Century L100 owners

[Ian Mackenzie]

This is nothing to do with other recent threads other than the model.

The first speaker I tried out the new Passlabs X250.5 on was my L100's.

Why do you ask? Sacrifical lamb? While I was setting up the amp..maybe.

But I wanted to hear it on an ordinary 3 way full passive loudspeaker.

So what I did was I perched them up on bar stools about 1 metre off the floor laying on their sides and positioned them about 1.5 -2 metres or less from the listening position. I don't recall where I had the Lpads set but they are set for smoothest balance.

Anyway this is essentially a near field listening setup and its how these particular systems are/where used in studios.

With a friend we played the L100's with X250.5 till the early hours of the morning and we had a lot of fun. That is what this is meant to be all about!

The sound of the amp, or lack of it was immediately obvious and as my friend a musician said you can hear the attitude of the artists with this amp. That being the vigor and pace, and the tonality that comes across with a particular style of playing of a musical instrument.

Some tunes are dull and boring and so they are sometimes played with attitude.

We could also hear distinct differences when swapping the front end digital transport and optical and co axial digital cables.

The fact is used right the L100 is quite good at bringing out and distinguishing specific details. It may not have the most linear response or have the lowest IM distortion but when you use it the right way and for the intended purpose it actually does the job. They were never intended as a home hifi system but somehow it caught on when mixers took them home for parties and what not.

I have several loudspeaker systems, the L100 is not the best of the bunch but it is the most fun to play with...

Ian

[Zilch]

They were never intended as a home hifi system but somehow it caught on when mixers took them home for parties and what not.HUH?

Well, 4310 wasn't, but L100 certainly was.

It was aggressively promoted from its introduction as the home equivalent of JBL monitors for Hi-Fi use....

[Ian Mackenzie]

Sorry,

I was thinking of the 4310. At any rate that is still the point..that got them in the business but it was the wrong thing for the right reasons if you know what I mean.

Ian

[alexkerhead]

Thanks for the L100 opinion Ian Mackenzie. Definitely not great, but still a good speaker system for all-around use.

[Zilch]

Definitely not great, but still a good speaker system for all-around use.Sorry, Alex, it's simply not.

What it is good for is well documented in these forums.

[You're welcome to pretend it's whatever you like, of course.... :yes:]

[Mr. Widget]

Zilch... you are going a bit far there. The L100 is certainly a decent speaker. As Ian pointed out it does sound best in the near or mid field, and it isn't SOTA and never was... it is simply a good speaker.

If you hate it, fine... but that doesn't make it an inherently terrible speaker. It is a perfectly serviceable ~2 cu ft bookshelf system and better than many.


Widget

[Earl K]

- Yeh, I'm always surprised at just how much fun 4310s are to listen to .

- A buddy has a "modded" pair as his monitors in his home recording studio . His son plays drums and a lot of demo recording gets tracked in this room . The le20s are missing and have been replaced by Vifas ( most likely ) . I suppose I should lend him my le20s :o: .

- I think the minimalist network has a lot to do with the attraction I have for them . They certainly sound unclutered. A whole group of us who like these monitors also ( surprisingly ) "all have a thing" for 1st generation EPI 100s . The EPIs' network was a single PIO cap .:D

:)

[bigstereo]

I would like to publically apologize for my inflammatory post over on the original L100 thread that was raging earlier today.

I do realize that there are better speakers.

To anyone that I may have offended, I'm sorry. Forgive me.

RJ

[HipoFutura]

Ok, I've got to jump in now! I missed out on the last thread.

I'm an L100 kind of guy - I love em! I've got a 44 year old hotrod and 30 year old speakers. Seem to like the old stuff. That's just the way it is with us Geezers!

HOWEVER, in order to make the L100s enjoyable I've had to add a few pieces of hardware to the mix. When used as the only speakers in a hifi system the L100s suck, big time. I'm running 5 amplifiers (tube & SS), preamp, EQ, and three-way crossover. Not to mention a pair of subs and a pair of 2405 slot tweets.

I can't claim to have an "accurate" sounding system, but EVERYONE who listens gets a BIG smile! None of my speaker are physically large, but the sound is mind blowing! It works for me! Rock On!!

Members like Zilch and Widget give freely of their time, expertise, and experiences. We are so fortunate to be able to tap such resources.

Don

[Robh3606]

Sorry, Alex, it's simply not.

What it is good for is well documented in these forums.

