JBL 4367 STUDIO MONITOR WHITE PAPER
BY CHRIS HAGEN
INTRODUCTION new 2216Nd-1 has been refined for a more articulate
and defined low end, while the two high-frequency
drivers of the 4365 have been replaced by the new,
JBL loudspeakers have been the choice of music and patented D2430K dual-diaphragm driver and HDI™
movie professionals for more than 60 years; they are waveguide horn for increased output capability and
behind the screens of more than 50 percent of all movie to match the low frequency power compression in
theaters and hang in concert venues everywhere. In the high frequencies. The D2430K also now lets the
fact, the line of JBL Studio Monitors dates to almost 4367 produce high- and ultra-high-frequencies from
50 years ago; yet the spirit behind their design began a single coincident source, improving the imaging
with James B. Lansing himself. capabilities of the system.
This spirit has always been to use the best technology
to deliver the best performance. To the Studio Monitor
legacy, this has resulted in increasingly louder speakers
of steadily greater dynamic capability, increasing
accuracy of reproduction, all with JBL’s unique “bullet-
proof” approach to design and assembly.
The flagship JBL 4365 Studio Monitor was first
produced in 2010, setting new levels of performance
by employing the 1501FE-8 15" woofer, a 476Mg
high-frequency compression driver and horn, and an
045Ti -1 ultra-high-frequency compression driver and
horn.
Although this may sound like the JBL 4367 is solely a
professional monitor, but its accuracy, lack of power
compression, and enhanced imaging make the 4367 a
perfect choice for critical listening in 2-channel audio
systems or for the LCR speaker system in a high-
performance multi-channel home theater installation.
Enhanced components used in the crossover for
frequency division as well as for making connections
help ensure audiophile levels of performance, while
the attractive walnut and black walnut wood veneer
enclosures allow the 4367 to blend in at home.
Now, the award-winning 4365 has been eclipsed by
the new JBL 4367 Studio Monitor. The 4367, a result
of further refinement of the design, uses a new version
of the 2216Nd woofer as well as the patented dual-
diaphragm D2430K driver coupled to a new patented
High-Definition Imaging (HDI™) waveguide horn. The
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SYSTEM OVERVIEW Although the 4367 is a two-way speaker, the
innovative crossover provides front-mounted controls
for both high-frequency and ultra-high-frequency
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, JBL built mainly 2-way
ranges. Rear gold-plated connections are provided
systems with a 12" or 15" woofer crossed over to a
for bi-amplification or bi-wiring through the separate
large-format compression driver/horn combination.
networks, but heavy-duty jumper wires are provided
The 4367 is a return to that tradition. Similar to those
for single-amplifier usage as well. The natural roll-off
highly acclaimed speaker systems, the 4367 has a
of the woofer is extended by two 4" diameter, dual-
crossover at a single frequency, away from the most
flared ports, front-mounted for more impact.
sensitive frequency band of human hearing.
The grille, designed to be very open and have
Although this seems a very simple system, it is in
minimal effect to the 4367’s acoustic response, is
fact simplicity at its best – the compact, symmetrical
bowed for more rigidity, resulting in a very light and
system with a single crossover is characterized by a
easily removed grille. The 4367 has four low-profile
compact acoustic focus point with exemplary control
feet made of three solid pieces of black-chrome-
of its off-axis energy. plated brass: a glide, a point that threads into the
glide, and a cup to protect fine flooring.
Fig. 1: JBL 4367 See-through front view
The acoustic components are housed in a traditional
JBL Studio Monitor series-style of cabinet with a Fig. 2: JBL 4367 See-through rear view
clean, professional design. The heaviest component
of the design, the cabinet has 1" thick MDF walls But without transducers, the cabinet and all attached
and an additional 5/8" thick surface baffle below the can make no sound.
horn for a total 1-5/8" thick massive and unmoving
support for the woofer. Rigidity is further enhanced
by the use of two varying braces connecting all of the
vertical panels. The cabinet, with beveled front edges
is available in a furniture-grade walnut finish wood
veneer or black walnut wood veneer.
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Transducers to the 2216Nd, to take more advantage of the JBL
4367 cabinet volume and tuning to produce a more
articulate and defined bass region. This adjustment to
The Woofer the edge treat also reduces break-in period.
The woofer used in the JBL 4367 is JBL’s latest version
of one our most advanced woofers, the 2216Nd-1. The woofer is covered by U.S. patent nos. 5664023,
The 2216Nd-1 is a 15" (380mm) cast-frame woofer 5748760, 6768806, 6847726, and 6774510.
with Aquaplas-treated Pure Pulp cone that uses the
latest Differential Drive® motor system.
