In terms of car audio, speakers/sub which are better? I think JBL has a good rep. in computer speakers and JL in car audio. What do u guys think?

In terms of car audio, speakers/sub which are better? I think JBL has a good rep. in computer speakers and JL in car audio. What do u guys think?

I'm no expert, but I did know someone who had a car sponsored by JBL. And her car produced some serious bass.

JL is by far superior in car audio.....while JBL has some great products, JL blows them away in terms of quality and SQ...the complete JL line is top notch with alot of other brands....you may spend some extra $$ but done correctly, it's worth it!!!

JL is alright, but a lot of their product is overpriced. In terms of amps, you're not going to find a better budget bang amp than a JBl amp. JL's amps are quality, and are good for SQ applications, but they're still not superior to everything. Their subs, while pricey, are sometimes worth it. THe W6v2 and W7 lines are way overpriced, and much better can be bought for your money. JBL makes crappy speakers, bottom line.

JL is quality, a bit pricy but you get what you pay for

JL just from personal experience.

em.. ur not joking?


k well JL is competition line.
JBL has a comp line i think but its not worth it.


i have ONE JL 12w3 in the back of my tC and it's louder than people w/3 12 polks.

and thats the lowest quality sub JL makes.

actually sellin mine atm, lemme kno if interested.
have an alpine MRD-M301 amp to power it if you need one.
lemme kno.

http://pics.tony-d.net/tC/hatch-sub.jpg

everything must go! (http://scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=900882#900882)

oh.. and if ur cruisin a tC, this box fits pretty nicely two ways..
straight up, w/the small seat folded down, fits perfectly in the gap
or laying on its back, angled up facing out the hatch. it's a slant box.
this way tends to have better sound but you lose cargo space.

newho.. good luck w/the new system.

No comparison.. JL!

jl is the best. nothing can compare.

i have the largest setup jl has for the amp and sub in my tC. I HAVE SOME SERIOUS BASS.

http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/photos/photo04/68/aa/f5a7017b8e32.jpg

man, that'll rattle foundations.


that a w7?

JBL has the ability to blow any company out of the water....for some reason they choose not to in car audio. They are a subsidiary of harmon kardon, which of course gives them alot of technical backing. IMHO i would take a jbl bp series amp over a JL amp for the money. I believe crown makes thier amps now. and everyone should know who crown is! But JL does make a hell of a sub, although overpriced

JBL does a LOT of theaters....a LOT of them. Any company that can do a THX certified theater set up isn't crap.

On that note....in cars...I think JL definitely does a lot of things better...but the high end JBL amps...you can plug a saw-zall into and cut things in half....there's a video somewhere out there of that...awesome.

JL is quality, a bit pricy but you get what you pay for

I love those words... I love to hear people use them. Sad thing is, it just doesn't ring true anymore... Look in my general knowledge thread, I don't feel like writing up a long arse post again.

Sam- Nothing can compete? I think not. Any experianced installer here could easily take half the money you spent on your setup and blow yours out of the water. JL is real good stuff, but there's better out there, much better, and cheaper.

I'd rather go with sound splinter or RE over JL Audio. JL is way overpriced though quite good.

I'd rather go with sound splinter or RE over JL Audio. JL is way overpriced though quite good.

or eD ;)

On a random note, I loved the hell outta my W6 until the ND winter froze my foam surround and then got it torn to hell.

jl is the best. nothing can compare.

i have the largest setup jl has for the amp and sub in my tC. I HAVE SOME SERIOUS BASS.

http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/photos/photo04/68/aa/f5a7017b8e32.jpg

The JL W7 is a great sub, and JL makes great amps. But if you think nothing else compares then you are sadly mistaken. There are many "small" companies out there that make stuff just as good and in some cases better than JL. And it will not cost you nearly as much. Look up Resonant Engineering and Adire Audio among others. Elemental Designs makes great amps (I haven't heard the subs but have heard great things). And as the saying goes; A great system is 90% install!!

