tldr; Center with horn-loaded tweeter. Clear dialogue, high efficiency. Matches Studio 5 series for theater.
$44.95 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for JBL Studio 520C
“I was using this same budget a few years back and happened to be shopping at the time of year when JBL does their sale and I got: L / R - Studio 590 C - Studio 520c SL / SR - Studio 530 Sub - SVS PB 12 NSD ($399 on amazon!) And a Denon X1500 for receiver. Its been a great system and is only being phased out because we are getting to build an actual theatre room with all in wall speakers, sound dampening and treatment etc. Otherwise it would stay as my go to. Music and movies both sound great, the 590's really work well with the SVS sub. It's always been in a room around 10' x 12'.”
“That’s gotta sound incredible! 590s all the way around is wild man. I have 590s for my L/R and 530s for my surrounds. I had the 520C for my center but swapped it out for the 665C since it uses the same driver as the 590s. The 520C just couldn’t keep up with the 590s. For subs I have 2x 550P that I may upgrade the drivers to CSS SDX10. The 5 series will have to be taken over my dead body. I have zero desire to upgrade.”
14 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/4/2026