Lesterbest
Super Member
77 vintage L100s had a 10 dB peak over 15K Hz. The head bangers loved them.
jbl l65 jubal vs. jbl l100
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audiomagnate
Addicted Member
Rex81
Well-Known Member
I agree. I much prefer the L5. Definitely a better value since it can be found for less than 1/5 the cost of Jubals.
bbpdoubleb
Member
I have had them all---L 100's, 4311,4312----------butt the Jubal is the JEWELL! I have mine on custom stands that I built with sand in 4 tubes, 20 x 20 base and tops, 22" off the floor, running a macintosh 2105, nothing like it!!
Worth mentioning that the L65 came out with 3 different versions. The L65, L65A and L65B. I owned the original L65 since new and while they were okay, I have heard the ones you really want is the L65B's. They really were a much better sounding speaker according to reports. That said, the original L65's could be improved greatly by replacing the 126A LF driver with 128H1's. This is what JBL recommended as a replacement. I always wanted to try that but could never quite make that happen on Epay so finally parted out the old 65's and took their 077's and placed them in my L200's. Better sound all around now.
bgymnastics
Super Member
How does the L65 compare to 240ti speakers. I'm looking for something with good bass an a speaker that I can push hard.
The 240ti has a better woofer than a stock L65 for what you're doing and is rated to handle more power.
Generally, the L65 commands more money simply because of the market-price of the 077 tweeter. An argument can be made for the 044ti tweeter actually working better, though a lot depends on the idiosyncrasies of your application.
Generally, the L65 commands more money simply because of the market-price of the 077 tweeter. An argument can be made for the 044ti tweeter actually working better, though a lot depends on the idiosyncrasies of your application.
Zonker92
All shiny and chrome
Also, the crossover on the 240Ti is much more sophisticated, and the midrange cone is polymer instead of paper, giving the 240Ti a flatter frequency response. The cabinet volume is larger, for deeper bass, and the cabinets are mirror imaged and have no sharp edges, for better imaging.
Rectilinear1
Professional Record Restorer
Ok, I'll chime in here as I own JBL L-100's and JBL L65 Jubals currently and I have played both of them side by side on my Marantz 2252B, (1979). First off, I love them both equally and consider both pairs to be NFS, (not for sale). I serviced both pairs and played them for hours at a time on my Marantz which is rated 10hz-60khz so we know there is nothing lacking in the power department. Here is the acid test and my findings:
L-100's:
Truly some of the most robustly built speakers of all time. No expense was spared in the design and build quality is a 10 out of 10. After 50 years, all of the drivers still work perfectly and I only needed to clean the pots to bring them back to "like-new" sounding condition. Nice deep boomy bass which tends to be attenuated but not in a bad way. (28-30hz is no problem for these). They have the loudest midrange I have ever heard in my life due to the full range 12" woofer which will give you something you have never heard before from any other speaker. I recommend turning the midrange potentiometer down almost all the way to get flatter response and to eliminate overlap in the midrange frequencies between the 123A woofers and the LE5 mid driver.
The highs go all the way up to 20khz without making your ears bleed. This is partially due to the fact that the tweeters are paper coned type. These speakers ROCK when listening at moderate sound levels but can be overdriven to ear-bleeding volume levels if you so desire. These sounded the best with the grills removed and placed on 38" tall stands 10 ft. apart while sitting 6-8 ft. back centered in the space and they image perfectly. L-100's and drums are a match made in heaven and they sound better than any other speaker I have ever tested when listening to drum solos as it sounds like the drummer is in front of you banging away on his drum kit live on stage.
I recommend playing jazz and classic rock on them as they are not the most detailed speakers available but a little bit of mud and grunge is desirable while listening to bands like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin IMHO. Classical music is a bit lacking in definition on them as the midrange is so heavily colored that the cellos easily drown out the soft intricacies of the delicate violas and violins but that is nit picking. Female vocals are the short-comings of these I'm afraid but that is to be expected considering the full range 12's have no crossover and tend to boost 4-8k frequencies where the vocal sit quite a bit, sometimes leading to squawking. After days of listening to these speakers, they have found a permanent home in my bedroom where I can lay back on my bed and melt away to smooth jazz instrumentals.