100% JL :lalala:

Ok, lets get back to the question JL or JBL?. I have not heard any thing buy JL but if I could fit from my home theatre my JBL Studio Monitors 5's in my XB there is nothing that JL could make to beat it.....Anyway when Harmon Internationl bought JBL that pretty much did it for really good car audio products from them, they do some but mostly for automotive dealers.

I vote JBL. They've been around the block, and the prices are realistic. IMO you can't beat them for the $$$.

you ever thought of going with mtx or rockford....they have some very good stuff at a very good price...even kicker comp or solobarics are very niuce

to me, the name is all that counts.

JL Audio....

jl

thanks for the replies! im thinking of swapping out my speakers for some JL's. :D

Can only vouch for JL. I have (2) 12" W1's in the back. I am also using a JL 250/1 amp. Alls i have to say is it is extremely clear bass, and if ur interested in loudness, i pretty much have to keep the bass level at -3 or -2; otherwise, just waaaaay too much power for that size of car.

Can only vouch for JL. I have (2) 12" W1's in the back. I am also using a JL 250/1 amp. Alls i have to say is it is extremely clear bass, and if ur interested in loudness, i pretty much have to keep the bass level at -3 or -2; otherwise, just waaaaay too much power for that size of car.

hmm.. wouldnt they be w0s?
didnt kno jl came out w/a w1

JL had a version of a the W1 that they stopped producing a few years back, however they are still quite popular. In January they released there w1v2 line, which is awesome in my opinion. I have two 12's and they sound just as good as my old 12 w3v2's.

You might have seen the new w1v2. They are not black like the old w1, they are silver. Supposedly they are going to replace the w0.

BTW in my opnion there is no comparison. I owned some JBL component sets and an amp back in the day and they can't even compare to my JL. Im an installer so I know how to get that 90% part right.

JL by far. i went to school for car audio instalation and electronics and we had a JL w7 13.5" in a sh1tty box with a ____ty amp and we shook the whole school. i was planning on doing 2 13.5" in my xb but i dont think my back window would last too long...

Can only vouch for JL. I have (2) 12" W1's in the back. I am also using a JL 250/1 amp. Alls i have to say is it is extremely clear bass, and if ur interested in loudness, i pretty much have to keep the bass level at -3 or -2; otherwise, just waaaaay too much power for that size of car.

hmm.. wouldnt they be w0s?
didnt kno jl came out w/a w1

Nope, w1v2 like kstatexb stated. They are gray not black. I guess released a couple of months ago. Also heard gonna replace w0's. They're in a very nice box too which helps trememdously

JL for sure I have had my 2 10W6V2 on a custom fiberglass box powered by a Competition class , Class D mono block jucing 1000WATTS it's clean, precise pretty hard hitting woofers if you want more hard hitting speakers go W7s

http://www.scionlife.com/gallery/showfull.php?photo=9179

I've added W6 grills on it since to protect the speakers because I am hauling baggages a lot back and forth and don't want to ruin my woofers.[/img]

In terms of car audio, speakers/sub which are better? I think JBL has a good rep. in computer speakers and JL in car audio. What do u guys think?

There are a number of really good mobile audio companies in the industry, JBL and JL are only two of many that you have to choose from. The key to developing a great sounding system is don’t make it harder than it really is. You don’t have to buy the most expensive hardware to make it sound good.

1. “Begin with the end in mind” lay out on paper what your end goal is and then work backwards. It is all to often that a system is started to only get half way through realizing the equipment will not achieve the end result, a waste of time, money and resources. Not to mention a half built system most of the time constantly under construction.

2. System balance, do not under buy in one area and go over kill in others. A $1000 head unit with $10 dollar speakers sounds like $10 dollars worth of speakers. Any way you work it out you only sound as good as your weakest link.

3. Tuning, Tuning, tuning, it only takes 5 minutes with a test CD and a SPL meter to properly set the gain controls: set your bass, treble, audio controls, enhancers, expanders to off or flat.

