was perfectly fine. Surrounded by other youtubers you automatically scaled up the volume and matched them. A little voice projection trick is to always imagine there is many people in the room and then talk to the person at the back of the room. Your voice will project automatically.
Another might be to imagine a person is back behind the camera and you want them to hear you.
Clipping only becomes an issue when you speak like your review videos.....going from super quiet to loud mid sentence. You ever notice how singers move the microphone away when they hit the big notes? That is controlling the volume with the mic instead of voice.
The opposite end of the scale to you is Gene...lol he sounds almost forced loud which doesn't sound conversational.
Ok got it!
There’s a video I’ve already recorded (technics earbuds) that will probably publish Monday but I’ll try these techniques in the video after that. Then I’ll be asking for your thoughts, if you don’t mind. 🙂🙂
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist th-cam.com/video/0m5jFdV9i4M/w-d-xo.html here is a good an simple tutorial on compressor usage for mic i dont know what software you use but all compressors mostly work the same way.
Great review! I have the RP-260 system also. Looking for upgrade. You mentioned Arendal along with these HDI’s. I am looking at those along with KEF R series. I like the detail of the Klipsch but always thought the tone was a little off especially in voices during movies, thoughts on that? And which out of these sound best in tone, detail and Dynamics. Which do you recommend? Thank you for all your great content!
Thanks for watching! I agree the klipsch are a little brighter with voices than normal. For movies I prefer the Arendals because they are more neutral, very dynamic, and very low distortion. I haven't heard the KEF R series but based on other KEF speakers I'd choose them second. Again because the are very dynamic and low distortion even at high listening levels. So as you can tell for movies I'd go Arendal . If you mainly listening to music then I'd give the nod to the KEFs because they handle music very well. Slightly warm with a nice smooth sound.
All of Klipsch centers are just not good due to been 2 or 2.5 way instead of a proper 3-way design. Sadly the same applies to the HDI line. You could use a different brand center but you will need to do trial and error to make sure timbre match is close enough. I have tried several Klipsch centers like the 504c and RC64 iii and they did not impress. I would pick the Revel C208 on sale right now any day over those or even a cheaper THX 365c
Klipsch just sound more uniform. A proper burned in Klipsch speaker just sounds amazing.
Thanks for sharing!
Hello! Thank you for a great review. I have a question if you don't mind. I have JBL ES80's form 2009. Are these an upgrade? Thank you.
Nominal 4 ohms, but does not drop under 5.5 ohms. Not hard on ur amp at all..
Great job🙏
Thanks 🙏🏾
These retail for 8k AUD which is quite ludicrous but such is the HI FI industry.
Yes, unfortunately prices have increased over the past few years.
Long time Arendal owner since 2016
Because Arendal dont make a centre in-wall I moved from Arendal 1723 centre and 1723 L/R monitors to JBL-SCL-6 centre in-wall and JBL 3800 for L/R
both brands are excellent so you cant go wrong
Thank you for sharing. A lot of people are interested in Arendal these days and it's good to hear they have longevity!
Andrew, I’m currently considering both speaker systems you referenced as well. I’ve also had the same exact thought you did. I feel like my in my heart I would love to have the Arendals, but I also really want an in-wall center speaker behind an AT screen and Arendal doesn’t have that. I feel like I’m leaning towards the JBL as a result because they have the SCL 6 to compliment them. Have you noticed any shortcomings in the JBL’s compared to your previous 1723’s?
@@AKrumenacher
thanks for the question
I was initally very impressed with the JBL HDI 3800 and they look lovely in the walnut finish but as time goes buy I feel I miss and prefer the full size Arendal 1723 monitors for L/R
luckily I still have the Arendals 1723 as side surrounds so its easy to swap them round to confirm
the SCL-6 work fine with the Arendals but if Arendal ever release a in-wall I would repurpose the SCL-6
hope this helps
Andy
@@andrewmorrison8033 Interesting. I’ve even considered going with the 1723’s and using the SCL 6 for the center channel. Does that just sound crazy?
@@AKrumenacher
Personally I did a Pros and Cons assessment and considered my options if thinks didnt pan out with JBL
The change from Arendal started because I upgraded my 106" PJ screen to a 138" screen which meant my Arendal 1723 Centre was close to the floor
I was surprised that the front stage still sounded coherent but I really wanted to go for a in-wall centre so I sold my Arendal 1723 centre and went for a JBL SCL-6 in wall
Cons with the SCL- 6 turned out to be lack of a back box so you have to make your own
having a CD it sounded slightly bright but it has improved over time
the frequency response could be better when measured with REW but that could be down to the screen in front so I may space the screen further from the front wall and add acoustic treatment
that said it sounds fine with my Arendal 1723 L/R so no regrets
I still have the option to put my Arendal 1723 monitors back as L/R and repurpose the JBL 3800 as side surrounds
I doubt I will ever sell the full size Arendal 1723 monitors
so you upgraded to the Arendal 1763 because they sounded better than your klipsch 260f. You also listened to JBL HDI 3600. How did 3600's compared to your Arendal 1763? You also listened to the emtoiva T2+ and T3+. Are emotiva worth or aim it for the money or go Polks R700, or perhaps go HDI 3800s? I got 2000k budget and I like warm and/or natural sound but with some forward sound. I looking for towers for dual duty 70%movies 30% music. I currently have RP280f so thats all i have for reference
Between JBL and Arendal you reviewed which one is a better choice for hometheater. Thank you in advance for your reply!
I was wondering the same thing
HDI-3800 are the best! I really enjoy them!
They are really really good!
What are you powering them with?
