JBL PRX925 & PRX935

The two big beasts of JBL’s PRX900 family are similarly sized and identically priced — but they’re very different speakers! We put them to the test.

Back in SOS July 2023 I reviewed the first models in JBL’s then‑new PRX900 series of self‑powered speakers. I liked very much what I saw and heard and, assuming they would continue to update the range as they had for the PRX800s, was looking forward to trying out the larger models. Well, the PRX925 and PRX935 were recently announced and are now available for purchase, and I have had a pair of the PRX935 units on loan for long enough to put them to good use in a number of different live scenarios.

The nice people at JBL’s UK distributors Sound Technology were kind enough to put on an extensive demonstration at their facility, where I also got to hear some of the mighty top‑end JBL rigs which were all set up and ready to go (it would have been rude not to, really...).

Family Values

The PRX925 and PRX935 are the larger members of the PRX family, and follow the form factor of their predecessors in the PRX800 line‑up, in that the 825/925 model is a two‑way speaker with two 15‑inch woofers, and the 835/935 is a three‑way, with a single 15‑inch woofer and a six‑inch midrange driver (both sport 1.5‑inch compression‑driver tweeters). I know that this family grouping goes back at least to the PRX600 series, as I still own and regularly use a powered system comprising a pair of PRX635 three‑way tops over a pair of PRX618XLF subwoofers. I use this combination (or sometimes just the PRX635s on their own) for community theatre shows, larger school productions, church services and other events where I have lots of acoustic instruments and different voices to work with, as I have always found that the three‑way design works really well — and therefore makes my life easier — when clarity and smoothness are needed above all else. As I had a particularly challenging gig on the horizon that would require exactly these qualities, I chose to take away a pair of PRX935s, but not until both of the new models had been given a thorough going‑over in the demo room!

The PRX925 and PRX935 are both 45cm wide and 43cm deep, but the former is 106cm tall and the latter slightly shorter, at 939cm. Despite their similar sizes, they have very different driver configurations, with the 925 being a two‑way speaker with twin 15‑inch woofers, and the 935 a three‑way with a dedicated midrange driver.

I covered most of the technical details in my first review of the PRX900 series in SOS July 2023, but it’s worth noting that the power modules fitted to all PRX900‑series tops are essentially the same (the subwoofers have their own variant), in that they all provide exactly the same functionality and power amp capability, but tuned to the particular model in which they installed. This suggests an efficiency and cost‑saving in design and manufacture, which should benefit users down the line in making repairs more straightforward if they are needed. On that subject, it’s also worth pointing put that JBL have such confidence in the product line that all PRX900‑series models come with a seven‑year warranty (yes, seven years!). I for one would be pretty reassured by that, even if I hadn’t personally owned and operated various JBL Eon, JRX, PRX, SRX and VRX speakers over many years without a single failure in all that time.

Working 925

Before taking a pair of PRX935s away to review, I had a bit of a play with the slightly larger PRX925 in the demo room too. I was able to try both models in various configurations with different DSP settings, both with and without paired subwoofers. I listened to the same programme while A/B switching between them and with all the rear‑panel controls set exactly the same. I was expecting them to sound different, but I didn’t think there would be so much difference in sound character between the two models. The PRX925 delivers an astonishing amount of impact for a two‑way twin‑15‑inch box, and it’s voiced to provide a big, thumping, solid output that would sit very well in DJ territory and suit your more ‘forward’ rock bands.

Of course in a demo room you have the ability to run things quite loud if you feel so inclined and, as I felt so inclined, we gave the speakers a serious hammering with all sorts of test material from dance and rock, to tight thumpy ’70s, some very full‑bodied Berlioz, and anything else that came to mind. We ran the PRX935s right up to limiting and then played around some with the limiter settings themselves just to see if we could cause any problems. The man from Harman just waved his hands encouragingly and said ‘do what you like, it’s what we do’, and I was impressed with how clean and clear the output remained well into the zone of discomfort. In their natural state with the DSP at factory settings, you...