JBL N26AW 6'' 125 Watt 2-Way Weather-Resistant Speakers (Off-White)
JBL N26AW 6'' 125 Watt 2-Way Weather-Resistant Speakers (Off-White)
Product Description
Amazon.com Review
JBL's Northridge Series boasts the tag line "Pro Sound Comes Home." From any other company this might seem like marketing hyperbole, but with 50 years' experience building professional speakers and a 70 percent share of the worldwide market, JBL is entitled to boast a little.
The company's Northridge Series is an affordable expression of the company's theater-to-home technology. All Northridge models use 0.75-inch titanium-laminate dome tweeters and woofers made of PolyPlas, a polymer-coated cellulose fiber. The woofers in the all-weather N26AWs have been specially treated and are referred to as WeatherPlas.
JBL's N26AW speakers have many of the qualities--neutrality, detail, and dynamic range--that have made JBL so successful. They use a molded, weather-resistant cabinet with a bow-shaped back that not only looks nice but helps prevent the internal buildup of standing waves that could otherwise degrade the sound.
Other features from JBL's pro line employed here include oversized Kapton voice coils and HeatScape motor structures, which allow the drivers to endure unusually high temperatures. We're not talking a toasty summer day on the patio here, but rather the high temperatures generated by large amounts of amplifier power--hence that 125-watt power handling rating. And because simple signal paths provide the best sound, JBL uses its Straight-Line Signal Path (SSP) crossover networks to divvy up the range of musical frequencies.
Unlike the N26AW's housebound cousin, the JBL N26, which has deep gray cabinets and cloth grilles, the all-weather Northridge models come in a slightly off-white finish with matching metal grilles.
Behind these grilles, each N26AW conceals a single titanium tweeter and a 6-inch woofer that's been dyed silver to match the look of the gleaming tweeter. Pleasingly, JBL uses gold-plated five-way binding posts for its speaker terminals. These not only make for tight connections that won't tarnish, but because they accept spade lugs and banana plugs (in addition to bare wire), they let you use heavier-gauge speaker wires. (Contrary to what many might tell you, wire does makes a difference. You should use, as a minimum, a good 12-gauge oxygen-free-copper wire or consider one of the many specialty speaker cables on the market.)
JBL's vast experience with professional technology pays sonic dividends with the N26AW, which we find to be a substantial cut above most indoor/outdoor speakers. To start with, the dominant midrange frequencies, which contain 80 percent of all music, sound startlingly natural on the N26AWs. To illustrate, vocals have subtle nuances of expression, pianos can be fiercely percussive or caressingly soft, and guitars can be hollow and ringing or, if electric, crunch, moan, and wail.
The N26AWs have a remarkably natural tonal balance, good detail, and rich harmonic structure. They can also throw a wide soundstage, with well-placed sonic images and a decent sense of three-dimensionality (another unusual trait for an indoor/outdoor speaker). This is important in any situation and especially critical outdoors, where a pair of speakers is likely to be placed farther apart than they would be in a room.
Large-scale music, be it high-powered rock or a symphony orchestra, comes across with ease as well as force on the N26AWs, showing off JBL's well-known ability to handle music with wide dynamic range. The high frequencies have nice extension and decent (but not great) air and definition. The bass reaches down to 50 or 60 Hz with good detail and a reasonable sense of weight.
The N26AWs have a most impressive pedigree and many of the qualities that have made JBL so successful in the professional audio world. While by no means big speakers, they remain somewhat larger than most all-weather models, so measure carefully before committing to any installation.
That one concern aside, we love the fact that, with the N26AW, not only has JBL's pro sound come home, it's gone outdoors. --Wayne Garcia
Pros:
Remarkable tonal balance
Good detail and texture
Excellent component parts
Flexible mounting options
Cons:
Slightly large for outdoor use
Average customer rating: 
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JBL N26AW 6" 125 Watt 2-Way Weather-Resistant Speakers (Off-White)
Manufacturer: JBL ProductGroup: CE Binding: Electronics  Outdoor
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Product Features:
ASIN: B00002EQC7 |
Product Description
This 2-way 6" bookshelf loudspeakers with high-impact molded enclosure reproduce sound with unmatched clarity and power. The PolyPlas (polymer-coated cellulose fiber) cone woofer features traditional JBL engineering; the same technologies used in JBL's Professional equipment that can be found in stadiums, music halls and movie theaters around the world. These speakers are also weather resistant that allows you to place them on you patio for outdoor listening enjoyment.Amazon.com Review
JBL's Northridge Series boasts the tag line "Pro Sound Comes Home." From any other company this might seem like marketing hyperbole, but with 50 years' experience building professional speakers and a 70 percent share of the worldwide market, JBL is entitled to boast a little.The company's Northridge Series is an affordable expression of the company's theater-to-home technology. All Northridge models use 0.75-inch titanium-laminate dome tweeters and woofers made of PolyPlas, a polymer-coated cellulose fiber. The woofers in the all-weather N26AWs have been specially treated and are referred to as WeatherPlas.
