Hi, I'm new here although a long time audiophile. In the old days I owned a pair of JBL L150A speakers. Loved them for a long time (about 20 years or so)and sold them in 2001:tears: . Now occasionally I keep seeing on ebay pairs of JBL L100T speakers for sale. Some look in very good condition. I'm wondering about your thoughts on these speakers. Currently my setup includes Paradigm Studio 100 v2 speakers. I wonder how the L100T would compare to my Paradigms and perhaps any thoughts on what would be a comparable speaker today to the JBLs. Is it worth it to buy a pair of the JBLs if they are in great shape? They seem to sell for only $300 to $500/pair. Would I be disapointed in them? I've got the original Stereo Review magazine that reviewed them in 1986 and the reviewer thought they were very good speakers at the time. Any thoughts on them? Thanks :thmbsp:
Jbl l100t
- Thread starter scarpi
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If you are looking for a pair of L100T speakers I suggest you try and find the L100t3 variant. The t3 version has a better crossover that results in a much better transition between drivers. Especially in the voice range. The t3 cabinets are a little smaller than the T and the badges on the front says "t3" on them. You can turn a T speaker into a t3 by either swapping the crossover or modifying the existing ones. That being said the L100T is no slouch either and sound good. Just not quite as good as the t3.
I can't say how they compare to the Paradigms as I have never heard them personally.
I can't say how they compare to the Paradigms as I have never heard them personally.
What kind of amp set-up are you using? JBL's like the L100T's need at least 125 wpc to really shine IMO. I have a pair of L150A's and love them. I run a 130 wpc amp. Like the other AK'r said the L100T3 would have smoother high's. But either way they perform well. I have no idea what the Paradigm speakers sound like. I would also recommend a pair of L112's. They have the same driver set-up as the 150A's except they are ported instead of using the passive radiators. Welcome to AK :thmbsp:
jimdabomb
Active Member
I am thinking about picking up a pair of these also as there is a pair in nice shape at a pawn shop not too far away that has been there at least a month as far as I know. I'm hoping to talk them down and if possible I may pick them up, hopefully they will be good enough to replace the EPI 400's I use in my bedroom setup.
I recently picked up a decent pair of L100t's and really like their sound. I am currently running them with a vintage Pioneer A-80 150 watt integrated and they really kick! I am considering doing a crossover upgrade but, for now, I am enjoying them quite a bit.
I have a pair of L100t3s and a pair of L80t3s. IMO, the L80t3 is one of JBL's most unsung speakers. The L100t3 sounds marginally better to me but I can see where some might prefer the the L80t3 with the 10" woofer. The smaller woofer blends a little better with the midrange but the 12" in the L100t3 definitely goes deeper.
Hi, I've got a 200wpc B&K amp. So you've got the L150As, they were my babies. When I sold them after having them for over 20 years (from new), unbelivably the cabinets had no scratches and looked like new and I had the woofers surrounds replaced by a JBL approved service store. I used to lemon oil the walnut veneer weekly. They looked beautiful! I do miss them even though I also love my Paradigms. When I bought my L150As, JBL speakers were sold in local high end shops, and I remember the salesman demonstrating to me the difference between the construction of the JBL drivers and typical other speakers. They even had cutouts provided by JBL to show the difference. Ah, but that was at the time of Marantz amps and turntables. AS a matter of fact, I did have a classic Marantz receiver driving my L150As at one time. It was alot of fun!!
Hi, I've got a 200wpc B&K amp. So you've got the L150As, they were my babies. When I sold them after having them for over 20 years (from new), unbelivably the cabinets had no scratches and looked like new and I had the woofers surrounds replaced by a JBL approved service store. I used to lemon oil the walnut veneer weekly. They looked beautiful! I do miss them even though I also love my Paradigms. When I bought my L150As, JBL speakers were sold in local high end shops, and I remember the salesman demonstrating to me the difference between the construction of the JBL drivers and typical other speakers. They even had cutouts provided by JBL to show the difference. Ah, but that was at the time of Marantz amps and turntables. AS a matter of fact, I did have a classic Marantz receiver driving my L150As at one time. It was alot of fun!!
I love stories like that! Too bad you don't have them anymore though. You certainly have the amp for the job. Good luck on your quest and keep us updated on your progress :thmbsp:
I have had L100t3s since new (1990) and they are excellent speakers! Great build quality and fantastic tweeters. My brother has L100t and we like mine a bit better for the reasons mentioned in this thread. The recent prices are a steal, just be sure the surrounds were replaced by a pro. JBLs can be tricky.
wu6fiend
Well-Known Member
I'm listening to my beloved L100Ts right now. Terrific speakers. I wanted them when they were new, but their price was WAY out of my reach as a university student. Had to settle for a new pair of L60T. Eventually I collected the rest of the family (a set of L20T, and 2 pairs of L80T). I finally found my mint pair of L100T and happily paid $500 Cdn for them two years ago.
