The JBL P-1220 : Power Trip!
Written: Aug 26 '03
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Pros: Prce and performance, punch, looks, good build
Cons: MSRP
The Bottom Line: A highly capable subwoofer for a reasonable price when bought on line.
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| AVaddict's Full Review: JBL Power P-1220 Car Subwoofer |
A Little Background
These are subs that are, for the vast majority of consumers, used in automotive applications though in this case they (a total of two) were used to produce a custom built home subwoofer unit. I have a JBL powered sub that I purchased years ago that has now been moved into my study and as a result I needed something to fill the void in my living room/home theatre. I had no problem considering not only another JBL, but Klipsch, Sunfire, Infinity, and even a Paradigm Reference offering. Ultimately, as much as I liked the brands mentioned, I felt I could produce as good a sub as any of these companies. Well, I am not going to suggest the simple purchase of specific aftermarket speaker building products including amps, subs, and a hand built enclosure would produce a uniquely better product than say what Mr. Carver has to offer, but the result I got was well worth the investment, which was still about half the cost of the brands mentioned.
There was substantial spending associated with this project that extends well beyond what the drivers themselves actually cost. I say substantial, but there was a great amount of sweat equity put into this too. As a shade-tree woodworker, it was all very enjoyable and done in my spare time, so that investment in time was not so bad at all. I have listed some very specific info at the end of this review for those who want to know more about the building of this unit. You might not care except for the fact that this sub acts as my TV and component stand/shelf. Even with the obvious concerns, I was able to easily take care of vibration, flex, expansion, and deflection simply by approaching this project as if it were much larger in force and power. Some might call it overkill, I call it delicious, orgasmic, and scary all at the same time, but again, more on that later. These subs were powered by a 700w amp (0.09 THD @ 8ohm RMS, 0.01 THD @ 10dB below rated power) in a 4ohm configuration. These subs are single 2ohm voice coil (2ohm SVC) units purchased for the ability to wire them without open connections. I could have gotten a couple of 8ohm units to do the same thing, but JBL doesn't offer this sub in an 8ohm form.
Packing, Install, and Features
I bought these speakers on the net due to simple cost considerations. These subs have an MSRP of $399.00 apiece. Needless to say, that's too much. I got the pair for $359.81 on line delivered. Do the footwork people and you will get the best price. I received these together in one large box filled with foam peanuts. The JBL boxes, which themselves were intact and upon opening, were found to be solid and protective of the magic they held. I have opened many a package containing subs and these were, by far (with the exception of a few 15"ers) the best packed I've seen. This might not seem too important, but a strong drop/jolt/bump can misalign/bend the basket or motor structure. There are certainly people out there that might say I am being too picky or extreme, but take a good look at the conduct of some "delivery" personnel and simple factory packing quickly becomes more relevant.
The install of these speakers would be no different whether it was going into a car box or, as I am using them, into a home application. The area for install is either prepped or it is not. In the case of the vast majority of car box installs it is a drop and drill situation as it was for this use, but I fabricated the box based on specs from JBL, so fit wasn't an issue from the word go. Connections were made with 12g conductors from amp to sub with the signal from the receiver to amplifier managed by a Kimber Kable Silver Streak (borrowed from a friend) and I had a local shop custom fabricate a silver core Y-adapter (not as expensive as it sounds). The bottom line here is that once you have the sub, you put it in whatever will receive it, whether it is a car box or an engineered home install. As long as one stays within listed parameters given by the manufacturer, you should be fine.
This sub consists of a paper cone (kevlar impregnated) that is impressively stiff and unmaleable. There seems to be some kind of trend to the thought that the cone surface needs to be smooth and uniform to make it efficient, this just isn't factual. Anyone who has been in car audio even a short time will tell you about Audiobahn, JBL, or even JL Audio offerings that have rough cones, meaning the cone itself is not smooth. This means nothing. As much as I crowed about the Infinity Perfect 12.1, the fact that it is smooth is specific to the fact that it's pressed/balanced aluminum, this doesn't mean that wood pulp can't produce the same frequencies or air displacement. Image is everything, but sometimes you want to look past that. In the case of this sub, it's somewhere in the middle. Not a big dealio. Image is important only when you will see it, in this case it doesn't matter because it's behind a grille, so there you are. The bottom line is simply that the sub should be in an enclosure that is designed for the sub in question and that it sounds good in the environment it is placed in. In this case it is a home environment and it couldn't sound any better.
Performance
This sub has amazing punch for its size. There are two of these subs in action, but even with one, I might still be impressed. These subs act as the .1 in my 5.1 system and do so with commanding authority. I wanted something more directed, more dedicated, more powerful and I ended up with this arrangement. Not unlike strong car sub applications, I have rapidly been made aware of every little thing in my house that rattles, fortunately this does not include the enclosure. I wanted the tightest bass possible and with 700 watts behind them, I had little reason to believe I would run out of power or come to a point where I forced the volume to point of even soft clipping. Since I have had them I have not pushed them hard enough to distort them to the point of worrying me. The sheer SPLs this pair can produce is actually more than I was expecting and more important than volume to me anyway was accuracy. Granted distortion can certainly be a result of the amp powering any transducer. In this case I feel my choice of amps was educated and task specific enough that distortion is and won’t be an issue. I don’t know whether Epins has listings for QSC PLX series amps, but if they do I guarantee that review to come soon; it’s an amazing amp for a reasonable price.