4. Don’t mix brands within a category, X brand head unit, ALL X brand speakers, ALL X brand amplifiers. Never mix speaker and amplifier brands, setup issues, balancing and cosmetic appearance makes it more painful.

Now, go to your SCION and imagine the system you want, measure out the space that that your willing to give up to the subwoofer enclosure. Calculate the air space for the enclosure, now that you have the cubic inches/ft you can select the woofer(s) that will work optimality in the enclosure. It is all too often that woofers are purchased based on quantity and size, which are then installed in enclosures that are not capable of yielding optimum performance. Then the hardware is blamed for sounding like poopie when it is really user error.


JBL is not owned by Harman Kardon, Harman International Industries www.harman.com which is traded on the NYSE under HAR is the parent company. HII owns JBL, JBL Pro, Infinity systems, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, Studer, DOD, AKG, Proceed, Sound Craft, Crown International, Audio Access, BSS, DBX, Digitech and Becker Automotive. You may have heard of them.

You may want to check out this link on Alma gates, “she” is “69 years old” and uses JBL to mop up unlimited SPL, worlds, DB drag for the last several years. Alma has recently converted “her” 16 thousand pound 20 kilo watt 13 alternator chain driven, Ford Bronco to SQ (sound-quality) and is not looking back. A bit extreme I might add for a SCION.
http://www.jbl.com/car/featured/events/alma_feature.asp

You may also want to look at the “Hollywood honey” Toyota Matrix, this is a very trick ride.
http://www.jbl.com/car/default_car.asp?PreLoader=Flash

Personally, I don't like the W1v2's. They're out of the norm for JL. They aren't really that clear, as you've come to expect from them, even at an entry level price point. True, they still sound good, and are great block rocking subs, but they aren't the JL I'm accustomed to.

Anyway, why not look into Image Dynamics, or Resonant Engineering, or Adire Audio, or Treo Designs, or Elemental Designs, etc... All of them make product that can compete, or blow the JL's lid off at a much lower price point. Give me a Brahmah all day long over a W7, Il'l kill it in every category.

My vote is JL. I have the 10w0 thats been hitting for 5 years and still sounds new. Quality over quantity for me. I want crisp sound now and my hearing when im 80.

if you are looking for something in a good price range try memphis or crossfire they both are really good bang for the buck equipment also,brian

JL hands down for car audio! :bow:

Nothing like the old JLW6 but damn those new W6v2 and W7 are real nice. I have one of the those JLW6AE which is think is pretty rare. AE is for the anniversary edition. I guess the only differences from the the regular W6 and W6AE are purely comestic, they made the basket of the sub silver and on the logo on the dust cap is silver instead of the ususal white.

This is mines.
http://scionlife.com/parts/images/parts/10057_subfront800x600.jpg

http://scionlife.com/parts/images/parts/10057_subanglefull800x600.jpg

I've always liked JL, but, a while back I went into a shop that had Infinity and JBL. I was looking into an Infinity Perfect 12... but when I heard JBL's entry level subs, I was shocked! It sounded awesome, and it was loud. That's entry level. They also sampled their competition level sub. I can't remember the line, but it was a 12 in a ported box, the mounting depth was really deep, and it handled 1500 watts rms. I was blown away... not literally though. I wouldn't talk down on JBL either.

Do yourself a favor and listen; let YOUR ears decide. JL makes great subs, but, don't just do it because everyone else has it and says to do it. Do it because it pleases you. There are many other brands out there. Crystal, Image Dynamics, there's so much out there.

I had 3 12W6's in my old firebird and they did the job just fine :D

JL's are awesome subs but I've been out of the car audio scene for about 10 years now. As I understand JBL makes some decent amps for the money.

i think a post or two before this summed it up perfectly. Go listen for yourself and decide. go to different shops and just test some stuff. The best sounding sub to you may be the cheapest one they have and that is all that matters.

