Which to choose? S412P or L890

[wu6fiend]

I have the opportunity to purchase a pair of S412P or a set of L890 for essentially the same price ($600-$700). Both are in very good to mint condition.

Does anyone have any opinion as to which would be the better value?

The S412P is unusual as each speaker has a powered subwoofer built into it. For its day, it was advertised as the "flagship" of the line. The L890 has received a lot of very good reviews on the net. I have seen another member of the Studio L Series, and was reasonably impressed.

These will be used in our living room for mostly home theatre.

[oznob]

One issue to consider with the S412P is the amplifiers. If they go bad, finding a replacement will be very difficult. The L890 is a great speaker made even better when paired with an L8900P subwoofer. Just my two cents.

[oznob]

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=21675&highlight=S412P

Here is a thread from earlier this year that may interest you and help you make your decision. I would just ignore the posts from the grumpy, self proclaimed "forum police."

[rdgrimes]

1st, you can snag a pair of L890s for less that that from Harman eBay auctions.

The S412 has impressive design and by some accounts performance. The L890 has newer, better drivers especially in the HF end. The L890 benefits from the use of a sub, the S412 maybe less so.

It really boils down to personal needs and taste. I'd go with the L890 for a slightly clearer and smoother mid and high end.

[wu6fiend]

Thanks for that link. You make a very good point about replacement parts for the S412P (specifically the amp). Since the L890s are a currently available model, I am leaning toward them. Sure would be nice to hear from someone who has heard either or them, to get an opinion. Around here, current JBL offerings are virtually impossible to find (and I have tried!).

[wu6fiend]

1st, you can snag a pair of L890s for less that that from Harman eBay auctions.

The S412 has impressive design and by some accounts performance. The L890 has newer, better drivers especially in the HF end. The L890 benefits from the use of a sub, the S412 maybe less so.

It really boils down to personal needs and taste. I'd go with the L890 for a slightly clearer and smoother mid and high end.

Problem with the Harman eBay stuff, is that they will not ship to Canada, and do not accept Paypal from a non-U.S. based bank. As a confessed novice at buying over the Internet, I don't know how to get around these facts, particularly the latter. I would be delighted to buy from them, but it seems if you are Canadian, they don't want to deal with you.

[jblsound]

At any price the L890s are worth it, even full retail. So anything below that is a good price.