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Is buying scratch & dent JBL L100 Classics a death wish?

M

miataman

New Member
Hello all,

I’ve been lusting after a pair of JBL L100 classics for a while now but the price tag is more than I can afford.

Queue finding a gentleman selling various cabinets being sold with no-returns that were “damaged during shipping”. Pictures are attached. He says the speakers work and sounds great. Price is $2k shipped for a pair.

What do you guys think, would this kind of damage make you run for the hills, or is it reasonable to gamble here?

AFAIK JBL L100s are not an acoustic suspension design, so damage to the integrity of the cabinet, even at the corners, shouldn’t matter?? I’m also not sure what type of damage would cause splitting like that… Humidity?

It’s either this or I was going to pivot to Lintons/the new Leak Sandwich 250s.

Appreciate your inputs!!
 

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One way of answering your question, could you sell them at that price if needed? How quickly?

Myself would be looking to make a profit at least a little if deciding to sell down the road.

To many unknowns buying untested, only pictures and words to go buy. No refund no return.....
Agree pass them by.
 
miataman said:
Hello all,

I’ve been lusting after a pair of JBL L100 classics for a while now but the price tag is more than I can afford.

Queue finding a gentleman selling various cabinets being sold with no-returns that were “damaged during shipping”. Pictures are attached. He says the speakers work and sounds great. Price is $2k shipped for a pair.

What do you guys think, would this kind of damage make you run for the hills, or is it reasonable to gamble here?

AFAIK JBL L100s are not an acoustic suspension design, so damage to the integrity of the cabinet, even at the corners, shouldn’t matter?? I’m also not sure what type of damage would cause splitting like that… Humidity?

It’s either this or I was going to pivot to Lintons/the new Leak Sandwich 250s.

Appreciate your inputs!!
Click to expand...

seems a bit high considering all the damage the cabinets have sustained. If you really want a pair of the classics keep watching for them on the shark.
 
A little high, but not outrageous if that is the full extent of the damage, especially since the price includes shipping. I'm not seeing any better deals on hifishark; sure there are cheaper pairs, but they're quite a bit more beat up.

That split is tiny (look at the size of his finger in the shot), probably just slight veneer separation from getting bumped around, I wouldn't automatically assume moisture. They were $4k speakers when they were new, and that was only a couple years ago. These speakers are too new for it to be reasonable to assume you'll make any money selling them down the road, even if they were in perfect condition; they're still depreciating. Cost of buying new(ish) speakers.
 
Used speakers in so-so or below average condition can become a real money pit, so be careful. Cabinet imperfections that involve chipped veneer that doesn't affect the sound may be OK. But $2K for these JBL's seems too much. There are better choices than the L-100's in that price range.
 
homebrew said:
Used speakers in so-so or below average condition can become a real money pit, so be careful. Cabinet imperfections that involve chipped veneer that doesn't affect the sound may be OK. But $2K for these JBL's seems too much. There are better choices than the L-100's in that price range.
Click to expand...
Are the new JBL L100 really that bad? I thought they voiced the new ones to be more accurate than the original release.
Are they just a nostalgia money grab, and not worth half their retail price?

I don’t know enough about them myself to have an opinion.
 
homebrew said:
Used speakers in so-so or below average condition can become a real money pit, so be careful. Cabinet imperfections that involve chipped veneer that doesn't affect the sound may be OK. But $2K for these JBL's seems too much. There are better choices than the L-100's in that price range.
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As long as you are aware that the OP is referring to JBL L100 "Classic" with an upper-case "C" and I always use quotes to differentiate these brand-new JBL models (which retail for $5000/pair) from those catastrophes produced in the '70s. ;)
 
A23gt said:
Are the new JBL L100 really that bad? I thought they voiced the new ones to be more accurate than the original release.
Are they just a nostalgia money grab, and not worth half their retail price?

I don’t know enough about them myself to have an opinion.
Click to expand...
Talking about the L-100's of the 70's, not the over-priced new models. It's easy to get confused here.
 
To me, two grand is absurd.
When they came out, I thought they looked cool as hell, and sounded okay, but couldn't afford them. Decades later, when I could afford them at tage sales, if the grills were in good shape, I still thought they looked cool as hell, but not many had the grills - they'd decomposed. And in the intervening period I'd heard a lot of excellent speakers, so how they sounded was less convincing - it is possible that recapping would have helped (but not if the high end was brightened up even further) - they just sounded like speakers.
They are certainly fun to listen to on many types of music - rock and jazz are obvious - but a large part of their appeal is looks. So cabinet damage and bad grills would be big issues to me, even if they were a couple of hundred bucks. You may have a different calculus of value, and that is fine. But you did ask.
 