If you are looking at JBL subs check out the GTi series subs. Those things are unbelievable. They do good in about any setup. I heard two 10's in sealed boxes (with insane power ran to them) blow two JL 12's away. But definately listen for yourself, just know that most places dont carry the high end JBL subs, if it doesnt say GTi on it, your not getting the good stuff.

Yeah, the GTI's. If any of you heard JBL's GTI series subs, you would blow your mind! They push a lot of air. They are pricey, and demand serious RMS wattage!

JL Audio is better when it comes to subwoofers. The speakers are ok

JBL by far makes the best subs, check out Alma Gates' Bronco or many other big time audio competitors and you will find one thing in common JBL GTI subs....oh and JBL/Crown amps...so two things

I personally plan to put two JBL W10GTI's in my Xb in the future..I cant wait!

^^ indeed, they are good subs, for SPL.... I don't know about you but I sure don't want to hear loud 45-55Hz tones while I'm driving down the street.... put them in a low tuned, portd box and they may sound pretty good... definitely wouldn't be my first choice for musical purposes....

JL is the best you can get, and JBL is quite possibly the worst. Yeah, they hit, but they sound TERRIBLE!

They cant sound terrible and get results like this:

A complete list of Team JBL accomplishments at USACi World Finals includes:

Sound Quality

* Mark Eldridge Expert 1st place
* Gary Biggs Expert 2nd place
* Douglas Winker Advanced Pro 1201+ 2nd place
* Vince Brackett Basic Pro 601+ 3rd place
* Daryl Trammell DTS Class 2nd place
* Daryl Trammell Multimedia class 2nd place

Tuner Jam Car Show

* Gary Biggs Full-size Car Domestic Wild 1st place
* Mark Eldridge Full-size SUV Wild 1st place
* Bob Leible Mid-size Domestic Mild 1st place
* Vince Brackett Mini SUV Domestic 1st place
* Daryl Trammell Specialty Class 1st place

dB Drag

* Jeremy Weber Street Max 3-4 2nd place

Also how about this article posted on Alama Gates' web site???

Gates’ Crown Jewel, Her Revamped Ford Bronco,
Outplays, Outlasts, Outshines Other SQ Vehicles at Spring Break Nationals

WOODBURY, N.Y. (April 2005) – Way across the street from Ocean Center, the site of the
Spring Break Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla., nearly 20,000 watts of power was rocking the crowd. But no one even considered shouting out orders to turn down the volume; it simply sounded too good. It wasn’t a live concert – it was Alma Gates, the 69-year-old world-famous car audio competitor, and her very loud Ford Bronco.

Gates’ retired Ford Bronco used to make hair stand on end during Sound Pressure Level
competitions, but at the Spring Break Nationals 2005, her new Bronco debuted with Team JBL to take the cake in sound-quality competition for the first time ever.

Months after CNN and other national press dubbed her the “Boom Box Granny,” Gates’ Bronco emerged with an all-new look – and sound. The exterior of the Bronco features full-range audio, delivering concert-worthy performance. JBL Pro speakers are mounted underneath each of the Bronco’s doors, while the cargo area is home to six W15GTi 15-inch subwoofers. Also inside, and further playing up the Bronco’s “wow” factor: a combination of JBL c508GTi component system speakers and JBL Pro 2118H speakers, two television monitors and a DVD player. But it doesn’t end there. Seven JBL Power Series® and GTi amplifiers deliver almost 25 horsepower – that’s nearly 20,000 watts – of audio amplification.

There are two audio systems in Alma’s Bronco. The PA system outside is enough to rock any neighborhood block party while, at the flip of a switch, the inside system provides high-quality 7.1 surround playback. The system inside the Bronco allowed Gates to sweep the MECA SQ competition, where she won Best SQ and first place in the Master class. The Bronco also won first place in Tuner Jam and second place in the IASCA Bass Boxing competition just behind Team JBL’s Mike Bartells, who placed first.

