When I had the pleasure of photographing JBL’s S3900 and S4700 floorstanding speakers for our blog, I was immediately drawn to their outward appearance. The S3900 as well as the S4700, both in noble black as well as in attractive cherry veneer, not only impress visually all along the line, but also convince above all in terms of sound. This is certainly due to JBL’s many years of experience and the associated use of the highest quality materials. In the following article, I would like to briefly introduce the two magnificent specimens, focusing in particular on the sound components used.
JBL S3900
The S3900 3-way floorstanding speaker features a dual 10-inch cellulose fibre woofer capable of reproducing frequencies up to 33Hz. An Aqua-Plas coated 4-inch pure titanium driver is responsible for dynamic midrange and treble reproduction. High frequencies of up to 40 kHz are reproduced with extreme clarity by the 3/4-inch ultra-high-frequency transducer. The two tweeters are each paired with JBL’s patented bi-radial horn.
With a recommended amplifier power of 25 to 250 watts, the S3900 provides a smooth yet wide frequency response and guarantees low-distortion, natural sound. Furthermore, the rear-mounted connectors, in addition to the gold-plated terminals, allow bi-wiring and also enable extended bass reproduction. The S3900 is suitable both as a component of a two-channel system and for multi-channel home cinema solutions.
JBL S4700
At the heart of the S4700 upright 3-way high-performance loudspeaker is a brand new 15-inch woofer encased in a cast frame. This features a powerful 3-inch voice coil driven by a neodymium drive structure. The Aqua-Plas coated titanium cone driver is mated to a 90 degree x 60 degree bi-radial horn and takes care of the midrange and treble frequencies of the 3-way speaker. An ultra-high frequency titanium diaphragm compression driver with a 60 degree x 30 degree bi-radial horn is responsible for the absolute highs and provides the appropriate spaciousness. The S4700 is perfect for use in powerful 2-channel audio systems as well as an LCR speaker in a multi-channel home theatre installation. High-quality network components and dual screw terminal inputs ensure audiophile performance in any application.
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in buying high-performance speakers from JBL, you have the choice between two excellent products: the JBL S39000 and the S4700. In addition to their attractive, elegant design, both speakers sound at least as good as they look. The best thing is to come by and see for yourself as soon as the lockdown is over!
I would like to know your thoughts about the amplifier pairings with JBL S3900 and S4700.
Hello Madhur,
its always a little hard for us to answer questions like this via text. Especially because of taste differing a lot when it comes to audio. Secondly in this case you are are asking about two different pairs of shoes in two different price categories. Because of that it’s a little hard to really answer your question. Robert, head of our HiFi section, spontaneously came up with the infamous Accuphase brand amplifiers and of course Mark Levinson own, both brand’s products do an excellent job in nearly any occasion. For greater detail and information it’s still always the best idea to just give us a quick call or even betterif possible to come over and hear your answers for yourselves.
Greetings Max