JBL is in the sound industry since 1927. 9 out of 10 live concerts I've attended were using JBL speakers. And Studios all over the world select JBL as the reference speaker of preference.
I'm a music passionate for over 30 years, and I've listened to many many speakers. JBL is my preferred choice due to the sound quality, price and durability.
The S38 is a small 3 way vented box, well designed and good looking. It has a big WAF score (Wife Acceptance Factor). The box may sound boomy depending on the proximity of the wall, and in my opinion it lacks a bit of high (tweeter) volume. Still, it has a fantastic sound way better than any box hundreds of dollars above its price. (Check Harman audio store at eBay for a good deal on those).
One thing I've found along the years as a quality measure is that if you don't realize you are listening to music a bit too loud until someone else complains about it (like your wife), you can be sure you have a dam good set of speaker (or a terrible ear). Those speakers will keep a smooth and pleasant listening experience, even in loud sessions, and your ears will not get tiered or irritated as when you listen to bad speakers.
Of course there are better deals out there (Even JBL has better speakers, but if you are willing to pay considerable more $$$ for a unit), but in this price range, nothing beats the S38.
And of course, go check them on a store. I'm positive those will be your speakers of choice. I have them for 2 years now and still love them. Of course now I'm looking on a ribbon tweeter speakers like the ADAM, but I need to work out a plan to bend my wife into accepting the fact that a $2000 speaker is a matter or life or death for me. Well, I may have to stick to the JBLs for a bit more. But hopefully those will still be an awesome set of speakers.
