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Which JBLs ?

Need some opinions from JBL aficionados..... I am looking at 5 pairs of JBL speakers for classic rock type listening.
They are all in a decent price range, between them give or take a couple or three hundred.
I have a Sansui AU-717 to drive them with ...(under)rated @ 85WPC
L-150
L-166
L-220
4312
4410
I could not find any specs of the minimum wattage on the 150s.
Could the Sansui 717 push either of the larger ones (150s / 220s) enough for decent sound?
I have not heard any of these yet, will be a short road trip to visit.
Looking for personal experience, opinions, comparisons...pros, cons, good, bad and ugly?


TIA !!
 
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I have had L-220/L-222’s, basically the same speaker, which seem to command big money. My experience with them is a very hot top end via the “cats eye” ring radiator tweeter, thumping low end with the LE-14 woofer and 15” passive radiator. The downside to me was the lack of mid-range. The 5” mid with diffuser just couldn’t keep up with the other drivers. Keep in mind the JBL name for the 222 was “Disco” which kind of indicates what kind of music they were designed for.

I have had L-150A’s which the main difference is the tweeter. I thought they were a very balanced and great sounding speaker. If you lose a tweeter, they can be hard to find.

I think your Sansui would drive those speakers just fine. The 220 would likely benefit with more quality current.

I think you will be happy with any of those great speakers you listed. Condition, originality and driver performance should also be a consideration IMHO. Good luck
 
Jenkster, thanks for sharing your perspective.
Sight unseen all pairs are described as excellent condition.
I'm leaning toward the 150s, as they are not much more than any of the other three smaller speaker sets.
On the 150 tweets, what are the replacement route options if one goes south?

Anyone else care to share their experience with any of these JBLs?
 
It is a phenolic dome tweeter used in other speakers like the L-40 and L-110. As far as I know, there is no direct replacement for it but I certainly could be wrong. I know it is common to find them wrinkled and/or dented. Of course most sellers will say, “it doesn’t effect the sound?”
 
I've had 3 different pairs of vintage JBL's. They were L77, L100 and 4410. Only the 4410's were loved instantly. Very revealing and detailed with strong bass.
 
The 150s was what I was going to recommend as well. If that doesn't work out, the L166 or 4410. The 4312 is similar to the L100 and I've read less than favorable things about the L220.
 
Thanks for all of your opinons and recommendations.
Much appreciated.
I may try to get more than one pair, if the seller can be motivated.
The 4410s are looking like my 2nd choice, then the 166s.....the 166s are higher priced tho....maybe not in range if I go for the 150s.
 
I've had the 4410’s along with a few other 10" model monitors from JBL, 4313b's and currently some L36's, they all sounded pretty good.

The 4312's I had were ok, but I still preferred the others.

I've not heard the L-150 but I'm sure these guys are spot on about them.
 
I've only heard the L-166's in that list and they are the speakers that got me addicted to JBL's in the mid 70's.
 
I'm going to set up a day to view them.
From what i am hearing from you guys, the 150s are my 1st choice.

Tonyk, what made you like the 4312s less than the 4410s? Anything in particular?

I read more good words about the 166s but they are high dollar.
 
My recommendation would be the L150, but I am somewhat biased. I really love the 033 tweeter. It is a soft-dome that is very easy to listen to. It's not as bright or in-your-face as later metal dome tweeters such as the 035Ti, but doesn't sound like it's leaving anything out either. It doesn't have any of the maintenance needs that the 035ti has either, such as deteriorating foam under the dome turning into goo and clogging up the voice coil gap. If an 033 ever fails, the cheaper and easier-to-find 034 is semi-compatible. The 034 is a direct fit but uses a plastic frame whereas the 033 uses a metal frame. The problem being that air pressure inside the cabinet will press on the tweeter from behind and cause the plastic frame of the 034 to vibrate almost like a 2nd mini passive-radiator. I have a pair of 034 tweeters that I bought just to test with and that is what I found. I still keep them as my backups and if I ever need to use them I will find a way to reinforce the plastic frame or perhaps build a small sealed compartment behind the tweeter.

The LE5-10 mid-range is very nice, no complaints. I think it's maybe a small step down from the newer 104H-2 but I've never felt like it was holding anything back.

The woofer system in the L150 is probably my favorite part about the L150. The 128H woofer is a fantastic woofer, acoustically identical to the black-cone 128H-1 in the 4412A, which was a very nice Studio Monitor that JBL continued to sell well into the 21st century (Shows you how much faith JBL had in the 128H). Really it just sounds beautiful and is probably my favorite JBL 12" woofer. It can handle plenty of bass.

