JBL speakers are they really that good?

[automojo]

Some really good things said here... but yeah, personal impression always has to be "taken with a grain of salt". Especially when dealing with vintage equipment. There's always a matter of conjecture if said speakers haven't been refreshed with new crossover components. JBL took a very meticulous scientific approach to the art of making speakers. And their success was a result of that. And also, isn't there the consideration of matching a set of speakers properly to equipment and purpose, in addition to proper placement and room acoustics?

In the end, nothing can really compete with first hand experience. Because speaker preference also has an element of subjectivity.

I agree, and this goes with all vintage speakers.
I have ran across this with ESS, but I have seen and heard this with other brands as well.
As far as ESS goes, I can usually tell when people are listening to a speaker in a un-refubished state, not re capped, resealed, checked out etc, but I usually have a good educated guess with other brands as well.
Really a unfair comparison or review etc when they have been gone through 20-30+ years of use/abuse and aging.
Many of these can benefit not only from a little bit of up to date technology, but up to date methods and thinking @ speaker design as well.
Most vintage speakers require just little tweaks here and there. Sometimes the labor can be time consuming, but that's what you run into with vintage.
I think some run into the idea that the solid nature of many vintage pieces of equipment means they don't need to ever be tended to.
It's just not surrounds or caps-wiring soldering joints, cabinet sealing and perhaps cabinet tweeks etc. They all add up, little by little, and if done right make a huge improvement in sound- or the very least get those speakers back to where they sounded when new.
IMHO great speakers are a true work of art, and dealing with vintage speakers you work with the design-not butchering them, but accentuating their positives, while reducing theri negatives-on what ever level that may be.
Vintage may be cheap initially, but one has to take into acount the time/cost of getting them into a acceptable operating state.
It's really more of a appreciating of vintage equipment, more then getting by on less expensively then new(er) equipment.
In fact that vintage piece may well cost you more then a comparable quality new piece-something to think about.
I look at my 2 pairs of ESS AMT3's-$500 total for 2 pairs, but in time and materials I easily have at least $600 more into the 2 pairs. Not to mention the many hours of labor, testing, tweaking, and listening (the fun part!). Your time is money of course-no matter how you look at it.
Well worth the cost IMHO, and they sound fantastic, giving many expensive speakers a serious run for the money-but they might not be worth the additional cost or effort or hassle to others.
Amps are another classic issue. One or twice a year you will see one frying, or frying and going dc frying speakers as well @ AK.
When looking at thses your really need to figure out the cost of having it checked out and solder joint's, weak componets checked and replaced onto the purchase price.

 

[131east23]

...personally, I'll take the Arkansas Sound over the East Coast Sound or The West Coast Sound any day!

But seriously, My Cornwalls are about to get the upgrades that they deserve so I've got my L112's standing in for them. I've had these L112's since 1982. They really are great sounding speakers, very punchy and now, since I'm 50, I think they are too bright for my ears. They are kind of tiring to me but honestly, my complaints with them are virtually nil.

I think the smoothness, the efficiency, and the 15" woofers in the big box of the Cornwalls is perfect for me. Maybe I had to grow into them. But between my L112's, my L65's and the Cornwalls, I give my highest mark to the Klipsch speakers.

 

[Houas07tc]

A year ago I couldn't decide on which to keep. JBL 4312c or TF-600. I A&B them and even the kids and wife choose the TF-600. It had better imaging than the 4312c. Then I ran 720p through both and it was clearly JBL hands down.

 

[lilwing]

Compared to????
How would I know?

 

[HiFiCanada]

There is no doubt your experiences aren't unique. I just wanted to offer some balance so someone buying some big JBLs don't get the impression that the only way to go is to run them off tubes. Both Altecs and JBLs can sound great on SS gear, as well, and there will be many who prefer the latter.

JBL speakers always have worked out the best for me, tubes are a bit of improvement to the JBL,L7's but worked well on SS gear also. They are not as tube dependant like the klipsch speakers are, believe me.
The JBL 2245H 18in sub is the best , it will rattle the house, no other sub can match it.
Also adding the Altec horns on top of the L7's, really enhances the trumpet stops of the massive pipe organ.
Just my IMO

 

[Cactus Bob]

I love my Electrovoice Regency's . . .

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When I'm not listening to my JBL's of course!

 

[michaelhigh]

Answer? Yes.

 

[tubed]

Perhaps the OPs and future similar questions should be, "Is a particular model JBL all that" , since there are quite a few that might not be all that while there are some that are very much all that , comparatively speaking.

 

[dnewma04]

Perhaps the OPs and future similar questions should be, "Is a particular model JBL all that" , since there are quite a few that might not be all that while there are some that are very much all that , comparatively speaking.

Great point. From the beginning, JBL has made an awful lot of bad speakers, but they do have some gems, as well.

 

[mech986]

JBL speakers always have worked out the best for me, tubes are a bit of improvement to the JBL,L7's but worked well on SS gear also. They are not as tube dependant like the klipsch speakers are, believe me.
The JBL 2245H 18in sub is the best , it will rattle the house, no other sub can match it.
Also adding the Altec horns on top of the L7's, really enhances the trumpet stops of the massive pipe organ.
Just my IMO

Do you have a build thread on that 2245H sub? Looks very nice!

 

[Suzuki]

Up-to-date JBL's monitor speakers are really good not only for jazz but also for classical music.
Their models of decades ago intended to sound nice as to jazz and obviously targetting jazz listeners. Symbolic accessary is iron fins (radiator?) attached to tweeters, which emphasized metallic sound, in other words, distortion generator. That was to me an absurd designing. Woofer cone was heavy and stiff , and magnet was strong, so it produced robust bass. The one-generation previous series models were designed for bi-amping being available.

