Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: any experience with JBL new 4622/4622N main speakers and 8340A surrounds?

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Topic: any experience with JBL new 4622/4622N main speakers and 8340A surrounds?

David Baum
Film Handler

Posts: 90
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-28-2002 04:13 AM

anyone is already using them or heard them ?

thanks

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 07:35 AM

The JBL 4622 series is an improvement over the 4670D system which is used for small to middle sized rooms. The horn flare is more downward firing to give an more even spread for a stadium type of room and is also designed to more closely mate to the screen surface for better projection. The JBL 8340A surround is very effecient speaker for digital use for middle to large rooms. The 4622 we have installed in 18 cinemas and the 8340 and 8340A in more than 100. KCS makes a "knockoff" of the 8340 and will probably offer a copy of the 4622 in the future. Europe distribution is a little strange but in other parts of the world, they are the best consistant value for the product offered.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Richard Fowler

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 07:37 AM

I was talking about JBL's European distribution set-up.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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David Baum
Film Handler

Posts: 90
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-28-2002 07:54 AM

hi Richard

thanks for the input. Wasn't the 8340 sounding a bit better ( more "audiophile") than the plastic 8340A though ?

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 11:01 AM

We have used both in the same room when the 8340 was being depleted and the 8340A was being introduced ( we put the 8340 on the EX channel rear ) and found no great difference in a large field space of a cinema. We have put the KCS side by side to the JBL and you do note a difference, especially at high levels. the 8340 and 8330, I have seen "knockoff" systems from Latin America and Asia....so it is follow the leader

Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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David Baum
Film Handler

Posts: 90
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-28-2002 05:17 PM

reassure me : the JBL 4622 sound better than KCS, right ?

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 06:17 PM

I have sold both but I sell and stock more JBL....besides Wassman using Spanish components so does Krix in some of their boxes. We have test equipment for speaker checks and design compliance since we where into building most of the boxes we sold in the early 1990's. When it became busy we contracted out two boxes to two major manufacturers and when the 8340 was introduced, we stopped building a surround with about the same specs. There is plenty of diverse product in the market and we try to keep up since we also sell to studios, hotels and other commercial applications......luckily our warehouse is two blocks away from private housing as we have done some pretty strange sound checks in the evening...to the point of the local police checking out the situation.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-28-2002 07:37 PM

While I can't comment on the HF section of the 4622, the LF section (4639) is definately not as good as the 4670's LF section (4648) in terms of repsonse (flatness and deepness of bass). The 2380 horn used for the 4670 is not the best horn in the world and it has almost no control below 1KHz.

If you have the depth, I'd put the JBL 4675 (bi-amped natch) up against all of the speakers listed above. It is the best sounding, most reliable and widest/smoothest response.

The 8340A is a fine surround speaker featuring good response, great sensitivity, decent power handling, and pleasing sound. Furthermore it is lightweight and easy to install.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 07:54 PM

The 4675 is a great speaker but most cinema owners want the extra row of seats they lose installing this box

......it is one of the basic systems we stock. We did two installs in the past few weeks in two performing arts centers ( which show film premiers ) using this speaker....one a perfectly designed acoustical space and the other a steel frame and glass pane building...you can guess which one which was harder to EQ...the glass building was a former train station.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-28-2002 09:50 PM

I would say the 4675 would not be a good choice for the steel and glass box...in such a situation, one is looking for "control" to minimize the room's contribution. In these situations, a horn-loaded speaker almost always is a better choice.

As to the extra row of seats...is there any wonder that exhibitors compete for bankruptcy? Compromise the sound on ALL films so they can boast about seats they only fill periodically and when the percentages are not in the exhibitor's favor.

One thing I have noticed on the 3-way version of the screen arrays is that their high-end drops like a tank above 12KHz. Does the 4622 suffer as well? It uses a different horn/driver (3" diaphragm)

If it outperforms the the 2380 then it might make a good top-end to the 4648 LF cabinet in smaller rooms (the 2446 is a tough driver to beat in sheer output).

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 10:11 PM

A combination of aiming, location on stage, stadium type seating with the upholstered seat backs( or bodies in seats ) and a rear drape to catch the initial sound slap worked in our favor.....there was more work on the multiple delays for surrounds due to the long throw and rear balcony area. We had two years to figure the game plan; the funny part the projection equipment is sitting exposed in the rear of the "glass house" since the government agency ran out of budget money to build the booth walls ( next year's budget )at least the floor was constructed so the equipment could be hard-wired in.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-28-2002 11:43 PM

There is really no audible difference between the 8340 and the plastic "A" version. In fact the plastic versions of the JBL surrounds are a safer bet to hang on the wall of a cinema as they weigh considerably less.

The only audible difference I know of has been detected north of the border on the early 32 bit software versions, so as long as you are installing them south of the border you'll be just fine....hehehehe
Mark @ GTS

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-28-2002 11:56 PM

In one sales meeting with a client....give me plastic, no more wood surrounds...we where in a bid situation where a competitor's speaker was $30.00 less, but the speaker bracket for the "heavy" speaker made them more expensive than the 8340A + the matching wall bracket

We have also had less shipping damage with the plastic 8340A.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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David Baum
Film Handler

Posts: 90
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-29-2002 04:49 AM

hi Steve

I also admire the 4675C ! and I hope JBL doesn't stop them. It's also a sort of heritage ( but much better some say ) to the 1960's Altec Voice of the Theater i think ( I have seen these in a "normal" home theater! )

I would even go as far as installing it in large (12x6m+) home theaters behind microperforated screens (4-5meters screens )

on the 8340A, it seems thus the consensus is that's it a good surround.

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-29-2002 08:27 AM

I think the 4675C will be around since it has reached "classic" status
with the technical Academy Award the designers received last year and the fact that almost every competitor has a copy the box in their lineup.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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