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JBL experts: help requested on identifying original drivers in JBL L96!

mattking52

mattking52

Active Member
Hi guys --

So I'm currently talking to a gentleman about a pair of JBL L96 speakers that he has for sale. I've been curious to try a pair of these for a while. He's about an hour drive from me, and I was totally willing to make the drive tomorrow, until I noticed a couple of things in the photos he supplied in his ad.

Here are my concerns (see the attached photo):
1. Woofers: I know the pictures are not very clear, but do these look like they've been either replaced or re-coned to you? The voice coil leads are there, but they are coated in white. I know the stock LE10H-1 woofers usually have two black leads emanating from the voice coil... I also can't tell yet if the cone is textured like the originals, or if it's smooth. I've asked him to send more clear photos in the morning (he's not at home today), and also to unscrew the woofer so I can see the back of it and make sure it's original.

2. Mids: Notice the difference in cone color and voice coil lead spacing. Different production runs, or mismatched drivers? I know these are supposed to be the LE5-12, but I can't make a solid identification from the photos.

Anyways, if I could get some advice from any JBL experts this evening, it would be greatly appreciated; that way I can make an educated decision on whether or not to pick these things up. Thanks!
 

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one can see shadow of the woofers tinsel leads under what looks like a coating or paint of some sort.
the frames certainly appear correct as well as the mids and tweeters.


something is certainly "off" with the woofers though.
 
That was my thought too -- I haven't seen any other pictures on the web of L96 woofers with the tinsel leads covered in white. Were there any white recone kits that were sold?
 
Maybe someone decided that painting the tinsel leads made it look cleaner?
 
Did a quick google search on the speakers, with hundreds of pic samples and most do show the leads but I found others where the leads were covered. So I would tend to believe that maybe either he painted them or the center cap was replaced with a bit larger one if he had them redone. Everything else seems legit by just looking at them on the provided pic. Good luck!
 
I have L96s with original woofers, OE replacements, and JBL factory re-cones and none have white leads. I think these were either re-coned with non-JBL parts, or simply had the cones painted over. The pictures aren't conclusive but my gut tells me the dust domes are a bit too large, too. I'd want to pull the woofers and check the back of the cones for labels or chalk-markings to attempt to verify their provenance. :dunno:
 
BMWCCA said:
...I think these were either re-coned with non-JBL parts, or simply had the cones painted over... my gut tells me the dust domes are a bit too large, too. I'd want to pull the woofers and check the back of the cones for labels or chalk-markings to attempt to verify their provenance. :dunno:
Click to expand...

BMWCCA, my thinking was the same as yours. I had him pull the woofers and send a picture -- though they are original drivers, they do appear to have been reconed. The roll on the foam surround also didn't look to be the right size, which was also a red flag.

The owner was actually able to send me pictures of two documents -- an original '82 bill of sale from Sound World in Wisconsin, and also a 2004 receipt for woofer repair from the same shop in 2004. A search of JBL's authorized service centers didn't come up with any hits for Sound World, but I suppose that doesn't mean they weren't at one point. In any case, there were line items for 1) refoam, and 2) repair on two 10" LE10H-1 woofers, with a price of $95. No part number for the recone kit. I know the JBL factory kit was $200+, so I think it's pretty safe to say that these were aftermarket cones.

In any case, I've decided to pass and hold out for a pair with original/factory cones. The owner is a really nice guy; hopefully he'll find a buyer less picky than me. Thanks a lot!
 
Other than being painted over, the leads are in the right place, and have the right spacing from each other (i.e, close together and parallel), to have been a factory kit.

My guess, is that the original woofer cones were stained or discolored- and the repair shop painted them over before refoaming them and installing new dust caps. Probably wouldn't make a significant change in the sound, but definitely not original in terms of them having slightly more cone mass (due to the paint), and a slightly larger (looks like 3.5") dust cap than original (which was about 3.2").

Frankly, I'd still bet that nobody could tell a sonic difference from a "totally stock" pair. The change in parameters due to the paint (unless, of course, they used 10 coats) is pretty negligible, compared to the normal unit-to-unit variation in woofer parameters, just due to production line variances. And, the crossover point is low enough, that the change to a slightly larger dust cap wouldn't have any real effect on any frequency the woofer would be producing at any significant level...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
GordonW said:
Other than being painted over, the leads are in the right place, and have the right spacing from each other (i.e, close together and parallel), to have been a factory kit.

My guess, is that the original woofer cones were stained or discolored- and the repair shop painted them over before refoaming them and installing new dust caps. Probably wouldn't make a significant change in the sound, but definitely not original in terms of them having slightly more cone mass (due to the paint), and a slightly larger (looks like 3.5") dust cap than original (which was about 3.2").

Frankly, I'd still bet that nobody could tell a sonic difference from a "totally stock" pair. The change in parameters due to the paint (unless, of course, they used 10 coats) is pretty negligible, compared to the normal unit-to-unit variation in woofer parameters, just due to production line variances. And, the crossover point is low enough, that the change to a slightly larger dust cap wouldn't have any real effect on any frequency the woofer would be producing at any significant level...

Regards,
Gordon.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input, Gordon. Did you happen to notice the two LE5-12 mids? Notice the tinsel lead spacing is different, as well as the cone color. Is that a concern?
 
mattking52 said:
Thanks for your input, Gordon. Did you happen to notice the two LE5-12 mids? Notice the tinsel lead spacing is different, as well as the cone color. Is that a concern?
Click to expand...

One of them may have been replaced at one time- but I've seen both lead-spacings on LE5-12s, depending on what year they were made.

I'm thinking it HAS to be factory kits- as that aluminum dust cap is NOT available from any aftermarket source. I deeply wish it WAS, as I see so many of them with dented dust caps...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Looks to me like the surrounds are very slightly wider than the OEM surrounds on an LE10H-1 should be. That and the oversized dust caps suggests a DIY refoam to me, but that's just my guess. I think one of the two mids was replaced, also - not impossible that one would be sun-lightened and the other not, but I'm suspicious of that on what otherwise looks a like a pretty nice pair of L96.

Probably just someone with some skills doing their best to make a fixer pair as presentable as they can, and not a horrible job of it, just falls slightly short of achieving the original look for the drivers.

John
 
my experience with JBLs has led me to hear the L-96 as the one to keep.
I've had L112,L100,L100A,4311,L5,L40,L80T,L100T and a few monitor sized L types.
 
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