The L150 uses a passive radiator which serves the same function as a port does in other speakers but has a few extra benefits. You can tune the bass response of your speakers using the passive radiator. This is done via mass rings. Adjusting the number of mass rings on the passive radiator has the same effect as shortening or lengthening the port tube in a ported speaker, but whereas adjusting a port tube is a cumbersome process, adjusting the mass rings is quick, easy, fully reversible, and something that is fun to tinker with. The passive radiator also gives the bass a very special texture, that is distinct from what you get with a ported system. It's difficult to describe using adjectives that are actually meaningful, but it makes the bass sound very smooth without taking anything away from how impactful the bass is.

I'm not sure about the "minimum wattage" of the L150 but 85WPC should be plenty unless you are really pushing them hard. I power mine with 700wpc but really it's rare that I need more than 100.

I notice that the 4410 is also on your list. A very nice speaker for sure, just keep in mind that it is a Studio Monitor (as opposed to a Control Monitor, such as the 4312, or a speaker designed for home usage, such as the L150). Studio Monitors are great, even for home usage, just keep in mind that they are designed with a response that is as flat as possible. If you value accuracy above all else, that can be a good thing. When it just comes to having fun and enjoying the music however, they can sometimes come off as a bit bland and boring. Of course you can always compensate for that to an extent, if you wanted, using EQ or tone controls. I have a pair of 4412 Studio Monitors, and while I do like them a lot and appreciate what they are good at, in the end they are probably my least favorite out of my 4 main JBLs (L150, L100T, L5, 4412).
 
Thank you for your experienced report of the L150s and for pointing out the studio monitors' main purpose. I appreciate your input.
 
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Tonyk, what made you like the 4312s less than the 4410s? Anything in particular?
.

Nothing in particular, the pair I owned had been rode pretty hard and I had big Magnepans at the time, it was prolly more me than anything.

But those ten inch JBL's are so punchy with nice tight bass, gotta love it.
 
I absolutely love my L150's. It is the pair of speakers that I will never sell. I have always preferred acoustic suspension to ported and all my other speakers are AS. The passive radiator on the L150 seems to bridge the difference on the two types. The bass is clean and deep but not boomy. As far as power, they can get quite loud at less than 5 watts.
 
Well gents, I struck a deal over the phone for the L150s AND the 4410s.
Little over an hour drive on a familiar, scenic route to pick them up Friday.....dude is super cool and said he has tons of vintage vinyl he can offer up too. Haha, he said to bring a truck. He was pointing me to the L166s over the 4410s, and I might make a low offer when I'm there in lieu of the 4410s. Won't hurt to ask.
Thanks to each of you for the useable, informative data y'all supplied. It was a plus to get some real time input from the JBL gang. :smoke:
 
Would love to have a pair of 166's...but I'm holding out for the 120Ti's to complete my mission. Good luck on whatever you decide...take time to listen as much as possible if you can..only your ears can tell which ones are best for you.
 
I'm definitely set on the 150s, I hope I can strike a deal for the 166s, tho. I will listen to all of them.
Those 120Tis are beautiful speakers! Best to you on your mission.
 
Welp, I now have two sets of JBL loudspeakers in the wreck room.
With a little coaxing I was able to secure the L166s along with the already dibbed L150s.
Dude was super cool. :smoke: After counting out the cash, loading up my VW, we shot the bull a while talking about the good ol' daze as I sifted through a few cartons of vinyl.
He told me to grab as many as I wanted....(shoulda brought the truck...LOL). But most of it was really old 50s/60s stuff, a lot classical but i did find a few artists i knew, so grabbed them up. They all looked to be in really good condition....I did snag one unopened Barry Manilow LP, a Dr. Hook that was in good shape, an Olivia Newton John, a Bobby Darin (mono) and an Eddie Fisher record.
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After hearing the 150s, I saw the grilles on the 4410s were is rough shape. I listened to them a bit and they sounded alright but already knew I wasn't in love with them. And after seeing the 166s I had to offer up the extra ca$h. They are 3 times the speaker and were in better shape too.
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I'm pretty stoked to have them all. Listening to the 166s as I write this. Those little mofos feel like they weigh damn near as much the L150s.
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Anyhow, thanks again to all the AKers who gave their valuable input. It was very helpful. :thumbsup:
 
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