Very much appreciating everyone’s inputs!!

I do want to clarify: When I refer to the “Classics”, I am in fact referring to the reissue version of the JBL 100s that started in 2018 or so.

My understanding is that the vintage JBL L100s are known as the “Century”.

The damaged pair I’m looking at is from the modern re-issue series that retails for around $4k for a set.
 
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Nat said:
To me, two grand is absurd.
When they came out, I thought they looked cool as hell, and sounded okay, but couldn't afford them. Decades later, when I could afford them at tage sales, if the grills were in good shape, I still thought they looked cool as hell, but not many had the grills - they'd decomposed. And in the intervening period I'd heard a lot of excellent speakers, so how they sounded was less convincing - it is possible that recapping would have helped (but not if the high end was brightened up even further) - they just sounded like speakers.
They are certainly fun to listen to on many types of music - rock and jazz are obvious - but a large part of their appeal is looks. So cabinet damage and bad grills would be big issues to me, even if they were a couple of hundred bucks. You may have a different calculus of value, and that is fine. But you did ask.
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The OP isn’t speaking of the1970’s L100. He’s speaking about the new ones that came out a couple of years ago. My understanding is they don’t share anything but the name of the originals.I’m not sure how the new ones sound, but they are rather expensive at somewhere between 4 and 5 grand.

Edit… I’m slow and this was already covered by OP. :)
 
homebrew said:
Talking about the L-100's of the 70's, not the over-priced new models. It's easy to get confused here.
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Homebrew, what do you like in the $2k range personally? I like the sort of vintage/warm (yuck, I’m sorry, I know these are buzzwords) sound that the L100s put out. And I enjoy the retro styling.
 
homebrew said:
I'm a DIY guy so I can't help much with store bought stuff. My leanings are more toward this stuff. There's a lot of good info on the GR Research website even if you're not inclined to roll your own.

“Old School” Brute Kit | GR-Research

gr-research.com gr-research.com
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Got it... With the handle "Homebrew" that makes sense ;)

Appreciate the rec. If I had the tools/space I'd probably jump down the DIY rabbit hole more readily. But they look nice!
 
Nat said:
To me, two grand is absurd.
When they came out, I thought they looked cool as hell, and sounded okay, but couldn't afford them. Decades later, when I could afford them at tage sales, if the grills were in good shape, I still thought they looked cool as hell, but not many had the grills - they'd decomposed. And in the intervening period I'd heard a lot of excellent speakers, so how they sounded was less convincing - it is possible that recapping would have helped (but not if the high end was brightened up even further) - they just sounded like speakers.
They are certainly fun to listen to on many types of music - rock and jazz are obvious - but a large part of their appeal is looks. So cabinet damage and bad grills would be big issues to me, even if they were a couple of hundred bucks. You may have a different calculus of value, and that is fine. But you did ask.
Click to expand...
It's not your fault that JBL chose to muddy the waters by naming their new speakers L100 "Classic". But it is incumbent upon the rest of us to make a distinction when talking about them. As the owner of an original L100 in-line pair from the early '70s and knowing the designer of the new "Classic" version, I'd have to say there is little comparison between the two beyond the Quadrex grille design. Use of the word "New" with the term "Classic" and using the capital "C" as well as quotation marks helps me to emphasize the distinction.

Of course paying attention and actually reading threads and looking at photos before making comments reviving the standard JBL tropes can't hurt, either.

:beerchug:
 
Well, mea culpa, egg on my face etc. I had forgotten, if I ever knew, that JBL resissued the Centuries. But actually, my opinion is the same either way. To my mind, an damaged version of an expensive reissue of a classic that isn't even like the classic is a dubious purchase, both in terms of sound for the money and in terms of collectibility. I may be wrong, but I doubt that twenty years from now audiophiles will be salivating over the reissue - the original, however, is cool for all sorts of reasons, and for the right kind of music and listener, it's an exciting speaker. A modern, version, which, if A23gt is correct doesn't even sound the same, probably won't stand out among the large number of expensive, good, and not distinctive speakers on sale now.
 
Nat said:
I may be wrong, but I doubt that twenty years from now audiophiles will be salivating over the reissue - the original, however, is cool for all sorts of reasons
Click to expand...

I remember a review in the '90s of the AR-303 where the reviewer portrayed them as an updated and improved version of the AR-3. I doubt the 303s would bring AR-3 money today.
 
The OP didn't state that he is looking for an investment opportunity.

It seems his concern is whether or not the physical damage to the enclosures compromises the performance of the speakers.
 
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