As affordable as it is all-purpose, JBL's 3-way Northridge Series E90 floorstanding speaker is capable of delivering clear, dynamic sound for both music and movies. With the E90, your program's bass and midrange frequencies--efficiently boosted by the speaker's dual 8-inch woofers--come through loud and clear, without unwanted distortion or boominess.

The Northridge E90 is sold as a single speaker. Buy two for stereo uses or pick up five--or merely three--for use in surround-sound applications; only three if you'll be using two other speakers to serve as the left/right front or surrounds. If your TV is on a high shelf or mounted on the wall, as would a flat-panel set, you can simply position the "center channel" speaker beneath it (or check out the traditional Northridge E center channel, too).

Be aware that you don't need a television to enjoy multichannel surround sound: the SACD, DVD-Audio, and DTS-CD formats all make ample use of full-range center-channel speakers, providing you have the space and the inclination to set up speakers for five- or 5.1-channel music listening. Use a powered subwoofer for the ".1" low-frequency effects channel, or configure your surround receiver to fold the ".1" signal into the audio feeding the other speakers--with the E90's 36 Hz bass rating, you'll have plenty of bass even without a subwoofer.

The speaker's Elliptical Oblate Spheroidal (EOS) waveguide imbues sound with unparalleled spaciousness and definition, and the speaker uses a titanium-laminate tweeter to reproduce high notes with extraordinary clarity. The PolyPlas (polymer-coated cellulose fiber) cone woofers feature traditional JBL engineering--the same technologies used in JBL's Professional equipment, which is found in stadiums, music halls, and movie theaters around the world.

Shielded components allow speaker placement near video monitors. A low-diffraction IsoPower baffle directs the sound power into the room, reducing distortion from cabinet vibration.

The speaker's lock-mitred, computer-designed enclosure requires no internal bracing. Its flared, FreeFlow port increases bass response without adding unwanted port noise (sometimes heard as "chuffing" when you really crank your tunes). JBL's custom-designed drivers allow the use of simple, Straight-Line Signal Path (SSP) crossover networks with high-quality electrical components that minimize processing that could degrade the signal. Finally, JBL has outfitted the E90 with all-metal, gold-plated, five-way binding-post speaker terminals for secure and flexible hookups, from bare wire to banana-plug jacks.

What's in the Box
One speaker, a speaker grille, and a user's manual.