“I’m still bouncing off the walls!” Gates exclaimed from her home in Phoenix after her
unprecedented SQ wins. “I want to thank Andy Wehmeyer, Gary Biggs, Mark Eldridge, Mike
Maxwell, Kent Bulla and all the others involved in making this comeback possible. Although the Bronco belongs to me, it’s nothing without my team. I was excited to finally be able to share this beautiful system with all my friends, and was absolutely thrilled to be called onstage for a first place in Sound Quality, and then for Best of Show. What an exhilarating weekend!”

The following is a list of products that made Gates’ Bronco number one in SQ in Daytona:

Seven c508GTi 5-1/4-inch JBL GTi component system speakers
Three JBL Pro 2118H midrange drivers
Four 10-inch JBL Pro midrange drivers
Four JBL Pro 2426H compression drivers and 2370A Bi-Radial® horns
Six 15-inch JBL W15GTi subwoofers
Two JBL A6000 GTi amps
Four JBL Power Series PX300.4 amps
One JBL Power Series PX600.2 amp
One 17-inch Panasonic® monitor
One 8-inch Panasonic® monitor
One Panasonic® head unit
One Panasonic® DVD player
Tsunami® wiring, distribution and charging system
Twelve Eagle Picher® batteries
Neon courtesy of Lite Glow®
Alarm system courtesy of Viper

Sounds to me like JBL must sound pretty good to wipe up in the "sound quality" class...Again its just typical ppl comparing low end jbl's from best buy with high end JL instead of the real JBL stuff that is a little harder to come across and not as widespread because of the cost and the power it takes to run them.

Agreed for the most part :) And yes JBL makes VERY good amps, I am going to use a bpx1100.1 and a px300.4 in a sq car I am building, The amps, especially the power series which were co-designed by crown are some of the best for the money you will find. I do not use JBL speakers but when setup proper like any driver they can and do sound amazing. Alma speaks very highly of JBL and not just because she is sponsored which is why I decided on there amps instead of the setup I was going to run. I have known her on and off for years, since 1997 or so. I always respect her teams input which they gave me after I decided to use JBL , they have never lead me wrong! :)

JL is the best you can get, and JBL is quite possibly the worst. Yeah, they hit, but they sound TERRIBLE!


You just proved to be a total audio noob and know nothing but what friends talk of and magazines sell you. Please do not post unless what you have to say actually matters and has meaning. Please tell me "technically" why you think JL, which is a great company but far from the best you can get, is the best you can get and why JBL is quite possibly the worst. I would love to hear your technical aspect on this matter :)

There are a number of really good mobile audio companies in the industry, JBL and JL are only two of many that you have to choose from. The key to developing a great sounding system is don’t make it harder than it really is. You don’t have to buy the most expensive hardware to make it sound good. AGREED.....

1. “Begin with the end in mind” lay out on paper what your end goal is and then work backwards. It is all to often that a system is started to only get half way through realizing the equipment will not achieve the end result, a waste of time, money and resources. Not to mention a half built system most of the time constantly under construction. AGREED....

2. System balance, do not under buy in one area and go over kill in others. A $1000 head unit with $10 dollar speakers sounds like $10 dollars worth of speakers. Any way you work it out you only sound as good as your weakest link. AGREED FOR THE MOST PART....

3. Tuning, Tuning, tuning, it only takes 5 minutes with a test CD and a SPL meter to properly set the gain controls: set your bass, treble, audio controls, enhancers, expanders to off or flat. 5 MINUTES? NO TROPHY FOR YOU HAHA, ALSO USE A MULTI METER OR SCOPE TO SET GAINS....

