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bill8888
01-11-2008, 08:13 AM
This is just my opinion...feel free to disagree.

10. L166…Ranked this last because the 066 is so hard to find or repair.

9. L96…This is the L110 done right. Greg Timbers wanted this bad and had it designed outside the normal development cycle.

8. L100…Bulletproof classic, no low freq refoam required, all the speaker most people ever need.

7. L112…The 044 makes this look better than the L100 even if it doesn’t sound any better.

6. 240Ti…I ranked this behind the L150A only because I hate the wood finish.

5. L150A…Don’t get stuck with the L150 with the 033.

4. L65…This speaker actually doesn’t sound very good but it has 077’s which alone are worth more than most entire speaker systems.

3. L220…Beatrice Foods tried to kill this speaker because it was too expensive to build. They sent a former Samsonite VP over to wack it but JBL wouldn’t budge.

2. L250/250Ti…This is suppose to be the best sounding speaker on this list but I think the workmanship on the enclosure is poor.

1. L300…Last of the consumer grade speaker with a ring radiator and a compression driver together. JBL bean counters decided we couldn’t do this anymore.

Mr. Widget
01-11-2008, 08:41 AM
Interesting list... you are dating yourself. :D


Widget

Robh3606
01-11-2008, 08:48 AM
You left out the 90's till the present.

Rob:)

Hoerninger
01-11-2008, 08:59 AM
"top" and "affordable" as
the criteria for the list certainly leaves it open for discussion.

This was my first thought as well. -
Unfortunately I recently had to leave the jack pot (Lotto with 40.000.000 EUR) to someone else, but the JBL TOL speaker is far cheaper than the supprt of two own children, they have left the house now.
_______:D____
Peter

Mr. Widget
01-11-2008, 09:09 AM
...but the JBL TOL speaker is far cheaper than the supprt of two children...:bouncy: You've discovered my secret. I avoided them from the start. :applaud:

Back on topic... I was wondering if he meant, affordable when new or affordable on the current used market...

I suppose $2500 a pair on the used market could be considered affordable when you consider the number of speakers available at many times that price. I wouldn't think of affordable in the context of what any particular individual can afford, but rather in the context of the available field. Obviously, what is affordable to some is drastically different that what is affordable to others.


Widget

oznob
01-11-2008, 10:12 AM
Interesting list... you are dating yourself. :D


Widget

As I recall, Bill left JBL in 1985. Bill, did you do any work on the studio/pro monitors? If so, I would be curious to see your top ten list of them!:yes:

bill8888
01-11-2008, 01:04 PM
As I recall, Bill left JBL in 1985. Bill, did you do any work on the studio/pro monitors? If so, I would be curious to see your top ten list of them!:yes:

I don’t really have a Top Ten list for the Professional Series studio monitors but I do have favorites. I like all the large 4300 series monitors except for the 4315. I think the 4315 really needed a 15 inch low freq driver instead of the 12 inch.

At the risk of angering every 4435 owner out there, I have to admit that I was never very fond of the large 4400 series biradial monitors. They sound very good, perhaps better than the 4300 series, but I always felt that they were too expensive for a 2 way with a plastic horn. If they had a 2405 ring radiator thrown in it might not sound any better but the perceived value would be greater. Also the biradial horn could crack where it joins the compression driver, even though the driver is supported by a cradle. The horn should have been cast in aluminum like all the 4300 series horns.

jblnut
01-11-2008, 01:37 PM
No XPL? No L1/3/5/7 ? No 4410/4412 ?

No list of affordable JBLs is complete without some mention of these imho. JBL didn't just stop building good speakers in 1985 :).

jblnut

Zilch
01-11-2008, 02:04 PM
Affordable begins at ~$20 on my list, but I'm keeping the top ten JBL "Sleepers" private..... :p

bill8888
01-11-2008, 03:51 PM
No XPL? No L1/3/5/7 ? No 4410/4412 ?

No list of affordable JBLs is complete without some mention of these imho. JBL didn't just stop building good speakers in 1985 :).

jblnut

I only had 10 slots. I guess I should have included Honorable Mentions.

BMWCCA
01-11-2008, 06:25 PM
I figure the L20t's that I'm listening to right now (Morph the Cat-Donald Fagen), bought recently for $75 including stands have to be one of them regardless of your definition of "affordable". Just a 4006 in a cheaper configuration.

Happy 60th to Donald Fagen (yesterday)! Has it been that long? We all must be old. :birthday:

brutal
01-12-2008, 06:31 PM
This is just my opinion...feel free to disagree.

7. L112…The 044 makes this look better than the L100 even if it doesn’t sound any better.



LOL.

My L100A sound like shrill, wet, muddy, horse dung compared to either set of L112's.

SEAWOLF97
01-12-2008, 07:03 PM
L166…Ranked this last because the 066 is so hard to find or repair.

so whats the trick to long life for the 066 ??? I kinda like my L166's, and even think the 066 may be equal or better than the 035tia.

BMWCCA
01-12-2008, 08:52 PM
My L100A sound like shrill, wet, muddy, horse dung compared to either set of L112's.I like the way this guy thinks! :applaud:

brutal
01-12-2008, 10:07 PM
I like the way this guy thinks! :applaud:

I realize I forgot to add "weak sauce."