 

[Tom Brennan]

Symbolic accessary is iron fins (radiator?) attached to tweeters, which emphasized metallic sound, in other words, distortion generator. That was to me an absurd designing.

This to me is an absurd statement.

Those "radiator" fins were acoustic lenses and designed to control dispersion. They were originally designed at (prepare to genuflect) Western Electric.

 

[pabs911]

I owned a pair of JBL L44 Lancers and loved them. They had the original lansalloy surrounds and even though they were somewhat stiff, the speakers still sounded wonderful. They had great impact for a 45 year old speaker with a rather modern sound compared to my other vintage speakers. I hated to see them go, but I had too many other speaker projects to get to first, and no time to do them. It didn't hurt that I sold them for 9 times what I paid for them. lol

 

[bwagss]

I don't post here often, but this is a great thread. I bought my JBL L-150 Studio Monitors back in 1979 for $756! Military overseas cost (and tax free). Had them re-coned about 7 years ago and tuned. Haven't played them in about 2 years due to trying to find a local & legit Pioneer technitian to do receiver work, but boy did they sound great then....

 

[vtomike]

I don't post here often, but this is a great thread. I bought my JBL L-150 Studio Monitors back in 1979 for $756! Military overseas cost (and tax free). Had them re-coned about 7 years ago and tuned. Haven't played them in about 2 years due to trying to find a local & legit Pioneer technitian to do receiver work, but boy did they sound great then....

My first week with these same speakers. Just re-foamed them and found the correct tweeter. Boy do these sound good . I can't believe how low they can go. I have had other JBL's and sold them because they sounded harsh to me.
I don't see this model talked about to much. Kind of a sleeper i guess.

Actually, mine just say L-150 not studio monitors.

 

[doucanoe]

I think another important distinction to be made is that many who are JBL fans apprectate particular JBL drivers for DIY but at the same time, aren't necessarily that enthusiastic about JBL speakers.

JBL has produced a lot of great product throughout the years along with a ton of well respected speakers that would never make the grade in my home. Also in more recent years, produced a prolific amount absolute dreck that flies under the JBL banner.

I realize this wasn't the focus of the OP's question but believe the two groups (JBL speaker enthusiasts and JBL driver for DIY guys) get lumped together. A plus B does not always equal C.



RC

 

[Suzuki]

This to me is an absurd statement.

Those "radiator" fins were acoustic lenses and designed to control dispersion. They were originally designed at (prepare to genuflect) Western Electric.

Is that radiator fins a patent of JBL? AFAIK, no other SP makers employed that
TRICK. If it is worth introducing for controling dispersion, why others do not follow JBL? I listened to the recent model (exact model NO. is missing)
didn't have fins and didn't sound harsh. That model I listened to at a big electric store wasn't a studio monitor, probably. Yet, it employed 38cm/dia woofer, and was for home use, three way. I don't know WE much as a speaker maker, but WEST LAKE never did do that, I believe.

Taihei Suzuki

 

[hwirt]

Is that radiator fins a patent of JBL? AFAIK, no other SP makers employed that
TRICK. If it is worth introducing for controling dispersion, why others do not follow JBL? I listened to the recent model (exact model NO. is missing)
didn't have fins and didn't sound harsh. That model I listened to at a big electric store wasn't a studio monitor, probably. Yet, it employed 38cm/dia woofer, and was for home use, three way. I don't know WE much as a speaker maker, but WEST LAKE never did do that, I believe.

Taihei Suzuki

If you're hearing harsh sound I doubt it's the fault of the acoustic lens. I have heard and used these lenses on several speakers and the only result was increased dispersion angle. Here is a link with some technical information: http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/acoustic_lens_family1.pdf

 

[westend]

Is that radiator fins a patent of JBL? AFAIK, no other SP makers employed that
TRICK. If it is worth introducing for controling dispersion, why others do not follow JBL? I listened to the recent model (exact model NO. is missing)
didn't have fins and didn't sound harsh. That model I listened to at a big electric store wasn't a studio monitor, probably. Yet, it employed 38cm/dia woofer, and was for home use, three way. I don't know WE much as a speaker maker, but WEST LAKE never did do that, I believe.

Taihei Suzuki

There have been others that used the acoustic lens. This link shows the Shindo horn and there is a description of the Western Electric lens, referenced by Tom B. There have been many uses of it from cheap speakers trying to knockoff the original use to more sophisticated systems like Westrex, JBL, and others. I know one DIY speaker builder that has used a gigantic JBL lens to very good effect. He may agree with you that material may produce a sound akin to what you're hearing but I've listened to this lens and compression driver and would not characterize it as metallic.

 

[grey]

Suzuki,

Kenrick sound is in Tokyo. They should be happy to demo something proper with the acoustic lenses attached. Give a listen and let us know what you think. Their restores and reproductions are top notch.

My answer to the op question:

My first experience with with JBL was not so good. I bought some popular "bookshelf" speakers and never could adjust to them. My second JBL hunting effort years later led me to the 250ti. This is quite a different speaker in every way and much more expensive to produce. They have given me a great introduction to a speaker capable of dynamics. They will move some air with less distortion than nearly everything I have previously owned. When I do everything just right, they will disappear and the only thing left to hear is the music. All of the WOW moments over the past few months tells me I should not constantly tinker with the current system.

The down side is that I'm left with lots of music that is difficult to enjoy with them. They have no problem pointing out bad quality recordings. You can imagine that they are slightly picky about equipment too.

The room is 14x17 with the area behind my head open to another room.