4. Don’t mix brands within a category, X brand head unit, ALL X brand speakers, ALL X brand amplifiers. Never mix speaker and amplifier brands, setup issues, balancing and cosmetic appearance makes it more painful. UH.... WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING, NO OFFENCE BUT... CHOOSE COMPONENTS ON WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEY PROVIDE, NOT ON BRAND NAMES PERIOD. HOW CAN YOU SAY WITHOUT BEING DRUNK NOT TO MIX AMPS / SPEAKERS BECAUSE OF ISSUES LIKE BALANCE, SETUP ECT...?? AH MAN :) IT'S ALL GOOD BUT I DEF DO NOT AGREE.

Now, go to your SCION and imagine the system you want, measure out the space that that your willing to give up to the subwoofer enclosure. Calculate the air space for the enclosure, now that you have the cubic inches/ft you can select the woofer(s) that will work optimality in the enclosure. It is all too often that woofers are purchased based on quantity and size, which are then installed in enclosures that are not capable of yielding optimum performance. Then the hardware is blamed for sounding like poopie when it is really user error. AGREED...


JBL is not owned by Harman Kardon, Harman International Industries www.harman.com which is traded on the NYSE under HAR is the parent company. HII owns JBL, JBL Pro, Infinity systems, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, Studer, DOD, AKG, Proceed, Sound Craft, Crown International, Audio Access, BSS, DBX, Digitech and Becker Automotive. You may have heard of them. EXACTLY, BASICALLY YOU CAN SAY HARMAN INTERNATIONAL OWNS THEM AND STILL BE CORRECT *lol*

You may want to check out this link on Alma gates, “she” is “69 years old” and uses JBL to mop up unlimited SPL, worlds, DB drag for the last several years. Alma has recently converted “her” 16 thousand pound 20 kilo watt 13 alternator chain driven, Ford Bronco to SQ (sound-quality) and is not looking back. A bit extreme I might add for a SCION.
http://www.jbl.com/car/featured/events/alma_feature.asp

You may also want to look at the “Hollywood honey” Toyota Matrix, this is a very trick ride.
http://www.jbl.com/car/default_car.asp?PreLoader=Flash

personally....neither...MTX for me. probably have a biased opinion but i've had problems in the past with both JL and JBL. i've had MTX for a yeah now and its crystal clear and no problems...:-D

JL is the best you can get, and JBL is quite possibly the worst. Yeah, they hit, but they sound TERRIBLE!


You just proved to be a total audio noob and know nothing but what friends talk of and magazines sell you. Please do not post unless what you have to say actually matters and has meaning. Please tell me "technically" why you think JL, which is a great company but far from the best you can get, is the best you can get and why JBL is quite possibly the worst. I would love to hear your technical aspect on this matter :)

I worked in Car Audio for three years. JBL puts very little into detail. JL Audio is all about detail. Like the way the mounting for the new W7 is under the surround to provide extra one way excursion without losing surface area of the woofer. I have done my share of research, and I know woofers. Ask me anything. There's no doubt that JL has a much better reputation and so "noobs" would say pretty much what I said in that last post, (and I see why you could have interpereted my comment to be that way), but I assure you, I'm speaking from experience, and my own opinion is that JL is by far superior to JBL. If you're looking to save a little money, there's better solutions than JBL. Try Infinity or Planet Audio.

And my only reason for disliking JBL is experience. I've never heard anything good come from their speakers, other than volume.

i fully agree with Three... my first car i was looking to save money and went a basic JBL setup and it just didnt sound clear to me.

THey lasted about 4 months and then i dropped JBL and took a step up to JL. IMO ther is a HUGE differnece in quality. assuming you know what your doing and are using equipment that goes togehter and not mixing and matching. that always ends in disaster.

just recently i opted to go even higher on my list of car audio. I opted to buy a 12inch MTX thunder 8500. i plugged it into a 600W MTX 5601 amp. all i can say is wow. the thing blows my hair around when im sitting in the front seats. Granit im only running the sub at 600W where it has potential upwards of 1000W. But it is loud enough for me, yet clear at the same time.

i guess im just the odd kid out and would opt for neither JL or JBL.