JBL Classic Series Overview

This article is on a new line of JBL electronics called their Classic Series. JBL has been synonymous with fantastic sound for several decades. From the Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound to venues like the Ryman Auditorium to being the choice when you want the very best in home theater, there is no question that JBL engineers some of the most desired gear in the audio world. When they relaunched their classic JBL L100 from the 70s with all-new tech back in 2019, we had no idea how successful their “classic” series would become. JBL now has a full line of speakers that harken back to the look and feel of their early days but with all-new technology. And what better way to follow up on their success than a new line of electronics using the same classic design concept?

Inspiration

JBL returned to the vintage look of gear from the 60s and 70s when settling on the cosmetic design of their new Classic Series. Those were the years of wooden side panels paired with aluminum faceplates. As a matter of fact, the JBL SA600 integrated amp from the 60’s was the main inspiration for this new series. If you take a look at one of those, you see a whole lot of similarities with the new SA550 integrated amp. We also really like the way JBL incorporated the classic logo they used back then, where the exclamation point is separated from the JBL name.

Models

There are four models in this new series: the SA550 integrated amplifier, the TT350 turntable, the MP350 streamer, and the CD350 CD player. They look great as a stack, but each one can stand on its own merits individually. All the units share the same cool-looking vintage buttons except the streamer, which has no buttons on the front. 

But the sound and feature set from all of these is definitely not vintage and is full speed ahead on the latest audio technology.

SA550 Integrated Amplifier

Class AB is how most of the better amplifiers are designed, as it is far more efficient yet has excellent sound. So here is the neat part. Most speakers pull very little power at normal listening levels on most passages. It's only when you crank things up or dynamic peaks hit that you need high power. The Class G amp inside the SA550 delivers 10 watts per channel of incredibly pure Class A power, but when the power demands hit, the Class AB portion kicks in and can produce 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 150 into 4 ohms. So with Class G, you get the best of both worlds; let me tell you, it produces a fantastic sound.

You’ll have plenty of input flexibility on the SA550. A moving magnet phono input and three other rear panel AUX-type inputs exist. Home theater enthusiasts will be happy to know the SA550 has a processor bypass mode you can select for any of the other three rear AUX connections. This would let your main speakers be driven exclusively by your SA550 while your AVR sent the front channel signals during home theater use into the SA550. With bypass mode, your volume is controlled by your AVR. There are two coaxes and one toslink digital input on the rear. The front of the SA550 has a mini plug AUX input and a headphone jack. It would have been nice to see an HDMI ARC connection, but it appears JBL has focused on the SA550 being used in a two-channel system. Should you wish to connect your TV up, you could use the Toslink connection, and they do have a pretty unique feature that lets you adjust the locking frequency on the digital clock, as some TVs can give Toslink inputs fits.

For quick listening when friends come over, the SA550 gives you Bluetooth input with Hi-res AptX®Adaptive technology. It can remember up to five different Bluetooth sources. 

You’ll also find a set of preamp outputs should you wish to connect the SA550 to a separate power amp, although I see these being used more for a subwoofer connection.

TT350 Turntable

I do wish it came with a simple alignment gauge for the removable headshell, as you will need to use an aftermarket gauge should you change cartridges. All in all, this is a very well-built turntable for the money.

MP350 Streaming Music Player

CD350 CD Player

Performance

We set the complete stack up in a system we were very familiar with, where they were driving JBL 4367 speakers. These are some incredibly revealing speakers. As we were connecting things up, we once again were very impressed with the fit, finish, and build quality of this moderately priced for today's market gear. 

We connected the CD player via a digital cable to the SA550. One thing we noticed when selecting the input is that there is a lot to scroll through, and there does not appear to be a way to delete the ones you are not using. We finally found CD Digital, which is where we had it physically connected, and away we went. We had just gotten a new CD from a local public radio station called Crowd Around the Mic, which is always fun to listen to. After a couple of cuts, it was clear this was a very musical stack of gear. The imaging is spot-on and rock-solid. The bass is very tight and well-controlled, even powering these larger speakers. But the most impressive thing was the Class G power. It is just so sweet, smooth, and musical! Even when we cranked things up a lot and Class A switched over to Class AB, it maintained a really smooth and effortless sound. Another thing that stood out was how good the CD350 proved to be as a transport. We have heard many CD players and transports that just don’t get you that excited about listening to the music. Usually, to our ears, it is their lack of getting the timing right. The CD350 was excellent here as we tapped our toes and got into everything we played. 

The next piece was the MD350 streamer. Getting this on our network was a snap as it showed up on the iPhone as an Airplay device to add, which took less than a minute. However, we could not get the SA550 to lock to the signal. We discovered for the streamer, unlike the CD player, you have to go into the menu and set it up to output digital instead of the analog default. We also noticed Roon is not enabled yet, but it should be soon, according to JBL.

The MD350 is a good streamer and a perfect match for the SA550 cosmetically, so we expect many people will go with it to keep everything matched up. However, it's the CD player/transport and the SA500 integrated amp that really stood out as terrific performers in this price class. If you end up buying these pieces and you one day want to upgrade the streamer to a more expensive version unit, there are plenty of options out there at all price points and quality levels to choose from. If you are looking for an upgrade piece, feel free to chat or talk with our team of experts or stop by one of our showrooms. We live and breathe this gear and would be happy to help you out.

Streaming Media Players

Finally, we checked out the turntable. The only complaint we had here was minor, but if you quickly lower the cue lever, it will cause the arm to move back just a bit on the way down before it hits the record, so you don’t wind up exactly where you thought you were landing. The AT cartridge tracked well on this arm, even on some difficult passages. We could hear no trace of motor noise on a blank test record, and overall, the sound was very good for a table in this price range. 

We like what JBL has done with their new Classic series. Everything matches up nicely for a beautiful stack of gear that will remind you of those wonderful pieces of HiFi from the '60s and '70s. The sound, especially of the integrated CD player, is outstanding for the price! It will look like it belongs next to your new JBL Classic speaker or any vintage speakers from 50 to 60 years ago.

If you’re planning your home theater or media room, check out our Home Theater Design page, where we have everything Home Theater related, including our FREE Home Theater Design Tool. 

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