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Cheap and (Pretty) Easy JBL 4430 Upgrade

Think I'm going to look into cleaning the crossover switch and upgrading the binding posts first. Don't want to remove the switch yet as I'd like to try out the factory external crossover with 4435 cards that I've had stored under the bed for a couple of years now. Figure my MC452 would be great on the woofers and could play around with the MC240 or Marantz 8b on the horns. Also thinking about swapping out the diaphrams for radian units. Sounding damn sweet powered by the mc452 right now tho. Using a schiit sys ($49) as a passive / attenuator which sounds great! Interested to see how it sounds with the marantz 7c arriving Monday :bigok:
 
Don Bocadill said:
Think I'm going to look into cleaning the crossover switch and upgrading the binding posts first. Don't want to remove the switch yet as I'd like to try out the factory external crossover with 4435 cards that I've had stored under the bed for a couple of years now. Figure my MC452 would be great on the woofers and could play around with the MC240 or Marantz 8b on the horns. Also thinking about swapping out the diaphrams for radian units. Sounding damn sweet powered by the mc452 right now tho. Using a schiit sys ($49) as a passive / attenuator which sounds great! Interested to see how it sounds with the marantz 7c arriving Monday :bigok:
Click to expand...

GEEZ!!! 8B & 7C & 452 should be wonderful! No, make that sublime!!
 
Hi All,
Anyone have used Super treble JBL UT-405 yet? See the pictures, it use jbl 2405 driver and have its own crossover with selective cut frequency. Should we add this for Jbl 4430 that is quite lack of super high frequency? Please advise!

IMG_7592.JPG IMG_7594.JPG
 
Dragon.fly, that is an interesting unit, one that I'd never seen before.

Every thread I've read about adding any UHF drivers to the 4430, wound up concluding that it caused more problems, in terms of phase and/or timing and/or dispersion, than it solved.

The 4430s play nicely up to about 16KHz, and my hearing drops off closer to 14KHz, so for me it's a non-issue. Have you tested your hearing? How high can you hear?
 
Oh you changed avatar. You have upgraded to 4435? Really better than 4430?
I am just curious to see people often have aditional UHF units on top of their speakers. Some are very expensive. In addition, in specification, 4430's high frequency is lower than the other 43xx. So I think if adding UHF has real efectiveness, I could buy ones.
Anyways I cannot hear 16khz higher, and you are experienced, so I will follow your advice. Thanks!

Zonker92 said:
Dragon.fly, that is an interesting unit, one that I'd never seen before.

Every thread I've read about adding any UHF drivers to the 4430, wound up concluding that it caused more problems, in terms of phase and/or timing and/or dispersion, than it solved.

The 4430s play nicely up to about 16KHz, and my hearing drops off closer to 14KHz, so for me it's a non-issue. Have you tested your hearing? How high can you hear?
Click to expand...
Zonker92 said:
Dragon.fly, that is an interesting unit, one that I'd never seen before.

Every thread I've read about adding any UHF drivers to the 4430, wound up concluding that it caused more problems, in terms of phase and/or timing and/or dispersion, than it solved.

The 4430s play nicely up to about 16KHz, and my hearing drops off closer to 14KHz, so for me it's a non-issue. Have you tested your hearing? How high can you hear?
Click to expand...
 
I think some people just really like adding tweeters to speakers. :)

The 4435s have significantly better low-end bass and (to my ears) smoother midrange. However, they are also huge!
 
I have never found the highs (or anything else for that matter) lacking in the 4435s. They roll off at 16K. Right up to and including that point they offer treble that is delicate but detailed, sweet but not saccharin, and neutral but not neutered. What more could one want? The 4430 / 4435 series is perhaps one of the least fatiguing speakers ever produced, and this is not to knock the various excellent bullet and / or slot tweeters.
 