@@royalway12 Earthquake Cinenova Grande 300W per channel. typical listening is 75dB - 80dB
Excellent review, surprised you consider them bright considering you have those Klipsch which are really bright, especially when pushed. I am moving from my Klipsch RP-280f to Arendal 1723 towers.
Yea, they are not as bright as my klipsch but they are still a little more bright than neutral. Let me know what you think of the Arendals compared to the Klipsch when you get them. 😁
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist Will do. Replaced Klipsch RS35/25 side/rear surrounds with 1961 Heights last week and they sound great. The front stage is backordered for another 10 days.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist I agree with your comment based on my experience.
So you’ll be using the the 1961s as surround/ rear and 1723 as fronts? Definitely let me know what you think. I haven’t heard the 1961s how they sound in comparison.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist I have space limitations for side/rear surrounds so I went 1961 heights for those. They arrived other day and actually they timbre match my Klipsch pretty nicely and sound amazing. Using Audyssey dialed them in well on my Denon X7200 and Monolith 9X and have 1723 Towers/Center coming next week for LRC and because my front heights will be about 18 feet away I wanted to match the front stage better so went 1723S heights. I am keeping my dual PSA V1800s for now so this system should sound amazing.
Can you Review The Cerwin Vega SL-15 ?
If I can get a contact with a rep, then I will try.
I think I’d try out the Emotiva T3+ for less than half the money. I know the numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but I’d bet the T3 would be the better choice for me. I can’t wait for some reviews of them.
Yea, I'm curious about the T3+ myself. I'm hoping to get a pair for review at some point. 😁
The Emotiva centers suck though so I'd you want a center from the same brand I wouldn't grab either of them
These can be had for about little over $1600 via MD right now. Is there anything else worth considering at this price point?
Nothing comes to mind if you’re looking for the type of sound as described in the video.
They are definitely a good looking pair of towers
Yep and solidly built!
Thought YT, I sort of preferred the Klipsch clips most 🤷♂️
Yea it hard to get a good sense of the speakers via YT but to my hear the 260F is good while the 3600 is great.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist I’m going to go listen to these in person. Will go visit the Charlotte location of Audio Advice.
Definitely a great idea! Let me know what you think.
I do have a question. I am wanting to upgrade my tower (and maybe centre for clearest vocals) speakers, If I gave you or a local though bias hi-fi retailer links to say 3 or four youtube videos demonstrating the type of sound (music and movies) I most enjoy, with a bit of explanation for the choices and a budget, could you make suggestions of speakers that would be most likely to fit my taste in music with any real accuracy without me being there in person to try them out? I can't physically go out to hear any new speakers so I'm in the difficult position of wanting to buy speakers that to me cost a fortune, these speakers are my would really stretch my budget at $8,000 AUD probably plus a couple of hundred $ for delivery. I Really wanted to buy the Arendal 1723 Towers and centre channel but when I put them in the cart I realised two things, on top of the cart price I would likely pay 10% GST Goods and Services Tax plus potentially an importation tax and Arendal wanted $1,530 AUD for shipping charge. That would mean a minimum of $7000 AUD and I don't know how the Arendal trio would compare to speakers of a similar value bought within Australia.
How would the JBL Speakers compare to the Arendals THX Speakers?
He stated he liked the Arendals better based on a perceived more neutral sound, with these right behind.
Bro indian price?
Love this content!
Thanks!
I wonder how close in sound these are compared to the JBL 590's, 530's etc.
I haven't tried any other JBLs so I can't say.
check avsforum, I compared HDI-3800 to Studio 590 and 580
Would love the 3800s with a 4500....
That would be a great combo.
The 4500 is not a very good center. Terrible dispersion
@@shaolin95 - baloney
$4200 for the pair. Ouch. 😮
Expensive but they actually sound good!
it's a bargain , I have way too many speakers but one of them is a pair of JBL K2 and other JBL Synthesis speakers .. they are truly remarkable speakers
@Rich Perez yes!!
They are worth it 🔊🔊🔊
@Rich Perez wasn’t very accurate in the mid range was kinda flat.Voices sounded nasally. It really depends on the sound you like. What I like you might not.
Be nice if we heard them
Is it useful for home karaoke?
I guess they would work fine but I didn't try it.
Jbl china Cracker for 3600€. Have you All heard the Bang?😜😜😜🥳🥳🇩🇪
I almost bought the 3800s until I discovered where they are made. A lot of $$$ for something made in China.
If it was made locally you would just end up paying more for the same product, so why complain?
Dude you're the one missing out. Just buy the 3800's, they're really good. For $4,000/pair, why not?
I just have never liked the sound of horn tweeters. Maybe for TV but not music.
Understood, it's great we have so much choice!
These JBL compression drivers and waveguides are really good. Very snappy and lots of presence without being overbearing or in your face.
Super
JBL or Arendal
Arendal for me but JBL would definitely be something I would seriously consider.
Interesting you find them bright as the cea2034 measurements don’t show them to be bright at all. In fact, they are quite neutral. Also, not a single other subjective review found them to be bright. Might be your untreated room that is caused you to feel that way. When the Sceeening Room AV blind tested them against the revel F208 and they were extremely close and only the wide dispersion of the revel caused them to edge out the JBL. Nothing with tonality. But dispersion is a preference and room dependent. Shame you’re perpetuating the “horns are bright” myth.
Not to be a a## here, but plz read up on what u are making a video on before shooting the vid. Some misinformation here. Mids are not coming out from all 3 drivers, just the top driver.
unbelievably shill home theatre , never known anything like
Hopefully, you'll get to build your dream theater! 😁💪🏾
If they are 4200 a pair then prob not worth it. The Martin Logan Motion 60xt or xti would mop the floor with them.
What with Celan revolution 7 vs Jbl 360 ???