Massdrop x JBL LSR30X Powered Speakers Discussions | Drop

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Massdrop x JBL LSR30X Powered Speakers

Jul 1, 2017

Upon hearing Peter's explanation of the matching with the standard LSR305, I wrote the following in reply to someone BEFORE the price drip:
Whether you need the +/- 0.5db matching depends upon your needs. Peter already explained the benefits of better imaging. I'd probably go a bit further and say that in more nebulous terms that you will simply get "better" sound. I've been on record complaining how unacceptable L and R matching is with certain headphone brands, and how the brands that do matching well such as Sennheiser, HiFiMan, AKG, and some others tend to make headphones that sound more "right" and cohesive. The more precise imaging cited by @PeterJBL could certainly be the reason why. We already know that shifting the L and R balance by a few db is going to change where sounds come from on the soundstage. Given that L and R frequency responses can be uneven throughout the audible range, and that instruments and voices can cover several octaves, uneven matching may result in unstable imaging. Instruments will appear to move around and not stay in one place. Normally, this hasn't been an issue with me because I've been building my own speakers for a while using very high quality drivers - the cheapest driver I might use would already be the price of a single LSR 30X monitor. The normal LSR305 standard of +/- 1.75dB (3.5db) at certain frequencies to 2.25dB (4.5db) at others, could be in a worse case scenario unacceptable for professionals or very demanding audiophiles. We really can't bitch much about these worse case tolerances for the LSR305 if we are opting for Amazon ball-busting prices at $283 per pair or whatever. However, the Massdrop LSR30X for $20 or so more, gets you get rubber feet that would save you a trip to the hardware store, and driver matching to the point where you just plop the monitors straight down on your desk, get a reference studio frequency response, and not have to worry about thing anything else. The more anal professionals who buy the LSR305 would probably EQ to make everything perfect; but an RTA, measurement microphone, and other accessories needed to do this aren't exactly free. Whether the extra $20 to $33 is worth it for the cosmetics and driver matching (more important than cosmetics in my book) is up to you. I believe that @ultrabike creamed in his pants when reading what @PeterJBL wrote.

Jul 1, 2017