JBL turns back for inspiration for the Studio Monitor series, another retro classic.

The first thing to note about the 4349 is its size real big.

 Though it’s ironically described by JBL as a ‘compact monitor’, at 74cm tall it couldn’t be less compact if it tried and weighing in at 38kg it’s not the sort of thing you’ll be wanting to stick up on a shelf – unless of course you have a desire to hear it come crashing down again in the middle of the night. All of which makes investment in dedicated stands pretty much a necessity. JBL of course provides a solution in the shape of the open-frame JS-120, which tilts the cabinet back towards the listener.

The top of the cabinet is dominated by the High Definition Imaging (HDI) horn that has come to be recognized as something of a brand specialty. Barely visible at its center, mounted with a phase plug behind a protective mesh grille sits the D2415K high frequency driver  the D standing for dual as it combines two 38mm ring diaphragms constructed from Teonex polymer, a pair of voice coils and two motors. Beneath the horn behind the removable material grille sits the bass driver in a natty legacy blue baffle with a pair of reflex bass ports underneath. This has a 300mm cast frame with a lightweight but rigid Pure-Pulp paper cone and 76mm voice coil. Built for very high output with low distortion, it’s tuned down to a claimed 32Hz.

While the midrange tone and detail are certainly commendable and the bass and sense of sparkle the clear stars of the show, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that the 4349 never quite sounds as ‘in love’ with the music as perhaps . There is, however, no doubting its ability when it comes to responding to the sort of transients that are littered throughout the theatrics of The Dead Weather’s 60 Feet Tall.

Meanwhile, the dynamism and sheer room filling scale it brings to John Williams’ Theme From Jurassic Park is ‘hairs on the back of the neck’ stuff. The fact that the sonic signature of the 4349 doesn’t veer too wildly from JBL’s established template means that dyed-in-the-wool horn sceptics are unlikely to jettison their three-way floor standers any time soon.

However, if you’re looking for something that sounds every bit as big as it looks and it is bigger than most, believe us  with plentiful energy to match and impeccable bass handling, this retro design has much to offer. It goes without saying that you’re really going to need to make space to get the very best from this compact monitor that has more in common with a floor stander for the stands to maximize the soundstage but if you have the room, it could be time to seriously start considering making the leap.