The Differential Drive® motor system is a powerful
dual-voice-coil, dual gap system for high efficiency
and better control of the moving parts, resulting in
lower distortion than common woofers. This motor
also employs shorting rings, a flux-stabilizing ring,
saturation tips, and a heat-conducting ring for one of
the most linear motors with high power handling that
JBL makes.
The dual 3-inch voice coils are made using a patented
wire application resulting in a very low thermal
response of the voice coils to applied power. This
results in much less of the output-robbing power
compression of conventional speakers.
To keep the assembly small and light, the 2216Nd-
1 uses a neodymium magnet system. The 2216Nd-1
also sports a lowered resonant frequency compared Fig. 3: JBL 2216Nd-1 Section View
Fig. 4: 2216Nd-1 2pi curve
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2216Nd-1 parameters
Flux density – 0.934 Tesla for each of the two gaps
Bl product – 18.9 T-m
Voice coil resistance – 5.2 Ohm
Voice coil winding length – 0.8 inch for each of the two coils
Free air resonance – 28 Hz
Peak-to-peak linear excursion – ~20 mm
Magnet structure weight – 1520 gm, High-Efficiency, Lightweight Neodymium motor
Sensitivity – 94 dB, 150 – 250 Hz
The HF driver and Horn in not only realistic character of musical instruments
and human voice, but a three-dimensional sonic
The high frequency driver of the JBL 4367 Studio image as well. The size of the horn is such that these
Monitor is the D2430K Select. This is a relatively new characteristics apply all the way down to the 700 Hz
high output compression driver that has two very light crossover to the woofer section.
annular polymer diaphragms, instead of the single
diaphragm of most compression drivers. The two The low-profile HDI™ waveguide horn is exposed
diaphragms have the same radiating area of a single- proudly above a removable grille that covers the
diaphragm 3" compression driver but have a much woofer on an iconic JBL Studio Monitor series blue
lower mass-to-motor force ratio. The reason it is baffle. The horn is made of BMC, or bulk molding
designed this way is to optimize the two diaphragms compound, an extremely dense and acoustically inert
to allow the 3" driver to produce more high frequency composite.
output than a typical 3" compression driver. Using
two diaphragms also helps to smooth and extend the
response as well.
Each diaphragm has its own associated voice coil
and neodymium magnet structure. Having dual
motor systems brings more benefit to the D2430K
– more than double the normal power handling,
higher efficiency, higher maximum output, and lower
distortion. The higher maximum output translates into
increased dynamic headroom, while having the two
motors to dissipate power as heat quickly reduces
power compression.
The novel D2430K is covered by U.S. patent no.
8280091.
To properly control its dispersion, the D2430K is
attached to JBL’s newest High-Definition Imaging
(HDI™) waveguide horn (U.S. patents pending). This Fig. 5: JBL D2430K Section View
horn is of a revolutionary design that properly controls
the frequency response both on- and off-axis for a
balanced and neutral sonic reproduction, resulting
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Fig. 6: D2430K driver frequency response on 4367 horn
D2430K parameters
Voice coil resistance – 16 Ohm total
Voice coil winding length – 0.125 inch for each voice coil
Mass of moving system – 0.95 gm total
Impedance – 16 Ohm
Bl product – 10.0 T-m
Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1m) – 104 dB, measured on the 4367 horn
Weight – 5.1 lb. (2.3kg)
System Integration
Even having exemplary transducers does not make a 700 Hz, the passive network also performs minor
fine speaker system – a properly designed crossover acoustic shaping as well as provides the HF and UHF
to integrate them is needed for proper blend and adjustments for the D2430K compression driver.
operation.
The 4367 Studio Monitor crossover, combined with
the acoustic behavior of the 2216Nd-1 woofer in the
cabinet and D2430K driver with the HDI™ waveguide
horn, gradually and smoothly blends the two sections
of the speaker. Along with creating the crossover at
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Fig. 7: JBL 4367 Acoustic Summation
The HF control provides adjustment from -1 dB to +1 dB in 0.5 dB increments from 600 Hz to 9 kHz:
Fig. 8: JBL 4367 HF Control Range
The UHF control provides similar adjustment from 4 kHz to beyond 20 kHz:
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Fig. 9: JBL 4367 UHF Control Range
The crossover network is comprised of 2 individual
boards – one for each transducer. They are optimized
for each transducer and associated frequency range
and separated within the enclosure to minimize any
potential cross talk. Each crossover board has been
designed for maximum headroom and to operate
in an extremely linear behavior. All of the electrical
components are of the highest quality and lowest
internal loss. The inductors used are air core so
as to not introduce nonlinear hysteresis effects.