[You're welcome to pretend it's whatever you like, of course.... :yes:]

That's your opinion not a fact. As such it should be treated as just that. An opinion. He is also entitled to his as well. Frankly I know full well as I used a pair of L100's for over 25 years and it's damned site better than many of it competion at the times and many current today. That's my opinion so you can file this under more useles information you all read on the net today.

Rob:)

[boputnam]

Yea, hell. I'm repeating a post of maybe three-years ago, but my first and best L100 experience was a pair with the orange grills. Them white-faced woofers were gaga, man!! JBL did a marketing genious, and did it with a relatively low-cost, low-priced entrant. And, they then sounded better than anything peer companies had on offer. But that was then.

I'll never forget the experience, but what I mostly learned from it was to move up the lineage a bit, and see what JBL had to offer. It is a rich family...

[Zilch]

To anyone that I may have offended....Well, I THOUGHT you spelled "pompous" wrong at the time, but I've since checked, and it's all good.... :thmbsup:

[bigstereo]

Well, I THOUGHT you spelled "pompous" wrong at the time, but I've since checked, and it's all good.... :thmbsup:

I admit that I don't know the difference between a capacitor and a resistor, and a transistor, but spelling has never been one of my weaker points.

I do however, have to remind myself of the whole "i before e except after c" thing fairly often.:banghead: :D

RJ

[JBLRaiser]

Ok, I've got to jump in now! I missed out on the last thread.

I'm an L100 kind of guy - I love em! I've got a 44 year old hotrod and 30 year old speakers. Seem to like the old stuff. That's just the way it is with us Geezers!

HOWEVER, in order to make the L100s enjoyable I've had to add a few pieces of hardware to the mix. When used as the only speakers in a hifi system the L100s suck, big time. I'm running 5 amplifiers (tube & SS), preamp, EQ, and three-way crossover. Not to mention a pair of subs and a pair of 2405 slot tweets.

I can't claim to have an "accurate" sounding system, but EVERYONE who listens gets a BIG smile! None of my speaker are physically large, but the sound is mind blowing! It works for me! Rock On!!

Members like Zilch and Widget give freely of their time, expertise, and experiences. We are so fortunate to be able to tap such resources.

Don

I agree!I'm tapping their resources now>:bash:

[alexkerhead]

JBL L100s are good speakers.
Five reasons:
1) One of the best sounding speakers for the price. With an equalizer, it takes a LOT of money to beat it.
2) Looks great.
3) Parts are easy to acquire.
4) Simple design gives them many options for flexible amplification choices be it :receiver, amp, or integrateds.
5) Doesn't take up much room.


I think I will leave this debate closed on my side, because I respect other people's stuff.

[rek50]

I do however, have to remind myself of the whole "i before e except after c" thing fairly often.:banghead: :D

scIence :D

[Thom]

Quote: "Remember that sound and music enjoyment are very personal things and that what makes you happy may or may not please others. Screw them. If you are happy and no one is geting hurt then go for it. No loudspeaker system even approaches real life so there is plenty of room for interpretation."[/QUOTE]

Somehow that quote never made it to any of the Harmon (Common Hardon, Infinity, JBL,etc) literature that I ever read

[clmrt]

Quote: "Remember that sound and music enjoyment are very personal things and that what makes you happy may or may not please others. Screw them. If you are happy and no one is geting hurt then go for it. No loudspeaker system even approaches real life so there is plenty of room for interpretation."

Somehow that quote never made it to any of the Harmon (Common Hardon, Infinity, JBL,etc) literature that I ever read[/quote]

However, some foilcals read - "Adjust for Most Pleasing Balance" or somesuch.

[JBLRaiser]

I do however, have to remind myself of the whole "i before e except after c" thing fairly often.:banghead: :D

scIence :D

smartass:thnkfast:

[Titanium Dome]

I think it's astounding how often we go around and around with the L100 in the middle. That truly speaks to its place in the JBL Pantheon, since I don't know any other speaker that generates so much discussion and serves to divide us up in quite the same way.

It's kind of like the George Bush of JBLs. Some like him, some don't. Some think he's a decent President but certainly not the best, while others think he's the worst President of all time. Some think he represents the true spirit of America and some think he's an American disgrace. Some think he's a man of virtue and some a man of vice. Some think his abilities are under appreciated and some think they're overrated. BUT NO ONE IGNORES HIM, and no one denies that he is the President. By the very nature of being who he is when he is, he will always be a touchstone of the American experience, for better or for worse.

Having written all that and being so kindly disposed toward my L100s, I have to admit I have a momentarily greater sympathy for Mr. Bush than I did a few minutes. Drat! I think I just taught myself a lesson. :banghead:

[boputnam]

...no one denies that he is the President.There's a bunch of hanging chads that I've heard are persistent doubters...