L65 Jubals:
These are among the most musical speakers I have ever tested and they play flawlessly on every genre of music available. These speakers were originally designed around the L-077 diffraction slot tweeters taken out of ambulances and were so loud that JBL had to custom build woofers and midrange drivers to accompany them. Huge alnico magnets on all drivers, cast baskets, and some of the best audio grade crossover components are just some of the things which make these shine above all the rest.
Rich, deep, tight bass response can be expected which plays effortlessly even at high volumes. They have warm buttery mids which are perfect with the L-pads set in the middle. The highs are the highest highs I have ever heard which scream into the heavens and fill the house instantly and effortlessly reproduce 22khz + well beyond human hearing. Classical music is the bees knees on these as the brightness is stunning and bounces you out of your chair on the crescendos and timpani hits.
These sound like you are live at the symphony with the orchestra playing in your living room. The sound is mind-blowing for such a smallish cabinet. With classic rock, jazz, blues, country, and progressive rock, everything is in its place and sounds right. These speakers sounded the best placed 4-6" off the floor toed in a bit to center the soundstage 10 ft. out with the speakers 8 feet apart. Hip hop music sounds like you are live in the dance club and completely envelops you and they image so perfectly that it's like you're wearing headphones.
The only drawback I found was that at higher volumes, these can be a bit fatiguing to my ears but that being said, ALL speakers can damage your hearing if played for prolong periods of time at high volume. You will hear ringing in your ears after 5 hours of listening if you crank them too much and I recommend dialing back the treble knob a little to account for this. These are two of the brightest speakers I have ever tested.
Conclusion: IMO, both The L-100's and the L65 Jubals are end game speakers that are built to last a lifetime. You have to understand that we are comparing two of the best speakers ever made by one of the best speaker manufacturers of all time. I would not sell either pair as they are different speakers used for different purposes. L-100's play classic rock and jazz better than most and drums sound the most natural on them. The L65's play everything well and sound full, rich, warm, and bright all at the same time. If you listen to classical music ONLY, the L65 Jubals will give you everything you are looking for due in large part to the 077 horn tweeters. Plus, they do not have any of the drawbacks of the dreaded L-100 "midrange -monster" dilemma.
But as always, The choice is yours. You can get both pairs for about 7 grand and let your ears decide. I love them both. They are my children. Cheers!
L-100's:
Truly some of the most robustly built speakers of all time. No expense was spared in the design and build quality is a 10 out of 10. After 50 years, all of the drivers still work perfectly and I only needed to clean the pots to bring them back to "like-new" sounding condition. Nice deep boomy bass which tends to be attenuated but not in a bad way. (28-30hz is no problem for these). They have the loudest midrange I have ever heard in my life due to the full range 12" woofer which will give you something you have never heard before from any other speaker. I recommend turning the midrange potentiometer down almost all the way to get flatter response and to eliminate overlap in the midrange frequencies between the 123A woofers and the LE5 mid driver.
The highs go all the way up to 20khz without making your ears bleed. This is partially due to the fact that the tweeters are paper coned type. These speakers ROCK when listening at moderate sound levels but can be overdriven to ear-bleeding volume levels if you so desire. These sounded the best with the grills removed and placed on 38" tall stands 10 ft. apart while sitting 6-8 ft. back centered in the space and they image perfectly. L-100's and drums are a match made in heaven and they sound better than any other speaker I have ever tested when listening to drum solos as it sounds like the drummer is in front of you banging away on his drum kit live on stage.
