Vintage JBL Speakers vs Newer Offerings of Today - OPINIONS?

L112 on the other hand is one of JBL's best 3-ways IMO. I would be quite content with a pair of L112's, even if they were my only speakers.

If we could choose any JBL, the choice would be pretty easy. I'd especially like to get my hands on a higher-end 4-way at some point. Maybe an L250Ti or an XPL200A but I wouldn't mind an L5 or L7.

This. Either newer JBLs, with crossovers actually designed using science and measurements, or at least an L100 updated with one of the modern designs from Parts Express or (I'm blanking on the name - the German guy who has lots of speaker designs on the web)
 
I have gone through at least a dozen or more speakers and never have had the desire to sell my JBL L65s. Had the L100 and 4333a, sold them both. Heard lots high dollar new junk as well, and lately havent been real impressed. The last pair was the top of the line ''Vivid''. What a joke. I think a guy has to have at least five pairs of speakers.:D Spendor BC1 aren't bad either.
 
JBL L80 t3. Bought them new in 86' for $950 new. 1 refoam and they are still going strong. I do not have much to compare them to, so I guess my fondness for them comes from the fact that I know them so well. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
I think we've all had a pair of JBL Century L100s at some stage haven't we? I remember finding a pair in a 2nd hand warehouse under a shelf covered in dust and got them for $35 the pair. After oiling the cabinets and putting 4mm banana sockets on the rear terminal plate and cleaning them inside and out, I gave them a good listen for several months, comparing them to my Sony SSG333es speakers. Not really a fair comparison, but the JBLs sounded really good as remininscing speakers- ie, listening to Fleetwood Mac or the Doobie Brothers or something like that. On anything well recorded, they sounded liked ass. The tweeter was truly an abomination and the mids and tweeters ring in unison, beam and interfere with each other. The only redeeming thing was the driving mid bass and those beautiful looking white cones. They were truly the antithesis of hi fidelity. I sold them to a collector for a very tidy profit and never missed them.
I used to think JBL made great little two ways, but that was when nobody else did. Now there's so many good sounding speakers out there, new, or 90s+ to be had for cents on the dollar.
I agree, Focal for accuracy and I'd take any of the big B&Ws anyday- they are simply magnificent speakers.
 
The Centuries never did it for me, either. For me (consumer oriented) JBLs started sounding good when they switched to the titanium dome tweeters.
 
Ok, I have become a Fan of L100s as my L112s are suffering a tweeter issue in one tweeter. I love my L100s and they represent a huge era of JBL speaker development. They are plain but true and their drivers never falter when my Marantz 2285B is turned up loud! I am grateful to have them but I agree they are not super detail oriented. My vintage ADS have all the Detail - especially when it comes to Jazz. I read somewhere that Alnico magnets are very expensive and are a premium material found in the vintage JBL. Not sure about them 3,000 dollar speakers at the hi-fi store. Some of them High Priced B & W look flimsy in comparison.
 
Had a pair of L100s years ago...orange grilles. '73 or thereabouts. I liked 'em at the time.

Many years later a pair of 4311s passed through my hands. I thought they sounded better, but it could have just been psychological.

That was then, this is now. I'll stick with my Focals.
 
Tough crowd, I'd hate to hear what you all have to say about my set of Radiance series. Although the only stock driver still left is the tweeter.
 
Ok, I have become a Fan of L100s as my L112s are suffering a tweeter issue in one tweeter. I love my L100s and they represent a huge era of JBL speaker development. They are plain but true and their drivers never falter when my Marantz 2285B is turned up loud! I am grateful to have them but I agree they are not super detail oriented. My vintage ADS have all the Detail - especially when it comes to Jazz. I read somewhere that Alnico magnets are very expensive and are a premium material found in the vintage JBL. Not sure about them 3,000 dollar speakers at the hi-fi store. Some of them High Priced B & W look flimsy in comparison.

Exactly how do B & Ws look flimsy? Just because they're not huge square boxes doesn't mean they aren't built well.
 
Followup on Chris Brown: How can you say JBL L100s are a failure? That right there is a false statement. The L100 was factually, one of the best selling bookshelf speaker in the 1970s! How was it a failure? and the whole 60 dollars at Kmart is an insult and everyone would agree! I am not saying they are the best speaker ever made, but man these are pretty dam nice. I scored a nice set a couple months ago and they grace my living room :) I have had many speakers, ADS, Boston Acoustics, Paradigm, and many others and I like them ole L100s and understand them.
 