Hi Zonker,
JBL4343 is very loved in my country. Some year before, it cost lower than 4344 but now higher.
I intend to buy one.
But I also found a very rare couple of Jbl 4341 with same price as 4343. Same drivers as 4343 but crossover of 4341 is for passive power only; 4343 is switchable between internal/external.
If I will do passive only; 4341 has advantage of having no stupid switch design as you said for our 4430 before.
How do you think? Please advice!
Thank you very much.
DF
 
4343 has the upper baffle panel that can be rotated for horizontal or vertical mode.
and, the same crossover points are used in model 4341, 4343, 4345 4 way monitors.
So get the best available crossover for any of them (keep the original for collector's value).

I had a pair of 4341 - same drivers as 4343 but in a somewhat smaller cabinet.
They use an even older crossover design (early 70s era design).Great improvement
can be realized by swapping it a more modern charge coupled 4345 type crossover -
this is detailed pretty well in the Lansing Heritage Forum site:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...343-crossover-modifications&p=52286#post52286

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Heather (above) clearly knows more about those models than I do, but for my part, I’d get them in a heartbeat.
 
Zonker92 said:
Heather (above) clearly knows more about those models than I do, but for my part, I’d get them in a heartbeat.
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I did not mean to be confusing -
If I had a choice at the same price, I'd go for the 4343 because of the more flexible front panel layout,
but if price IS an issue, def buy the 4341s! (I did!)
I liked the 4341 I owned - the smaller cabinet makes it easier to deal with in MANY ways,
and you can do a lot to get the most of of that model ...
 
Thank you Hjames and Zonker!
In my country, 4341 in fact is more expensive than 4343 about 5%, not so much, maybe because it is very rare. 4344 cost about 5% less than 4343; And 4345 cost about 150% of 4343. I head that 4344 and 4345 is more difficult to drive due to their ferrite drivers in stead of alnico in 4341/4343.
I think that the drivers of 4341/4343 are all the same. Only considering 4341 because the crossover is for passive only, means having no stupid switch that could affect sound quality like Zonker talk about in this topic.
Any further advise please. If not, I may choose 4343, easy to find here.
Thanks!

hjames said:
I did not mean to be confusing -
If I had a choice at the same price, I'd go for the 4343 because of the more flexible front panel layout,
but if price IS an issue, def buy the 4341s! (I did!)
I liked the 4341 I owned - the smaller cabinet makes it easier to deal with in MANY ways,
and you can do a lot to get the most of of that model ...
Click to expand...
 
Hi Zonker and all,
I recently decided not to buy 4343 right now and still keep my 4430.
Basically I am very satisfied with my current system. One problem that I don't know how to solve: when sitting directly in the middle, the sound stage is very clear (more than other vintage JBL speakers I have seen). But when just move a little from the middle (to left for example), the stage then move to left and voice seem to be from speaker.
Tried to change speakers, and sit location, change the angle of speakers... but not much improved.
Only me listening is no problem, but not good when more people to listen same time.
Have you experienced the same problem? Please advice!
Thanks.
 
I’m not sure, but you might consider whether you’re getting reflections from the side walls, and look into room treatment options.

I have yet to explore room treatments myself, but I understand you can start by placing mirrors by the walls and moving them around until you can see the speakers in them from your listening position. Then put sound damping material at those locations on the walls.
 
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I have done that room treatment works, you could review the below clip. Satisfied when sitting in right place. The room is really quiet now.
Thanks!

Zonker92 said:
I’m not sure, but you might consider whether you’re getting reflections from the side walls, and look into room treatment options.

I have yet to explore room treatments myself, but I understand you can start by placing mirrors by the walls and moving them around until you can see the speakers in them from your listening position. Then put sound damping material at those locations on the walls.
Click to expand...
 
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Hey peeps, just joined here! thanks for the tip Zonker, looking forward to do this mod when I find a decent pair of 4430s (I'm located in Beirut, Lebanon).

What do you think of pairing these with an Accuphase P500?

Cheers
 
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