The components of the L100T are top notch. Replacements are easily found on eBay. The surrounds can be redone readily, you can do it yourself if you are handy, or pay to get them done for about $100. I've found the hardest things to find are replacement grills. The originals are plastic framed, and they are sometimes snapped or have their pegs broken off by careless former owners. The grills are no longer sold by JBL, but you can get lucky on eBay. I bought one set of replacement grills from a guy parting out a pair of damaged L100Ts.
The cabinets are quite fragile, finish-wise. Corners are often chipped. Earlier models have a wooden base, later ones plastic. The plastic bases are more durable.
Give a pair of L100T a listen. With a good amp, they really sing!
The components of the L100T are top notch. Replacements are easily found on eBay. The surrounds can be redone readily, you can do it yourself if you are handy, or pay to get them done for about $100. I've found the hardest things to find are replacement grills. The originals are plastic framed, and they are sometimes snapped or have their pegs broken off by careless former owners. The grills are no longer sold by JBL, but you can get lucky on eBay. I bought one set of replacement grills from a guy parting out a pair of damaged L100Ts.
The cabinets are quite fragile, finish-wise. Corners are often chipped. Earlier models have a wooden base, later ones plastic. The plastic bases are more durable.
Give a pair of L100T a listen. With a good amp, they really sing!
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If someone were to find a pair of L100t3 speakers, but the drivers were damaged, is it possible to buy new JBL drivers for them that were just like the originals? Does JBL make replacement drivers for their older speakers? I can imagine a pair with new JBL drivers and the cabinets refinished to look new! 
I did find on ebay a pair of L100S speakers and the seller states that they are the same as the L100T3 and were for servicemen. I guess that means for sale on military bases. But then I read elswhere that vinyl was used on the L100S instead of wood veneer. They sure look nice. Check them out.
I did find on ebay a pair of L100S speakers and the seller states that they are the same as the L100T3 and were for servicemen. I guess that means for sale on military bases. But then I read elswhere that vinyl was used on the L100S instead of wood veneer. They sure look nice. Check them out.
If someone were to find a pair of L100t3 speakers, but the drivers were damaged, is it possible to buy new JBL drivers for them that were just like the originals? Does JBL make replacement drivers for their older speakers? I can imagine a pair with new JBL drivers and the cabinets refinished to look new!
I did find on ebay a pair of L100S speakers and the seller states that they are the same as the L100T3 and were for servicemen. I guess that means for sale on military bases. But then I read elswhere that vinyl was used on the L100S instead of wood veneer. They sure look nice. Check them out.
I had a pair of L100S speakers. They sounded very good, but they have fake vinyl walnut on them not real veneer as you mentioned.
RPMz
Active Member
I never heard the L100's line but I do have the L166's. I love the sound of the 166's. Guitars sound clear and detailed on them. I even like the sound of smooth jazz and mellow R&B on them. Im using a Sansui G-5700 receiver and its way more than enuff for the 166's. I think the G-5700 puts out 75watts a side into 8omz. I woudnt call the sound Warm but imo detailed and very clear. Maybe a tad bright so im on the lookout for a AU-9500, AU-999 or Au-9900 type of amp to give the 166's a more warmer sound.
I love the 166's. The grillz look slick aswell.
To me I doubt you can go wrong with any older JBLz. Buy them, enjoy them and try to hear other lines until you really find your ideal speakers.
Good luck
I love the 166's. The grillz look slick aswell.
To me I doubt you can go wrong with any older JBLz. Buy them, enjoy them and try to hear other lines until you really find your ideal speakers.
Good luck
I found some specs on the 4410: http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/4410.pdf
It looks like the biggest flaw is extremely narrow dispersion in the upper end of mid driver's range.
Edited: oops, that's in the vertical plane. The horizontal isn't too bad.
It looks like the biggest flaw is extremely narrow dispersion in the upper end of mid driver's range.
Edited: oops, that's in the vertical plane. The horizontal isn't too bad.
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Yesterday I saw on Audiogon a pair of interesting JBl speakers for sale. They are the L220. They sure look different and they've got a 14" woofer and 15" passive radiator. They looked in great shape too. Was that eliptical tweeter any good? Don't see many of those tweeters these days.
I'm not sure about the L220's I'm sure they a very good also. . . I saw your question on the Audio Heritage site and thought I would add here. As you know I have the 150A's which I love but I also aquired a pair of 240Ti's. I compared them many times and the 240Ti's always win. The highs are super smooth and the 14" woofer has excellent bass. Someday I hope to own the 250Ti's, but the 240Ti's are excellent on all counts. But they don't come up for sale very often.