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View Full Version : anyone one got a good pic of the 4344



jarrods
03-04-2004, 10:29 PM
hi,

has anyone got a good pic (colour, reasonably high res) directly square front-on of a genuine JBL built 4344 with covers off.

i have seen a few on various websites but when i look at it in detail i notice that the bass driver is nearly twice size of the 2122H so they are actually pics of a 4345.

http://sapasu.net/sps/jbl/4344m.jpg
http://www.advance-fumi.com/j4344.JPG


thanks, Jarrod

dancing-dave
03-04-2004, 10:51 PM
http://www.retroaudio.ru/speakers/images/JBL%204344.jpg

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/pro-speakers/1997-4344mkII/page1.jpg

If you have the yen, then you can pick some up in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Michael
03-05-2004, 01:23 AM
Hey Jarrod,

I got ur email, and I finally remembered my username and password, lol.

I have quite a few pics of 4344's including a pic of the pair we own, but the quallity isn't all that great.

The first 2 pics are of the pair we own, the other 3 are the only other decent ones I have been able to find.

jarrods
03-05-2004, 02:05 AM
WOW that pic (4) looks hot..... i want stands like that.

now can the JBL experts here tell me are these real stands for the speaker or is it just what I think that speaker is nothing more than a baffle with drivers mounted? a display unit??? seems to have no depth at all when you look at top LHS.

jarrod

ehlim
03-05-2004, 07:03 PM
Hi,

I'm new to this site and I just happen to buy a new old stock a brand new pair of 4344M here in Singapore last week.

Since then, I have done some facts finding and I'm aware that 4344 series are licensed and assembled in Japan. So far there are 3 versions of 4344 i.e. 4344, 4344M and 4344MK2. I believe they are different to cater for audiophiles in Japan & Korea.

I'm runnung in the units and so far are pretty excited with the pair.

Regards

Vincent

Don McRitchie
03-05-2004, 07:56 PM
Vincent

The 4344 was the last of the professional 4-way monitors from JBL U.S. in the early 80's and was very popular in Japan. Around 1997, JBL introduced the 4344MKII strictly as a home speaker for the Asian market. It was designed and built at JBL's Northridge headquarters as an updated design, but was still very similar to the original 4344. The drivers are pretty much variants of JBL Professional transducers and were built in the US. In fact, it was designed by the same person who developed the original 4340, 4341 and 4343.

The 4344M is strictly a Harman Japan product, designed and built in Asia as a mini 4344 and uses components sourced there. Consequently, no one here in North America has much knowledge of it. The 4344MKII was just recently replaced with the 4348 which is also a JBL Northridge designed and built system, using components derived from the recent K2 series.

I'm curious if you have heard a 4344MKII to compare it to your speaker.

4313B
03-05-2004, 09:49 PM
"In fact, it was designed by the same person who developed the original 4340, 4341 and 4343."

Who did them Don? I know G.T. didn't but I never bothered to ask him who did. :p

Don McRitchie
03-05-2004, 10:16 PM
G.T. did em all. I believe the only one he was not involved with was the original 4344. I have the background somewhere on one of the taped interviews I had with him.

4313B
03-05-2004, 10:22 PM
Oh, he told me he never touched the 4343 which I found to be curious. He's actually mentioned that a couple times over the last 20 years. Someone else did the original 4344 using everything out of his 4345 design except the 2245H and the foilcal.

Don McRitchie
03-05-2004, 11:39 PM
I am positive about the 4340/4341 and as you say, the 4345. I could have sworn that he said he did the 4343 as well, but that was from a conversation 3 years ago. I do remember him stating he was not happy about how the 4344 evolved.

ehlim
03-06-2004, 01:50 AM
Hi, Don

I don't have a chance to compare 4344MK2 & 4344M here yet in Singapore as I think there are only a very small pool of JBL owners of 43xx series over here.

