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KC2IFR
10-14-2007, 02:16 PM
I just purchased a pair for L65 Jubal speakers on Epay. Looks like these speakers are the originals....woofers are the 122a's. One 0f the woofers voice coils rubs on the magnet. I want to either recone the spearer or better yet upgrade the driver to the newest version. I have seen a few options listed for this purpose but IM confused. Can u folks direct me in the right direction to bring these speakers up to the latest specs. The following link will show the speakers,,,,,http://cgi.ebay.com/JBL-L65-JUBAL-SPEAKERS-FACTORY-SERVICED-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ290145836922QQihZ019QQcategoryZ50 597QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Need help upgrading these speakers,,,,can u help please.
Thanks,
Bill

timc
10-15-2007, 03:33 AM
Thoose Bass cones looks weird....Have they coated them with something? The 122A woofer can be found in the L65A Jubal. In The L65 Jubal there is a 126A woofer.

I have not rebuilt the x-over in my L65's, just replaced all the caps. Made a lot of difference. I might build a CC-network for them at a later point.

Good luck.

-Tim

SEAWOLF97
10-15-2007, 05:17 AM
One 0f the woofers voice coils rubs on the magnet. I want to either recone the spearer or better yet upgrade the driver toBill

I'd say that if the vc rubs, then that auction was very deceptive and I wud be looking for a discount.

were there grills ??

I've turned down better ones for half that ending bid...:biting:

Zilch
10-15-2007, 11:26 AM
Rotate the woofer 180° and see if the rubbing ceases....

KC2IFR
10-15-2007, 04:29 PM
Rotating the speaker is an idea...no doubt. My original question had to do with replacing the original driver with something that is currently available. And I am well aware that these speakers at times are available at a lot less money than I paid.......so dont insult me. I have the money and I will spend it as I see fit. Again........I dont care what u paid for whatever..........I asked for some help. But it looks like this is NOT the place. Sorry the waste your time.

mech986
10-15-2007, 05:24 PM
Hi KC2IFR,

Welcome to Lansing Heritage! Hope we can help with some of your questions. Information and opinion does flow freely here so please give others a chance to chime in.

There have been a number of threads in the archives about replacement woofers for the Jubals.

Here's one of the threads that can present some alternatives, seems the recommended replacement driver is the 128H:

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=10296&highlight=replace+jubal+woofers

You'll note there's some "lively" discussion there too!

As for your current speakers, the cones as mentioned above do look "pinkish?" so I'd be looking for some stamped white numbers on the back of the cone to see if they were bona fide JBL recones.

Also, the foam surround look a bit wide and high - in my experience the originals were a bit narrower looking that that so I'm wondering if part of the problem might be an incorrect surround and maybe even incorrectly centered from the get-go. Also, the appearance of a high (cone moved outwards) static position due to the surround may then alter the operating points of the driver leading to reduced performance from the woofer. (less excursion from one side of neutral and uneven gap magnetic force.)

Rotation of the driver/surround would be a nice check. If you're keeping or experimenting with the driver, maybe an refoam with a known corrrect fitting foam, on the back side of the cone, could be an inexpensive test.

Do let us know how it turns out. The speakers look to be in great shape and the acrylic 077's are a lot of fun too. Those NIB appearing grilles add to the appeal.

Regards,

Bart

BMWCCA
10-15-2007, 06:50 PM
I hope this doesn't cause a run on 4412As for parts!
(Still can't understand those who say the 4412A puts out less bass than the 4410A, but I'm happy with what I got.)
Knowing Jubal owners covet my woofers makes them that much more endearing!

porschedpm
10-15-2007, 07:24 PM
When I started on this forum a few years I ago, I was in the same position as you. I had a pair of L65's, loved them dearly not only for their great JBL sound but also for their wonderful aesthetics. And like you I wanted to know what I could do to modify the sound. I received three general comments regarding my desire to tweak these. First, within any given JBL, the drivers and crossovers are a matched set. Meaning that any change to a driver away from the OE spec necessitates a corresponding change in the crossover. Secondly, L65 drivers are already considered to be optimized for that cabinet. I received one tongue-in-cheek response that said if they were to mod the speaker they'd use a 14" bass driver and a horn loaded mid/high driver. The only thing they'd keep was the 077 UHF driver. But by the time they'd finish with their mods they said they'd no longer have an L65 anymore. Which leads up to the third general concensus: If your speakers are in VG to Excellent condition, modifying them by putting in non-OE spec drivers will only reduce the value of those. These are collectors items and should be kept that way. (Although updating crossovers such that there's no outward sign of modification might be an exception). Generally, I was told if I want to dabble in swapping out different drivers, I should get a pair of fair to medium quality speakers and leave the museum quality speakers to the purists.

