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JBL pecking order.

I have a pair of 4412s and as I have no room for anything much larger I put blinders on to erase all (well, OK, most) temptation. <g> Those monsters would be wonderful to have, but I'd want to build a dedicated listening room and $66,000 in funds would have already been spent so...
 
The dealer did say that the 4400 series was pretty good. I've listened to a 4425 and quite liked it. That's what got me interested again in JBL. To me these older JBL's have that magical bass (relaxed, sumptous but soft, and very gratifying) that I have yet to find in modern speakers.
 
Tom Brennan said:
"He said all JBL's after 1973 are no good because JBL stopped using alnico magnets in the drivers and converted to ferrite magnets to cut cost"


The claimed superiority of Alnico magnets is disputed by many long-time JBL and Altec fans. And even for an Alnico cultist to say the ferrites are "no good" is a rather unreasonable view.


"The Olympus usually has two 15" woofers"

No, one 15" woofer and a 15" drone cone.
Click to expand...

Well stated, in fact, JBL's later motor designs with ferrite magnets were better optimized and produced much less 2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion, reduced power compression, and much higher power handling than any prior Alnico designs. But that is comparing technical and materials progress with designs that had to be abandoned due to the shortage AND severe price increases of Alnico at the time.

Recently, the Alnico magnets were reincorporated into the very latest motor designs JBL has and they have engineered/optimized them very well too. Check out the Lansing Heritage site for the 1500AL woofer. JBL has also done great work with Neodynium magnets in woofers and compression drivers and their newest Beryllium drivers (used in the Everest II and K2 flagship models) are fabulous. Of course, these have been used in some very high end (re:expensive) products where their cost of development and production can be justified.

Just goes to show you that JBL as a leading American company can still (and always has) do great engineering and cost effective production here and in Harmon International facilities.

JBL Rules!

Bart
 
Bart---A pal uses those used Be diaphragm 2435 drivers that often show up on ebay; very nice sounding drivers. Were I doing a large format horn that would be the way I'd go.
 
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