News & Reviews
NewsHi-Fi Class: JBL L75ms
10/10/2023When designing its L75ms music system, JBL reached into its past and referred to the original design of the L75 Minuet - a passive loudspeaker from the late 1960s, when no one had even dreamed of inventions such as streaming, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The "translation" of the original "seventy fives" that are now considered a rarity, based on the LE8T full-range transducer and a passive diaphragm, is indeed very loose, but there is some stylistic similarity. Even the grille characteristic of the Classic series, held in place by hidden magnets in the new system, evokes associations with handmade "period" grills.
Construction and functionality
Is the L75ms still a wireless speaker or a complete system? Taking into account its capabilities and – above all – its size and weight, it is definitely the latter. The recently fashionable retro look complements the image of a device firmly rooted in the second half of the 20th century. The box finished with walnut veneer with a curved front and the Quadrex grille are definitely classic elements.
The view after removing the grill (for which a special tool is used) also looks somewhat "old-school": three cellulose woofers, two 13 cm with a characteristic cream color and concentric embossing, plus one 10 cm with a gray, smooth diaphragm, two 25 mm aluminum dome tweeters and two bass domes -reflections create an interesting configuration. If we try to divide them "by eye", we get two small monitors (i.e. two-way systems) ventilated with BR systems plus a central channel, which could make sense due to the possibility of connecting the L75ms to a TV (HDMI with ARC)... How is it? reality? The manufacturer does not reveal this. It is known that each speaker has its own amplifier: 2x125W for the woofers, 2x25W for the tweeters and 50W for the "midrange" giving a total of 350W of power.
The control panel located on the top wall is quite convenient to use, although it is hard to resist the impression that slightly larger button sizes would not hurt anyone. There are three basic ones: quieter, louder and source. Above them there are source and network connection indicators, and below them - 11 small LEDs - volume indicators, illuminated only when the volume is changed.
On the back wall there is an aluminum panel with connectors and a quite large radiator. The question arises as to what class the amplifiers used operate in. Are you sure it's class D? These suspicions cannot be dispelled either by unscrewing a dozen or so screws (only a few boards are visible, and the cables are too short to allow for a thorough inspection) or by the maximum power consumption of the entire device.
When it comes to connectors, there is Ethernet RJ-45 10/100bit (the system also has built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n), a USB-A port (although it is only for service purposes), a subwoofer output, an input Aux In (3.5mm minijack), Phono phono input (for MM cartridges), HDMI input (ARC) and power socket (the so-called figure eight). The whole is complemented by Service and Reset buttons, a Bass Contour switch (-3dB/0dB), a ground terminal for the turntable, and a main switch.
What's modern about the L75ms design is what you can't see: the Chromecast module (allows you to stream PCM files up to 32-bit/192kHz), Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth. In addition, the JBL system supports internet radio and several streaming services (including TIDAL and Spotify Connect).
Sound quality
If I were to single out the greatest advantage of the L75ms sound, it would be the ability to create a large sound with extraordinary dynamics. The JBL system can play very loud - sounding an area of several dozen square meters should not be a major problem for it. The large sound scale brings the listener closer to both the music being played and the overall soundtrack - the "seventy-five" can easily function as a soundbar, although it will not spatialize the sound in the same way as typical "beams" do.
The phenomenon of the dense, juicy and expressive midrange of the JBL system lies in the fact that the woofers that handle most of the human voice are consistent in terms of timbre and clear, which is appreciated when reproducing vocals.
What made the greatest impression on me was listening to the radio play "They" by Witkacy on Radio Two (Classic Stage). L75ms presented human voices extremely clearly, lively and clearly (excellent roles by Piotr Adamczyk, Przemysław Bluszcz and Lidia Sadowa), as well as the changes in the actors' positions in relation to the microphone (here bows go to the person responsible for the acoustic production - Andrzej Brzoska).
Therefore, if I were to analyze the characteristics of this system, dividing the band into ranges, I would start with the midrange, which contains the most transmitted information (interestingly, its character also depends on the position of the Bass Contour switch - if the loudspeaker is placed close to the rear wall and positioned the intensity of low tones in the 0dB position, the lower mid-range sub-range will also be strengthened and weighted). The phenomenon of the dense, juicy and expressive midrange of the JBL system lies in the fact that the woofers that handle most of the human voice are consistent in terms of timbre and clear, which is appreciated when reproducing vocals.
In turn, when playing music played on string instruments, you can appreciate the consistency of the tweeter domes - the sopranos are nicely (virtually "seamlessly") connected to the midrange and constitute its natural complement. The delicacy of the treble means that the detail of the L75ms system is not its strongest point, but it makes sense because normally, i.e. in natural conditions, the upper frequency range is also not emphasized. It is also surprising that despite some toning of the sopranos, the microdynamics are really good.
I have already mentioned the spatial abilities of the L75ms - someone may say that the JBL system lacks spectacularness in this respect, and it is difficult to disagree with that. It is true that the SFX (Sound Field Expander) function available from the remote control makes a difference, but it is not as effective as it might seem (there is also no indicator that would inform about its operation). However, if you take into account aspects of presentation such as objectivity and neutrality, you really can't complain.
Finally, let's go back to the bass for a moment. It is strong and abundant, but it is primarily a filler - pulsating, quite stretched, but also not very precise and varied. As a foundation, it works very well, transmitting, above all, abundance (and loudness), but it is unlikely that the L75ms will be able to convey the diversity of timbre and texture of the low components known from classic loudspeaker sets at a comparable price.
Summary
The described system is an excellent example of the loudspeaker know-how of the JBL brand. Within the adopted concept, the L75ms brings very good results - especially the quality of the midrange ("central channel") is truly appreciated. Retro style and careful workmanship are additional advantages that are hard to ignore.
Verdict: JBL L75ms
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Sound quality
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Quality/Price
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Execution
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Possibilities
Advantages: Interesting design, careful workmanship, impressive dimensions and impressive scale, consistent sound, especially the tangible midrange.
Cons: Spatial phenomena could be more impressive and the bass could be a bit more diverse.
Overall: A universal all-in-one system with a dynamic and consistent sound.
Overall rating:
PRODUCT
JBL L75ms
TYPE
Music system
PRICE
PLN 7,499
LIBRA
15.9kg
DIMENSIONS (W×H×D)
790×216×287mm
DISTRIBUTION
SUPORT sp. z o. o
THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES
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Construction: bass-reflex
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Transducers: dynamic; 2x25mm dome tweeter, 2x133mm woofer, 1x100mm woofer
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Power: 2x125W, 2x25W, 50W
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Frequency response: 45Hz–25kHz (-6dB)
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Maximum SPL: 106dB @ 1m
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Analog inputs: phono MM, Aux In 3.5mm
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Digital inputs: HDMI (ARC), LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
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Outputs: 2V RMS sub-out with automatic HPF detection/on
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Bluetooth: 4.2
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