Anyway, TiNoddle, that is perhaps your most amusing post. :wtf:

[SEAWOLF97]

while others think he's the worst President of all time and some think he's an American disgrace. BUT NO ONE IGNORES HIM

I send him a one finger salute (middle) everytime he is in the tube.,,or radio,,or paper,,or:nanana: :thnkfast:

BUT I dont do the same for L100s, they got me started on the road to appreciating midfi:rockon2:

[Fred Sanford]

Can I use that as my signature?

"...on the road to appreciating midfi..."

je

[SEAWOLF97]

Can I use that as my signature?

"...on the road to appreciating midfi..."

je

you running L1:spin::spin:s ??

[Robh3606]

Can I use that as my signature?

"...on the road to appreciating midfi..."

je

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Rob :)

[jim3860]

well ill throw my oppinion in the mix lol. i belive the biggest contribution that the L100 has made is not even musically at all. it was the SPEAKER that put jbl on the map and made it an household name. lots of people today are buying jbls because they were introduced to the brand name through the L100. the reason mainly i think that the price today is so high on them is not because there the best speaker ever made, or even the best speaker that jbl has made. but when some people were young that was the speaker to have. and there fathers had them and they listened to them. and they want a pair now, or they knew someone that had a pair and couldnt afford them then and can now. it was a brillant marketing strategy by jbl and it worked. kind of like dare i say the b word? the (901s), omar bose marketed them very well, and they still sell well today. neither of them are the best speaker ever made. but they were decent sounding speakers. better than what is in most american households today. for that matter. i own a pair of L100s myself and i still get a kick out of listening to them, even though most of my listening is done with other jbls. there a nice speaker and a piece of history. i think every jbl lover or history buff. should own a pair. REGARDS JIM

[Fred Sanford]

you running L1:spin::spin:s ??

I've gone a very roundabout route to arrive at L100s...my first black walnut (not giant Pro PA speaker) JBLs were L110s. Still don't have the correct woofers in them, but they showed me a lot about low-fatigue, accurate image listening. I have a lot of hours on these, couldn't count for you.

Next, five 4408s. Not bad, but I didn't keep them around long enough to delve into the 035TIs and form any real opinion of them.

Then, 4333As. These are the spoilers- the more I repair/upgrade these, the more all the words I've read all my life start to come into focus, and the more I can hear the weaknesses of other systems (or source material). I'd say I'm still under 5 hours of critical listening on these.

Then, six L46s, just a couple of quick test runs so far. Quick opinion would be that they're going to be fine for my surround system, more authoratative low end than the Canton Karat 20s they'll replace, but just a notch below the high end of the Cantons. We'll see.

So, I found myself then with an LE5-12, new in the box. Naturally, this inspired me to build a set of L100s around it- specifically after hearing the "controversy" here. I'm not yet snooty enough to turn down the offer of in-your-face wallop just for kicks sometimes, I'm still a punk at heart. So, lots of barter, a couple of re-cones and a little cash later, I essentially have 4312 components (2213H/LE5-12/LE25-2) in L100 Century boxes. Only did a quick listen one Saturday morning, and they made me smile, but my wife and I both knew the 4333As were sitting there under the L100s and would impress us even more.

So, yeah, I have L100s, and soon will be living in a big house where I can fire all these beasts up and learn the different nuances of their differing approaches to music reproduction. And, yeah, after 25+ years in the AV industry, I'm truly "...on the road to appreciating midfi..." :D

je, with pictures of all of the above in the Member's Gallery.

[bigstereo]

The guy I bought them from had a set of 4333's in his living room behind the L100's that were on the floor for me to hear before I took them.
I asked him to fire up the 4333's as I had never heard another jbl besides the L150a.

Needless to say I was completely BLOWN AWAY by the sound coming from those big beautiful boxes.

[hosken]

Zilch,
when you say they are not good speakers, you say that because they are not accurate?
If so, do you think it can be upgraded and give them more accuraccy?
What would you change?

[alexkerhead]

Zilch,
when you say they are not good speakers, you say that because they are not accurate?
If so, do you think it can be upgraded and give them more accuraccy?
What would you change?
If you read around you can see why he says it.
More so is the fact that the High frequency rolls off at particularly low levels and the bass is not sustained, but more boomy then anything.

[clmrt]

Zilch,
when you say they are not good speakers, you say that because they are not accurate?
If so, do you think it can be upgraded and give them more accuraccy?
What would you change?

