4301b on wall mounts

[majick47]

After my JBL 4301b were reconditioned/woofers refoamed I placed each one on top of a cabinet in opposite corners of a small room I use for my pc. For the longest time I had been tempted to mount speakers on the wall or ceiling, forget about shelves, I wanted to be able to angle them to my seating position. As an excuse I said to myself this will clear up the tops of the cabinets for the turntable and other assorted audio/pc equipment. Within days I had found a pair of heavy duty wall/ceiling speaker mounting brackets for $20. The brackets were rated for 75lbs so it was no problem with the 4301b weighing in at 30lbs. After mounting the brackets to the wall with the speaker a foot from the ceiling I threw on an album, sat back and listened. No reflections from the woofers with the top of the cabinets,the base was very solid and punchy, the mid and high frequencies were as crisp as you can ask for. After listening for a while I also felt that the soundstage had improved. I couldn't be happier with the results, the cost was minimal and the speakers look as terrific as they sound. Has anyone else tried this and did they have the same results?

[mech986]

You've just created a common nearfield listening situation, not unllike many control rooms or small studios. When you removed some of the nearby reflective surfaces, you allow the speaker to act more in freespace, maybe approaching more what the designers intended.

I can't recall specifically whether the 4301B was designed for suspended or soffit mounting like its bigger brothers, but I wouldn't be surpised if it sounded better that way than the typical home shelf mounting. In fact, I suspect the speaker really was designed for placement in the nearfield on top of the deskshelf of a recording console so it's all about the nearfield.

Hope you really enjoy them mounted.

Regards,

Bart

[majick47]

Bart I got the 4301b off Ebay for short money, 116H needed refoaming, the cabinets each had a dozen holes drilled in the back and a couple small holes in the tops and bottoms. After refinishing the cabinets and having the woofers refoamed they looked and sounded terrific and with all those holes I knew they had a real pro history and figured they'd be more at home back up on the wall. Now I'm wondering what a pair of 4333 would sound like up their.

[soundboy]

Compared to your 4301B's, the 4333's would be an earache...rough midrange, spitty, sizzling highs....with great bass....if you like great bass, wel then, go for it....been there, done that.... I love the 4301's, always have...there is a reason they sound great where you mounted them, hell, they sound great anywhere, they were just a magical speaker for the size...I love mine, can you tell??? :blah:

[majick47]

Soundboy I had a population explosion of 4301b, they multiplied like rabbits, I now have a total of nine (9). The 7 newly aquired 4301b are going up on beams in my main listening room in a seperate surround system. I think they will serve the purpose quite well, they came out of a local cinema after it was remodeled. I'm on the lookout for Peavey Versamount 70 wall/ceiling brackets. If any LH member knows of any used Versamount 70 brackets I'd appreciate hearing from you.

[Charlie4350]

\I don't get how you can make such a blanket statement. Maybe the stuff you heard was broke - sounds like it to me. Or maybe you were feeding it crap.


Compared to your 4301B's, the 4333's would be an earache...rough midrange, spitty, sizzling highs....with great bass....if you like great bass, wel then, go for it....been there, done that.... I love the 4301's, always have...there is a reason they sound great where you mounted them, hell, they sound great anywhere, they were just a magical speaker for the size...I love mine, can you tell??? :blah:

[soundboy]

I don't mean to offend...it's just my experience/reality, being a 30 year pro musician/sound guy/complete JBL nut....the birads are smooth and natural (for a horn), the horn lens is rough, lacking in micro detail, and the 2405 I had in my 4315's back in the day, just spit at you, even turned almost off. I am not the only guy I know who hasn't felt the same way....I designed many systems around 2235's/2108's/2420's/horn and lens....but it never sounded like the astronomical money spent, until I got a TAD 2001 and a 2344 birad on top....now that is/was a kick butt system. I remember recording back in the 80's-90's, and the studios had 4350's that were never hardly used....you would go from the small desk monitors, and the highs would become indistinct and splashy, the sound overall smooth but kind of lacking in overall detail....just my and many others experience. Great speakers for parties, movie soundtracks, etc....I wouldn't turn down a set...they are beautifully built works of art....but my Dynaudios or smaller JBL monitors make an acoustic or electric guitar sound more like the real thing I now have several systems with 2245 subs, and either Dynaudio, or JBL monitors on the top. I wouldn't say Adcom, Audio Research, or vintage Mcintosh is feeding crap...I distinctly remember my 4315's with a mac 240 tube amp....wonderful midrange....spitty top end...was that the mac? Sold them to a friend and he said the same thing...and he is in the pro sound business, and highly regarded for his mixing ear...I never tried Levinson, Krell, etc....couldn't afford it...perhaps the Crown amps in the studios were the culprit???(Now I will offend someone else :)...anyway, just my experience....If I had some 4333's, I would never sell them, and enjoy them for what they are....just don't listen to something like 4313's...or 4430's....in the same room, that's all.....cheers, Pete

[speakerdave]

. . . . and the 2405 I had in my 4315's back in the day, just spit at you, even turned almost off. . . .

