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JBL 4315 vs. Yamaha NS-2000

Which would you pick?

  • JBL 4315

    Votes: 15 60.0%

  • Yamaha NS-2000

    Votes: 10 40.0%
  • Total voters
    25
cbcl

cbcl

New Member
So on Craigslist in San Francisco there's a set of nice JBL 4315s for $3000 and a set of Yamaha NS-2000s for $2900.

Which would you pick (if you had the money to burn, of course), and why? Bonus points if you've heard either one.

Curious how much of a bump in performance I'd see over my JBL 4410As. I previously owned JBL 4311Bs and narrowly prefer the clarity of the newer model.
 

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Hard to go wrong either way. I'd go with the Yamaha. Nothing at all against the JBL's other than the Yamaha are rarer and REALLY good sounding.

If they don't do t for you, you can always go back to the JBL's.
 
Those are both cool looking I haven’t heard either , did you check market prices of these ? 3k sounds like a lot for a Yamaha , or jbl but they are in mint ?
Well that guy said Yamahas are rarer so pick your poison might-not find those again often.
 
I've only owned the 4315, not the NS-2000. It's a truly great speaker. A friend described it as "soundstage as big as Vienna!" It very big, but less than a foot deep, and designed for wall placement, so doesn't take up a lot of space. And they have that amazing 8" full-range, used here only upper bass/low mid. I had to refoam 4 drivers, and replace lots of crossover parts — but SO worth it. Mine cost much less, but that was over a decade ago and they needed all the work. If yours don't need work, $3K may be a good price.

You'll never want to part with them. Even if you get other speakers down the line, you'll keep the JBLs — and if you don't, you might do what I do: kick myself every day.
 
cbcl said:
So on Craigslist in San Francisco there's a set of nice JBL 4315s for $3000 and a set of Yamaha NS-2000s for $2900.

Which would you pick (if you had the money to burn, of course), and why? Bonus points if you've heard either one.

Curious how much of a bump in performance I'd see over my JBL 4410As. I previously owned JBL 4311Bs and narrowly prefer the clarity of the newer model.
Click to expand...
So what happened,what didja buy? Don't leave us hangin.
 
just dave said:
So what happened,what didja buy? Don't leave us hangin.
Click to expand...

I didn't end up going with either, but I can say that the JBLs are long gone and the Yamahas are still on Craigslist. I think that says something right there. I'll probably hold onto these 4410As for a while (I can't find any fault with them) and save up for either 4429s or go the active route with the LSR6328P or 708P.
 
cbcl said:
... the Yamahas are still on Craigslist. I think that says something right there.
Click to expand...

That pair of NS-2000's are priced as if they're in excellent condition, but they're missing the original walnut veneer and look awful.
 
cbcl said:
I didn't end up going with either, but I can say that the JBLs are long gone and the Yamahas are still on Craigslist. I think that says something right there. I'll probably hold onto these 4410As for a while (I can't find any fault with them) and save up for either 4429s or go the active route with the LSR6328P or 708P.
Click to expand...

There's a pair of 4315s that have been listed on the Los Angeles C/L for a long time. Starting at $3,300, they are at $3,000, but I saw them as little as $2,500 one week.

00h0h_ewRG5mZ0kP0_600x450.jpg
 
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I praised the 4315s earlier. I had them at the same time I had Yammie NS-1000Ms. No contest; I sold the Yammies.

I can't assess the JBL's value at $3000+ — I paid a tenth of that. But it'll take a pretty damn great speaker to top them.
 
I am not fond of either speaker. The Yamaha has more extended bass and is less efficient but handles more power. So they play about the same level with a 60 watt amp for the JBL and a 200+ watt amp for the Yamaha. I definitely don't like the peaky response of JBLs ring radiator and the over bright balance of JBL's monitor speakers. The coloring of the Yamaha Beryllium midrange doesn't make me happy either. With a $3000 dollar budget I would keep looking. Mac XR-7 and XRT-22 will reach and octave lower for less money. Maybe you could find some older B&W 801's or 802's. The latest models have to much emphasis around 10 KHz. Used Snell. B7 is another alternative. If you like horn loaded speakers a pre-owned Cornwall or maybe you can find a dinged pair of Forte III on the cheap with the new tweeters that are flat to beyond 20 KHZ. If you could find a newer pair of JBL's like the 4430 or if you have the space for a pair of 4435's you would be way ahead. If I had a pair of 44345 I would rotate them 90 degrees with the woofers stacked vertically and the horn on top having been rotated 90 degrees also. I don't recommend speakers with less than 94 db sensitivity. The idea of buying big amps just rubs me the wrong way.
 
"The Yamaha has more extended bass and is less efficient but handles more power. So they play about the same level with a 60 watt amp for the JBL and a 200+ watt amp for the Yamaha. I definitely don't like the peaky response of JBLs ring radiator and the over bright balance of JBL's monitor speakers. The coloring of the Yamaha Beryllium midrange doesn't make me happy either."

I agree/disagree. As mentioned above, I had both at the same time, in the same room. My 4315s' bass was better, no question. The 1000s were weak — this was acknowledged at the time: a killer looking woofer that wimped-out. Yamaha suggested a "boost" and added it to their intended partnering amps. (But you do say "more extended": if that means "deeper" i.e. lower bass notes, I haven't seen the specs but I didn't notice it: the generally weak bass dominated my attention.)

As for other criticisms of the 4315, I had to replace many crossover components — the speakers didn't even work when I got them. I found dry joints, bulging caps and rusted resistors. It may be the new parts, bringing it back to spec, solved the problems you heard.

You're right about the sensitivity. I even used a meager 15-Watt amp (Cary 2A3) with the 4315s, the bass kicked A, and neighbors called me nasty names.
 
I own a pair of NS-2000's and love them. The beryllium midrange is beryllium colored and sounds wonderful.
 
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