JL Audio Subwoofers Now In!
JL has become an ever larger player in the world of SERIOUS home audio subwoofers. I’ve decided to dive in! If you’re looking for an uber spectacular sub that’s built like a brick out house, get out of the way and let ‘er rip for JL.
JL subs are all made in Miramar, Florida. When you read JL Audio specs, they’re real. They’re actually measured! Most sub specs are tossed out there by the ad department. We might remember, “trust but verify.”
All drivers are cast and use discrete (as opposed to chip) power amps of JL’s own design.
JL doesn’t buy “plate amps” off the shelf from no name vendors. These amps use massive power supplies and MOSFET output devices. Notice the weight of these battle ships. Weight in a sub is meaningful.
Dominion Series
Black Ash or Piano Gloss Black
$900 D108: 8” Cast Woof, 500w amp ($1000 gloss) 11.37h, 10w, 13.23d, 27 lbs
$1100 D110: 10” Cast Woof, 750w amp ($1200 gloss) 13.4h, 12w, 15.86d, 39 lbs
E Series
$1650 E110: 10” Cast Woof, 1200w amp ($1850 gloss) 14.24h, 13.5w, 16.51d, 53 lbs
$2100 E112: 12” Cast Woof, 1500w amp ($2300 gloss) 16.23h, 15.5w, 18.39d, 74 lbs
Fathom Series: Piano Gloss Only
$4000 F112v2: 12” Cast Woof, 1.8kW amp, 18.5h, 15.07w, 17.75d, 100 lbs
$5000 F113v2: 13.5” Cast Woof, 3kW amp, 19.25h, 16.5w, 19.25d, 131 lbs
$8000 F212v2: Two 12” Cast Woofs, 3.6kW amp, 31.96h, 14.92w, 20.39d, 204 lbs
Gotham
$16,500 G213v2: Two 13.5 Cast Woofs, 3.8kW amp, 34.13h, 21.5w, 24d, 360 lbs
The MO of Dominions and E’s are to provide prodigious bass from a relatively small enclosure. They are definitely placement friendly and deliver high octane due to a number of technical efforts. There aren’t a lot of “secrets” to success with JL. The performance is largely due
to investing money in the blood and guts. It’s the testosterone of the drivers and amps that make them special. Note the reasonable size and substantial weight of these models.
The Fathom Series takes subwoofer performance to state of the art levels. The size and weight of the drivers is not for the weak of heart or back!
McIntosh C-53 Preamp
Mac has just introduced it’s C-53 8k preamp. It replaces C-52, which won many awards as the best preamp money can buy! C-53 is quite similar, including Mac’s highly touted 8 band EQ. The main change with C-53 is a new DAC Module, DA-2, which allows greater flexibility and resolution. DA-2 can be replaced by future DAC modules which will allow C-53 to be current for many years despite evolving DAC technology. Mac’s state of the art, single chassis stereo preamp has just gotten more flexible!
Marantz SR-5014 / 6014
Marantz updates its receivers most years, though not every year. Just out are the SR-5014 & SR-6014.
SR-5014 $1000 (100×7) Processes 2ch of Atmos
SR-6014 $1500 (110×9) Processes and powers all 4ch of Atmos!
Subsequently we have nice promos on 2019 close out models- only a few available!
Magnepan LRS Speakers $650 Per Pair
Magnepan has redone its entry level model. It is getting raves from all corners. It now uses flat quasi ribbon foil strips instead of round piano wires. It’s a nice improvement. If $650 is your budget, you get a greater slice of Maggie sound at that price point than ever.
While LRS is outstanding at $650 per pair, I have to push you towards the MG .7 which runs $1450 per pair and is a lot better!
I’m happy the LRS is getting the Magnepan brand lots of attention. THAT is the idea, after all- to snare your interest with an “appetizer.” And I do like the LRS. Yet MG .7 outperforms LRS by a big margin, approx 25%. Since both speakers need a real amp to drive them, step up to the MG .7 for much superior performance.
TAS:
“There was a sweet, elegant sounding combination that really let the music flow. I found it extremely enjoyable. The.7 has approximately 400 square inches of diaphragm area, and the LRS has 333. The .7s seemed to put a lot more than 20% more energy in my room. They played a lot bigger than LRS.”
McIntosh MPC-500 Mains Conditioner $2500
If you have McIntosh gear MPC-500 is a no brainer. Not only do you get a power conditioner with 8 AC outlets on the rear- you get line voltage read out and another Mac component in your stack!
MPC-500 protects you from brown outs, power surges & even lightning strikes. It uses superior TPMOV construction- as opposed to traditional MOV design.
Phil Collins: Remember the Alamo!
Did you know the world’s biggest collector of Alamo memorabilia is Phil Collins? He has over $10m of it and has donated it to the Alamo museum. We all have our hobbies!
