This article discusses the new JBL MA Series receivers and the technologies and features that make them an excellent choice for today’s multi-source home theater systems.

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 most capable and dynamic speakers available today.

Features & Technology

Since the beginning of reproduced audio, JBL has been at the forefront of developing and manufacturing speaker systems. Most people know them for this achievement. However, JBL has also shown that it can design and build excellent amplifiers with its Synthesis SDR series receivers and Classic Series two-channel components.

The new MA Series A/V receivers from JBL encompass technologies learned over decades of designing audio components. They are designed to have all the features that today’s receivers need but with a more straightforward layout focusing on ease of use and simplicity than a panel full of buttons.

Have you ever looked at an A/V receiver and thought, “What are all those buttons about”? Or looked at an A/V product and thought, “I will never use half of these features.” We get that. A/V products have gotten very complicated in the last few years with all of the audio and video formats, types of digital connections or HDMI types, not to mention installing and configuring multiple speakers and subwoofers in a room. The JBL MA Series is the antithesis of complexity. JBL ensured that with the MA Series products, there are simple connections, a well-labeled back panel, and a front panel that is also very simple and only has what is needed. Even the remote is more straightforward than many on the market. If you haven’t dipped your toe into the home theater space due to things like this, JBL knows your pain. They have taken extra steps to ensure the MA Series receivers are easier to install and configure than other products on the market.

Plus, they’ve introduced their Stage 2 Loudspeakers, which are engineered to work seamlessly with the new MA Series receivers. This provides the perfect out-of-the-box solution for home theater enthusiasts who want high-performance speakers that pair flawlessly with their receivers. Having these two components match so perfectly eliminates the guesswork of pairing different products and ensures everything works together as it should. These receivers and speakers were crafted based on years of consumer insights, allowing them to take a completely different approach to the way listeners engage with these easy-to-understand and simple-to-install units.

Simple, Refined Look

It is well known that looks matter in today's audio world. People want components with all the features, but they also require that they look good in the room. JBL’s design team took what would be a normal-looking A/V receiver and added a bit of simplistic flare to the design. The front panel features a power button, input selector, menu selection button, surround mode cycle buttons, a front display, and a large and well-designed volume control knob. In true JBL fashion, this oversized volume knob is embossed with the logo “Safe To Turn Beyond 11” giving an extra sense of fun to the front panel. A well-labeled front panel gives these receivers a high-end look and rounds out the front panel. Color options are a black or white finish that looks great and provides a refined appearance. There is a full-featured remote to go along with the display on the front panel and on-screen menus to get to all of the settings and features these receivers offer.

In testing the MA9100HP receiver, our entire team was thrilled with how easy and straightforward it was to operate. JBL omitted any confusing extra buttons or dials, avoiding unnecessary settings that might confuse users. We believe this front panel design and setup will cater to the needs of the next generation of music and movie lovers, providing the famous JBL sound with a simplicity of use that can be hard to find in many home theater products.

Comprehensive Connections

Before reading this next section, we realize that some people may not know what connections they want or need for their system or how much power their speakers need. JBL designed these receivers to be easier to use than others on the market. Again, this is where utilizing the JBL Stage 2 speakers comes in. Since they are engineered to work together, setting up a system by pairing these receivers to the Stage 2 speakers will provide you with the absolute best match. You’ll simply need to decide how many speakers you want to have in your setup and then match up the receiver that is able to handle that amount. If you aren’t sure what setup is best for you and your room, our team of experts at audioadvice.com are here to help you and make the process as simple as can be!

Just like the front panel, the back panel is very well-labeled and provides all of the connections you will need and nothing extra. Speaker binding posts accept banana, spade, or bare wire connections, so if you already have speaker cables, these receivers will work with what you have. Every model has HDMI inputs (MA310 is 4K capable and all other models 8K) with HDMI eARC connections for connecting a TV with one cable for both video and audio. This allows you to simply use an HDMI cable and connect it to the eARC on the back of your TV or projector and the other end to the eARC HDMI on your receiver and be ready to go. No extra wires are needed. The MA310 has 4, 4K HDMI inputs that support HDR content. The MA510 has 4, 8K inputs that support HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision. The MA710, MA7100HP, and 9100HP have 3, 4K, and 3, 8K inputs and support HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision. The MA7100HP and 9100HP add an additional HDMI output, too. If you have multiple sources you want to run through our system, like an Apple TV, PS5, Xbox, Roku, Blu-ray player, and more, you will need to consider that and get one of the receivers that have enough HDMI inputs for the amount of devices you want to hook up.

