JBL Professional 306P MKII 6" 2 Way Powered Studio Reference Monitor

Product Information

Integrated custom Class D amplifiers deliver 112 watts (LF: 56 watts; HF: 56 watts) of power for high output and dynamic range We see more of distortion between 1 and 2 kHz in the larger 308P than in 306P. The larger woofer seems unhappier in the higher range than the smaller one in 306P. Or there are sample variations. I performed over 800 measurement which resulted in error rate of less than 1% throughout the range. John Mayer’s “Free Fallin” - When he says, “she’s a good girl”, the word “good” tends to jump out of the mix at you in the 1-2kHz region. I used my RTA app to watch for where this peak occurs (in the nearfield, of course). The RTA shows the peakiness between 1.6kHz to 1.8kHz which is exactly where there is a +3dB jump in the on-axis response (apparently caused from port resonance). Bass response is excellent, delivering deep yet smooth low frequencies without sounding overblown or slow. Upper bass and low mids are firm and punchy with no hint of tubbiness, integrating seamlessly with the broader treble region. In our fairly large control room, best results were achieved with the Boundary EQ Control set flat. I experimented with this control and could clearly hear how it would reduce excessive bass when used in less-than-ideal situations, if they have to be placed close to a rear wall, for example.

306P MkII | JBL Professional Loudspeakers | English

At close range, they project a massive center image, anchoring the gorgeous bass of The Chain at the center of the expansive stereo-panned guitars and vocals. Riley Young/Digital Trends Soundstage width is also quite nice and extends past the sides of the speakers which I believe may come from the wide horizontal radiation pattern of ±70° out to ~13kHz. The MkI versions of JBL’s 3 series monitors were highly regarded for offering excellent sound quality at affordable prices. Now upgraded to feature refined drivers and a new Boundary EQ adjustment setting, the MkII versions improve upon the original design. This particular model includes a magnetically shielded, 6.5-inch mid/low-frequency transducer with a 1.5-inch voice coil, and a self-repairing dust dome that smooths out any accidental dents all by itself. (I gave it a gentle prod to test that claim and all seems well!) By reducing thermal-related effects such as power compression, the monitors are able to perform consistently over the full range of listening levels. A continuous rated SPL of 98dB is quoted along with peak SPL handling of 110dB at one metre (pink noise, C–weighted).There is a blip around 700 Hz visible in the above graphs and we can see it as resonance in waterfall display:

JBL 306P MKII Powered Two Way Active Studio Reference Monitor

As expected, the predicted in-room response and the farfield response (3.5 meter, blue) line up quite well above approximately 500Hz. Dual integrated, custom Class-D amplifiers provide 82 watts of power for high output and dynamic range Measurements that you are about to see were performed using the Klippel Near-field Scanner (NFS). This is a robotic measurement system that analyzes the speaker all around and is able (using advanced mathematics and dual scan) to subtract room reflections (so where I measure it doesn't matter). It also measures the speaker at close distance ("near-field") which sharply reduces the impact of room noise. Both of these factors enable testing in ordinary rooms yet results that can be more accurate than an anechoic chamber. In a nutshell, the measurements show the actual sound coming out of the speaker independent of the room. It’s also immediately clear that the Image Control Waveguide is playing an important part in the room-filling sound, as the stereo image remains coherent without being focused into a tight, central sweet spot. The Waveguide also does a superb job, ensuring fine integration between the mid/bass and high-frequency drivers, as moving my head vertically up and down a single monitor’s front baffle reveals no phase-related issues. Big sound, small speakerIt's rather narrow. If you're distorting at 5% across the entire frequency range that's one thing, this is another - perceptibility of narrowband stuff like that tends to be much lower than we'd think when we see those sharp peaks on a graph. But with the good does come the bad. There is a noticeable hiss that is louder than I would have liked, and it’s audible up to 2 feet (60cm), which could be a little annoying for longer sessions. But that is a relatively high level, to begin with, and you won’t want to mix at that level for extended periods. But it is still worth highlighting if you want to crank it up occasionally. As with sub-bass delivery, pairing the monitors with a subwoofer will give you much better performance at higher levels.

JBL 306P MKII – Thomann UK

Subjectively, yeah, they do not love to play that loud on their own. They play louder and deeper than the 305's, but they still run out of steam. Keep in mind that Amir measured this distortion at 86dB which is fairly loud - into danger territory, even. Hopefully nobody is listening at an average near 86dB. Though we would indeed like to have plenty of headroom to push higher than 86dB for those brief dynamic peaks.I understand these are really the “darlings” of the budget monitor scene. For the price, you do get a lot of good performance. However, I think it is important to highlight these concerns as they will ultimately affect a person’s final mix. For example, they may try to EQ out the midbass resonances I noted or the 1-2kHz issues or the HF shelf. If these attempts toward correcting the sound were made then the end user - who may have a much better system without these issues - would get bass that doesn’t sound right, or a 1-2kHz region that doesn’t right. I am providing this information so those who are shopping and/or use this speaker are aware of some of the things that were readily apparent to me with a variety of music genres. The JBL 306P MkII are an exceptional pair of studio monitors, absolutely worth buying for content creators who want a more serious window into their audio at an affordable price. Is there a better alternative?

306P MkII | JBL Professional Loudspeakers | English (US) 306P MkII | JBL Professional Loudspeakers | English (US)

The below graphics indicate how much SPL is lost or gained in the long-term as a speaker plays at the same output level for 2 minutes, in intervals. Each graphic represents a different SPL: 86dB and 96dB both at 1 meter. Subjective listening varied between the nearfield at 1 meter and the farfield at 4 meters. Subjective listening was conducted at 80-95dB at these distances. Higher volumes were done simply to test the output capability in case one wants to try to sit further away. is right in the middle of the female vocal range so it is not like the deep bass region where we want enough power to shake the foundations of the house. Multitone stimulus played at desired SPL/distance for 2 minutes; intended to represent music signal Acoustic measurements can be grouped in a way that can be perceptually analyzed to determine how good a speaker is and how it can be used in a room. This so called spinorama shows us just about everything we need to know about the speaker with respect to tonality and some flaws:

Measurements are compliant with latest speaker research into what can predict the speaker preference and is standardized in CEA/CTA-2034 ANSI specifications. Likewise listening tests are performed per research that shows mono listening is much more revealing of differences between speakers than stereo or multichannel. When used alongside Pro Tools 12 and our interface for mixing, we had a very easy time balancing mixes, adjusting equalization settings, and adding compression, finding that our mixes always translated as expected to other devices and listening settings. Our only gripe was that the speakers had a small amount of amp hiss when in a very quiet room with no sound playing, but that’s to be expected of any powered speakers with this volume potential and at this price point, and it became unnoticeable whenever sound was playing at any volume.