Whether watching Trinity and Beyond and listening to 40 year old recordings of two megaton blasts, watching Episode II as Jango drops seismic charges on Obi Wan crushing huge asteroids around him, or even Band Of Brothers (pick a scene, any scene) these subs throw out massive volume levels with nerve rattling quickness and punch. Having gone so bonkers over the Perfect subs from Infinity, and being the same parent as JBL, one might wonder why I didn’t go that route as it would have saved me about $100, but after a couple of discussions with a premier JBL dealer in Houston, I felt that this was the sub of choice and at this point I have no doubt. With such an ability to make guests jump as they do, I am wholly satisfied with the decision. With the grille off I was really quite surprised at the throw these speakers posses. You can read the specs all day long, but sometimes seeing them in action is what it takes to make you a believer. I am a believer, but really, when have heard me bash JBL?
The Numbers
These are per the spec sheet that comes packaged with this sub. These basic numbers should give you some idea if this sub is what you are looking for. Something to keep in mind is that even though these are intended for car audio and even though my impedance came in at 4ohm combined, these are single 2ohm coil units, so if this purchase would be for car audio purposes, be sure your amplifier will be stable into a 2ohm load.
Response 20Hz-450Hz
Sensitivity 91Db @ 2.83V @ 1M
Power Handling 400watts RMS/1600watts Peak
Voice Coil Single 3inch wide 2ohm coil
Final Thoughts
There is a certain love of audio, a certain love of the high end, a certain love of the individual components, how they work, and why that causes people like me to build their own speakers rather than buy them. You might call it love, obsession, arrogance, whatever, but as happy as I know I would have been with a Klipsch RSW-12, I am just as happy with this, if not more because I built it myself. Ultimately, this a review of the subs, not my questionable and somewhat unsettling love of things stereo and with that in mind I tell you now, that whether it is a home or car application, whether you choose to employ one, two, or even 6, you won’t be disappointed. There is a delicate mix of power and grace that makes a subwoofer great, though it’s not a fine line, more of a fine grey area. What “performs well” for one person may be overkill for the next or vice versa, but even under low power, and I’ve heard these with as little as 100 watts behind them, these subs perform admirably at the very least. When pushed to the extremes, these subs will probably scare the novice. You have been warned.
Extras For The Builder
This is to give those interested in building something similar an idea of exactly what was involved and how it all came together. Everything I used to make this enclosure can be found at Home Depot, including wire, though I’d go with a premium or custom offering there. The only other things used were polyfill, bought locally, and Brown Bread sound damping material purchased off the net. This whole cabinet is made in two portions really. The internal box and bracing is made of .75” and 1.0” MDF. I say internal box because that’s exactly what it was. All the outside pieces were 1.0” MDF while the bracing is made from the .75” stock. The bracing is glued as well as screwed. The glue used is actually epoxy intended for MDF and wood. This a sealed enclosure so making room for a port isn’t necessary. The interior measures a scant one cubic foot as per JBLs own recommendations. The interior of the inner box is lined with Brown Bread. If you aren’t familiar with it, BB is similar to Dynamat in that it is an asphalt/polybutylene material that stops unwanted vibration, helping this box to come closer to “dead”. The outer box, glued and screwed to the inner box and consists of 1” premium grade plywood. I leveled the plywood with a compound for wood then covered it with bondo. Needless to say, there was a lot of sanding involved. All the edges were beveled just for looks. There is an integral shelf I built into the entire thing that leaves room for my cable box and XBOX. As 32” wasn’t quite wide enough for my TV, I added a shelf on the right for DVDs, but this has nothing to do with the build of the box itself. Finally I took it to the shop that does all the paint and body work for my car and had them put on a gloss piano black job on the whole thing. Veeeery nice indeed and it only ran me $100 (friend prices). Somewhat similar results can most likely be achieved with Krylon too for about $20. Lastly I connected everything, loaded the amp (19” rack mount style), and dropped in the sub, sealing them with a simple bead of latex caulk. Because of the shape, I am going to guess, based on several lifts and moves with a friend, it’s in the neighborhood of 250lbs. This whole thing isn’t just set right onto the carpet though. I purchased a set of spikes at Parts Express http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&Product_ID=14971 on special. It’s a great resource for many products, though sometimes the prices leave something to be desired. If you would actually like a PDF of the paper plans (FAR more detailed) let me know and as soon as I scan them, I’ll send you a copy. Take care and happy listening and remember, always pre-drill!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 358.91 for 2
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