JBL L100 help assessing quality!

[iamConfusion]

Hi All,

A guy in Pittsburgh is selling these JBL L100’s

I happen to buy something else off him and saw he had these, told him they were sort of legendary and he seemed surprised (the gentleman had them kind of tucked away for aesthetics i’m sure, kind of hurt my soul a bit to see)

i’ve never owned the L100’s so I was wondering if anyone could comment on their enduribg value today?

Photos attached!

i’m kind of doing this as a favor for him, not personally trying to buy these as i dont think i could afford them right now

thanks all!

 

[swechsler]

Did you search the forum before posting this? The L100 is probably one of the most, if not the most discussed speaker here.

 

[iamConfusion]

The question is more to this particular L100 and today’s market

Thanks for your reply though!

i’ll be more precise in my language in the future

 

[swechsler]

By "enduring value", do you mean monetary value? If so, that question belongs in Dollars & Sense, but it's been covered enough that I'd say the most recent posts there would still be accurate. Likewise, if you're looking for comparisons to other speakers, current and vintage, that question has also been asked and answered ad nauseum. I guess I'm not seeing how what you're asking is different from what's been asked over and over. Note that I'm not criticizing you, I'm trying to understand.

 

[z-adamson]

On the open local market, $800-$1000.

 

[iamConfusion]

Seemed faster to just post the specific photos is all

But I respect the issue of posts being buried by commonly addressed posts, I’ll put a little more effort into searching first next time

And so any question about monetary value goes into “Dollars and cents”? That’s good to know!

By "enduring value", do you mean monetary value? If so, that question belongs in Dollars & Sense, but it's been covered enough that I'd say the most recent posts there would still be accurate. Likewise, if you're looking for comparisons to other speakers, current and vintage, that question has also been asked and answered ad nauseum. I guess I'm not seeing how what you're asking is different from what's been asked over and over. Note that I'm not criticizing you, I'm trying to understand.

 

[SaturationPt]

The $800-$1,000 is a very good buying price IMO.

The pair you have photographed appears to be the L100A (Late) model, the last version of that series (of 3). The woofers are in their correct orientation which indicates to me that they have not been removed for any reason, doping around the woofer cones appears shiny and not drooling at the bottom which indicates they have been in air-conditioning most or all of their existance with grilles (of some sort) installed to reduce dust sticking to them. Woofer cones are in good condition without spills/stains, tweeter and midrange are a nice original dark gray which is also fairly hard to find (and hard to match if you look for a replacement, but not impossible), original foam diffuser apparently on the tweeters (cheap and easy to replace) decayed which is normal, cabinets seem to be (from photos) in VG to excellent original condition. This would IMO put it well into the $1,000 range as they are in collector condition (from photos anyway).

They need one new tweeter, the dented one should be replaced (some will repair, I don't recommend it for premium/collector condition, used ones in excellent condition show up fairly frequently and matched pairs aren't as critical in these speakers IMO), new diffraction rings/foam on both tweeters, and the only big-dollar repair being new quadrex II foam grilles, IIRC this is around $300 in any color from Sculpted Foam Innovations to make them perfect.

Close (or sequential) serial numbers will bump the value up, boxes and documentation will also.

This is assuming that there aren't any significant blemishes in the cabinets etc. Also the walnut grille frames under the black cloth wrap are assumed to be in good condition (although these can be replaced, not cheap).

For reference, my 10/10 original, sequential S/N pair of L100A (late) Century speakers sold in December of 2019 for $3,250 plus shipping. These were actual 10/10 with perfect blue grilles, no boxes, and I had a back-up buyer for them matching the selling price. Excellent condition ones are very collectible.

Now as far as sound quality:

They are vintage speakers, were designed to be the consumer version of the JBL 4311 control monitor, and have a little bit of midbass enhancement designed in. They will never image like a pefect new pair of speakers, nor will they be as flat, nor will they have the phase-linearity, ... etc. What they do is sound very much like the speakers that were used for mastering lots and lots of music in their era, the sound that the Mixing Engineer wanted to hear when he called his work complete and sent the master tape off to make albums. They have a great lively sound, are capable of pretty high SPLs with modest power, and many people love the sound (especially on that vintage rock).

Even more though, they are that speaker from the Maxell "Blown Away" poster, and the iconic speaker of 1970, that many remember. They are a statement piece in a collection, a focal point in a system, the perfect speaker to tie to your marantz 2270 or Pioneer SX-1010 for the perfect look and sound of the era.

Best of luck.

 

[iamConfusion]

Wow what an extremely helpful analysis thank you!!

The $800-$1,000 is a very good buying price IMO.

The pair you have photographed appears to be the L100A (Late) model, the last version of that series (of 3). The woofers are in their correct orientation which indicates to me that they have not been removed for any reason, doping around the woofer cones appears shiny and not drooling at the bottom which indicates they have been in air-conditioning most or all of their existance with grilles (of some sort) installed to reduce dust sticking to them. Woofer cones are in good condition without spills/stains, tweeter and midrange are a nice original dark gray which is also fairly hard to find (and hard to match if you look for a replacement, but not impossible), original foam diffuser apparently on the tweeters (cheap and easy to replace) decayed which is normal, cabinets seem to be (from photos) in VG to excellent original condition. This would IMO put it well into the $1,000 range as they are in collector condition (from photos anyway).