What I know physically from the specifications, MK2 version is bigger and with 15" woofer & better with 95 dB sensitivity. Handling power for Mk2 is double that of M i.e. 200w instead of 100w; also the weight is double for MK2.

However from the frequency range, 4344M goes from 32 to 50kHz & MK2 is 30 to 22kHz. I don't know in this case, 4344M is good for playing SACD disc. Both versions are of 6 ohm impedence.

What I know also the 4344M was rated top 7 position of the best 20 speakers in Japan in 2002 for over 100,000 Yen category.

The Japanese are good in appreciation of good hi-fi equipment and without hesitation, when I chanced upon one new old stock last week; I immediately snapped up the bargain item which was on warehouse sale.

I will like to know more as I go along with you all gentlemen.

Regards

4313B
03-06-2004, 05:55 AM
Originally posted by Don McRitchie
I do remember him stating he was not happy about how the 4344 evolved. Right ...
I'm not going to get into any of that crap because I really only care about the end result and the 4344 does function quite well in my opinion. It's just a smaller foot print of the great 4345.

Anyway, thanks for the info :)

Robh3606
03-06-2004, 06:23 AM
Another picture to add to the mix.

Rob:)

Robh3606
03-06-2004, 06:26 AM
Their big brothers

Rob:)

4313B
03-06-2004, 06:27 AM
Aren't they so cute? :p



*****


Oooops! Looks like that 2235H is mounted equidistant on three sides! Somebody goofed...



*****


I see what you mean! It was definitely the stock 4344 that had the standing wave issues. We built all our 4344's in 4343B boxes so we didn't have those problems. Yep, somebody goofed all right. Oh well, we've all done it ... :p

JSF13
03-06-2004, 07:56 AM
Robh3606,what's going on in that little picture under your name?I'm really curious as to what configuration you've got going there? :)

boputnam
03-06-2004, 07:58 AM
Great pic's, Rob - 'specially them 4345's (pant, pant...). ;)
Where'd you come across them pretty boys?

JSF13
03-06-2004, 09:35 AM
Sorry.message reposted when I hit refresh button:banghead:

maxwedge
03-06-2004, 09:49 AM
Originally posted by Giskard
Oooops! Looks like that 2235H is mounted equidistant on three sides! Somebody goofed...
I take it that the 15 should be lower in the box? Or off set to the side?

Robh3606
03-06-2004, 10:07 AM
Hello Bo

Got those off one of those Japanese Hi Fi shop pages. Talk about some nice vintage stuff!!! The place was like a storage facillity for Vintage JBL's with tons of Altec, TAD and Tannoy thrown in. Lost the link when my computer went south:mad:

Hello JSF 13

That would be my XPL 200 wanabees with my old mains in the back. The bass and midrange drivers have changed in the mains. I currently have E-145's, 2123's, and 2416's with a 2344 horn and LE-14A subs under the mains. They are crossed with M552,M553 active crossovers with the a charged coupled 4435 passive compensation for the 2344 horn.

Rob:)

4313B
03-06-2004, 10:09 AM
Ideal would be mounted so that it isn't equidistant from any external edge or internal panel. Having it mounted so it is equidistant from two internal panels can be bad enough but three internal panels is downright begging for trouble.

JSF13
03-06-2004, 10:15 AM
WOW!Thanks Rob.I bet they sound great!

Joe

Don McRitchie
03-06-2004, 04:37 PM
Got those off one of those Japanese Hi Fi shop pages. Talk about some nice vintage stuff!!! The place was like a storage facillity for Vintage JBL's with tons of Altec, TAD and Tannoy thrown in. Lost the link when my computer went south

http://free.happynet.co.jp/

I'm guessing that this is the site you were referring to. Click "English Here" on the top frame of the home page when the site opens. Then click "Items in the Past". This opens a search page where you can search against pictures of every audio component they have ever sold over the past number of years.

Robh3606
03-06-2004, 05:49 PM
Thanks Don!

That would be the place:D Lot's of great pictures there!

Rob