The 2405 needs to be crossed in higher than it is in the 4315 (8500), the 4333 (8000) and the L65 (6500). 9500 (4343,4345) and 10,000 (4355) are better. Some of the aural horror of the 4315 and L65 is owing the the screaming midrange crossed over too high. When I had my L65's I turned the tweeter and midrange way down and toed the speakers inward so the axes crossed in front of the listening position.


. . . . systems around 2235's/2108's/2420's/horn and lens....but it never sounded like the astronomical money spent, until I got a TAD 2001 and a 2344 birad on top....now that is/was a kick butt system. . . .

I think most people are going to see the straw man here. The 2420 on a 2307/2308 without a super tweeter is a midrange system. Also, the TAD 2001 costs, what, 4 times as much? (Speaking of "astronomical money spent.")

David

[soundboy]

You are right about everything you wrote....and so am I....don't take it so personal. This isn't my first time at the rodeo...these are all wonderful components, when used right...I just happen to be 48 now, instead of 28, and transparency is more important than getting blood out of my ears...it would be boring if everyone liked the same stuff, right? Anyway, have a great weekend, enjoy the hobby, and I am sorry if I hit a nerve....I think this is why Giskard resigned...am I wrong????

[speakerdave]

You are right about everything you wrote....and so am I....don't take it so personal. This isn't my first time at the rodeo...these are all wonderful components, when used right...I just happen to be 48 now, instead of 28, and transparency is more important than getting blood out of my ears...it would be boring if everyone liked the same stuff, right? Anyway, have a great weekend, enjoy the hobby, and I am sorry if I hit a nerve....I think this is why Giskard resigned...am I wrong????

If you knock something by putting up a straw man, that's not just an opinion; that's a classic misleading rhetorical strategy. I don't know if you do it intentionally, or if it's just the semi-conscious operation of your mind, but you did it.

As for my taking it personally--I have'nt, but it seems like you are doing your best right now to make it personal. Why?

As for enjoying the hobby--I think that putting a TAD 2001 on a 2344 is an interesting idea, which I have sometimes thought of trying, and I would be interested to know what you did for a crossover.

David

[Audiobeer]

...I distinctly remember my 4315's with a mac 240 tube amp....wonderful midrange....spitty top end...was that the mac? Sold them to a friend and he said the same thing...and he is in the pro sound business, and highly regarded for his mixing ear...I never tried Levinson, Krell, etc....couldn't afford it...perhaps the Crown amps in the studios were the culprit???(Now I will offend someone else :)...anyway, just my experience....If I had some 4333's, I would never sell them, and enjoy them for what they are....just don't listen to something like 4313's...or 4430's....in the same room, that's all.....cheers, Pete

I don't know this guys background but I do agree with everything he say's above. I have owned all of the ones mentioned. I like all the speakers mentioned but prefer the 4430s over the 4333s (L300) and everyone knows how much I love 4313Bs.

[soundboy]

Crossover for a 2344 and 2001 TAD? It was 20 years ago, but what I recall was the same L Pad RCL bypass that the 4430 schematic uses. With the TAD, it was hardly cracked open, as the highs were only a few db down at 16K, compared to the JBL being, what 10db? It was used with 2108H mids, and a 2235...later I had a system with the 2123H mid....not as pretty sounding, but still great...biamped the woofer/mid, and a custom passive between mid and horn....had a friend with all the measuring toys to work it out with....then I had kids, got busy with my music....but I can tell you that until you hear the TAD, you don't realize what is missing....no kidding. Talk about night and day (I bought mine used). By the way, I have a framed 4333B brochure (cast aluminum framed, of course) along with all of the other 70's monitor brochures on my music room wall. There is no TAD stuff on the wall. I have a large JBL dealer binder full of all the 70's brochures, pro notes, driver sheets, etc....and I will never part with it....2405's and all :).....
My main system now is DIY Leap designed Dynaudio 3 way, with a 2245H sub and BX63A. I have 4301B, 4406, 4408, and 4208 with 2245H and BX63A in various other systems. So, my vintage collection pales in comparison to some of you guys with the big guns....:yes:

[speakerdave]

. . . . but I can tell you that until you hear the TAD, you don't realize what is missing....no kidding. . . .

I've heard the 4003 on their horn, and I agree.

David