They need one new tweeter, the dented one should be replaced (some will repair, I don't recommend it for premium/collector condition, used ones in excellent condition show up fairly frequently and matched pairs aren't as critical in these speakers IMO), new diffraction rings/foam on both tweeters, and the only big-dollar repair being new quadrex II foam grilles, IIRC this is around $300 in any color from Sculpted Foam Innovations to make them perfect.

Close (or sequential) serial numbers will bump the value up, boxes and documentation will also.

This is assuming that there aren't any significant blemishes in the cabinets etc. Also the walnut grille frames under the black cloth wrap are assumed to be in good condition (although these can be replaced, not cheap).

For reference, my 10/10 original, sequential S/N pair of L100A (late) Century speakers sold in December of 2019 for $3,250 plus shipping. These were actual 10/10 with perfect blue grilles, no boxes, and I had a back-up buyer for them matching the selling price. Excellent condition ones are very collectible.

Now as far as sound quality:

They are vintage speakers, were designed to be the consumer version of the JBL 4311 control monitor, and have a little bit of midbass enhancement designed in. They will never image like a pefect new pair of speakers, nor will they be as flat, nor will they have the phase-linearity, ... etc. What they do is sound very much like the speakers that were used for mastering lots and lots of music in their era, the sound that the Mixing Engineer wanted to hear when he called his work complete and sent the master tape off to make albums. They have a great lively sound, are capable of pretty high SPLs with modest power, and many people love the sound (especially on that vintage rock).

Even more though, they are that speaker from the Maxell "Blown Away" poster, and the iconic speaker of 1970, that many remember. They are a statement piece in a collection, a focal point in a system, the perfect speaker to tie to your marantz 2270 or Pioneer SX-1010 for the perfect look and sound of the era.

Best of luck.

 

[superdog]

I have a very nice pair in 9 out of 10 condition with the original foam ring around the tweeters.They were found in a thrift store for $35 about ten years ago.They were at one time on the fence with me but as the vintage market has exploded they have become more valuable to me not from a monetary aspect but for their iconic status in vintage audif course I like the sound paired with a vintage 70s receiver (Sony 7065).

 

[SoCal Sam]

The $800-$1,000 is a very good buying price IMO.

The pair you have photographed appears to be the L100A (Late) model, the last version of that series (of 3). The woofers are in their correct orientation which indicates to me that they have not been removed for any reason, doping around the woofer cones appears shiny and not drooling at the bottom which indicates they have been in air-conditioning most or all of their existance with grilles (of some sort) installed to reduce dust sticking to them. Woofer cones are in good condition without spills/stains, tweeter and midrange are a nice original dark gray which is also fairly hard to find (and hard to match if you look for a replacement, but not impossible), original foam diffuser apparently on the tweeters (cheap and easy to replace) decayed which is normal, cabinets seem to be (from photos) in VG to excellent original condition. This would IMO put it well into the $1,000 range as they are in collector condition (from photos anyway).

They need one new tweeter, the dented one should be replaced (some will repair, I don't recommend it for premium/collector condition, used ones in excellent condition show up fairly frequently and matched pairs aren't as critical in these speakers IMO), new diffraction rings/foam on both tweeters, and the only big-dollar repair being new quadrex II foam grilles, IIRC this is around $300 in any color from Sculpted Foam Innovations to make them perfect.

Close (or sequential) serial numbers will bump the value up, boxes and documentation will also.

This is assuming that there aren't any significant blemishes in the cabinets etc. Also the walnut grille frames under the black cloth wrap are assumed to be in good condition (although these can be replaced, not cheap).

For reference, my 10/10 original, sequential S/N pair of L100A (late) Century speakers sold in December of 2019 for $3,250 plus shipping. These were actual 10/10 with perfect blue grilles, no boxes, and I had a back-up buyer for them matching the selling price. Excellent condition ones are very collectible.

Now as far as sound quality:

They are vintage speakers, were designed to be the consumer version of the JBL 4311 control monitor, and have a little bit of midbass enhancement designed in. They will never image like a pefect new pair of speakers, nor will they be as flat, nor will they have the phase-linearity, ... etc. What they do is sound very much like the speakers that were used for mastering lots and lots of music in their era, the sound that the Mixing Engineer wanted to hear when he called his work complete and sent the master tape off to make albums. They have a great lively sound, are capable of pretty high SPLs with modest power, and many people love the sound (especially on that vintage rock).

Even more though, they are that speaker from the Maxell "Blown Away" poster, and the iconic speaker of 1970, that many remember. They are a statement piece in a collection, a focal point in a system, the perfect speaker to tie to your marantz 2270 or Pioneer SX-1010 for the perfect look and sound of the era.

Best of luck.