I recommend playing jazz and classic rock on them as they are not the most detailed speakers available but a little bit of mud and grunge is desirable while listening to bands like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin IMHO. Classical music is a bit lacking in definition on them as the midrange is so heavily colored that the cellos easily drown out the soft intricacies of the delicate violas and violins but that is nit picking. Female vocals are the short-comings of these I'm afraid but that is to be expected considering the full range 12's have no crossover and tend to boost 4-8k frequencies where the vocal sit quite a bit, sometimes leading to squawking. After days of listening to these speakers, they have found a permanent home in my bedroom where I can lay back on my bed and melt away to smooth jazz instrumentals.
L65 Jubals:
These are among the most musical speakers I have ever tested and they play flawlessly on every genre of music available. These speakers were originally designed around the L-077 diffraction slot tweeters taken out of ambulances and were so loud that JBL had to custom build woofers and midrange drivers to accompany them. Huge alnico magnets on all drivers, cast baskets, and some of the best audio grade crossover components are just some of the things which make these shine above all the rest.
Rich, deep, tight bass response can be expected which plays effortlessly even at high volumes. They have warm buttery mids which are perfect with the L-pads set in the middle. The highs are the highest highs I have ever heard which scream into the heavens and fill the house instantly and effortlessly reproduce 22khz + well beyond human hearing. Classical music is the bees knees on these as the brightness is stunning and bounces you out of your chair on the crescendos and timpani hits.
These sound like you are live at the symphony with the orchestra playing in your living room. The sound is mind-blowing for such a smallish cabinet. With classic rock, jazz, blues, country, and progressive rock, everything is in its place and sounds right. These speakers sounded the best placed 4-6" off the floor toed in a bit to center the soundstage 10 ft. out with the speakers 8 feet apart. Hip hop music sounds like you are live in the dance club and completely envelops you and they image so perfectly that it's like you're wearing headphones.
The only drawback I found was that at higher volumes, these can be a bit fatiguing to my ears but that being said, ALL speakers can damage your hearing if played for prolong periods of time at high volume. You will hear ringing in your ears after 5 hours of listening if you crank them too much and I recommend dialing back the treble knob a little to account for this. These are two of the brightest speakers I have ever tested.
Conclusion: IMO, both The L-100's and the L65 Jubals are end game speakers that are built to last a lifetime. You have to understand that we are comparing two of the best speakers ever made by one of the best speaker manufacturers of all time. I would not sell either pair as they are different speakers used for different purposes. L-100's play classic rock and jazz better than most and drums sound the most natural on them. The L65's play everything well and sound full, rich, warm, and bright all at the same time. If you listen to classical music ONLY, the L65 Jubals will give you everything you are looking for due in large part to the 077 horn tweeters. Plus, they do not have any of the drawbacks of the dreaded L-100 "midrange -monster" dilemma.
But as always, The choice is yours. You can get both pairs for about 7 grand and let your ears decide. I love them both. They are my children. Cheers!
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Rectilinear1
Professional Record Restorer
Hyperbole. Lol! Yes, exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally are my specialty, especially when talking about speakers. These are my findings. Every bodies' ears are different but this is my opinion
and I am entitled to it. None of this changes the fact that these two sets of speakers are well out of most people's price range so I think it helps having a comparison for potential buyers to refer to when making nest egg diminishing decisions. Cheers.
and I am entitled to it. None of this changes the fact that these two sets of speakers are well out of most people's price range so I think it helps having a comparison for potential buyers to refer to when making nest egg diminishing decisions. Cheers.
Rectilinear1
Professional Record Restorer
I would LOVE to hear those! The 077 tweeter is an over-achiever for sure. Much like the full range 123-A woofer. The key is knowing that these can be turned down to balance out your sound.
The 123a /2213 woofer is unique. I’m kind of a vintage JBL fan and there is a lot of raves about the 128 woofer but it doesn’t seem meld with and thru the midrange like the older woofers. I really liked how the 123 blended with the RTR ESR-6 tweeter module I used. I turned off the LE5 s as the peaked responded sounded bad to me.I just bet with a midrange noted above and utilizing a higher order tweeter crossover the 077 might be the ticket…still better near field > incorporate a ribbon tweeter instead of the 077!
