Product Description
JBL System Integration Digital
| List Price: | $799.00 |
| Price: |
$498.54 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details |
| as of Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:40:30 GMT ***Remember, deals price on this item for sale just for limited time*** | |
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #22520 in Car Audio or Theater
- Brand: JBL
- Model: MS-8
- Dimensions: 11.00" h x 3.00" w x 8.00" l, 11.00 pounds
Features
- Improves audio performance of virtually any car audio system, including frequency response, bass performance, clarity, detail and stereo imaging
- Logic 7 surround processor creates a 5.1- or 7.1-channel surround experience from two-channel source material
- DSP Time Correction calibrates arrival time in every listening location; Auto DSP equalization compensates for speakers and vehicle interior issues
- Auto tune automatically adjusts all aspects of the system using included binaural headset microphone
- Precise, user selectable crossover points and crossover slopes for up to eight separate outputs
From the Manufacturer
The right answer to the question "What can I do to improve the sound of my car audio system?" used to depend on the quality and configuration of your system's particular components. Today's answer is, "Just get a JBL MS-8 System Integration Digital Processor." The MS-8 is a new kind of car audio component, an automatic equalizer that can optimize any vehicle's performance in about ten minutes flat. Just follow the step-by-step setup procedure and the MS-8 maximizes frequency response, bass performance, dynamics, clarity, detail and stereo imaging--every important parameter of sonic greatness--from virtually any combination of factory-installed and/or aftermarket components. And after it works its magic? You'll be left with a 31-band graphic equalizer and a full set of preamp controls to fine-tune day-to-day operations.
 The JBL MS-8 processor is a sophisticated digital signal processor that will deliver great sound from any car audio system. |
Why JBL Sound?
JBL didn't invent car audio, but what we have done is reinvent the way you upgrade your car audio system. When Hollywood made a long-term commitment to cinema sound in 1927 with the movie the Jazz Singer, JBL was there. We were there on stage at Woodstock with Hendrix and friends. For more than 60 years, JBL products have been bringing home the impact and excitement of the world's best recording studios, movie theaters and concert venues. For years, JBL engineers have been creating these world-class listening experiences in the car. Thanks to advanced technology developed in the professional arena, JBL mobile products simply sound better than the competition. High output, superb bass response, long life and smooth response are all things you can expect from any speaker that wears the JBL badge. And now JBL has completely revolutionized great sound in the car, again, with the ground-breaking MS8 system.
Powerful Processing
What makes the MS-8 unlike the typical car audio product is that rather than replacing a component like a speaker or a head unit, it is designed to be added to your existing system to get great sound from what you already have. So, how does the JBL MS-8 really make an existing system sound better?
 The MS-8's uses advanced equalization DSP to improve tonal accuracy |
MS-8 Digital Signal Processor
At the heart of the system is the MS-8 digital signal processor. At JBL, we know audio and we know cars. Our engineers put all this expertise into designing a custom DSP chip that automatically equalizes any car audio system for the best possible sound. Using detailed input from the included binaural headset microphone, it measures and improves every measure of audio performance (including frequency response, bass performance, dynamics, clarity, detail and stereo imaging) from any combination of OEM and aftermarket components. It does this by making millions of calculations every second using thousands of instructions.
Since every vehicle interior is different and can have a great affect on the sound quality of a particular sound system, the MS-8's DSP also improves tonal accuracy by equalizing the system. By looking at the measurements taken from the binaural headset microphone, it compensates and equalizes for the vehicles interior characteristics as well as for the sonic signature of the speakers and electronics being used. And if that weren't enough for a great sounding system already, the MS-8's DSP takes the measurement input and applies an advanced time correction algorithm. By applying this time correction, the MS-8 ensures that sound from all speakers will hit your ears simultaneously. This greatly improves the system's imaging, clarity and realism. In fact, MS-8 is powerful enough to even be able to do this for up to four different individual seating positions.
Getting the sound right is only part of what makes the MS-8 DSP so powerful. Even with the sound fully equalized, it doesn't make for such a great experience if all your music sounds like it is coming from the bottom of your doors. That's where JBL's proprietary Logic 7 surround processing comes in.
