excellent sound, bass, lots of it!, price/quality ratio

none at this price.

Just to add on to all the wonderful reviews here, which convinced me to buy these speakers. This IS a great pair of speakers. I just bought a pair of metal speaker stands(API), about 1 feet high and mounted the N38s(my kid toppled one of the speakers the other day). 2 things - got rid of the stability problem(had to mount them the other way round) ;-), and sound now is even more amazing, more detailed, more bass, more punch, and they are now at the right hight. just excellent!. so all of you who have these speakers, the orig n38s, it is worth invensting in a pair of speakerr stands with spikes, and those who dont have these, go and buy them! I know there are better speakers out there( but only if you have the manna! :-} )

-price -styling (clean, slim, compact) -spectrum (clear highs/lows) -performs well with jazz, rock, and electronic-based music -build

-very little here. -the bass isn't overpowering, but we're talking about an 8" speaker here. produces great bass for this size. i wish jbl created a single-10" northridge; the dual-10" is WAY too big (refrigerator-sized), and really doesn't create the thunder you think it would with four 10" subs. -not quite optimized for hiphop and drum n bass (ie bass influenced music). but nothing a sub can't cure.

i've had these for over a year now, and no complaints so far. the reason i'm writing this is because of the "new" jbl 38IIs. the only difference between the two is a slight redesign. the cones are now silver (instead of bronze) and they corrected the stability problem (intalling legs). the grill is a little different too, but there is absolutely no change in sound. so don't be fooled. it's actually a great idea to go for the original N38s, because i bet you can find them on sale now.

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cerwin vega

Design, good highs and mids, decent bass but for HT you need a sub. !!!PRICE!!!

Instability when on carpet, a little on the short side.

I originally purchased the N28's and in less than one month exchanged them for the three way N38's. As much as I liked the N28's the N38's are hands down a much better speaker. My current system is compiled of the following: Receiver: Onkyo TX-DS696 DVD Player: Onkyo Integra DPS-5.2 Fronts: JBL N38s Sub: PB-10 Surrounds: JBL N24's I'm very happy with the final results. Sear's was clearing the older model N38's t make way for the new N38II's which are much nicer looking, and now JBL has corrected the instability flaw as well as making them a little bit taller which would have been beneficial to me. But it was the price tag and the great reviews the model received that made these the sure choice for me. I hear a substantial difference now that I have the midrange and since the lack of bass in the N28's I purchased the JBL PB-10 and now my room is shaking (in a good way).

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Pioneer, JVC, Sony, Yamaha

-Great bass (sometimes when im listening to rap, i look at the speaker and think theres got to be another sub inside) -Don't forget the CLEAN, CRISP high/midrange

-A little wobbly

(240 for the pair plus free shipping) These are the first pieces to my system and they are great. I first tried them out at best buy, and didn't think too much of them because they were a tower speaker with an 8" woofer, but they had no bass in the store. Earlier, when I was looking for main speakers i thought about the n310's but i heard them at best buy and they were NOT clear, nothing close (in the high and mid section) to the n38. Then there was always jbl's studio series (s38). They were great bookshelf speakers. The reason i chose the n38's over the s38 was because the n38's have such a better open sound. The s38's just sounded like they were in a smaller closed box, kinda like they were being muffeled by a pillow or something. Oh yeah i use the original monster cable 10ft for each speaker (the $35 thing they have at best buy.) Now, back to the n38's, they had great bass(i put the bass and treble all the way up on my receiver) for an 8" woofer and of course excellent highs and midrange for incredible sound imagining for a $240 pair of speakers. MY SYSTEM: JBL N38 Sony Playstation 2 Nintendo 64 Sony STR-DE675 JBL Scenter(soon to have) Sony SA-WM40 (soon to have) ($200 12" all the way down to 120 Hz, NOW THATS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT)

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Infinity IL10 JBL n310 JBL s38

Crisp highs

I do not own these so I have''nt had the time to pickem'' apart (not literally of course!)!

(by the way I am 15, and DO know a hecka lot about acoustics to be considered an "audiophile". Just because I do not have $1,000,000 to spend and buy a JBL Ultra Synthesis system and design my own room does not mean I am not an audiophile, btw I am currently studying the Master Handbook of Acoustics.) neeewayz... I have listened to these speakers (N38) at Visions electronics. I have all which I have bought except the MRs: JBL-MR 38 -N26 -N-Centre -PB12 All my JBL products rock! One thing that the last reviewer does not realize (this is why I am writing this review), is that Sony sure makes amazing TV but sucks when it comes to receivers. Having a good power source, ie. amplifier, makes a giant difference in the sound coming out of the speaker. ne ways thats just my two cents!

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all JBL

Great mids, clean sound, great clearance price

highs are good until that fuzzy distortion comes into play at mid to high volumes, bass is rather faint

These speakers sound good in the midrange catagory. The lows are lacking after they reach their 45hz cut-off point. Now the highs are tricky. At mid to high volumes I get distortion in the vocals, and not all the time. I did not blow my speakers; I know their limits. I''ve read reviews on all of my stereo components, and I can''t locate the problem. I am using: Sony STRDE675 receiver Sony DVP-NC600 dvd changer JBL N38 front speakers They are quality name-brand products, so I am going to have to put the blame on the speakers,because when sound is distorted, it usually means the speakers are bad, perhaps it is the oversized Kapton voice coils. That''s my best guess, otherwise these jbl''s sound great. I wonder if anybody else has had the same problem. If not,that''s okay for my below cost deal of $200 plus tax for the pair.

All the music lover''s aspects.

Front heavy. If you put a piece of board down underneath them then they won''t tip over though.

I tested these out at Best Buy for a long time before I went out and bought a set. I really wanted the Studio Series 12" model, but they were way too expensive and I didn''t want to carry them up 3 flights of stairs. So I went online and bought a set of N38''s. This set of JBL''s is the first really good set of speakers that I have ever owned. I am a college student that loves to listen to music and I''m slowly but surely getting my surround sound system all together. These speakers have great response in all areas. Everyone complains about the lack of bass; however, I don''t notice because of my subwoofer. These speakers have suited me for almost a year and a half now and I''ve loved every sound that they have produced. My current system is compiled of the following: Yamaha HTR-5560 A/V Receiver JBL N38 front JBL PB12 subwoofer Panasonic DVD Panasonic TV I am looking into buying a set of JBL S38ii''s for either front or surround sound and moving the N38''s around the apartment. Along with purchasing a pair JBL S-Center channels for front and rear surround center sound.

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(none)

Treble, Midrange, Bass Response.

Could use a bit deeper bass, but not bad for 8" Woofers. That is what my (7 Year-Old!!) sub will (still) be used for...

This is where part of my next paycheck is going. I had recently auditioned these at Best Buy, along with Yamahas, Sonys and Bose. These sounded the best, even compared to the Bose Speakers, which are twice the cost!! I think it may have something to do with using Poly Drivers for the Woofer and Midrange (as well as HAVING a midrange, a feature that the Bose speakers do not have); as well as using a Titanium Laminate Dome Tweeter, as opposed to paper drivers...(2.5" Paper Tweeter?? for $600 a pair for the Bose?? I think not.) The Yamahas were about mid-pack in driver/sound quality, not bad for being the least expensive ones. ($100 a pair??!!??) I actually am using a pair of older NS-638s now, but after I upgraded my reciever from a older Pioneer Dolby Digital to a new Harmon/Kardon Dolby Digital/DTS/Pro-Logic II, I need better speakers. I have an OLD JBL PSW 1000 Sub for the bass, and I rigged a pair of MB Quart Tweeters to get better highs, but those tweeters will not be necessary with the N38s. I will still be using my sub, though. I auditioned these without a sub at the store, and they seem to have adequate bass response as compared to the Yamahas which I currently have as well as the newer ones I listened to in the store which the bass is essentially non-existant in either. Time for the upgrade!!

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Yamaha, Infinity, JBL Components.

Tight bass, clarity, stunning and pleasable smooth highs.

None.

This review is about the new N38II that replace the N38. The drivers are the same except that the cabinet is taller, narrower and deeper. The color is black and looks very nice. The sound quality is excellent - pure crisp highs, tight bass and smooth midrange. I did own JBL Mseries speakers 7 years ago and these are better than those. I have N26II as my sorrounds and NcenterII. These are powered by Denon AVR-1802. The N38II have feet hence they are more stable than the N38. I would highly recommend them. After breaking them for 20hrs, I had to tighten the screws that hold the speakers. I auditioned PolkRti600, Boston Acoustics VR45 and Mirage FRX5 before settling for these. All of them were good but JBL was the clear winner.

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JBL M series (MRCS package), Klipsch, Sony MF400

Crisp highs, Mid range is superior to brands that cost $500 i.e. Polk & AR.

None except they are top heavy.

First of all this review is from a 37 year old so I will not be using terms such as Phat,Tight and "Thump''in". Before I start I encourage all who read this to immediately go to Best Buy beacause they are offering a $40 instant rebate on speaker purchases over $399 so I was able to pick up the N38''s and the N Center channel for $432. When I hooked them up last night the first thing I did was throw "The Matrix" on my DVD and let the games begin. Wow !! The opening scene was awesome !! These speakers sound incredible and even better with the voice matched center channel. The highs were crisp and clear and the 8" woofer sounded great on it''s own, even better when I used my 120w sub woofer. These speakers are a steal at $149 each and sound better than the Polk r40''s. Yes, they do tend to be a little top heavy as other reviewers have noted but other than that, these were a great purchase. My next step is to get the N26''s for my surrounds. Way to go JBL !!

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Boston Acoustics,AR,