JBL NSP1 5-Piece Home Theater Speaker System

by JBL

Product Details

Product Manual [52kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 34 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00002EQBW
• Item model number: NSP1
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,937 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

JBL's NSP1 is a compact home-theater speaker package assembled from two models in JBL's Northridge series, the N24 bookshelf speakers and the N-Center center-channel. JBL's goal with Northridge is to bring its extensive professional-audio experience home to consumers at affordable prices. After spending some time with the NSP1 system, we'd say that JBL has more than realized that goal.

The N24 bookshelf (the system employs four of these speakers to furnish the left and right front and surround channels) is the smallest of the eight Northridge models. Each speaker in the series uses identical 0.75-inch titanium-laminate dome tweeters and woofers made of JBL's PolyPlas, a polymer-coated cellulose fiber. (Three-way models also contain PolyPlas midrange drivers.)

Each N24 contains one 4-inch woofer; the N-Center has two 5-inch woofers. These custom-designed drivers benefit from technology that's been borrowed from JBL's professional models, such as Kapton voice coils and HeatScape motor structures, which endow the drivers with tolerance for high temperatures. (In speaker parlance, that means "high volume levels.") Robust power handling is a good thing for any speaker and especially with the wide dynamics required of home-theater models.

JBL's Straight-line Signal Path (SSP) crossover networks route the audio frequencies to their respective drivers and smooth the speakers' frequency and power response, while minimizing processing that could otherwise degrade your audio signal.

These speakers are housed in rich-looking, dark-gray cabinets with bow-shaped backs and matching grille cloths. A welcome visual change from the usual rectangular box, these curved enclosures are also designed to combat the buildup of standing waves (uneven acoustical pressure that can unfavorably color the sound).

Remove the grille cloth and you'll see the gleaming titanium-laminate dome tweeter and silver-dyed PolyPlas woofer. You'll also see JBL's flared FreeFlow port, which extends bass response and increases sensitivity without adding port noise, sometimes heard as "chuffing."

For speaker terminals, all components of the NSP1 use five-way, nickel-plated binding posts, and JBL thoughtfully includes a plastic socket-style key to tighten them. (Binding posts offer the tightest and most flexible speaker connections, accepting spade lugs, banana plugs, and bare or tinned wires).

You can mount the N24s on walls, shelves, or stands. If you elect to mount them on a wall, which yields the deepest bass response, you can place them either vertically or horizontally. They also swivel side to side and, once tweaked to your satisfaction, lock into place (brackets and hardware are included). If you opt for shelf or stand placement, however, you should place the supplied rubber pads under each speaker to prevent slipping. Either way, make sure the front speakers are equidistant from the sides of your television and are poised at ear level with your seated viewing position. If you mount them above ear level, aim the speakers toward the listening zone.

You can place the rear channels above, below, or even at the same level as your listening position. Remember that for home theater, the goal is to achieve a nonlocalized sound field--that is, one where the sound is diffuse and spacious rather than rendered with pinpoint accuracy, as you usually want for the front speakers. Surround speakers usually work best when placed well above the listening zone, with the sound reflected off the side walls or ceiling.

Multichannel music, however (such as that found on DTS-encoded 5.1-channel CDs), is generally mixed with precise localization in mind, so do take your listening preferences into account when setting these up. Fortunately, the N24s' swiveling brackets let you experiment with placement and angle for the best results.

Center-channel speakers do not afford the same flexibility, and the N-Center is not unusual in this regard. In order to fix dialogue with the picture from your television, the N-Center must be placed at approximately the same level as your screen, either sitting on top of the TV or below it on a shelf.

As for the NSP1 system's sound, starting with music only, the first thing you'll notice is that it produces surprisingly full audio. Jazz CDs sound rich and clear, but don't expect bass and drums to plumb the bottom depths of the frequency range. Trumpets and saxophones come through with terrific, brassy texture and bite, but (predictably) not as much detail or sense of air as they might if heard through costlier speakers. Vocals are uniformly good--articulate, focused, and well balanced. With orchestral music, the N24s throw a relatively wide soundstage, with more than a hint of depth (that is, of the sonic space extending beyond the speakers). But rock fans will almost surely want to add a subwoofer to feel the full impact of their favorite bands.