Since you asked for opinions...

I like L100s. I've had mine since 1976. I bought them after listening to friend's pair. The grilles have been refoamed once, and I've replaced the foam ring around the tweeters.

As to why they were so popular, Stereo Review said, IIRC, "They just seem to let ALL the sound out". And they do, at least to my ears. And speaking of sound, i think mine sound best with vinyl. CDs can get a little too bright, and require adjusting the crossovers.

I don't know what they go for nowadays, but mine were $308 each in '76.
 
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Exactly how do B & Ws look flimsy? Just because they're not huge square boxes doesn't mean they aren't built well.

Ok, I concede, I am judging a book by its cover. I did see some skinny stick like B & W speaker at the store priced at close to 3k and assume my 40 lb each - JBLs gotta be better. I only listened extensively on the larger/beefier looking FOCAL speakers and found more detail for sure in the music.
 
Hey! if you like ..Your JBL's.. then that's all one can ask for.
Popular/widespread view (certainly mine :) is that those are not worth looking at, let alone listening to.
But then I no longer own a pair either :)
 
Sometimes the amount of anti-modern gear on this forum is overwhelming.

Anyone that feels that the BMW CDM1 or 805 looks flimsy has never looked at one.

:screwy:

:D

(But mostly) :screwy:
 
Bottom line: speaker appreciation is subjective. I have a buddy who runs an audio shop and sings the praises of his B&W speaker line. He also loves SS and hates tubes :D. Have listened to the B&Ws he sells and they are OK, just. Remind me a lot of the original Energy speaker line that came out forty years ago here in Canada. Sound good for certain types of music at certain volumes, but...

A properly set up PA system is what makes a band sound the way it does live. You couldn't do that no matter how many B&Ws you hooked up, they just couldn't perform. Me, I like to be able to drive my audio system like you would that well set up PA and not have to worry about too small drivers crapping out lol. :smoke:

Cheers

Lar
 
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Followup on Chris Brown: How can you say JBL L100s are a failure?

I didn't. This is what I said:

I just feel it's a shame, the number of people who base their entire opinion about JBL on the failings of the L100.

Obviously economic success doesn't automatically imply any sort of awesomeness on a technical level. Bose and cheap rack systems come to mind; sold like hotcakes.

Fact is, the L100 is almost always the first model that comes up in any discussion of vintage JBLs, but when it gets down to actual useful recommendations, they are probably close to if not the last model someone would want to pursue were they actually interested in acquiring a vintage JBL.

It must seem like I'm a JBL basher or something. In fact, I love JBL. It's almost all I own. The problem is that, as a JBL owner, I constantly have to deal with stereotypes that were mostly created in the area of the L100. The whole "West coast sound" thing, along with stereotypes of boomy bass, etc. Some of that carries over into newer speakers I have like the L150 and L100T, but ultimately the differences are substantial and I still encounter too many who won't even give any of the newer JBLs a chance, due to the reputation of the L100. :no:
 
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Some of that carries over into newer speakers I have like the L150 and L100T, but ultimately the differences are substantial and I still encounter too many who won't even give any of the newer JBLs a chance, due to the reputation of the L100. :no:

But what newer JBLs, Chris? Aside from a couple of excellent and expensive image products just what does the company make for most audiophiles? A look at their website shows a confusing mish-mash of products many of which seem to be in conflict with one another. Cheap vinyl finish cabinets and tacky looking plastic "kabuki" driver treatments seem to be their stock in trade. I know some of their pro products are worthwhile but I've been interested in JBL for over 40 years, what's the average audiophile to think when he looks at what JBL consumer is selling? Nothing special at best, junk at worst.

I'm a guy who's owned quite a bit of JBL gear over the years and soon I'll be buying some new speakers and JBL isn't even on my radar; what is is Harbeth, Spendor, Monitor Audio, Rega and Stirling. I see nothing JBL has that interests me other than some very interesting small powered studio monitors with room correction (which would mean my taking the hobby in a new direction).

I think Revel has become Harman's quality audiophile brand, relegating JBL to mid grade consumer, home theater and pro sound.
 
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