JBL 4429. Anyone with experience?

This speaker seem quite awesome for the money
JBL - 4429 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair)


I was wondering if anyone have any experience with it

thanks

 

I just hope you have very large shelves.

 

I've looked at the JBL line on Music Direct many time and wondered about them as well. It's seems basically impossible to audition a pair and they never come up as recommended by anyone in the many threads we have about speakers. I don't don't know how you are valuing them as a good deal, they seem crazy expensive at $5,000. Especially since they are made in Mexico.

I never see them on the used market, I have a theory that most of these expensive JBL's are being sold in non US markets. The JBL brand still has some high end value in Asia but in the US that's nearly completely lost. They competed for the bottom end of the US market for to many years and I only ever see the weird BT speaker and some pro gear. For me, If I'm bring in a large horn loaded speaker, I'm looking for more than 91db sensitive.

 

They had some similar JBL models lying around Acoustic Sound's offices. They usually don't keep such gear around unless it's very decent. A Music Direct rep told me all these JBL speakers have a very "live sound," sort of like a PA speaker.

 

I feel like that's the description people use to describe the JBL sound in general. Not saying it's bad or good. But it does seem fairly consistent when people talk about it.

I also think it's interesting how unusually hard it is to find these to demo. The big box stores don't carry them, but the Hifi stores don't either. On the other hand I think if you're spending $5K+ on speakers, a flight to audition them shouldn't be out of the question really. If you're really interested in that price point, plan a trip to the LA area, or somewhere else that has multiple hifi stores, and just take a day or two to demo some things. Sure, you have shipping and the price of flights and yadda yadda yadda. But how much is that all really adding to the cost, 15%? Maybe 20% on the higher end? Even less if you're looking into more expensive speakers.
If you're looking to flip speakers after purchasing new you're going to loose that anyway. The cost of a demo is probably going to save you more than constantly swapping out speakers.

 

Has there ever been any horn loaded design that wasn’t described this way?

 

Nothing short of the $8k region to my knowledge, but I think the "live" sound is the whole point of going with horns. Within the context of what they do well, I'm sure the JBLs are competitive.

 

One would certainly hope they are very competitive at that price.

 

They are a fairly large cabinet with attenuating controls. If build quality is like the ones I saw at AS, then I'm not surprised by the $5K price point.

 

I recently purchased these speakers and absolutely love their signature and characteristics.

I only play CDs, but if they are well-recorded/remastered, the sound is just astonishing. I play amplified live music, but I still don't consider myself an authority on high fidelity.

Everything from the Cash American series to Duran Duran is an absolute blast to play on the JBL...with no razor sharp treble. I haven't felt the need to play with the attenuator, because most tracks seem to be just about perfect.

I read a review on another JBL set that said they were meant for 70's "California Rock". Rumours does sound exquisite through these, but most everything does.

by

 

very nice. how does the bass response compare- does it have impact?

 

Live sound is the goal, right? Love to hear a pair.

 

I have the new l100’s and I highly recommended those in a thread.

 

He likes them

 

Well, that makes one person in the 4 months since I made that post.

But... in that time I’ve become even more interested and less cynical. It’s seems that very serious people have very good things to say. JBL has just done so much damage to the brand and over the last 30 years it’s tough to buy in to the expensive stuff.

 

I've looked at these off and on the past couple years. I've always been impressed with JBL's engineering (their newer Revel speakers are really impressive). Though these are too rich for my blood (I'd need 3 for L/C/R), I still eye them now and again.

I can't find any anechoic data. Here's a thread you may find useful with some in-room measurements (which means you essentially will have to ignore anything below 300-400hz, depending on the guy's room). His focus is geared more toward correcting the in-room response and bi-amping them, but there's still some useful data to be gleaned about the 4429's.
JBL 4429 biamp and dsp correction

 

This kind of thing drives me nuts. Speakers should be used to reproduce the media, regardless of genre, for better or worse. I've got severe music A.D.D.; if someone told me a particular speaker was great for a particular genre of music I wouldn't buy the speaker under the assumption that the other genres I'd listen to would sound like junk. And I definitely don't want to be the guy futzing with tonal balance controls to get the sound I want out of a speaker. I want the speaker to play what's on the media. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Steve Gutenberg has been on quite the horn kick lately and he sure has me thinking about these very speakers.

 

Lucky

 

Me too.....

 

I'm saving for a pair. Here's why: effortless volume without sounding loud or strained to deliver jewel like detail, does that pretty much describe what these and the 4367's do for ya?

 

i own jbl 4367. i have not heard any other jbl synthesis speakers but dynamic is defintely the jbl 4367 biggest strong point. i have mine positioned quite far apart, 10.75 feet, i sit 9.5 feet back with my head less than 1 foot from the back wall. the soundstage is enormous and the imaging is pin point. you think there is a center channel hiding somewhere. they are not the last word in resolution, i think kef speakers would edge out on the jbl, but, for me, dynamics are everything. if you have good dynamics, everything simply comes together. that is just my opinion... anyway. i think the 4429 would capture some of the magic the 4367 has for sure.

ps. from what my dealer told me, the 4367 is a big step up above other older models in jbl lineup, even the 4365 or the k2 9900. those are 3 way with metal tweeters... well anyway it makes sense if you consider the fact the 4367 is a home version of the m2 master reference monitor. new tech has been passed down from the m2 that never made its way to the other synthesis series speakers.

if anyone has more questions on jbl 4367 i'd be quite happy to answer. this is by far the best speaker i've ever owned.

 

ps. i have heard several 'pa system' horn based loud speakers and they deserve the 'pa system' moniker. however i would not put the jbl 4367 in this category. it is simply different and better. the waveguide is based on the version of the m2, and as such... it has the benefits of the live sound, a slight coloration of the midrange, just a tad forward... but really it is as far as you can get from 'pa system' sound that many other horn speakers like altec's and any smith horn design from technics, etc might have. the jbl 4367 is really a different beast from previous generation horn based loud speakers. you really owe yourself to hear one at some point then come back to me and call them 'pa system' sounding. gosh that description annoys me!

i say all of this because i am quite certain the 4429 have a sound signature that is close to the 4367. they were both announced at the same time. if anything the 4429 is probably a better performing speaker than even the 4365. think about that for a minute...

 

I noticed these were for sale. What went wrong?

 

I've heard the 4367 right next to the K2 S9900. The K2's clearly trumped the 4367, albeit the 4367 has more of that bass cabinet box sound.