Why is vintage/new JBL so expensive?

[nick parkin]

Greetings all!

why is vintage and new JBL so expensive? I’ve seen vintage JBL horns, and drivers for absurd prices and I can’t fathom to understand why anybody would pay what people are asking for these. Take these JBL 4367’s. 15” pro woofer, and a 3” dual compression driver. The 3” dual compression driver seems cool, and pretty large, but for $15k, I think I could buy 5k worth of woodworking tools, some eminence 15” woofers, and make a homemade wood horn and get results that could rival these and still stay under the 10k mark (tools included). There’s some other newer JBL speakers that are just absurdly expensive.

you can get some JBL 4355’s in the neighborhood of $12,000, and, you can get upgraded crossovers on eBay for only $780 a pair, and they don’t look remotely high end. Here’s a photo. They look like they cost about $100 a pair to make.


Is all this just hype? Or does this vintage JBL have any real “value” for what you pay for.

 

[E-Stat]

You might have better luck asking a speaker question in the speaker forum.

 

[superdog]

I'm not sure they are worth some asking prices but there is a market for them for a reason.

 

[Mystic]

Demand. Lots of it.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Rich Boomers trying to re-capture youth and of course our Japanese friends who absolutely love vintage JBL.

 

[Quadman2]

Status for one.

Reliability for two

Supply and demand for three.

Some people with deep pockets for four.


Q

 

[hjames]

Although there are great JBLs, and lesser JBLS ...
generally ...
The sound is good.
The parts are robust.
The resale is also good.

 

[swechsler]

The resale is also good.

But that's just circular reasoning. While the sound and parts are good, that also applies to plenty of other speakers that don't have the "JBL tax".

I suspect that a large part of it is due to name recognition.

 

[KarlK]

Demand. Lots of it.

Yup, and often has nothing to do with the condition of the item. Other ridiculously overpriced vintage: Pioneer SX-1010 Pioneer SX1250 Pioneer SX-1980

 

[Mystic]

Yup, and often has nothing to do with the condition of the item. Other ridiculously overpriced vintage: Pioneer SX-1010 Pioneer SX1250 Pioneer SX-1980

And the cost of certain JBL speakers -- W@W.

 

[KarlK]

Although there are great JBLs, and lesser JBLS ...
generally ...
The sound is good.
The parts are robust.
The resale is also good.

But this applies to 100 brands lol. I wouldn't pay more for JBL than I would for Paradigm, PSB or B&W for example. They are just as good, even more civilized I'd say.

 

[tomlinmgt]

Valuation of hifi is supposed to make sense? How did I miss the memo????

 

[hjames]

Don't even start talking McIntosh audio prices!

 

[jmpsmash]

you can get some JBL 4355’s in the neighborhood of $12,000, and, you can get upgraded crossovers on eBay for only $780 a pair, and they don’t look remotely high end. Here’s a photo. They look like they cost about $100 a pair to make.

Look is deceiving. Modern day speakers partly sell by their look. The JBLs don't look "hi-end" likes the current crop of new so call hi-end products. However, what they make up with is great dynamic sound that will rival the flashy looking modern counterparts. Also part of the reason why the demand is high and thus the price.

 

[Alobar]

Greetings all!

why is vintage and new JBL so expensive? I’ve seen vintage JBL horns, and drivers for absurd prices and I can’t fathom to understand why anybody would pay what people are asking for these. Take these JBL 4367’s. 15” pro woofer, and a 3” dual compression driver. The 3” dual compression driver seems cool, and pretty large, but for $15k, I think I could buy 5k worth of woodworking tools, some eminence 15” woofers, and make a homemade wood horn and get results that could rival these and still stay under the 10k mark (tools included). There’s some other newer JBL speakers that are just absurdly expensive.

you can get some JBL 4355’s in the neighborhood of $12,000, and, you can get upgraded crossovers on eBay for only $780 a pair, and they don’t look remotely high end. Here’s a photo. They look like they cost about $100 a pair to make.


Is all this just hype? Or does this vintage JBL have any real “value” for what you pay for.

View attachment 1703894

Sounds like you got what you need and are ahead of the game.. I love my JBL junk, but if starting from scratch there are lots of speaker's out there to try. JBL, at least the ones that im interested in sound good to me, are rugged as tanks, and probably because of that, carry a good resale. If you can build better yourself then you are very lucky to possess those skills. If on the other hand you are not that skillful in speaker design and construction, but just think "how hard could it be", then you are in for a difficult lesson IMHO.

 

[Quadman2]

People would be amazed at the bruising speakers take, esp if you have roadies who just want to get the job done. It's much like your luggage treatment gets today at the airports.

Certain brandnames like JBL, Peavey and the like tend to suffer this fate and manage to hold up well doing a decent job handling the volumes/constant play.

Q

 

[tomlinmgt]

Don't even start talking McIntosh audio prices!

No doubt.

 

[tomlinmgt]

There is something to be said for value stability, though. One could conceivably experience some very impressive hifi for free, or lose very little, or profit a little, if the gear selection is limited to brands that realize some valuation boost in part because of the their name (which is usually accompanied by high build quality and above average performance). Can’t really pull that off if you go purchase brand new Revels and brand new Pass Labs electronics and sell it off a few years later. But this is no new concept...plenty of people out there have figured it out. The right JBL pieces allow you to ride that train.

 

[hjames]

If you have not owned any of the better JBLs,
if you have not worked on them,
if you have not listened to them over time and developed systems with them -
they, no doubt, just seem overpriced.

My opinion is based on the L200s I grew over a few years, and the 4341 monitors I worked through ...
I logged all the things I did and learned on the Lansing Heritage Forums -
and even after I sold them off, I still would buy another good pair,
like the L212s I got around Christmas 2 years ago!

Not trying to be a snob - but - you probably won't appreciate them until you've owned some.

 

[Quadman2]

If you have not owned any of the better JBLs,
if you have not worked on them,
if you have not listened to them over time and developed systems with them -
they, no doubt, just seem overpriced.

My opinion is based on the L200s I grew over a few years, and the 4341 monitors I worked through ...
I logged all the things I did and learned on the Lansing Heritage Forums -
and even after I sold them off, I still would buy another good pair,
like the L212s I got around Christmas 2 years ago!

Not trying to be a snob - but - you probably won't appreciate them until you've owned some.

Well expressed.

Much like a fine car. If you've never experienced one first hand...it's difficult to share this POV.

Q