I'd like to guess, just to see if I have it straight - - :D

Change the tweeter to 035tiA
Re-engineer the XO to offer proper band pass slopes on all drivers
Seal the cabinet to reduce the midbass hump

Optional -

Swap the mid for a 104
Swap the woof for a 128
Install 4412 network

Or, buy 4412's and be done with it!

Am I close?!?

[Mr. Widget]

Or, buy 4412's and be done with it!

Well... you could do that. I would certainly buy 4412s before modding L100s, but either way they are simply great ways to get
....on the road to appreciating midfiHowever the L100s are packed with more nostalgia, and look pretty retro with those waffle grilles on them.:bouncy:


Widget

BTW: Seawolf, while I may agree with your "finger" sentiments, your midfi quote is to be cherished. :applaud:

[Zilch]

Zilch,
when you say they are not good speakers, you say that because they are not accurate?
If so, do you think it can be upgraded and give them more accuraccy?
What would you change?It's not JUST the accuracy, but yes, there are specific modifications as outlined by others here via which they may be "improved" (in no particular order here):

1) Tame the boomy bass by closing the port and adding fill or replacing the woofer.

2) Flatten the forward midrange by installing 104H-2/3.

3) Get decent high frequency response by installing 035tiA or other improved tweeter.

4) Fix the driver overlap with a real crossover.

I look at these more individually than as a comprehensive upgrade. If you wanted to do all of them, you'd end up with 4412s in non-mirror imaged boxes, unless you were working with the early "in-line" version, which is a good candidate for experimentation. In any case, they're not L100s anymore, and, as others suggest, maybe just letting them be and getting "better" speakers would be the preferred approach.

So, if you like L100s but the boomy bass is getting to you where you have them placed, and you want to keep them there, just plug the ports and add some fill. Same with "fixing" any of their other characteristics. But, if there's more than one element you want to change, unless you're "into" experimenting and tweaking with them, it's time to start evaluating what alternative speakers you might like better, instead....

[Titanium Dome]

...and after all is said and done, you don't have L100s anymore, so why get them in the first place?

There are lots of speakers in the same price range that will sound the way other people will tell you your speakers should sound, so just buy what they tell you and save yourself the trouble of "fixing" L100s. :p

It's so easy!

[Zilch]

...and after all is said and done, you don't have L100s anymore, so why get them in the first place?HUH?

Now THAT's just plain silly:

You'd miss out on all the FUN!... :p


***Zilch konks Ti Dome with a burnt-out LE25***


[Look out, now, he's got a friggin' STACK of 'em....]

[Titanium Dome]

(snip)


***Zilch konks Ti Dome with a burnt-out LE25***


[Look out, now, he's got a friggin' STACK of 'em....]


If I can reanimate this, then i can bring those burned out drivers back and put them in salvaged L100 cabs. :p

[mikebake]

Is that John Kerry?? Maybe he didn't study and now he is stuck in a rack. har.

[JBLnsince1959]

Is that John Kerry.

I think so; boy, politics is getting nastier every day;)

[Robh3606]

I thought you were supposed to keep your head in a crisis??

Rob:)

[Rusnzha]

Originally posted by SEAWOLF97


I send him a one finger salute (middle) everytime he is in the tube.,,or radio,,or paper,,or:nanana: :thnkfast:

BUT I dont do the same for L100s, they got me started on the road to appreciating midfi:rockon2:

I'll drink to that :cheers:

[SEAWOLF97]

Well... you could do that. I would certainly buy 4412s before modding L100s, but either way they are simply great ways to getHowever the L100s are packed with more nostalgia, and look pretty retro with those waffle grilles on them.:bouncy:
Widget

BTW: Seawolf, while I may agree with your "finger" sentiments, your midfi quote is to be cherished. :applaud:

Mr. Widget

I checked out http://www.widgetworksmodels.com/ and was VERY IMPRESSED with the portfolio. Wish I had half your talent....:)

regards
TOM

[Ian Mackenzie]

Some people around here spend more time (most of the time) listening to their speakers than the music their playing. Huh.... Duh.:blink:

[Rusnzha]

All the put downs of the L100 are bullshit. Admittadly, they can sound like crap if placed poorly like on a hard wood floor or too close to walls. They will sound like shit if not played with a suitable amp. There are lots of ways they won't sound good. When set up right and used with agreeable components they may not be that accurate, but they will put a smile on your face.

Get them up off the floor and out from the walls, put down a carpet, get a nice CR series Yamaha form the 70s, an old Mac or maybe a good old tube amp. They will make your day every time you turn them on.