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JBL Synthesis announced a major ecosystem expansion at ISE 2026, unveiling nine new speakers, two AV processors, one AV receiver, and a 1 kW subwoofer.
The new in-wall flagship SCL-2XL replaces SCL-2, featuring four 8-inch woofers and a compression tweeter for reference-level LCR performance in large theaters.
New XL in-wall models SCL-4XL, SCL-6XL, and SCL-7XL emphasize tonal matching, controlled directivity, and easier installation, while existing SCL counterparts remain available.
JBL Synthesis appears to be doubling down on its long-standing cinema DNA rather than chasing lifestyle minimalism. Across the new SCL additions, the common thread is controlled directivity via HDI horn geometry paired with compression drivers, a choice that prioritizes consistent tonal balance over wide seating areas. This is particularly relevant for immersive layouts, where mismatch between bed channels and height speakers often breaks suspension of disbelief. The use of Advanced Aluminum Matrix cones and carbon-cellulose composites suggests a deliberate split between stiffness for transient accuracy and damping for low-frequency control, echoing design cues from JBL’s professional cinema systems rather than consumer hi‑fi voicing.
Looking closer at the in-wall and on-wall designs, the XL suffix is less about brute force than about scalability. Larger radiating area and multi-woofer arrays reduce excursion demands, keeping distortion in check at reference SPLs while maintaining headroom for dynamic peaks. The offset horn implementations on several models hint at careful attention to real-world placement constraints, allowing tighter pattern control when speakers are forced into non-ideal positions—something integrators routinely battle with large screens and architectural limitations. In contrast, the slimmer wall-mounted variants trade sheer output for visual integration, but retain the same horn-and-compression-driver topology to preserve timbral consistency across mixed form factors.
At the top of the ecosystem, the design philosophy becomes unapologetically cinematic. Large-format compression drivers coupled to substantial horn flares are clearly intended to maintain intelligibility and dynamic contrast at levels where conventional dome-based systems compress or harden. The complementary bass alignment approach used in the larger enclosures points to an effort to offload low-frequency strain from amplifiers, aligning well with the addition of a high-power active subwoofer designed to integrate electrically and acoustically without resorting to extreme EQ. Taken as a whole, the expansion reads less like a product refresh and more like a modular toolkit for building no-compromise private cinemas with predictable, repeatable results.
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