Capacitors are constructed using polypropylene
foil, which is known for having minimal distortion
caused by dielectric absorption non-linearities. All
resistors carrying applied audio are selected for their Fig. 10: JBL 4367 System Impedance
superior sonic characteristics and are of wire-wound
construction; they are also elevated on metal legs to The networks also employ DC voltage bias to operate
permit significant airflow to minimize negative effects the capacitors effectively in a Class A mode. DC Bias
at high power. for the 4367 Studio Monitor is accomplished using
a diode charging circuit internal to the crossover
network and driven by the applied signal, so no
additional external power is needed for this feature.
The biasing of the capacitors is done through a diode
that creates DC voltage from the input signal, and a
large value resistor to isolate the diode from the input
and limit the current drawn. This keeps the charging
circuitry from affecting the audio signal in any way.
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Each capacitor position is actually made up of two the capacitor DC bias feature. The bi-amp and bi-wire
capacitors connected in series. The voltage generated operations work with the applied amplifier(s) powering
from the resistor and diode combination is applied the drivers through the crossover boards.
to the center connection of the two capacitors. This
produces a voltage potential between the two plates
within the capacitor. When the two parts are taken as Conclusion
a whole, there is no DC voltage that appears across
them, but individually they are each biased. The From all of this, we can see that the JBL 4367 Studio
sonic result of the biasing yields an increase in detail, Monitor is a very well and carefully thought out speaker
increased smoothness and considerably more natural system. Quite a bit of thought has been applied to
decay of sounds within the music. every component of the model, whether you consider
the bi-amp/bi-wire-capable terminal cup, the highly
braced and solid cabinet, the high quality advanced
The terminal cup carries two red and two black
crossover network, the cutting-edge-technology
5-way gold-plated binding posts for input to each
woofer and compression driver, or the patent-pending
of the crossover boards. The 4367 is shipped with
horn design.
large effective gauge jumper wires; one between the
two red terminals and one between the two black
terminals. In this configuration, the 4367 can be driven This level of quality is seen directly in the power
by a single amplifier channel. However, should it be compression curve. Power compression is the
desired, these jumpers can be removed and wires can phenomenon of a speaker system not playing as
be run to each input from a single amplifier channel (bi- loudly as one would calculate from the applied power.
wire operation) or wires can be run to each from two It translates to a frequency response that varies with
separate amplifier channels (bi-amp operation) can level. One can see from the power compression
be employed. Since each crossover carries its own curve that the 4367 is exemplary in this regard, with
capacitor DC bias circuitry, use of the 4367 in either frequency response staying the same at levels up to
bi-wire or bi-amp operation modes does not defeat 110 dB at 2 meters.
Fig. 11: JBL 4367 Compression – ~90 dB-normalized 80, 90, 100, and 110 dB, 2m curves
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As we can see, capable of tremendous acoustic Further, the distortion is very low, as the 2216Nd-
output, the design intent of the JBL 4367 Studio 1 woofer and D2430K compression driver are both
Monitor is to be completely linear in every way up designed to be absolute minimum distortion drive
to their maximum level. Within this operating range units. This trait translates directly into a very low
there are no appreciable changes in any measured distortion system, see Fig. 12.
parameter of the system. This enables the system to
sound the same regardless of playback level.
Fig. 12: JBL 4367 Distortion measurement at 96 dB
From these system measurements, it can be seen System spec list
that the design target for the JBL 4367 Studio
Monitor was achieved: producing a high output, Speaker type: 2-way Floorstanding Loudspeaker
low distortion speaker system with very little power
compression. The 4367 is definitely a model that is Alignment type: Bass-reflex via dual front-firing ports
engineered to deliver accurate sound and show with Maximum recommended amplifier power: 300 watts
their performance why they are the top of the line of Frequency response (-6 dB): 30Hz – 40kHz
the Studio Monitor series.
Bass response (-10 dB): 26 Hz
Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohm
Sensitivity (2.83V@1m): 94 dB
Crossover frequency: 700Hz
Inputs: Dual gold-plated five-way binding posts for
biamp and bi-wire capability
Dimensions (H x W x D): 37-1/16" x 22-1/16" x 16-3/4"
(941mm x 560mm x 425mm)
Weight: 135 lb (61.2kg)
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Features, specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.
