Studio Quality

HOW DO you know when an audio trend is more than just a bandwagon? When America's oldest hi-fi brand climbs on board. (Yes, I know that JBL and Klipsch were both founded in 1946. But JBL's earliest incarnation goes back to the 1930's.)

- Daniel Kumin

JBL 4329P POWERED STUDIO MONITORS

The trend I'm talking about is "just-pressplay" speakers, stream-ready active speakers that embody everything you need for serious, high-resolution-audio listening except the music. Unpack, set up, log into your network, and be an instant audiophile. At least, that's the theory behind such impressive examples as KEF's LS60 and Klipsch's The Nines. And now, JBL's 4329P Studio Monitor system.

Unlike several competitors including the two mentioned above, JBL's 4329P is strictly a Bring Your-Own-Streaming solution: there's no proprietary streaming-quarterback app, such as KEF's Connect or BluSound's BluOS. Thus, whether you choose to stream via Wi-Fi (via either the Apple AirPlay or Chromecast protocols), Bluetooth, or wired-Ethernet, you'll be responsible for your own connections and setup. This is mostly a matter of convenience/organization, since the proprietary streaming apps I've encountered simply aggregate your streaming services on a single page or two, using each's wireless "casting" ability as usual, much as an aggregating app like Flipboard or Apple News combines news feeds.