With DVD-videos, vocal clarity is enhanced by the N-Center, which does a great job of routing the dialogue to the screen. Considering its small size, the complete NSP1 system exhibits very good dynamics, and JBL's close attention to driver matching yields a seamless transition from speaker to speaker, creating a wonderfully complete sonic environment.

Adding a subwoofer to the NSP1 brings out the full glory of 5.1-channel sound (having, as it does, a dedicated low-frequency effects channel--the ".1" in 5.1), and it's worth noting that subwoofers not only make a big difference with action films but bring fullness to all program material, whether cinematic or musical. (With a sub in the system, the main speakers no longer have to reproduce bass frequencies, and everything becomes much clearer and cleaner. Additionally, your amplifier can focus on frequencies that are easier to reproduce, leaving the tough stuff to the amp in your subwoofer.)

To say that JBL has a good reputation in the pro-audio world is an understatement. A staggering 70 percent of the world's theaters, concert halls, and recording studios are equipped with JBL speakers. With the NSP1, JBL brings that experience home at a very attractive price. Minor complaints aside, the NSP1 is a sweet little home-theater speaker package. --Wayne Garcia

Pros:

• Very fine sound
• Excellent component parts
• Flexible mounting options
• Broad warranty

Cons:

• High frequencies lack refined detail
• Limited bass response

Amazon.com Product Description

The JBL NPS1 home theater package, with five easy pieces of speaker equipment, helps you turn your living room into your personal movie theater. Included are two pairs of high-impact, molded-enclosure two-way bookshelf speakers and a two-way, 5-inch center-channel loudspeaker that are designed and manufactured to reproduce sound with unmatched clarity and power.

Shielded components permit distortion-free placement near video monitors. High-temperature, oversized Kapton voice coils and HeatScape motor structures allow these speakers to play all types of movies and music. The FreeFlow flared port increases bass response without adding unwanted port noise. JBL's custom-designed drivers allow the use of simple Straight-line Signal Path (SSP) crossover networks with high-quality electrical components that minimize processing that could otherwise degrade the audio signal.

This system comes in a dark gray finish and a includes 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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars JBL Home Theater, June 14, 2000

By 

Brian Ralph (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JBL NSP1 5-Piece Home Theater Speaker System (Electronics)

This is a fantastic system for the ultimate movie (especially DVD) experience. The sattelites are small enough to mount or hide, but the sound clarity from them is amazing. Unless you are a true audiophile, you won't be able to tell the difference between this system and the higher priced models.

The center channel can pump out 150 watts, while the sattelites can handle up to 100 watts. That's certainly enough to wake the neighbors! And it does it while remaining crystal clear.

The only caveat in regards to this system is it lacks a subwoofer. Adding one later is simple enough, and not even entirely necessary.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Theater sound w/sub, October 3, 2000

By 

PHILIP ITURRALDE (MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JBL NSP1 5-Piece Home Theater Speaker System (Electronics)

I've owned the JBL NSP1's since April 2000, and coupled with my Audio Source SW15 - 200watt powered sub, my blockbuster DVD's (i.e. ID4, Men in Black, etc.) sounds more impressive than the local SF Bay Area Cinema DD / DTS / SDDS Theaters - or at least that is what my friends and family have told me! HT Speakers & Sub REF Calibrated via Video Essentials DVD ...

...

Performance: . . . All I'll say here is that these speakers work together perfectly as an ensemble. The timbre matching is as good as any I've heard; that is, outside of systems that consist of five identical speakers.

The N-Center matches the sound of the N24 extremely well, better than Home Theater Direct's Level Three center matches the sound of its Level Three bookshelf. That excellent timbre matching lends coherence to the sound of the entire system, making movies seem more like I was hearing them in a real theater, not a home theater."

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Highly recommended, but add at least a 12" powered sub for a killer HT setup!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great speakers at a great price., January 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: JBL NSP1 5-Piece Home Theater Speaker System (Electronics)

I got these for Christmas this year and... wow. Actually I coupled this set with the 10 inch subwoofer and the sound is fantastic. Sure, you could play double or triple the price and it might sound a LITTLE better, but if you're looking for an inexpensive alternative to high priced audiophile systems, this is it. JBL is a name you can trust and with all the hardware needed to mount these on your walls out of the box, this is the system to beat.