All models feature two analog RCA inputs for analog sources and two separately controlled subwoofer outputs. Digital is handled by 1 Toslink, 1 coax digital input and there is an ethernet connection. They also support Google Chromecast or Apple Airplay 2, so you can quickly stream content to them from your phone. The MA710, MA7100HP, and MA9100HP also feature a moving magnet phono input with a ground lug for turntable connections. This is great to see, as we know so many people are getting into vinyl these days, and being able to connect up your new turntable directly to the back of your receiver and play music through the Stage 2 speakers will give you a great vinyl experience. The MA710, 7100HP, and 9100HP also feature a zone 2 analog output with the “Party On” setting in the receiver for multi-room output. Also, the rear amplifiers can be configured for zone 2 outputs as well.

The MA310 and MA510 have Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy for wireless connections, giving you an excellent high-quality connection from your phone or laptop. The MA710, 7100HP, and 9100HP all feature upgraded Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy with APTX HD and APTX Adaptive support. This is something to consider for Bluetooth users, seeing how Bluetooth 5.3 promises superior performance and sound quality. As you move up the line, you will have more Bluetooth antenna inputs on the receiver's back panel to expand coverage around your home. All units except the 310 also offer a WiFi connection for users with a router away from their system. The same antenna used for Bluetooth is used to expand and improve the WiFi signal strength for smoother and higher-speed transmission.

All of the MA Series receiver models feature support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, allowing your movies to give you that super cool spatial audio experience. You’ll want to be sure to add on Stage 2 240H atmos speakers that you can set on top of your front speakers to bounce the sound off your ceiling and back down to you to create those height effects. Or you can mount them on the wall to fill your room with Dolby Atmos sound. If you’re just getting started and aren’t familiar with what Dolby Atmos is and how it can take your movie-watching experience to the next level, check out our video, where we discuss exactly how it works!

Cool, Efficient, Clean Power

When it comes to home theater receivers, the power behind them is an important factor to consider. You need to be sure that your receiver has enough power to drive the speakers you have so they are loud enough and sound good in your room. All you really need to know when it comes to these receivers is that they are capable of making the Stage 2 speakers sound awesome. Again, you’ll need to consider the amount and type of speakers you want from that lineup, which will help you determine which MA receiver is best for you. If you’re interested in the power specs, we’ll briefly go over them next.

Class D has come a long way over the years and is now a viable source of good, clean, low-distortion power that will run cool all day and draw less energy. This also aids in ease of installation as these products will run cool, allowing more placement options in the room. When running multiple amplification stages in a receiver, having amplifiers that deliver their power more efficiently and run cooler will allow the power supplies to turn more of their power into sound. JBL sources this technology for use in the MA series receivers, with each model receiving more capable amplification. The MA310 is a 5.2-channel receiver with a rated power of 60 watts into 8 ohms and 100 watts into 4 ohms. The MA510 is a 5.2-channel receiver with 75 watts into 8 ohms and 100 watts into 4 ohms. The MA710 moves up to a 7.2-channel receiver with 110 watts into 8 ohms and 160 watts into 4 ohms. The MA7100HP is also 7.2 channels but moves power up to 125 watts at 8 ohms and 175 watts into 4 ohms. The flagship of the MA series, the MA9100HP, is a 9.2-channel receiver with 140 watts at 8 ohms and a full 240 watts at 4 ohms. These specifications are based on 2-channels driven with a max THD of 0.5%. Depending on your speaker's sensitivity and the amount of speakers you require in your system should determine which model you choose.

EZ Set EQ

At Audio Advice, we are huge fans of room correction. What this does is essentially take a reading of your room, find the areas that might make it sound bad, and then use algorithms to adjust the speaker's frequency to make them sound better in your environment. While properly placed speakers and an acoustically treated room will get you great results, room correction software can take your sound to the next level. If you need help with speaker placement or acoustic treatments in your room, check our our library of content at audioadvice.com, where we have tons of guides to help you get started.

