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Back to JBL system/with pictures

Tapehead47 said:
Really impressive stuff, Gonzo. I hope you use wood screws and not nails in your listening room! (however, I CAN see screws backing out of the joists). And you use TWO of them!

'Sumo' seems the appropriate name for your monsters. I remember way back there was a manufacturer of power amps called Sumo. Is that the same company?

The Fortes are really impressive. I've been keeping my neighbors awake nightly. Rumor is they're drawing up a petition...(just kidding).

Rick
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Yep, same company. I believe that there is a current thread that mentions James Bongiorno, who was one of the designers at Sumo, if not the Chief Designer. Great stuff, very HQ. The Sumo's weigh well over 125lbs each! So much HQ/LF authority, I cannot imagine ever needing any more. Glad to see that you're enjoying the Forte's. I hope you get a chance to audition some big compression driver/horn equipped JBL's. They are really something too! Take care Bud, regards, Steve G.
 
I always thought my B380 was heavier than 70 pounds. . .I know this the grill ain't light and using JBL's crossover and either a 565 Adcom or a 555 Adcom bridged that sucker would thump so hard on turn on that it would throw that grill clear across the room. . .

Turn on last turn off first. . .it means it. . .
 
gyusher said:
I always thought my B380 was heavier than 70 pounds. . .I know this the grill ain't light and using JBL's crossover and either a 565 Adcom or a 555 Adcom bridged that sucker would thump so hard on turn on that it would throw that grill clear across the room. . .

Turn on last turn off first. . .it means it. . .
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Funny, yeah that turn on last/turn off first deal is a real gem of wisdom!! These Sumos have 2"x 4" internal bracing all over the place. A little bigger than the B380 by about .5 cu.ft. Hey, I really love those Adcom 565's, they gotta have more than their 300watt rating. I had a chance to pick up a pair at the flea-market of all places. Unfortunately, the guy was selling them with some big Peavey SR speakers, and wouldn't separate. Damn! My Yamaha M80 does a great job though. Very much like the Adcom stuff. Overbuilt, lots of clean dynamic headroom and low impedance drive. Good stuff.
 
Steve G.

You know I lived with 4311's for over 30 years. They're like best friends. I'm still attached to them dearly and I'll always keep a pair. They're sitting on top of my Fortes.

I'm sure there are JBL's of similar size and cost that can perform equal or to better than the Fortes. I'm not the type to search for better stuff all the time in most cases. When I buy a car I keep it until I run the wheels off, for example.

Stereo gear is different as I always buy used, affordable equipment at yardsales. And I run the wheels off that stuff, too. Before kids (21 years ago) I could buy new stuff, but I never needed to replace my speakers. Although I wanted to upgrade them, I never did because they sounded better to me than anyone elses. They never blew, either, which is something I can't say about the used receivers and amps I bought.

So when something fizzled out I would buy a replacement at a yardsale and whip it until I needed another one. Probably, if the JBL's had bit the dust, I would have upgraded them sooner.

Finally I ran across the classified ad for the Klipsch Fortes for $450. I knew Klipsch made some excellent speakers although I'd never heard a pair of any of their speakers. If they had been similar sized JBL's, well, I would have had JBL's instead.

I had to buy speakers while I had some money to spend. If I had waited too long the money would be gone to another cause.

That's the story of my Klipsch Forte aquisition.

Rick
 
Cool Rick, and understood. I like all kinds of speakers/brands myself. I say, if you're pleased with what you have, then by all means, enjoy it. I really mean that. I am a JBL'er, so I promote them, that's all. I'll bet those Forte's really sound wonderful. I've never heard a pair, but from what I read, I have an idea that they are a sweet package. When I suggested that if you ever got a chance to audition some comp. driver equipped JBL's, I meant that to mean that you owe it to yourself to experience them, if you haven't already.
 
Not a thing wrong with a Fort'e raising goosebumps or making your hair grow either. . .

A good speaker is a good speaker and a Fort'e is a good (read GREAT) speaker. . .

Just depends on what you are doing at the moment. . . Typically I hate PRs but Klipsch does it right or at least to my old ears anyway. . .

I like'em both but for two different reasons. Love the loosey goosey Klipsch speakers on a high damping amp like a 565 or a 555II Adcom. . .Great control. . .

Just add muscle to a JBL but you have to add a little finesse to the Fort'e. . .
 
Thanks for the good thoughts, Steve and Guyusher. Using an ADC Mk III eq. and a Pioneer RG-2 warms the Fortes a little. But I don't use those devices all the time.

With or without the outboard boxes I haven't experienced any of the 'harshness' enthusiasts attribute to horns.

Rick
 
System upgrades

My best friend gave me a nice EL34 based 40wpc GoldOx tube amp for my birthday, and I finally got my Energy EAC electronic crossover in good working order, thanks to some good info provided by fellow members.
I've got "starter" tubes in the GoldOx right now, they are powering the JBL 076 Catseye tweeters from 8khz on up.
I've also installed the Energy EAC electronic crossover to manage the twin Sumo's, they're crossed at 50hz/24db per octave L-R filter.
The GoldOx is very quiet, and even with the low range tubes in it, sounds musical. I do not detect any drastic HF roll off. Quite the contrary, it sounds velvety smooth and extended to the naked ear.
The Energy EAC is a real surprise!! What a great crossover! At this early stage in the evaluation, it is every bit as good as the Sumo Delilah. It has a nice little bass boost @ 45hz, and variable from 0 to +6db.
I love the tube sound. It agrees with my taste. The 076 is a smooth operator anyway, but especially sweet with the tube power. I can't hardly wait to hear it with some Svetlana Winged C's or some Mullards :banana:
 

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Steve,

Nice looking rack, there. I think you have it set so you can easily switch components. That's a caster sticking out on the bottom, I'm pretty sure. How often do you swap units?

I see you have a C-70. I have a C-50 which needs some repair (I think). Would the C-50 do about the same job as the 70? I'm thinking of getting tubes someday.

Actually I want a tube pre and a SS power amp. But what ever comes along first will be the winner.

Rick
 
Hey Rick,

I've outgrown that rack. That is actually a wall wart power supply on the bottom to prop up the MX1000u for airflow. I'm looking for a bigger rack, but haven't found one that won't break the bank. If you look at the pictures, you'll see my M80 power amp sitting off to the side.
 
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