Rectilinear1
Professional Record Restorer
There is a good bit of fun to be had with experimenting. I enjoy the 126-A woofers with the 077's and the Le-5 midrange. It is a good combo as long as you dial down the treble a bit. I find this combo to be the bees knees while listening to classical music like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.
Lou F Quincy
Super Member
L100's should have their crossovers modified for the most stunning results. What they were equipped with from the factory was criminally negligent.
https://audionostalgia.co.uk/wp-con...-upgrade-12-original-crossover-schematics.jpg
I've never heard the L65s but Rectilinear1's description sounds incredible. I totally agree with drum reproduction on the upgraded xover L100s.
So real and tight.
https://audionostalgia.co.uk/wp-con...-upgrade-12-original-crossover-schematics.jpg
I've never heard the L65s but Rectilinear1's description sounds incredible. I totally agree with drum reproduction on the upgraded xover L100s.
So real and tight.
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Had this been in the JBL forum, the response may have been different. Here it might be mistaken as someone trying to boost the credibility and price of items they want to sell! Just an observation, not an accusation. That's just how off-base the claims are when taken with a dose of reality.
Having grown up with JBLs before the L100 came out, now owning the first pair of the Century I ever heard courtesy of a high-school friend, and having spent some time listening to L65s in my boss's living room back in the late '70s, I have some expertise in comparing many different JBLs over the decades—and, or course my own opinions. I couldn't have possibly said it better than Zilch did when he described the L100 as "Fake, but fun". My opinion of the L65 was an underwhelming woofer, plenty of mid-range, and a lovely UHF driver you had to sit on the floor to properly appreciate. As for the 123A, I love its predecessor, the L123—as a guitar speaker. I have one in a Fender DeLuxe and bought one for my daughter and her boyfriend to install in another amp. That one is truly a full-range driver. I actually prefer the L112 or 4412 to the L65, and I own both of those, too. My daily-drivers are a pair of 4345s in one room, and L5 or L7 in others. All of which make me chuckle when I see the L100 and L65 referred to as "two of the best speakers ever made".
Not arguing, just sharing my opinion.
Having grown up with JBLs before the L100 came out, now owning the first pair of the Century I ever heard courtesy of a high-school friend, and having spent some time listening to L65s in my boss's living room back in the late '70s, I have some expertise in comparing many different JBLs over the decades—and, or course my own opinions. I couldn't have possibly said it better than Zilch did when he described the L100 as "Fake, but fun". My opinion of the L65 was an underwhelming woofer, plenty of mid-range, and a lovely UHF driver you had to sit on the floor to properly appreciate. As for the 123A, I love its predecessor, the L123—as a guitar speaker. I have one in a Fender DeLuxe and bought one for my daughter and her boyfriend to install in another amp. That one is truly a full-range driver. I actually prefer the L112 or 4412 to the L65, and I own both of those, too. My daily-drivers are a pair of 4345s in one room, and L5 or L7 in others. All of which make me chuckle when I see the L100 and L65 referred to as "two of the best speakers ever made".
Not arguing, just sharing my opinion.
Rectilinear1
Professional Record Restorer
Ha Ha! They are still not for sale. Personally, I find the price of these speakers to be offensively high. They are great speakers but if I had to pay $3k a set, I would have never heard them. That is the beauty of being a third generation audiophile, plenty of great hand me downs from dad and grandpa.
Rectilinear1
Professional Record Restorer
And just to put things into perspective, they sold over 250,000 L-100's so how bad can they be considering there are only a dozen or so sets currently for sale anywhere in the world? What does that tell you? I will be buried with mine on either side of my head bolted to my coffin lid playing Dark Side Of The Moon on endless repeat. Just sayin.