JBL's N26AW speakers have many of the qualities--neutrality, detail, and dynamic range--that have made JBL so successful. They use a molded, weather-resistant cabinet with a bow-shaped back that not only looks nice but helps prevent the internal buildup of standing waves that could otherwise degrade the sound.
Other features from JBL's pro line employed here include oversized Kapton voice coils and HeatScape motor structures, which allow the drivers to endure unusually high temperatures. We're not talking a toasty summer day on the patio here, but rather the high temperatures generated by large amounts of amplifier power--hence that 125-watt power handling rating. And because simple signal paths provide the best sound, JBL uses its Straight-Line Signal Path (SSP) crossover networks to divvy up the range of musical frequencies.
Unlike the N26AW's housebound cousin, the JBL N26, which has deep gray cabinets and cloth grilles, the all-weather Northridge models come in a slightly off-white finish with matching metal grilles.
Behind these grilles, each N26AW conceals a single titanium tweeter and a 6-inch woofer that's been dyed silver to match the look of the gleaming tweeter. Pleasingly, JBL uses gold-plated five-way binding posts for its speaker terminals. These not only make for tight connections that won't tarnish, but because they accept spade lugs and banana plugs (in addition to bare wire), they let you use heavier-gauge speaker wires. (Contrary to what many might tell you, wire does makes a difference. You should use, as a minimum, a good 12-gauge oxygen-free-copper wire or consider one of the many specialty speaker cables on the market.)
JBL's vast experience with professional technology pays sonic dividends with the N26AW, which we find to be a substantial cut above most indoor/outdoor speakers. To start with, the dominant midrange frequencies, which contain 80 percent of all music, sound startlingly natural on the N26AWs. To illustrate, vocals have subtle nuances of expression, pianos can be fiercely percussive or caressingly soft, and guitars can be hollow and ringing or, if electric, crunch, moan, and wail.
The N26AWs have a remarkably natural tonal balance, good detail, and rich harmonic structure. They can also throw a wide soundstage, with well-placed sonic images and a decent sense of three-dimensionality (another unusual trait for an indoor/outdoor speaker). This is important in any situation and especially critical outdoors, where a pair of speakers is likely to be placed farther apart than they would be in a room.
Large-scale music, be it high-powered rock or a symphony orchestra, comes across with ease as well as force on the N26AWs, showing off JBL's well-known ability to handle music with wide dynamic range. The high frequencies have nice extension and decent (but not great) air and definition. The bass reaches down to 50 or 60 Hz with good detail and a reasonable sense of weight.
The N26AWs have a most impressive pedigree and many of the qualities that have made JBL so successful in the professional audio world. While by no means big speakers, they remain somewhat larger than most all-weather models, so measure carefully before committing to any installation.
That one concern aside, we love the fact that, with the N26AW, not only has JBL's pro sound come home, it's gone outdoors. --Wayne Garcia
Pros:
Cons:
Amazon.com Product Description
JBL's N26AW weather-resistant speakers are a pair of 2-way, 6-inch bookshelf models with high-impact molded enclosures durable enough to resist moisture and the elements. Technical features include 125-watt power handling, 8-ohm impedance, and 88 dB sensitivity. Speaker drivers include a 6-inch PolyPlas (polymer-coated cellulose fiber) woofer and a 0.75-inch titanium laminate dome tweeter.Shielded components allow distortion-free placement near video monitors. High-temperature, oversized Kapton voice coils and HeatScape motor structures allow these speakers to effortlessly play all types of movies and music. The FreeFlow flared port increases bass response without adding unwanted port noise.
This pair of speakers comes in an off-white finish. Every pair of JBL N26AW weather-resistant speakers comes with a two-year parts and labor warranty on the speaker enclosures and a five-year parts and labor warranty on the speaker driver and internal components.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous outdoor speaker.......2003-05-02
Large size, small sound.......2000-09-14
They have a very noticeable overemphasis in the 1Khz to 4Khz range. To hear this, imagine you're listening to a full orchestra, but hearing the sound of a sharp trumpet predominate. It's not as bad outdoors where there's no chance for harmonic resonance, but mostly unbearable in an inclosed space.
With the strength of the upper midrange, I found the speakers to be immanently locatable and provide a minimum of presence. I much prefer my sound to be as if the band or orchestra was floating around me, or at least nearby but invisible. These speakers stuffed the sound into their boxes.
Great Sound.......2000-07-25
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