That being said, I did try some different 12" drivers: 2213, 128H, 123A-1's to name a few. I also tried a couple different 5" midranges. They all had slightly different sounds. And they all sounded OK but none sounded better than the stock set-up so I returned to that. I eventually decided that the L65 was not going to give me the sound I was looking for so I eventually sold them and moved on to other JBL's that were closer to the sound I was looking for. Namely, the 120Ti and the 4412 were a couple 12" 3-way speakers that I felt were improvements, although opinions vary. In some ways, though, I wish I'd kept that pair of L65's because I still think they're some of the best looking intage JBL speakers.

speakerdave
10-16-2007, 06:02 PM
Ditto what porschedm says. I've used the speakers, liked them, thought about modifications and moved on.

I don't think your problem is so difficult to solve. If one of the woofers is bad, watch ebay and buy another one or two 122A. They show up fairly frequently and go for reasonable sums. Then use your speakers the way they are at least for a while.

David

JSF13
10-16-2007, 07:27 PM
One negative reply out of seven and your all bent out of shape? lol

You're right. This probably isn't the best place for you to look for help.;)

speakerdave
10-16-2007, 07:47 PM
. . . . My original question had to do with replacing the original driver with something that is currently available. . . . I have the money and I will spend it as I see fit. . . .

Sorry, we tend to read things into the posts and overcomplicate our answers because we see problems and opportunities where others don't.

The 128H-1 is a better woofer and is available at JBL pro for $344 each.

http://www.jblproservice.com/pdf/Transducer%20List/Transducer%20List.pdf

Just pop 'em in, retune the cabinets if necessary and dial in the crossover to suit.

David

speakerdave
10-16-2007, 07:53 PM
. . . . so dont insult me . . . .

Sorry about that. A lot of us tend to be bumptious at times and forget ourselves. Mostly we have learned to ignore each other at those moments. We read Seawolf's post and thought, Oh, that's just Seawolf being Seawolf; he's harmless, but enthusiastic about buying and selling hi fi gear. We forget that new posters are not necessarily as well prepared for it. I don't think he meant to say you had done poorly. I think (not sure about this) that he was kicking himself for not seeing that the speakers he did not buy he would have eventually been able to turn over for good money (I think).

David

Zilch
10-16-2007, 09:08 PM
Seawolf is in Vietnam having work done every day this week by a Japanese dentist.

I'd say that might alter one's sensibilities.... ;)

SEAWOLF97
10-17-2007, 05:29 AM
the auction stated :

This is your opportunity to acquire a pair of legendary JBL L65 "Jubal" speakers. These are outstanding speakers and many audiophiles feel the JL65's are among the best ever produced. Jubals are rarely seen on E-bay and you will be hard pressed to find another pair in this kind of condition.



Both speakers were serviced just a few years ago at a JBL service center. The foam surrounds were replaced. The drivers and crossovers were brought back to original specs. These speakers are performing like the day they left the factory.


You will find that these L65s are in superb cosmetic condition. The cabinets have only a very few minor imperfections. The glass on top is perfect (sorry about the reflections in the pics). These are easily a 9.5 out of 10 on the cosmetic scale. Check the pics and you will agree!


if he is getting vc rub, then no matter where I am or doing what,,,that is a deceptive auction and most of us would ask for a discount to fix the problem....anyone disagree ??

hjames
10-17-2007, 06:25 AM
the auction stated :

This is your opportunity to acquire a pair of legendary JBL L65 "Jubal" speakers.


These speakers are performing like the day they left the factory.


You will find that these L65s are in superb cosmetic condition. The cabinets have only a very few minor imperfections. The glass on top is perfect (sorry about the reflections in the pics). These are easily a 9.5 out of 10 on the cosmetic scale. Check the pics and you will agree!


if he is getting vc rub, then no matter where I am or doing what,,,that is a deceptive auction and most of us would ask for a discount to fix the problem....anyone disagree ??

It says they are performing "Like the day they left the factory" and are in superb cosmetic condition.

I'd complain, you'd complain, but he doesn't want to complain or even talk about that. Seems odd for a buyer, but thats his option.

lets move on ...

speakerdave
10-22-2007, 03:38 PM
Here's a pair on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/JBL-L166-WOOFERS-122A-1-PAIR-NEAR-MINT-CONDITION_W0QQitemZ220163020413QQihZ012QQcategoryZ 50597QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem