JL Audio C3-650 Speaker Review

The first set of JL Audio speakers I bought was in 1991; they were the CS series 6.50 two-way components. The tweeters were large, well built and the mid-bass drivers were one of the best on the market. With products like that and the company's subwoofers, JL Audio was deservedly regarded for its design and innovation in general, even back then. With Manville Smith competing on the IASCA circuit with their subwoofers and the famous JL Mini Cooper hitting the scene in the mid nineties, many people thought of them as just a great subwoofer company, but I have always thought of them as a manufacturer of great sounding speakers, periodThey further their reputation with the C3-650 speaker set. Not only does JL Audio make speakers that produce accurate sound; they also make them flexible and installer friendly. The C3 has the design and options needed in today’s market. They market this set with the “convertible component” consisting of tweeters that could be mounted in a coaxial configuration or as a conventional components. The tweeter and mid-range driver are still independent using a two-way crossover with four tweeter settings and three midrange settings.

The physical design embodies a modern look, using a shell to cover the magnet in addition to the aid of a polymer frame making the woofer seamless in design and the assembly very light weight. The shape of the system is well thought out and I could tell the JL team really put some time into their product—but did the look match the performance, that's the critical question.

My listening room and configuration have stayed the same for years now with the Clarion DRZ-9255 at the helm, powered by a Xetec P-4 amplifier and all of the wiring still flanked by Monster Cable’s Z-series wires. The power is kept constant with the aid of the Aston 100A power supply. I connected the speakers and I started my evaluation.

Listening
The first track was "Somewhere, Somebody", performed by Jennifer Warnes and Aaron Neville. The separation and clarity was very nice right from the beginning, Warnes and Neville could be clearly heard whether in harmony or singing solo. I just loved the low notes, such a soft yet firm attack of the bass, just enough for me to actually feel the bass line hitting my chest while not being over bearing. At louder volumes there were some sharp higher frequencies in the vocal range so I made an adjustments to cross over switching to the “reference” setting. The vocals sounded full and when I shut my eyes I could hear and envision Jennifer as she took a breath before her next line—very sexy. Even at very high volumes, with Neville singing at a high volume, there wasn't the slightest hint of breakup.

Now it was time for one of the sonically pleasing tracks by James Newton Howard entitled "Slippin Away". This is a fantastic track for auditioning a system or speakers, with all of the instrumental information it offers in its arrangement. Overall the sound was superb, but I was really amazed with the impact of the kick drum and the crashing of the cymbals, along with the high hat on this track. This was a wonderful opportunity to really turn the volume up. And I did. I could not detect any break up in the lower mid even as I watched the driver almost flop around. Yes, I wanted to kick the heck out of it but it was like trying to beat up a stuffed animal, very fun but useless.

One of my favorite tracks of all time is “Time Will Bring You Love” performed by Bill Champlin. It has great feeling and emotion, which were conveyed convincingly on the C3 speakers. Champlin’s vocals have different tonal qualities, which are brought into relief with high quality products and the nuances of his voice were certainly reproduced very well here. Some of the higher vocal range sound I was convinced would break up but held up very impressively.

I was now ready for some music that would make my ears bleed, so I chose “Born Too Slow” by the Crystal Method. This track just screams to be played loud, very loud. It's practically written to test the excursion of speakers. However, this is not the most musical track; albeit, the energy is unmatched and has tremendous emotional force. The C3 components, though, had no issue with the extreme qualities on this recording. It was so much fun listening to this on these speakers, that I listened to it six times at full volume before my ears finally felt the fatigue.

Overall, it was a pleasure auditioning the C3-650 speakers. These are mid-priced components that offer great tonal balance and lower bass reproduction that is simply amazing. That's not something that I say very often. Sonically, the music filled the room with presence and provided an amazing soundstage. Generally, I have found manufacturers to err in two extremes, either overpowering mid-bass or too little mid-bass, but the C3-650 produced a very balanced sound.