JBL L80T vs Boston A-150 and DCM Timewindow.

[ymarko]

1. JBL L80T. Way under radar, only recently started get recognition. Gorgeous speakers, real wood even in front baffle, great tower shape.

2. BA A150. I actually don't have them, have A400 absolutely gorgeous speakers. If it was A400, it was on place #1. Flat unusual shape, great visual impression, perfect WAF.

3. TF600 - I don't consider them as real speakers. They're basically particle board totally covered with black stocking. They are too ugly / scary looking to keep in collection.

 

[89grand]

I'm glad you like them 89. I too have thought that from what people say, JBLs would be too bright for my tastes. I guess I need to make a effort to actually get out and listen to some.

I do know that my tastes have been changing over time. My TimeFrame TF600's are now sounding better to me than my TimeWindows - especially after I've recently teamed the 600s up with a Sanusi AU-317. What amp do you feel works best with your TimeWindows?

I'm serious, these JBL speakers are VERY good, and not overly bright at all. They have great detail in the mids and highs, but not by making them overly loud like I think Boston has done in the past.

The Time Windows are really good, but I'm pretty sure these are better. They are more dynamic than the TW's and have higher sensitivity, no more fatiguing to listen to, and actually are more detailed than the TW's. The TW's may have an edge in soudstage width though.

I've only listened to the TW's with a Denon receiver, a h/k receiver and the AudioSource AMP Three. They all sound about the same, but the AMP Three gives them the most juice, and to me, TW's need juice to sound good.

 

[89grand]

1. JBL L80T. Way under radar, only recently started get recognition. Gorgeous speakers, real wood even in front baffle, great tower shape.

2. BA A150. I actually don't have them, have A400 absolutely gorgeous speakers. If it was A400, it was on place #1. Flat unusual shape, great visual impression, perfect WAF.

3. TF600 - I don't consider them as real speakers. They're basically particle board totally covered with black stocking. They are too ugly / scary looking to keep in collection.

Yeah, the JBL's are very. very good.

The Boston A400 I believe is quite a step up from the A150. I'd love to hear a set.

The TF600 is pretty good, I wouldn't mind having a pair. I'd pretty sure I'll keep my Time Windows. I'll need a good backup if nothing else in case a L80T goes down for any reason.

 

[bobabode]

Let me add to the chorus on these JBL's and also to the:thmbspn the upgrade to the crossovers. They're even better with the T3 xover. The TF400s were replaced by these as my home office speaks. Of course my 'puter has tube amps for sound (Magnavox) Can't comment on the Bostons. Glad to hear you like 'em.
I refoamed mine as the foam was dried out and crumbling when I found mine.
Those are the standard walnut veneer, I've only seen the oak in photos.
Congrats on a good choice!

 

[BMWCCA]

Glad you're liking them!

I paid $50 for my first pair and then $20 for a Rick Cobb surround kit. Liked them so much I bought another pair locally when they came up for $100 with one factory-replacement woofer and the other a factory re-cone. I believe the T3 crossovers cost me $13/pair. I also did Gordon W's mods to them which included adding 1-1/2 inch to the port tube and stuffing 3-inches of additional insulation in the top. That makes them one hell of a hundred-dollar speaker, all said and done. I figured they'd eventually go to my daughters when they got to the point of living where they could handle them. They're impressive to anyone who hears them.

 

[89grand]

These are definitely good speakers. The more I listened to them though, the more I noticed what I expected up front...they sound awesome with good recordings and a bit shrill with lesser recordings.

Sade, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan etc...awesome, ELO, The Police, etc, a bit bright and shrill at times. I'm guessing the T3 crossover upgrade tames that and I'll be looking for a set.

My Time Windows make everything sound pretty good, but the JBL's make good recordings sound better with great dynamics, but lose to the TW's on lesser recordings. I need to spend more time with the JBL's, but I think they're worthy of some additional investment.

These were definitely re-stained darker because you can see the original lighter color on the very bottom of them.

 

[ranch 22b]

Thanks for the tip on the TWs liking juice. I guess I've never had them powered up enough to hear their full potential. There's no doubt that they sound pretty darned closed in on the 50wpc AU-317. 'Interesting that the TF-600's do so much better on the same amp.

 

[GordonW]

If you do the "T3" mod, you might want to also add a bit of cabinet damping fiberglass (I usually loosely fill in the area behind the mid and tweeter, while leaving the area behind the woofer open, except to add a bit more thickness to the fiberglass layer on the walls behind the woofers), and and possibly lengthen the port about one inch over its stock length. I find that the T3 crossover can make them sound a little "bassy" (you reduce the mid/high energy, which makes the bass more relatively prominent)... re-tuning the cabinet and port gives "cleaner" bass, which doesn't "intrude" on the rest of the sound...

Do that, and they sound pretty world-class, IMHO.

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[89grand]

Is the whole port tube replaced, or do you add some sort of extension on the existing piece?

 

[avguytx]

I'm guessing you could just attach more cardboard tube on to what's already there. I yanked whatever hardware, ports, etc from the L100T cabinets before I tossed them in the dumpster (the ones that were water swolen and beyond repair). I have a spare set of port tubes that I know work for the L100T's but not sure about the L80T's. Find out what the diameter is on them and I know you could find some cardboard tube somewhere that's the same....maybe the tubes they mail posters, etc, in. Or you could always use PVC. That plastic trim ring separates from the port with a few small staples if I remember correctly. If you find some tube that works, cut various sizes and you could experiment like crazy and see what works for your listening preferences.

 

[BMWCCA]

If you find some tube that works, cut various sizes and you could experiment like crazy and see what works for your listening preferences.

My L80Ts had cardboard tubes. I found some mailing tubes that fit snugly over the existing tubes. You can telescope them to whatever additional length you want. I marked them in 1/2-inch increments and settled on 1-1/2 inches additional length, glued them in that position, and added a square section of fiberglas wall insulation stuffed in the upper section, just as Gordon suggested. :thmbsp: