Short answer: the JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor. It ranks #59 of 119 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $15,000. The Ex Machina Pulsar MKII ranks #105, rated 3.8/5, at $11,700, $3,300 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
What the Ex Machina Pulsar MKII does well: A high end active three way studio monitor with deep bass that can skip a subwoofer and digital and analog inputs. The tradeoff: Its 6.16 ideal-subwoofer score and uneven listening-window response do not support a top accuracy ranking.
The JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor is the more accurate choice. A huge high output reference monitor with a 15 inch woofer and deep bass, built to play loud and clean from a distance. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 5.74 against 5.04 for the Ex Machina Pulsar MKII. The tradeoff: Its 4.1dB response span from 300Hz to 5kHz and 6.58 ideal-subwoofer score do not support a top tonal-accuracy ranking.
Buy the JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $3,300 saving on the Ex Machina Pulsar MKII is not enough to make up the difference.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Ex Machina Pulsar MKII | JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11,700 per pair | $15,000 per pair |
| Ranked | #105 of 119 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #59 of 119 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | Powered sealed 3-way | - |
| Drivers | 9-inch SEAS woofer, 7-inch coaxial midrange/tweeter | 15” 2216Nd woofer; D2 compression driver in Image Control Waveguide |
| Amplifier Power | 250W LF, 100W MF, 50W HF per speaker | External two-channel amplification and JBL DSP tuning required |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz-32kHz (+/-1dB) | 20Hz - 40kHz (±3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB continuous at 1m | 123dB manufacturer specified |
| Coverage | 90 degrees conical | - |
| Inputs | Analog and AES/EBU digital | None (passive cabinet driven by a matched Crown amplifier via speaker-level connection) |
| DSP | SHARC, phase and magnitude correction | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.04 | 5.74 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.16 | 6.58 |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Dimensions | 19” x 11.4” x 13.6” (483 x 289 x 345 mm) (H x W x D) | 49.4”H x 20”W x 14”D (1256 x 508 x 355.6 mm) |
| Weight | 50.7 lbs (23 kg) | 130.1 lbs (59 kg) each |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 21.0Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 800Hz active DSP |
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