LSR 2325P monitors and LSR 2310SP subwoofer. James Bullough Lansing’s company (JBL) needs no introduction. It has been supplying the market with excellent products for more than 60 years, and in ISP’s field of interest, professional audio, it is a brand with extensive experience and outstanding offerings both for live sound and for studio work. In the latter field, the LSR 6300 and LSR 4300 series can be found in countless recording and broadcast studios, and they have been reviewed in ISP with excellent results (our colleagues Ramón Sendra and Tomás Robisco carried out detailed test benches of these series). Apart, of course, from their performance in reproducing the audio signal, both lines of monitors stand out for incorporating the RMC and LSR systems.

The first is Room Mode Control, a system that automatically adjusts the response of the monitors to the room they are in, to reduce the effect of any room modes. This monitor equalization is carried out automatically using proprietary software and a microphone included with the system.

The second, LSR or Linear Spatial Reference, provides a wider optimal listening position in multiple rooms, thanks to frequency response measurements taken (during design) not only on-axis but also off-axis, 360º around the monitors.

The new 2300 family comes with LSR technology built in to improve its response and, to keep the cost of the monitors more competitive, offers the RMC system as an option, integrated into a monitor controller called the MSC1, which also offers master volume, A/B speaker selection, A/B/C sources and a headphone output. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; first let’s see what the LSR 2300 series offers.

Five, eight and ten inches
These are the sizes of the different woofers in the 2300 family, which offers the LSR 2325P (5" driver) and LSR 2328P (8" driver) monitors, and the LSR 2310SP subwoofer (10" driver).

In this test bench we tried a pair of 2325Ps together with a 2310SP subwoofer, and we found that they make up a really powerful team.

LSR 2325P
As mentioned above, this two-way self-powered monitor has a 5" woofer mounted on a reinforced structure that improves the response at the lowest frequencies of the spectrum.

The tweeter is a 1" silk soft dome which, like its woofer partner, has a magnetically shielded magnet to avoid interference with other nearby equipment.

The two-way amplifier is a monolithic Class A-B design that provides 55 W to the woofer and 35 W to the tweeter (THD <0.01% in both cases), allowing a maximum peak SPL of 112 dB at one meter (per monitor, 118 dB SPL for the pair).

The bass reflex port is located on the back of the monitors, along with the rest of the controls: volume, input connectors, power switch and HF and LF adjustments. The volume control has detented “steps,” which makes it quick to match the monitors to the 2310 subwoofer (details below).

As for input connectors, there are balanced (XLR and TRS) and unbalanced (RCA) connections, another sign that the monitors are aimed at a broad audience: home studios as well as broadcast studios and small recording studios.

The frequency adjustments are shelving filters, allowing -3/0/+2 dB in the lows (120 Hz) and -2.5/0/+2.5 dB in the highs (7 kHz).

LSR 2310SP
The subwoofer in the 2300 family has a magnetically shielded 10" driver powered by a monolithic Class A-B (bridged) amplifier. The 180 W amplifier allows a maximum peak SPL of 113 dB (at one meter), and the low-frequency extension reaches down to 27 Hz.

Bass management takes place inside the subwoofer itself, so to integrate the 2310SP with a pair of monitors, all you have to do is use one of the available inputs (balanced XLR and TRS, unbalanced RCA) and connect the monitors to the 2310’s outputs (balanced XLR).

Like the one on the 2325, the 2310’s gain control (Volume) turns in preset positions, allowing very fast system calibration: to match the subwoofer gain to that of the monitors, you just set the gain control to the same “step” as the monitors. System calibrated.

To optimize the integration of the subwoofer with the main monitors, a button called Polarity lets you flip the 2310’s polarity.

The crossover frequency between monitors and subwoofer is selected with a switch offering 80 Hz, 120 Hz and External positions. The default position is 80 Hz, but 120 Hz is offered to simulate the listening some users do on “home theater” systems, where the main speakers are usually small but there is an LFE channel.

The External option lets bass management be carried out on an external unit. In this case, the 2310’s XLR outputs are not used, and the signal from the external unit enters the subwoofer through the left XLR connector.

MSC1
That would be the situation, for example, when using the MSC1 monitor controller, which handles bass management using JBL’s Room Mode Correction system.

In other words, the MSC1 not only handles the crossover between subwoofer and main monitors at the most suitable frequency for the specific room, it also adjusts the response of the three speakers so that the reading from the microphone placed at the listening position is as flat as possible.

So, by purchasing the MSC1 you get the renowned RMC system that comes built into the higher series (6300 and 4300), plus the usual features found in a monitor controller: A/B speaker selector, A/B/C input source selector, master volume control, headphone output with independent volume, mute, etc.

In action
The first tests of the system were carried out using only the main monitors, without connecting the subwoofer.

The response of the 2325s was very pleasing, providing a stable image and a balanced frequency response. Naturally, the size of the woofers (5") didn’t allow the lowest frequencies to be reproduced, but even so the monitors’ bass response was well proportioned compared with other monitors of similar size. We noticed a slight boost in the highs and a small dip in the upper mids, which gave the speakers a certain “American” sound.

Next, the subwoofer was added to the system and, as you may have guessed from what was said earlier in the text, the process was very quick. This is a big plus, especially in mobile situations where the gear has to be set up and torn down frequently.

Obviously, with the 2300 the system’s bass response improved greatly, giving the main monitors good weight and depth. It should be noted that the subwoofer gain was reduced slightly relative to the 2325s (it was set one “step” lower), since at the same position it gave a response that seemed slightly boosted in the low mids to us.

In any case, this small variation cannot be attributed solely to the 2300 family; the specific room, the placement of the monitors and the subwoofer in the room, etc. also play a part.

With the system calibrated in this way, we went on to do various listening sessions and found that the system had very good low-end extension, revealing small details that would otherwise go unnoticed, such as slight plosives on vocals, background rumble, etc.

Impressions
As was the case with the higher series, the new 2300 family has made a very good impression.

On their own, the 2325 monitors are a good alternative, with a balanced response and a clear stereo image, especially considering their price range.

They lack the excess of bass and treble that other manufacturers give their small products to impress consumers. The 2325s proved to be a reliable option when mixing and making other “sonic” decisions.

When you add the subwoofer, you gain a full-range system at a really attractive price (a little over a thousand euros for the complete system). In addition, setting up and calibrating the system is very simple, which will dispel some users’ fears.

The connection options are very extensive and allow the 2300 family to be used in different environments and applications. The system’s scalability is completed by the MSC1 monitor controller, which not only offers the well-known RMC system but also provides the usual features of a unit of this type.

Having the different functions in separate devices is a great idea, since this way you can build a complete system bit by bit, without having to make a large outlay up front. In short, JBL once again offers a system that stands out not only for its quality but also for the clear evidence that it was designed with the needs of the end user in mind at all times.