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New Owner JBL L100 Century

AK577

AK577

Active Member
Hello all,

First time posting after years of lurking. I first want to say thank you for all the knowledge this forum provides!

The other night I was surfing some auctions in my area and saw a pair of JBL L100s. I’ve wanted a set of these speakers for years, especially after finding out they were used in that Maxell ad.

I’m in NC and this auction was out in the country in a barn, I’m not sure how these speakers got there but I paid $10 for the pair, no one else bid on them! Stacked them into my 2-door Jeep with Tetris tactics. I got them home and hooked them up (highly disappointed in the original speaker terminal posts) but they work! And they sound amazing. I’m using a Marantz 2285b to power them.

The original foam grills are long gone, but they have the walnut grill frames. I’ve ordered the Burnt Orange foam grills, stands, tweeter foams, and owners manual.

I turned the high and mid pots on each and they’re very scratchy, I’ve researched how to clean them and I’m not too enthusiastic about doing it. I’m afraid of bending the data plate on the front to remove the crossover assembly, but I’ll find the courage soon.

I haven’t found straightforward specs for power handling yet. My Marantz is 85 watts and it does well…But I have a phase linear 700b with the white oak audio upgrade. It’s a heavy hitter. Would this amplifier be too much for these speakers? I have Two phase linear 400s that are over 200 watts. I like a lot of power and clarity. Will these speakers hold up to the power or should I just stick to the Marantz?489C313D-931E-469D-A99C-010230BEB7A0.jpeg

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!!

John
 
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You may be able to access the pots by pulling off the woofers. The name plate is a very sensitive operation and it is easy to kink. If you pull the plate, bring lots of patience, go slow and try a hair dryer to soften the glue. But be careful of the finish from the heat, I am not familiar with the walnut finish on those.
 
Those look great, killer price! Simply Speakers can supply the tweeter foam surround. As I recall, pulling the woofer will allow access to the L pots.

Have fun!
 
Rubicon383 said:
..I was surfing some auctions in my area and saw a pair of JBL L100s.
I’m in NC and this auction was out in the country in a barn.. they sound amazing...using a Marantz 2285b to power them.

I haven’t found straightforward specs for power handling yet. ...I have a phase linear 700b.. Would this amplifier be too much for these speakers? I have Two phase linear 400s that are over 200
Click to expand...

Congrats on your acquisition!! an iconic speaker that sold extremely well.

As for specs their is TONS of info on these speakers with regards to specs.

I'd start here with JBL's OEM owners manual which details Specs & Power capacity

http://akdatabase.com/AKview/displayimage.php?album=26&pos=6

As long as you're not "cranking" the volume your ears and the speakers will be fine
 
Rubicon383 said:
Hello all,

First time posting after years of lurking. I first want to say thank you for all the knowledge this forum provides!

The other night I was surfing some auctions in my area and saw a pair of JBL L100s. I’ve wanted a set of these speakers for years, especially after finding out they were used in that Maxell ad.

I’m in NC and this auction was out in the country in a barn, I’m not sure how these speakers got there but I paid $10 for the pair, no one else bid on them! Stacked them into my 2-door Jeep with Tetris tactics. I got them home and hooked them up (highly disappointed in the original speaker terminal posts) but they work! And they sound amazing. I’m using a Marantz 2285b to power them.

The original foam grills are long gone, but they have the walnut grill frames. I’ve ordered the Burnt Orange foam grills, stands, tweeter foams, and owners manual.

I turned the high and mid pots on each and they’re very scratchy, I’ve researched how to clean them and I’m not too enthusiastic about doing it. I’m afraid of bending the data plate on the front to remove the crossover assembly, but I’ll find the courage soon.

I haven’t found straightforward specs for power handling yet. My Marantz is 85 watts and it does well…But I have a phase linear 700b with the white oak audio upgrade. It’s a heavy hitter. Would this amplifier be too much for these speakers? I have Two phase linear 400s that are over 200 watts. I like a lot of power and clarity. Will these speakers hold up to the power or should I just stick to the Marantz?View attachment 2635858

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!!

John
Click to expand...
Gentle use with a heat gun or hair dryer easily removes the foilcal badges. Provide just enough heat to soften the glue behind them so when you pry you don’t bend the aluminum.
 
Thanks for all the advice and info!

I hooked up the Phase Linear 700b. They do get loud. The meters barely moved at that intense volume. The Phase Linear is more harsh sounding than the Marantz. I’ve noticed with this amplifier that it doesn’t really shine until it’s pushed hard. I use this amp for my Series II 901s and it seems to be the perfect match.

I much prefer the sound of my Marantz on these JBLs. I have a 2270 that I think will sound even better. It’s currently being serviced.

My stands and tweeter foams should come in tomorrow, I’ll post pics! I was hoping the foam grills would be in this week but I don’t think so.

So far I’m very impressed with these speakers, I’ve really enjoyed them. They’re a lot more detailed than my 901s.

I’ll remove a woofer tomorrow to see if I can clean the L pots
 
Rubicon383 said:
..I much prefer the sound of my Marantz on these JBLs. I have a 2270 that I think will sound even better. It’s currently being serviced...
Click to expand...

I can still remember how good they sounded paired with a Vintage Marantz that a buddy of mine had.

It was/is a nice combo!!!
 
Yeah, it's testy getting at the L-Pads by removing the woofers, but it can be done with patience.

I'd reckon DeOxIt D5 would be the product of choice, but others might have a better recommendation in the DeOxIt line-up.

Once those are cleaned up, usually flat on both controls is where you want to start.

When inside, that will give you a chance to eyeball the innards. Carefully check all driver's mounting screws insuring they are all snug.
 
I have my Phase Linear 400 powering them with a carver 4000 preamp. It sounds so good! The Phase Linear 400 sounds so much better to me with these speakers. A lot more smooth than the 700B.

The speaker stands also changed the sound a lot. They aren’t the original style, but similar. I’m highly impressed with the quality of them. I’m still waiting of the tweeter foam to arrive. I’ll post pictures when I have them installed!

They’re sounding so good, I love them.
 
Try taking them outside & put about 15 feet apart with minor toe-in. They'll sound even better.
 
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These are the stands, they look great! Highly impressed with the quality and they’re made in the USA. I replaced the foam around the tweeters and surprisingly I can actually tell a difference. A581D9F4-D53B-4A28-B0F4-C92AB58DB69B.jpeg
 
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