JTR Speakers - Orbit Shifter LFU Subwoofer Review (And Other Notes)

(She doesn't look like much, but looks can be deceiving...lord knows what can come out of that port!!! ;)

Awhile ago I lived in a cottage, semi in the woods, partly due to privacy reasons, and the desire to blast sound if I wanted to. I did have my landlord as a neighbor, but given my locale and the fact that at the time I needed to find a place quickly, it's where I landed.

In 2012 I did a lot of research on subwoofers. I think there are some knowledgable users at http://www.avsforum.com so I was conversing back and forth with people there (and at some other forums) trying to get to the bottom (or should I say low-end :P) of things.

Eventually I settled on the JTR Orbit Shifter LFU, primarily after demoing a JTR sound system at someone's house. I believe at the time he had some type of Noesis (JTR main speakers that I'll review next) for the fronts and center, something else for the surrounds, and non-LFU Orbit Shifter subs (2 of them, I believe). The non-LFU Orbit Shifter isn't listed anymore at the JTR website. From what I recall, this version traded a bit of low end extension for a shorter cabinet size.

The LFU version I have is a big ass box, 50″ x 22.5″ x 36″ (H x W x D), that approaches the size of a normal fridge. It uses an 18 inch woofer powered by a 4000 watt amp (7200 watt burst), in a 14 foot folded horn configuration cabinet for efficiency. Its frequency range is 22-125hz (useful output below 10hz in room). Here's the webpage for it: http://jtrspeakers.com/orbit-shifter-lfu.html

This thing THUMPS like nobody's business. My landlord in his house across the way would tell me on occasion to turn it down, since things in his house were shaking. Once I remember specifically not turning it up too loud, but I got a text message from him anyway. It could have been the music track in particular that was contributing to his stuff shaking, but it was the Orbit Shifter's fault.

I don't find certain notes to be too emphasized over others, although this would partially be dependent on the room anyway, and how it is or isn't treated, etc. Here are the Data Bass test results: http://www.data-bass.com/data?page=system&id=123

I've never noticed any issues with distortion. Unlike some Fords (despite what they claim ;), this thing is built tough. Jeff, the JTR owner, even mentioned the cabinet could be sprayed with truck liner. I think that's what he uses in his Pro Audio line, which I'll mention later. I opted for just the regular wood in black, versus a lighter color, so it would blend in more when using a projector with the lights off. He said the wood is tough as it is, although I think the truck liner would be tough as nails.

I think somebody told me that at the time I bought it, the Orbit Shifter was Jeff's favorite sub. I considered one of his sealed subs for accuracy, but decided to go with the Orbit Shifter. I'm pretty sure I made up my mind on a phone call I had with him, but it's been a long time. He's a knowledgeable guy, so I recommend talking to him if you're considering JTR products. He should be able to help you choose the right components for a JTR setup.

I took receipt of the sub at the end of 2012, and I see that JTR has recently come up with a new flagship subwoofer, the Captivator 4000ULF: http://jtrspeakers.com/captivator-4000ulf.html I haven't had a chance to demo this one, but it has some very interesting specs. It also uses a 4000 watt amp, but has two 18 inch woofers in a bass refex design tuned to 10 Hz, for that tactile low end. I understand it's rare for subs to be tuned in such a way, and to make people feel frequencies this low, home theater designers may go for tactile transducers from companies like http://www.crowsontech.com

Here's a fun video of a couple Captivator 4000ULFs blowing somebody's hat away:

Anyway, I highly recommend products from JTR. In 2013 I bought some Noesis 212HT mains to add to the sub, to make a 2.1 speaker configuration for my own setup. I'll review these in the next blog post, and describe why they're so good.

I did have an issue with the shipping company Jeff used. He didn't get back to me regarding that, but he seems like a nice guy, so at this point I think it's water under the bridge. He did give me some product discounts which I pushed for, especially since these items are so costly; the Orbit Shifter LFU is listed at $2,999 plus freight. I ended up getting a 2.1 setup from him, so I think it's fair to get a package deal. I will say that these products are probably a very good value though. You can spend insane amounts of money on audio gear. From the research I did, JTR Speakers seemed to offer the best bang for the buck, are extremely efficent speakers, and provided the best, and loudest, sound I've heard. They have a solid warranty as well. I don't do speaker shootouts all the time like some people do as a hobby, but I do think I can critically listen...after all I took "Critical Listening" in college ;P

Eventually I may want to upgrade my system, so while I'll probably look around to see what else is out there, I will definitely see what's available from JTR.

Also FYI, for those of you looking for live sound speakers, JTR makes those as well, and I understand they compete with the bigger names in the industry. Now they probably wouldn't compete with the giant rigs for huge outdoor festivals, but they do compete with the smaller event PAs. I read that the http://www.prosoundweb.com/forums are where professionals in this industry chat, so you should be able to do your research there.

Let me know if you have any thoughts, questions etc. in the comments section. And as long as things don't get egoic, I'd be interested in discussing stuff like what else is out there when it comes to speakers that can compete with the products from JTR. I understand Steem incentivizes positivity, unlike Facebook and YouTube for example, so that would be a welcome development!

And a final note, eventually I'll post blogs on studio monitors, and some smaller computer speakers I bought in 2010.

Thanks, and till next time,

AK

#review