I think I made a good score today

[VintageJBL]

I stumbled across a set of L80t3's for sale today that are in excellent condition. Although I really don't need them, I couldn't resist for a price of $160. I have to stop making these impulse buys of JBL speakers. this week I also bought a set of mint condition L3's for $175. I am starting to think I have some mental disorder regarding older JBL speakers. :blink:

Here's a picture:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/MikeJ9116/Misc%20Shots/L80t3a.jpg

[yggdrasil]

I have to stop making these impulse buys of JBL speakers.
:no: you don't.

Keep up the good work. :D

[Titanium Dome]

It's not a problem until you think it is.

They look nice. Hope you enjoy them.

[VintageJBL]

Well, I got them hooked up and they sound great. I replaced a set of L80T's with these and I must say that what I have read is true... the the t3 series is a much better sounding speaker than the older T series. The highs are lees bright, the mid range is more full and the bass is less booming. Overall the difference in sound is quite astounding. I am also surprised by how much smaller the cabinet is for the t3 compared to the T. It is very noticable and they are smaller in every dimension.

Anyone looking for a set of the L80T (and I imagine the L100T too) series of speaker should look hard for t3 variant. I didn't think the difference in sound would be that great between them but it is. Aside from the smaller cabinet, I guess the only difference is the crossover circuitry? Funny how a tweaked crossover combined with a smaller cabinet can make for such a big improvement in sound quality.

[jim3860]

First off congrats on the score:applaud: And yes i agree on the sound i also own a pair of L80t3s they are great little speakers. i also own a pair of L100ts and i actually like the sound of the t3s better. the L100ts play louder with a little more bass, but in my opinion not as articulate and true. gl to you on getting a pair of L100t3s. they are very hard to locate. in the last 2 years on ebay with virtually every day searching i have only seen 2 pair each on ebay of L80t3s and L100t3s. btw the last pair of L100t3s on ebay went for $960.00

[VintageJBL]

First off congrats on the score:applaud: And yes i agree on the sound i also own a pair of L80t3s they are great little speakers. i also own a pair of L100ts and i actually like the sound of the t3s better. the L100ts play louder with a little more bass, but in my opinion not as articulate and true. gl to you on getting a pair of L100t3s. they are very hard to locate. in the last 2 years on ebay with virtually every day searching i have only seen 2 pair each on ebay of L80t3s and L100t3s. btw the last pair of L100t3s on ebay went for $960.00

Thanks, I was prepared to pay a lot more for them but, evidently, the seller didn't know the value of the speakers. I bought my pair of L100t3's new in the early 90s from Circuit City for around $900 (serious coin for me back then). They are all original and for some reason the woofer surrounds are still in great condition. It is nice to know the t3's command such a high price. The $960 is more than I paid new and this after 16 years of use.

I finally gave in and bought a set of L80T's a couple of years ago and you are right, the t3 versions are very hard to find. After listening to the T's and t3's back to back last night, I recommend to anyone looking for speakers that finds a set of t3's for a reasonable price to buy them. I wonder if swapping the crossovers of the T series to the t3 variant improves the sound appreciably? Since the cabinet dimensions between the speakers are also quite different it may not be worthwhile.

[jim3860]

How do the L100t3s sound compared to the L80t3s ? Actually i believe the tweeter is slightly diffrent in the L100t3 and L80t3 then the L100ts and L80ts. 035tia versus 035ti. also the bass drivers are 2214h-1 vesus 2214h in the L100ts. they look the same to me if there is any phyiscal diffrence im not sure. same goes for the L80t3s versus L80ts. the midranges in all 4 are identical. it would be intresting to see what the crossover change would do to the sound in the 80s or 100s. I would think if you changed out the the crossover and woofer - tweeter in to the bigger cabinent it might sound even better. usally bigger cabinent means bigger bass. if you do decide to expermint let us know:D

[VintageJBL]

How do the L100t3s sound compared to the L80t3s ? Actually i believe the tweeter is slightly diffrent in the L100t3 and L80t3 then the L100ts and L80ts. 035tia versus 035ti. also the bass drivers are 2214h-1 vesus 2214h in the L100ts. they look the same to me if there is any phyiscal diffrence im not sure. same goes for the L80t3s versus L80ts. the midranges in all 4 are identical. it would be intresting to see what the crossover change would do to the sound in the 80s or 100s. I would think if you changed out the the crossover and woofer - tweeter in to the bigger cabinent it might sound even better. usally bigger cabinent means bigger bass. if you do decide to expermint let us know:D