Excellent assessment. L100 is early 1970's design when solid state was not as powerful nor as fast as today's offerings. Amps needed help and the L100's generous bass and bright top end filled out the spectrum nicely for slow and dull sounding receivers. Paired with modern, fast amps, the L100 sounds supernova bright. LE5 and LE25 paper drivers are the culprits. Paper's material resonance is close to audible so there is cascade effect and some added upper mid and highs. With the wrong amp, they can be fatiguing. If you are running a period correct receiver like the aforementioned 2270 or SX-1010, L100 pairs up very nicely.

 

[SoCal Sam]

I have a very nice pair in 9 out of 10 condition with the original foam ring around the tweeters.They were found in a thrift store for $35 about ten years ago.They were at one time on the fence with me but as the vintage market has exploded they have become more valuable to me not from a monetary aspect but for their iconic status in vintage audif course I like the sound paired with a vintage 70s receiver (Sony 7065).

I wish I had kept my classic Just Bass Loud scores. I've had more then a few L100's, all sold well before they took off in value. Same with HPM's. I've had more HPM-100's than I can remember. Didn't like the sound so it was an easy decision then.

 

[62vauxhall]

Way back in the early part of the 1970's, a then time friend got JBL Century 100's and an HK Citation 11 & 12 on an insurance settlement from a theft. From a dollar value standpoint what he got was in his favor, not the insurance company's, because they were replacements for an Roberts (or Akai} receiver and clones of some Sansui fretwork grill 3 way speakers.

I was a frequent guest in his home and his main criteria for a stereo system was that it play loud.

Those JBL 100's were the first I'd heard and it was instant dislike. If they were played at a level low enough to allow conversation they were fine but when people are talking, you don't pay attention to how the stereo is sounding. But to me, at a substantial volume they had weak bass and were too aggressive in the higher frequencies. .

Years later I was employed by a large audio retailer that carried JBL but largely models like the 4310 / 4311. Might have been from my L100 exposure but I didn't like those either. Pretty much the same darned things anyway. That dealer had both the black utility/studio and the gentrified walnut veneered versions. I can only remember one pair of the walnuts being sold and none of the black ones.

Also on hand were Yamaha NS10M Pros and those sold much better than JBL's did to locals involved with recording studios as control room monitors.

FWIW, I had at the time a double Advent setup which were my only speakers from 1973 until 1994 or so. Just my opinion but compared to the Advents, JBL 100's were not speakers I could live with. These days, as far as I'm concerned, the most desireable quality of L100's is what people will pay for them. I cannot and never will appreciate why they achieved "iconic status". Truly nothing to write home about.

 

[markshan]

LE5 and LE25 paper drivers are the culprits.

Actually, the lack of a decent xover is the culprit. They sound great with a mod. There is a frequency band (around 2k IIRC) where the mid and tweeter both play at full volume. If a recording is even a little hot in that range they can be real ear bleeders.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Actually, the lack of a decent xover is the culprit. They sound great with a mod. There is a frequency band (around 2k IIRC) where the mid and tweeter both play at full volume. If a recording is even a little hot in that range they can be real ear bleeders.

Paper material resonance is 30 Hz which is close to audible range. Aluminum is 150 kHz. Beryllium is 300 kHz. It's not a good material to begin with.

Ear bleeders is right. HPM-100's had the same crossover problem. When I had L-112's next to HPM-100's, I tried to make the HPM's sound like the 112's. I had to stuff the port and cut the high and mid gain controls to almost zero.

 

[E2]

I ran the pair I had with a Yamaha CR 2040, and a Sansui AU 919. I never liked the L 100. I never found them bright. Dull, and not very detailed is how I found them.
Those 4311 I found the other day sound much better to me.

 

[markshan]

Dull? Are you sure everything was fully functional? I've never heard them called dull.

 

[SaturationPt]

Paper material resonance is 30 Hz which is close to audible range. Aluminum is 150 kHz. Beryllium is 300 kHz. It's not a good material to begin with.

Ear bleeders is right. HPM-100's had the same crossover problem. When I had L-112's next to HPM-100's, I tried to make the HPM's sound like the 112's. I had to stuff the port and cut the high and mid gain controls to almost zero.

A material doesn’t have a resonance or natural frequency, its natural frequency is dependent on the material AND the dimensions, and shape, etc.

 

[SoCal Sam]

A material doesn’t have a resonance or natural frequency, its natural frequency is dependent on the material AND the dimensions, and shape, etc.

You are not making sense. If shape and dimension are held constant, material resonance can be compared and is relevant to why materials perform differently and sound different.

 

[markshan]

You are not making sense. If shape and dimension are held constant, material resonance can be compared and is relevant to why materials perform differently and sound different.

Actually he's making perfect sense. Think about it, the E string on a bass has a resonant frequency of 42 Hz (IIRC). Shorten it's length by pressing it to a fret and the frequency changes.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Actually he's making perfect sense. Think about it, the E string on a bass has a resonant frequency of 42 Hz (IIRC). Shorten it's length by pressing it to a fret and the frequency changes.

You are varying the dimension which is not how to compare material resonance. Consider one inch dome tweeters of the same shape and size. Vary the material of the dome. They will sound different. The difference is material resonance.