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The true reason why vintage JBLs are so popular in Japan

Ken Boyd said:
Not to be a spoiler here but I find it amazing how many people simply took the OP's word as truth, with no source's to back him up as fact. And how about all the JBL owners who will jump all over you when you say anything bad about a JBL, yet this poster simple makes a claim that says basically JBL's are crappy in the mind of Japanese and they because of the Japanese art of modification and reference to struggle like a samurai that they can make them sound good. What does that say about JBL?

I think factual source's are in order here please.:smoke:
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I think it says that an ancient 4-way speaker with adjustable levels on the top 3 drivers is a difficult beast to adjust properly. Proper adjustment is an art, and a challenge as well, even with modern diagnostic tools.

Agree, "More Data..." please.:music:
 
Sam Cogley said:
This is either a bunch of BS, or proof that significant portions of Japan are insane.
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Ever seen some of the stuff on Japanese television? I am fairly convinced that they are, at least, partially insane. They make some great quality stuff though!
(as I grumble remembering my Denon AVR is made in China)
 
Well I for one can appreciate the zen like dedication given to these speakers and what the "practitioner" is trying to achieve. Good for them.

I would ask how the Japanese audiophile rates the Sansui SP-5500?
 
Slightly off topic but the JBL SA600 and SA660 amps go for obscene prices in Japan. I sold an SA600 on ebay about 15 years ago to someone in LA who was shipping it to Japan.
 
TLDR entire thread. Was it ever determined whether OP lived in or had spent a significant amount of time in Japan? Would lend some credence to his assertions.
 
Rumors suggest that Sansui lost it's JBL distributorship because they built this line of speakers which JBL felt was infringing upon its product. Strange they didn't export many of these, seems us American's would be just as interested in a pair of these as the 'kabuki' speakers.

Sansui SP L700

 
Pio1980 said:
Of the JBL, in spite of their excellent machine shops, I don't recall in my rather limited experience hearing any JBL I wanted to take home to live with. The NS-690s otoh will be hard to part with. I'm keeping the ARs, fwiw, good near field and small monitor speakers.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
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I too would find it hard to part with my Yamaha speakers. I enjoy the 500m's most. Then it's a toss up between the 670's and 70T's.
 
Thank you OP.

Somehow I got the idea (feeling?) that there was a whole "zen art" of audiophile going on in the far east.

I don't even know where I came up with that idea.

Odd, old, esoteric pieces and parts of speakers going for big money on eBay and shipping east?

I do know that global shipping has opened up a good market for things that don't even get talked about around here.
 
Interesting in a very weird way. But in a culture that would pay $400 for the perfect apple before eating (or embalming) it, what else would you expect? This is one culture I would find very uncomfortable if I were living in it. I'm glad they like it though.
 
plam said:
I was reading the posts on this forum and have found too many misunderstanding regarding JBL status in Japan, so I would like to correct them here.
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The true reason why vintage JBLs are so popular in Japan
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Kernick sound immediatly came to mind but it seems I had no clue about all this which sounds very plausable from begginning to end knowing a few Japanese folks in business over the years and as friends and all and a *little* bit of the culture .

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kenrick+sound+jbl
 
nclh77
AK Member


The Japanese have their own slant on speakers. Bose is also big in Japan with models not seen elsewhere such as the 464 Westboroughs.
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jblnut said:
Now there's something I've never seen before...pretty cool! And I live right near Westborough too. Wonder if any of these ever fell off a truck around here? Better start watching CL :-)

Jblnut
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Interesting (maybe not sound wise in a big way or no? ) anyway I found those on Google :

http://www.hifido.co.jp/KW/G0201/E/6750-50/C10-52314-69970-00/
 
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Ken Boyd said:
Not to be a spoiler here but I find it amazing how many people simply took the OP's word as truth, with no source's to back him up as fact. And how about all the JBL owners who will jump all over you when you say anything bad about a JBL, yet this poster simple makes a claim that says basically JBL's are crappy in the mind of Japanese and they because of the Japanese art of modification and reference to struggle like a samurai that they can make them sound good. What does that say about JBL?

I think factual source's are in order here please.:smoke:
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To one of your points the Japanese not only modified american cars like Buicks for compliance they found the build quality totally unacceptable on American cars and did some improvements to the fit and finish and whatever else they deemed necessary presumably on every one that was imported there ...I'm told from reliable sources in the business . If that applies today beyond compliance I have no idea.

ofc like any speaker company with a long pedigee and broad product line some JBL's sound good and others are not so hot..... it depends .

That being said I like my THXpm3 approved JBL LSR6332 's in the aucoustically controlled space here with or without the powered subs
and I liked plenty of *good* Hi fi speakers (ouside of monitors ) over the years also but never was all that fond of towers but some of them werent bad
I had some JBL's I liked others not so much .

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR6332L
 
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