Save space without sacrificing audio quality with the new JBL L75ms and L42ms speakers. With features like HDMI-ARC and auto-sensing subwoofer outputs, these systems promise classic JBL sound in a package that is easy to use and offers all the features today’s music lovers want!

Company History

Few names in the world of audio reproduction have the lineage that JBL has. Started in 1946 by James B. Lansing, the then-named “James B. Lansing Sound” was responsible for some of the most significant advancements in speaker technology. From their legendary D130 15” woofer, debuting in 1948, to the first titanium diaphragm compression drivers in 1979, JBL’s work in speaker design and engineering has influenced many brands and models in today’s market.

If you go to a live music event or movie theater, there is a good chance you will be listening to JBL speakers like the VTX Line Arrays or 5732 ScreenArray. In addition, JBL’s legendary M2 Studio Monitor has been a crucial part of some of the best studio albums produced today. JBL takes its knowledge of sound reinforcement and studio sound and engineers some of the more capable and dynamic speakers available today.

In this article, we will be taking a look at the JBL L75ms and L42ms music systems, which give users an easier way to listen to their music collections without sacrificing acoustic performance.

Design & Quality Build

Since the introduction of technologies like WiFi and Bluetooth, people have been searching for high-quality sound in smaller packages. While we all agree that a full-sized high-end audio system will always be the most accurate and realistic way to enjoy music, that does not make sense in some situations. People living in smaller apartments or homes or wanting quality sound in their offices or second rooms prompted JBL to develop a solution that offered many of the features and sound of two-channel systems but with a style and size more adaptable to various living situations.

JBL has designed these systems to be user-friendly and offer features and sound to satisfy any music lover. Plus, they have the classic JBL looks and sound with today’s feature set!

The JBL L42ms has looks that would make any music lover happy. The classic vibe is derived from high-quality cabinets with satin walnut or black satin walnut real wood veneer. Topping off the iconic look of these speakers is a black Quadrex grill taken directly from the JBL L100 MKII!

The JBL L75ms has a satin natural walnut finish and a limited edition gloss black available.

Features & Technology

Both speakers have top-mounted volume and source selection buttons and a network status indicator. Both speakers also have a full-featured Bluetooth remote control for added convenience and control. Connecting via Bluetooth allows the remote to work from further distances without any of the shortcomings of IR remote controls.

The JBL Premium Audio App is handy as well, as it allows you to control the speaker via the app and get music from sources like internet radio, podcasts, Amazon Music HD, and Qobuz, with more options on the way. Also, you can connect the speaker directly to an app like Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple Airplay 2, or Chromecast (requires acceptance of Google terms in the JBL Premium Audio App or additional setup steps in the Google Home App). Both JBL speakers are Roon Ready, giving additional options to users already in the Roon ecosystem. It also Works With SmartThings (requires setup with a SmartThings Hub and the SmartThings App).

Single Chassis, Classic Sound

The JBL L42ms is a full music system comprising many features of larger separate systems. Two 4” pulp cone mid-woofers handle the bass and midrange duties, while a .75” aluminum dome tweeter handles the highs. A four-channel class D amplifier built into the L42ms sends 75 watts to each woofer and 25 watts to each tweeter. This much power on tap ensures the L42ms can fill any office or small room with high-quality sound. The drivers are mounted on angled baffles to create a wide and even sound field. The frequency response is rated at 55Hz-25kHz (-6dB) with a 102dB @ 1 meter peak-output capability.

The bass contour switch on the back panel allows users to raise or lower the overall bass level of the system. This is handy when locating the speaker in a cabinet or against a wall. Set it to 0 when the speaker is away from wall boundaries or -3 when next to a wall or in a cabinet.

The HDMI-ARC connection is another great option for people wanting to improve their TV sound. This connection enables the L42ms to be a direct sound link to your smart TV, allowing your TV remote to act as the main volume remote for the L42ms. This is excellent as it will allow people to upgrade their TV sound well above even some soundbars seen on the market.

More Power, Features, and Capability

The JBL L75ms and JBL L75ms Limited Edition enhance what the L42ms offers. There are two 5.25” woofers for even greater output than the 4” woofers in the L42ms. The tweeters have been upgraded to full 1” aluminum dome units, allowing even more output and sound quality. The L75ms adds a 4” separate midrange driver, enhancing the mid-band performance and allowing the woofers and tweeters to concentrate their efforts at the extremes of the frequency band. The total system frequency response has been extended to 45 Hz - 25 kHz (-6 dB) with a 106dB @ 1 meter total system output. Powering the upgraded drivers in the L75ms is a 5-channel class D amplifier section, putting out 125 watts per woofer, 25 watts per tweeter, and 50 watts to the center-mounted midrange. The woofers are ported on the front of the L75ms, giving a little more placement flexibility. But the bass contour switch remains for adjustment.