 Logic 7 surround processing realistic and enveloping 5.1 or 7.1 sound |
Logic 7 Surround Processing
Today we live in a multi-channel world. Much of our stereo, 2-channel listening is a thing of the past. JBL has led the way for a number of years in creating realistic and engaging sound experiences from any material using a proprietary surround processing algorithm called Logic 7. Once having corrected for the audio performance of the sound system, the MS-8 processor employs Logic 7 to create a realistic and enveloping 5.1 or 7.1 sound never before experienced in a vehicle. It's like having a home theater system on wheels. Logic 7 spreads the sound across your dashboard adding a sense of space to the inside of your car. And remember your music crammed in the bottom of your doors? With Logic 7 that's a thing of the past. Vocals and instruments will now be realistically placed across the interior of your vehicle much like having the best seats in the house at your favorite concert. And best of all, Logic 7 is automatic right out of the box.
Complete Customization
The JBL MS-8 is so powerful that right out of the box, it will make your car audio system sound great without the need to do any tweaking. However, if you do want to try your hand at being an audio technician, the MS-8 will let you fine-tune the sound all you want. With a 31-band graphic equalizer at your fingertips, you can override the automatic equalization to suit your personal taste. You can control system volume, subwoofer volume and tone controls. You can even store up to five custom settings for easy one-button recall so that anyone driving can have their own personal settings.
And if you happen to not like the sound of any tweaking you may have done, the MS-8 makes fixing things a snap. With a push of the remote button, the MS-8 processor will revert back to its original settings after calibration so great sound is never far away.
 The JBL MS-8 can easily integrate into any combination of factory-installed and/or aftermarket components Click to Enlarge |
 The bi-aural microphone headphones, 5-line LCD screen and wireless remote control make setup and use of MS-8 easy. Click to Enlarge |
Easy System Expansion
What makes the JBL MS-8 so revolutionary is that it is designed to make any car audio system sound great including a factory sound system. With a high-quality 20 watt X 8 amplifier onboard in addition to both pre-amp and speaker-level inputs and outputs, it can easily improve the power of a factory or aftermarket head unit. But it doesn't stop there.
 The MS-8 will ensure you get all the performance you are paying for out of your aftermarket car audio system. |
When you are ready, the MS-8 can serve as the foundation of a truly special car audio system when you add subwoofers, a center speaker, amplifiers or even video components directly to the MS-8 down the road. It's as close to "Plug-and-Play" as you will find, saving hours on future installation and set-up time.
Installation Made Simple
When it comes to the installation, the key word is simple. Before the JBL MS-8, you needed a pile of components to turn your car audio system into something worth listening to. It was complicated, expensive and required half your car to end up on the installer's floor during installation. With the MS-8, there are a grand total of just three components to be installed. The digital processor, the display and the remote control.
Once you have the MS-8 wired and powered up, calibrating the MS-8 is a piece of cake. Simple menu-driven calibration is accessed from the five-line LCD screen allowing for easy, step-by-step setup that can be completed in about 10 minutes. While the system plays a pre-recorded track from the included test CD, the bi-aural microphone headset is taking digital notes on your vehicle's unique acoustic signature. The headset picks up the tiniest variations is sound absorption and reflection and feeds that information into the MS-8's DSP. You can continue to calibrate up to three additional seating locations and when it is done, you still have a 31-band graphic equalizer and a full set of tone controls to fine tune day to day operations via the wireless remote and LCD display.
 The JBL MS-8 is the best first step for getting great sound in your car. |
System Highlights
 Click for Product Info Sheet |
- Superior Performance from Any System--Improves every measure of audio performance, frequency response, bass performance, dynamics, clarity, detail and stereo imaging from any combination of OEM and aftermarket components.
- Easy, Step-by-Step Setup--Simple menu-driven calibration based on detailed input from a binaural headset microphone
- Optimizes Up To Eight Input Channels--Produces a smooth response, full-bandwidth signal from up to eight input channels.
- DSP Equalization--Improves tonal accuracy by automatically compensating for the sonic characteristics of the speakers, electronics and vehicle interior
- DSP Time Correction--Automatically ensures that the sound from all speakers arrives at the listener's ears simultaneously, in up to four individual seating positions, dramatically improving clarity and imaging.