Overall the sound is very similar between the L100t3 and the L80t3. To my ear there is a difference in the bass in that the 100s reach lower and does it with less effort. The bass goes to the 100s but not by much. The mid and upper range is very similar between them. If anything, I would say the 100s are a touch brighter and just a little more harsh but this is really being picky. With the little listening I have done so far I would say I like the mid/upper range from the L80t3's a touch better. As for which I would choose overall I would still give the nod to the 100t3's. Their better bass performance makes the difference for me. The difference in the mid/upper range between them isn't big enough to tip the scales in the 80s favor. This is all based on my ear though and others may see things differently. It would be interesting to test a set of 100t's and 100t3's.

I am far from knowkedgable of JBL equipment so I can't say exactly why the t3's sound so much better than the T's. I do think a great deal of the difference rests with the crossovers. It just seems that the t3's blend the sound from the three speakers much better. The T's seem to have dips or gaps in the continuity of the sound range. The bass is definitely better so I would say the difference in the woofers is very noticable. What is the difference between the H and H-1?

I'll definitely post the results if I ever do a parts swap between the speakers. IMO, if a crossover swap brings a set of Ts close to the sound of t3s then it is a very worth while upgrade.

[Zilch]

What is the difference between the H and H-1?Thoroughly documented in these forums, use "Search" and ye shall find. ;)

[I'd tell you, but I forget. One of them has rising response, so the optimum crossovers, tuning, and application are a little different....]

[GordonW]

Thanks, I was prepared to pay a lot more for them but, evidently, the seller didn't know the value of the speakers. I bought my pair of L100t3's new in the early 90s from Circuit City for around $900 (serious coin for me back then). They are all original and for some reason the woofer surrounds are still in great condition. It is nice to know the t3's command such a high price. The $960 is more than I paid new and this after 16 years of use.

I finally gave in and bought a set of L80T's a couple of years ago and you are right, the t3 versions are very hard to find. After listening to the T's and t3's back to back last night, I recommend to anyone looking for speakers that finds a set of t3's for a reasonable price to buy them. I wonder if swapping the crossovers of the T series to the t3 variant improves the sound appreciably? Since the cabinet dimensions between the speakers are also quite different it may not be worthwhile.

There are two things that you can do to a pair of L80Ts, that will make them MUCH better:

1) Lengthen the vent... add about 2" to the length. This will lower the tuning frequency, and improve the bass.

2) Put an L-pad (50 watt, from somewhere like Parts Express) between the crossover and the tweeter. You can simply wire it in, inside the cabinet, set the level, and just attach it to something in the cabinet (even zip-tie it to a wire bundle or the vent or whatnot). This will allow you to return the system to stock, if desired. I expect most people will wind up with a typical L-pad turned down about 20% of its available travel range, from all-the-way-up... it's not a BIG alteration you need, but it makes a significant improvement.

Once this is done, IMHO, the L80T becomes one of the most listenable JBL models, of all... just a genuinely excellent speaker.

Regards,
Gordon.

[VintageJBL]

There are two things that you can do to a pair of L80Ts, that will make them MUCH better:

1) Lengthen the vent... add about 2" to the length. This will lower the tuning frequency, and improve the bass.

2) Put an L-pad (50 watt, from somewhere like Parts Express) between the crossover and the tweeter. You can simply wire it in, inside the cabinet, set the level, and just attach it to something in the cabinet (even zip-tie it to a wire bundle or the vent or whatnot). This will allow you to return the system to stock, if desired. I expect most people will wind up with a typical L-pad turned down about 20% of its available travel range, from all-the-way-up... it's not a BIG alteration you need, but it makes a significant improvement.

Once this is done, IMHO, the L80T becomes one of the most listenable JBL models, of all... just a genuinely excellent speaker.

Regards,
Gordon.

It is interesting that two small changes can improve the sound that much. It appears JBL used very good components but didn't put that last bit of engineering into them to get the most from the materials used.

I would say the L80T is a good speaker as it comes from the factory but the L80t3 is an definitely an excellent speaker. I have listened to them quite a bit in the last few days and must say they sound fantastic. To get the same quality of sound from new speakers would probably cost more than 5x the $160 I paid for these.

[bone215]

It is hard to tell from a picture and I am not familiar with the speaker in the picture but in a way it looks very similar to the studio monitor 4410 A. Is it similar?

[Zilch]

Is it similar?Go to "Links" at the bottom of the main forum page and you can look them both up there.... :thmbsup: