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JBL Paragon?

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This is one of those times when the custom Google search will bury you in useful info. :thmbsp:
 
Worth it in the collectible sense. There are far better sounding JBLs for that kind of money, or less than a tenth of that. It's piece of audio art and a piece of history. The sound is not stupendous given what's out there today but it was ear-opening back in the '60s: http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/jbl/paragon.htm

But then the best JBL today will run over twice that, too!
 
I have always loved JBL speakers! There are so many different models and they all seemto sound good and be built well :yes: thanks for the info.
 
Speakers like the Hartsfield and Paragon don't present a wonderful sound.
The L100 sounds better to my ears and one can purchase a truckload(vanload:)) of much better sounding JBLs at a fraction of the cost of a Hartsfield.
 
My only contact with a Paragon was in college - I (almost) pulled off a swap of a couch for a Paragon (the owners didn't know what they had). Sadly, the handshake deal fell through and last I heard, it ended up at the landfill.

-D
 
derekva said:
My only contact with a Paragon was in college - I (almost) pulled off a swap of a couch for a Paragon (the owners didn't know what they had). Sadly, the handshake deal fell through and last I heard, it ended up at the landfill.

-D
Click to expand...

How do you feel now about that handshake deal?
 
luckyed said:
How do you feel now about that handshake deal?
Click to expand...

I've let it go. Some things aren't meant to be. The sad thing was it was being used as a side table on which to store file folder boxes in the college student government office. I noticed it right before Christmas break but was unable to purchase / deliver a couch before I had to catch a bus back home. When I returned, it was gone.

Since then, however, I've had many scores that probably total what I could have sold the Paragon for at that time, so I figure karma is balanced.

-D
 
The Paragon was never a great sounding speaker system. The "032" ring radiator they used was better suited as a siren then a tweeter. The Paragon was more of a piece of art than a great speaker. Back in the day I helped deliver a new one to a customer. It came in three pieces. Left, right and the curved front. I think they sold it "by the pound". It had to go in the basement. It was all me and the other guy could do to get it down there. Funny how you remember some things, but when we got it assembled and hooked up to his Mac equipment the very first thing the customer player was Johnny Rivers Mountain of Love.
Greg"
 
mr greg said:
The Paragon was never a great sounding speaker system. The "032" ring radiator they used was better suited as a siren then a tweeter.
Click to expand...
That would be the 075 ring radiator. Seems to work fine in my original 030 system. :D
 
mr greg said:
The Paragon was never a great sounding speaker system. The "032" ring radiator they used was better suited as a siren then a tweeter. The Paragon was more of a piece of art than a great speaker. Back in the day I helped deliver a new one to a customer. It came in three pieces. Left, right and the curved front. I think they sold it "by the pound". It had to go in the basement. It was all me and the other guy could do to get it down there. Funny how you remember some things, but when we got it assembled and hooked up to his Mac equipment the very first thing the customer player was Johnny Rivers Mountain of Love.
Greg"
Click to expand...

From my experience in retail, the people that can afford the over the top, sometimes have the worst taste and the least time to play.
 
The town I live closest to is an old textile town. Lots of old textile money here and old houses in the "historic" section.

In my dreams, I attend an Estate Sale at one of these houses and find a Paragon in the house. I purchase it for $100 and take it home. Just as I am about to play it after hooking it up to my Crown gear........



I wake up! :eek:


But there's always hope. ;)
 
BMWCCA said:
That would be the 075 ring radiator. Seems to work fine in my original 030 system. :D
Click to expand...

"032", "075" OK my memory fails me a bit. A sure sign of "maturity". Heck, it was only 1967 since I worked there. As I remember, none of the salesmen, and myself, thought that the paragon sounded that great. There were many other speaker systems for a lot less money that sounded a whole lot better.
Greg
 
That is pretty amazing considering the amount of work that went in to each one and the pricetag :scratch2:
 
sound good?

What do you mean when you say sound good?
If it sounds like the real thing in may not sound good. It will sound like the real thing. Big difference. Some speakers sound like west coast sound(JBL L100), east coast sound(AR), of just plain clean and clear. I have my L-100's still and believe they sound fine but still have the west coast sound. Exagerrated mids to around 6K. AR has a generally muted all around sound with deffinite lows and a mild upper end and a terriffic mid range.
None of these sound like the real thing. Very few do.

Paul
 
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