New JBL Stage 2 series: speaker line-up with attractive prices

The JBL Stage 2 line-up is a product designed for those who want to approach the world of sound reproduction, perhaps taking the big leap from the TV’s built-in audio, or soundbar, or even the wireless speaker of the day and experience the thrill of higher-quality sound but without spending crazy money. Designed to be placed in common areas such as a modern living room, JBL Stage 2 speakers feature an industry design that well reflects current trends. We were talking about attractive prices without, however, forgetting about quality, guaranteed by the great know-how of the American brand, which for this project drew on models of higher category. Just think of the polycellulose woofers, or horn tweeters, solutions inspired by higher-class models and the professional world. When it comes to entry-level products of necessity, compromises have to be made, and it is often more difficult to make an entry-level product than a top-of-the-line one. In the case of the JBL Stage 2s, all of this work, was done in the Harman Acoustic Research and Development Center in Northridge, LA, by the same team that designed the higher series. The development phase took quite some time, and the engineers focused on parameters such as timbre and directivity, which are fundamental aspects of making a successful loudspeaker. Among the most interesting new features compared with the previous series are the new Next Generation HDI compression horns capable of concentrating the dispersion of the 2.5-cm aluminum dome tweeter. Another interesting new feature, affecting the floor models, is the new patented two-and-a-half-way crossover, with a 1.7-kHz cutoff on the tweeter and a 1.3-kHz cutoff between one woofer and the other, a solution designed to have a single driver reproduce the critical frequency range from 1.3 kHz to 1.7 kHz. The woofers can rely on layered processed polycellulose membranes, and the more observant and experienced will also have noticed the similarities to the large-caliber professional JBL woofers used for concerts. On the back of each speaker we find four binding posts for bi-wiring/bi-amping enthusiasts, and finally we remind you of a nominal impedance of 6 ohms, which translates into ease of handling especially with a view to using these speakers even with inexpensive amplifiers. Eight models in the catalog including stand, floor, center channel, subwoofer and atmos speakers.