Typically, room correction can feel intimidating at first. JBL has once again taken the complexity out of this by using their new EZ Set EQ software, which is a new development for JBL that will allow anyone to utilize room correction software right out of the box with their own phone or microphone. For iPhone users, the EZ Set EQ app is calibrated to the internal microphone and will use a 2-minute signal to tune the speakers and subwoofer to the room. Since there are so many different Android phones on the market, JBL recommends getting a calibrated microphone like the Dayton iMM-6C to do these measurements for the best results. We really like that the entire lineup of MA receivers includes this software, and it’s a great one step solution for beginners or people who just want want to quickly improve their sound with room correction. It walks you through the process and is fool proof, so you cannot mess it up!

When you step up to the top two models in the lineup, the 7100HP and 9100HP, you will get the option of adding Dirac Live. To us, Dirac is one of the best room correction software on the market today, allowing you to fine-tune a room to sound incredible. This will be an extra purchase of a license, but if you want to get top-of-the-line room correction software, JBL has allowed you to do so.

If you do decide to step up to Dirac Live, we have the most viewed Dirac Setup Guide, which will walk you through the process step by step to get you the best results. Plus, if you order from Audio Advice, you can feel confident knowing our experts are just a call or chat away to help you with any setup questions that may come up.

Performance

We were excited to review these new receivers, as they promise great performance, looks, and a unique pedigree based on decades of audio innovation. We unboxed the JBL MA9100HP and found that it was well-packaged and offered an easy set-up guide to help us get started.

For our music evaluation, we decided to bring out the excellent JBL L100 Classic MKII speakers to see how well these new receivers could drive JBL’s reinvention of their cult classic speaker.

Build An Ark’s new album, Revision - An Anthology, is a wonderfully recorded album with superb musicianship and a naturally realistic sound. The sound had good detail without getting harsh or grating with the JBL MA9100HP and the JBL L100 Classic MKII. The bass had good texture and tone with good impact, allowing us to feel the drummer's bass drum hits. The midrange was detailed, allowing instruments like horns and guitars to show their effect on the music. We would have wished for a little more warmth in the lower midrange, but otherwise, it sounded good. The soundstage and image capability is the one area where most A/V receivers fall short, and it was no different here. While we could get a general sense of the imaging, it was not locked in as higher-end separate components can provide. But as we moved the volume knob more toward “11,” we could tell that the highly efficient amplifier section in the MA9100HP had good current capability and could easily drive the L100s to levels well above our hearing safety thresholds. For a home theater receiver in its price class, the JBL MA9100HP sounded great and had plenty of power.

Playing our favorite movie cuts from movies like Mad Max Fury Road and Top Gun: Maverick, we found that the MA9100HP had enough power to fully enjoy these soundtracks without compression or clipping that lower-powered receivers can have powering this many speakers. The sound was detailed and dynamic. We ran the EZ Set EQ and listened to these tracks again, and we all agreed that the sound improved and took enjoyment up a few notches. No, the EZ Set EQ will not take control of the sound the way a Dirac Live setup can (and we would still recommend Dirac Live for anyone serious about getting the best sound from their theater), but it worked well for an easy one-step solution. It evened out the frequency response and allowed a more cohesive movie soundtrack performance. And for the money, these MA receivers were right at home with the new JBL Stage lineup of speakers and proved to be a phenomenal pairing. In this price range, it was one of the better home theater setups we’ve heard, and with the ability to upgrade to Dirac Live and let your system grow with you, we see this being an extremely popular option that makes sense for a lot of people.

JBL has designed the MA Series receivers to be easy to use, simple to connect and configure, and with their class D amplifiers, more accessible to integrate into furniture without as much worry about heat. In our evaluation, JBL succeeded in making an A/V product that everyone can use.

Overall Recommendation

We enjoyed our time with the JBL MA Series A/V receivers and they are a very good option for anyone looking for a product in this price class. Yes, there are receivers with more front panel options, remotes with more controls, and flash, but the JBL MA Series receivers combine good build quality with a simple but great-looking front panel. The back panel is well laid out and has all the connectivity options most people need. The EZ Set EQ option is straightforward and gives us a taste of what room correction software can do. Most importantly, the sound quality allowed us to enjoy our favorite music and movies with great detail and musicality for this price class. If you are in the market for a home theater receiver and are turned off by the overcomplicated products on the market, please give our knowledgeable staff here at Audio Advice a call, text, or chat, and let's discuss if the new JBL MA Series of A/V receivers is for you.

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