The JBL L75ms keeps the auto-sensing subwoofer output should you extend the bass frequency response with a subwoofer. Also, the 3.5mm Auxiliary input remains. However, the largest change on the back panel is the RCA inputs. Knowing that many music lovers enjoy turntables, JBL added a good quality moving magnet phono stage on the L75ms. If you have a turntable with a moving magnet cartridge, you simply hook it up and are ready to go! (if you are using a moving coil cartridge, additional equipment will be necessary for proper sound, so be sure to contact our experts if you are unsure). This is a big deal as many music lovers love vinyl playback but don’t want the complexity of buying a turntable and then choosing a phono preamp and cartridge. With the JBL L75ms, it is as easy as plugging in the RCA connectors from your turntable, and you're done. We compiled a list of affordable turntables that would fit excellently with the L75ms in our Best Record Players Under $500.

The JBL L75ms also adds a better DAC section, allowing resolution of up to 32-bit/192kHz sampling rates. This means you can fully take advantage of the higher-resolution music offered by streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal and local files stored in your network.

Sound Field Enhancement, or SFX, is an additional feature offered on the L75ms that allows users to expand on the stereo soundstage and image of the speaker. This effect expands the ambient information in your favorite music, making the soundstage seem larger and more spacious.

Performance

Our team loves to test products like the JBL L75ms and L42ms. They are so easy to set up and work that they make for an easy evaluation. The L75ms and L42ms were no different, as it was just a matter of minutes before we were enjoying the tunes. We used ethernet and WiFi to connect these units to the network to test the viability of both connection methods. We were happy to report that both worked flawlessly while doing our tests.

After downloading the app and connecting our phone to the speakers, we used the JBL app for our Qobuz listening but also listened to Tidal and Spotify tracks directly from the app to make sure these speakers could handle multiple situations. Whether using the dedicated JBL app or directly from the streaming app, the transmission from the phone to the JBL speakers worked great with little to no hiccups along the way.

Porcupine Tree’s 2002 album In Absentia has great music and studio work. This prog-rock classic is a great test of a speaker's ability to handle both hard-driving dynamics and softer passages. The JBL L42ms sounded great and had the detailed American sound JBL is known for. The bass was tight and detailed, giving bass drums and bass guitar their proper place in the mix. The guitars had great tone, and voices sounded balanced without sibilance. The aluminum dome tweeters provided good cymbal detail without sounding grating or bright. Soundstage and imaging were good for a one-piece system but could not match a properly set up two-channel system. The L75ms took everything good about the L42ms and amplified it. We could tell there was more power on tap as the dynamics took another step up in performance. The bass was both richer in tone and more detailed. Where the performance truly got an upgrade was in the midrange and treble detail and quality. The L75ms, with its dedicated midrange driver, had more midrange detail in guitars and vocals. Treble got a boost as well with the 1” tweeters. Cymbals had more body, and the tweeters seemed to be able to handle more output without sounding strained. With the Sound Field Enhancement turned on, the L75ms opened up in the soundstage, which gave us a little more of the taste of a true two-channel separate system. We never forgot we were listening to an all-in-one product, but this effect did help with openness without affecting tonal quality.

Arne Domnerus’s 1977 live album Jazz at the Pawnshop is a great live album with some great jazz players. The sound on both the L42ms and L75ms did the music justice by letting us hear all the musicians in the mix clearly. JBL is known for its bold sound, and that is what we got from both of these speakers. Both were dynamic for their respective size. While some listeners might wish for a little more smoothness with jazz tracks like these, we liked the lively sound. While they never got harsh or edgy, both speakers let you know they meant business. Both speakers were good with this music, but the added detail and bass ability of the L75ms put it in another league for these tracks.

Moving on to the flagship JBL Authentics 500, we get more power and higher-quality drivers, which do pay dividends in performance. We were again impressed with the performance gains by playing the same tracks we played on the Authentics 200 and 300 models on the 500. The upgraded 1” aluminum tweeters and 2.7” midrange drivers allow even more clarity and detail to shine through. Even though there are more details, things remain smooth and listenable. Listening to the same Emiel Scholsberg “My Funny Valentine” song, we were left with a broader sense of scale and dynamics. The Dolby Atmos feature added more spaciousness and realism to the sound. Stereo imaging and soundstage also took a step in the performance. All three models in the Authentics line are all-in-one speakers, so imaging and soundstaging will not present like separate speakers, but with Dolby Atmos, the Authentics 500 improved this to some degree. We were impressed with the active 6.5” subwoofer ability on the Silk Sonics tracks. The combination of a quality bass driver and the SlipStream bass porting used in the 500 made The bass drops in the song “Fly As Me” much more authoritative and impactful. Again, the Authentics 200 and 300 are no slouch, but the powered bass section in the 500 improved bass detail and drive. Also, we felt like the volume ceiling on the 500 was higher without any worry about distortion. All in all, the Authentics 500 showed us that JBL took these speakers' performance seriously, as shown in our assessment.

Overall Recommendation

If you are looking for quality sound but do not want the hassle of multiple components, wires, or setting up separate speakers, these JBL speakers are a viable option. They combine easy setup and use with the sound quality that has made JBL a household name. For their size, the sound is bold, dynamic, and detailed. Both allow you to connect to your TV for an enhanced experience, too. And both will allow you to play from any streaming source. With the L75ms, even turntable users are invited to the party! We recommend these JBL all-in-one products and believe they deliver good value and size-to-performance ratio. Please contact our team here at Audio Advice if you would like to discuss which model will fit your needs.

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