128H drivers hit SO much harder than 123's. 044's certainly have an extended response over LE25's, and the L112 crossover is much more sophisticated.

edgewound
01-12-2008, 10:50 PM
The good thing about opinions is we don't have to agree with them.

doyall
01-13-2008, 09:02 AM
Affordable begins at ~$20 on my list, but I'm keeping the top ten JBL "Sleepers" private..... :p

FOUL! This is not fair Zilch. It's all about sharing here. There's plenty enough to go around. :D

brutal
01-13-2008, 09:56 AM
The good thing about opinions is we don't have to agree with them.

:applaud: I was thinking more in line with, "Opinions are like ***holes, everybody's got one." :blah: ;)

SEAWOLF97
01-13-2008, 04:47 PM
I'm keeping the top ten JBL "Sleepers" private..... :p

I wud bet that the 4410 is in there ??


LOL.
My L100A sound like shrill, wet, muddy, horse dung compared to either set of L112's.

and you got a good pair. my L1:):)'s just suck (BUT they are worth the $4 that I paid for them:) )

wd4090
01-13-2008, 06:31 PM
HOW can you not mention the 4412! they are so sexy.
I dont actually know how they sound as ive never owned a pair, but I could just sit those on the shelf and look at them.

Robh3606
01-13-2008, 06:43 PM
but I could just sit those on the shelf and look at them.

Whatever floats your boat. You will fit right in here.

Rob:smthsail:

jay
01-13-2008, 07:23 PM
my L1:):)'s just suck

Hmmm, if you think L100's suck, try L110's or L80T's.

Peeee-Ewwww!!!

SEAWOLF97
01-13-2008, 07:32 PM
HOW can you not mention the 4412! they are so sexy..

I sold my 4412s last month and replaced them with L-166s and have never looked back. Those Horizon grills...now those ARE different.

(4410 grills look same as 4412, xcept name strip is not horizontal)

edgewound
01-13-2008, 08:35 PM
HOW can you not mention the 4412!

That's a pro speaker...not consumer. They do sound pretty good, though.

It would greatly benefit from a beefier enclosure.

JBL Dog
01-13-2008, 09:03 PM
If you can get past the fact the veneer sucks, the L100T has the most bang for the buck. You can pick up a nice pair for $200 - $300. The veneer, however, is horrible. It tends to chip easily and will get separate from the particle board cabinet if exposed to temperature extremes.

Zilch
01-14-2008, 12:06 AM
They need mirror-imaged cabs, anyway.... :D

timc
01-14-2008, 02:32 AM
Prices are a bit different here in Norway, but I'd say that the L65 is a very good speaker for the price over here. Compared to the prices you pay in the US however they are insane.

I payed about $1100 for my set, wich is very cheap here in Norway. Normal going rate is about $1400.


The SVA series is also bang for the bucks if you like powerfull bass. Sold mine to a friend who mostly listen to bass heavy music and he's in heaven.

Another steal is the 240Ti. However the midrange was'nt to my liking so i passed them on. I really wanted to keep them, but i could not afford to have more speakers, and i really dont have room.

-Tim

tomee
01-14-2008, 07:14 AM
so whats the trick to long life for the 066 ??? I kinda like my L166's, and even think the 066 may be equal or better than the 035tia.

I've got a pair of these too, and was pleased to see them #10 on someone else's list. They're #1 for me for various reasons, mostly because they're my only decent pair of JBLs!

I think the trick to keeping the 066s alive is to keep the nice L166 grills on them to keep people from poking in the domes. Otherwise, with no ferrofluid in them (which is good IMHO) use a good amp (not low power) and don't try to use them as 'PA' speakers. Most dome tweeters with no ferrofluid for cooling will blow if continuous wattage is put into them for too long, hence the ferrofluid in most modern tweeters. If you even find a modern tweeter without ferrofluid in it, the power rating is seldom more than 20 watts.

bill8888
01-14-2008, 07:45 AM
If you can get past the fact the veneer sucks, the L100T has the most bang for the buck. You can pick up a nice pair for $200 - $300. The veneer, however, is horrible. It tends to chip easily and will get separate from the particle board cabinet if exposed to temperature extremes.

There’s a reason why the veneer sucks on most JBL consumer speakers built after the L112 and L96…the veneer is not genuine wood. The veneer looks and feels real, but is actually a processed wood product with the grain printed on it. Internally at JBL it was referred to as spaghetti wood.

briang
01-14-2008, 08:11 AM
There’s a reason why the veneer sucks on most JBL consumer speakers built after the L112 and L96…the veneer is not genuine wood. The veneer looks and feels real, but is actually a processed wood product with the grain printed on it. Internally at JBL it was referred to as spaghetti wood.

Really?!?!:blink: That does explain a few things...

LRBacon
01-14-2008, 09:40 AM
Hmmm, if you think L100's suck, try L110's or L80T's.

Peeee-Ewwww!!!


Now tell me what makes the L110's so bad??

johnaec
01-14-2008, 09:56 AM
Now tell me what makes the L110's so bad??I agree with you - the L110's are a much better sounding speaker than the L100's! And though I haven't heard them, I suspect the L80T series is also better.

John