- Sophisticated Crossover Functions--Precise, user selectable crossover points and crossover slopes for up to eight separate outputs.
- Logic 7 Surround Processing--Creates a realistic 5.1- or 7.1-channel surround experience from 2-channel source material.
- 31-Band Graphic Equalizer--Override automatic equalization to suit personal taste
- Preamplifier Controls--Control system volume, subwoofer volume, left/right balance, front/rear fader, bass/mid/treble tone controls, override DSP equalization, time correction and Logic 7 processing.
- Favorite Settings --Store up to five custom settings for one-button recall
- LCD Display--Five-line, 128 x 64-pixel screen displays setup menus and operation status
- Wireless RF Remote --Controls menu navigation, volume and mute.
- Onboard 20 Watts x 8 Amplifier, Eight-Channel Preamp-Level and Speaker-Level Inputs and Outputs, Full-Range Stereo Aux Input
What's in the Box
JBL MS-8 Digital System Processor, 5-line LCD Display, LCD Display Cable, Wireless Remote Control, Flush and Surface Mount hardware for wireless remote, Bi-aural Microphone Headset, Installation Wiring
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
By esscue
I've been in high end audio for a long time (both stage, vehicle and studio config).
the MS-8 replaced my Rockford 3sixty.2, which replaced dual Rockford Symmetry EPXs (28band eq's), which replaced AudioControl DQX (30bandeq).
i've also had for the longest time an indash eq (audiocontrol four.1, which replaced rockford pa3).
I have around $10k of tuning equipment, have been taught how to use it, and have considerable experience using it. (please dont think im talking myself up - just want to say that i have professional experience, and been taught by a number of experience and well respected people in this field. its my passion).
the ms-8 achieves what absolute fine-tuning would take me 2-3 months. generally a very good tune using existing methods would take 4 hours, but to get that best extra bit out of a system is a process of driving and refining for about 2-3 months. when you do this you really need to switch back and forth between presets quickly as the ears quickly fatigue.. and you really want to hear if you made it better or actually worse.
the sound quality is just amazing, and all tuned in only 2-3 minutes. incredible.
i would say that anyone who is as critical as i am will be amazed with the product, but, still find very minor issues with the auto-tune. i also found that retuning at different levels and different distances (forward/backward) made slight differences. but still it is a significant improvement on anything in the market.
that being said, the remote control feels like a toy. pressing the buttons is a bit hit and miss, and a bit slow..
i planned on using the remote to control system volume, but it doesn't respond reliably enough to be a volume control. so i set it to a decent level and use the headunit for level control - im actually happier with this solution.
the interface is good, but its a shame the designers didnt design everything that would want to be changed on a single screen. or for example, a button on the remote that cycled between the user saved favourites, or, even the seat settings.
that being said the unit is incredible and has brought a new level to my system
front: focal utopia 3 way (running single channel per side using focal supplied xovers)
center: none.
sub: focal utopia 13"
rears: stock.
amps: 2x alpine 1507
headunit: pioneer dex-p88r (old school SQ)
i plan to separate the midbass from the mid+high in the fronts, mainly because the mid+high are in the kick panels and mid bass in the doors. it sounds fine with all 3 combined from a single channel, but, i can hear some time alignment issues with the mid-bass/sub, therefore i plan/suggest running a separate channel for each speaker location. just the 1507 amp is a monster (in size) and it feels not right to have it running a single pair of 6.5" midbass speakers.
the overall staging is excellent. i did find a few hiccups when auto-tuning at different volume levels (stage pulled slightly in one direction). i found it best to tune at the level you listen to the most. as the stage is spot on at that level.
for the longest time i've had headunit Loudness control disabled. but found that (especially when having passengers) that the loudness control helped smooth out the levels when down low. (so auto-tuned at mostly loud level, as thats where i like to listen to it, but on those occasions where it needs to be softer the loudness control fixes that up).. note the loudness control flattens out as the headunit raises in volume. excellent.
i tried using the supplied CD (which supposedly contains an audio track used for calibrating oem headunits). i could find no audio track on the disc when testing in 4-5 players, and, also when trying to rip. (and no.. i'm not a noob).
i contacted jbl at this via the website (where they claim to respond in 24hrs).. 3 weeks later, no response.
-it should be noted that this CD is not required when using an aftermarket headunit.
the manual doesnt make a bunch of things clear. such as:
1. when tuning for more than one passenger, should i actually have a second person? i understand tuning for driver is basically a single person scenario, but front tuning? should that require two people so it takes into account both people? or not?
in any case i dont know how i ever lived without this product.
switching between user-saved presets is fairly quick, and, im happy that it can apply the 30band differences very quickly (almost instantaneously). so testing how different EQ settings sound is great. unlike the Rockford 3Sixty.2 which requires about 40 seconds to upload the different settings. what im trying to say here is there is no delay in switching between presets, you can compare presets easily.
one important note is this: it will auto tune and set things up, but once it has done so you can ONLY change a single 30band eq which is applied to all speakers. (ie you cannot adjust a particular frequency for a single speaker, eg, front left).
you also MUST provide the speaker specifications of each speaker (or collection of speakers if you passively crossovered them) before it will autotune. that is, you must give a crossover slope, low pass and high pass setting etc.
the system also doesn't allow you to double up on the frequencies between front and sub. (eg set high pass of fronts to 45hz, and, low pass of sub to 80hz, ie 45~80hz being played by both speakers). which is a bit annoying. (that being said you can change the slope of the crossover point between them, but, there is only ONE, not individual for each). hope that makes sense?
what im trying to say here is it's not easy to have the fronts and sub both playing the same frequency range, its one or the other. :-( but fiddling with the crossover slopes can resolve it.. just takes time.
another point is anytime you want to make a crossover setting change, you have to completely recalibrate the entire system (it takes 3-5 minutes). example, say i want to shift the xover point between sub and fronts from 60hz to 70hz. I actually need to:
1. erase all settings (you dont get a choice)
2. tell the unit individually about _ALL_ your speakers (that's wherever they exist: what their LPF/HPF/Xover/slope are)
3. tell the unit which of the outputs matchup to your actual outputs (eg output 1 = front left)
its a bit annoying.
one other point that is annoying is that you will get NO SOUND from the unit until you have gone through the above steps at least once.
but, you really should have your levels fairly balanced (before using the ms-8). (note: you can go through it once, and the disable processing... set levels and do again.. but still... a bit strange/counter-intuitive)
my feeling on the product is this:
1. its an awesome product
2. feels like all the attention went to the audio processing side of things (which is great) but
3. the user interface side of things is lacking, also there is no way to turn the displays backlight off.
4. the remote is a bit terrible, and without looking at it you cant work out which way is up (all the buttons are symmetrically placed, so you cant determine orientation by "feel").
5. in terms of amplification setup. my take on it is "whether there is a speaker located" amp it separately. if there are a couple of speakers very close (such as mid and tweeter in kick boards, ie 1inch apart) - then these are fine to be passively crossovered and run off 1 of the ms8's outputs (instead of soaking up two)
6. the rear processing is quite good, i still find it puts a little bit too much vocals behind me, and i adjust accordingly... though i keep resetting it back to default here... so it is pretty good out of the box. i did notice that the front stage raised with the addition of the rear speakers (as is with tuning normally), and i was happy to hear this.
7. the ms-8 did a very good job of matching the tonality of my rears vs fronts (ie theyre different speakers). but they have now lost their individual characteristics and sound similar (well in the ranges the cheaper ones can play anyway).
8. its designed as a best-fits device. it does everything, but, it hides the nitty gritty away from those who would like to play with it. so if you actually need to make some modification (eg increase 3khz by 2db for the left speaker only) you cant. (im not saying you would need to, just that you cant..) however, you get balance/fade/sub level/rear level/ side level controls individually.
its an awesome product. i totally recommend it to anyone who is even considering changing their system.
i would put this device as higher priority in the list of what-to-do first, especially given that it has an 8 channel amplifier included (its enough to give most standard speakers what they want).
i tossed and turned about upgrading from the 3Sixty.2 and i am very very glad i did.
more and more i drive now, i fiddle less and just enjoy... to anyone who knows me they would know thats something incredible in itself (for me not to fiddle).
cheers.
i totally recommend reading the first persons comment (and tracking down that forum post) as thats what tipped me over the edge into ordering it.
last point, it took nearly 5-6 weeks for amazon to post it to me. :-( even though it said 10days.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
By Ian Lee
HU: Pioneer 880prs and went active (forget about rear speakers!)
Tweeters: TB 2.5" Ceramic Dome
Mids: TB 3" Bamboo Cone
Lows: ID OEM 6.5" Carbon Fiber Weave Cone
The system in my Element has slowly transformed from a 'simple' system to an MS-8-centric beast, THIS is it!
1.0: It started off with a simple 6.5" ID OEM low and a 1" aluminum dome Tang Band tweeter in the doors (fully sealed and matted doors are crucial!!).
2.0: Then we shifted to a 2.5" ceramic dome Tang Band tweeter in the stock Element tweeter position, was better but definitely NOT the best.
3.0: Then we shifted to a three-way setup with the same lows and tweeters but threw in a set of mids; the tweeters and mids are now sitting in A-pillar mounted pods. Since my head-unit doesn't support active for three-way setups, we had to 'trick' the HU into thinking the tweeters and mids were the same speaker. It sounded amazing but wasn't quite there. Pioneer's latest top-end HU DOES support three-way setups.
4.0: Added the MS-8 and fiddled with calibration about six or seven times; the system simply blows EVERYONE away... This is not an understatement. The imaging is amazing, I'm noticing details in my music that I've never noticed before (mostly with older songs that I've listened to over and over and over again in the past). Imperfections in MP3's are much more apparent and annoying, I'm slowly replacing my collection with high-quality versions (320kbps if possible, may have to move onto loss-less down the road). I'm sure the MS-8 does wonders in a stock system but it also does wonders in a highly modified / custom system like mine.
I'm not sure how audio stores market the product but I hope they do it justice by having an installed system to demo the magical box to potential customers.
15 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
By Mikhail Arkhipov
I installed MS-8 in my car. In overall unit makes good sound. But not great. Speakers are not to blame, they are top-end Morels. The problem is in calibration. MS-8 seem to calibrate to so-called "house curve", rather that to a flat response. I.e. treble level is lacking and has to be compensated in tone controls/EQ. I understand that JBL wanted out-of-the box experience satisfactory for most people (i.e. those happy with 128KBps MP3) and selected what *most* people like as did cinema theaters when they created "house curve". However, this is a high end product (or at least priced/marketed as such) and hence should have appropriate calibration settings: if I want flat, I should be able to get one.
BTW, if I defeat processing, treble is back, so there is nothing wrong with speakers or connections: it's calibration target that is wrong.
Now, remote display UI is pretty bad. First of all, it is very slow. Adjusting anything is unsafe during driving since you have to watch the screen. Simple buttons like 'next/pre favorite' and +/- on bass and treble would be much better. Now, JBL sells separate wireless bass control. OK, if they have wireless bass control with a normal rotary button, why MS-8 is only controllable via wired screen from remote???
And for Pete's sake, why do one have to go through complete setup process and specify every input connection again when all that I want is to change crossover frequency???
So in overall: unit quality and functionality is good, software and remote screen UI are horrible. Hence 3/5
Update. Due to unfortunate lack of calibration options MS-8 has issues when speakers are not placed at typical locations. For example, it uses bass sweep for subwoofer calibration and regular signal for other speakers. This causes issues when woofers are located under seats, like, for instance, in BMW. In order to have proper calibration under-seat woofers have to be specified as subwoofers so MS-8 uses sweep signal to calibrate them. But there is a catch: MS-8 is only able to handle two subwoofers and it is impossible to add real subwoofer to it (unless crossed separately).
So rating remains the same. MS-8 is a nice device, amps are good quality, nice processing, but it really needs to offer various calibration targets as well as options which signal to use for low end calibration and perhaps allow more than two subs - quite a few cars have woofers under seats and sub in a trunk.
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