Substitute for JBL L110

[zzak]

Hi,

I now have at home this speakers, this are the first vintage speakers i have owned, and after few hours of listening to them i falled in love. But i must return them soon, or pay for them 500€, are they worthed or i should get different model, i am decited that they will be JBL. Cause i am from Slovenia, there isnt much choise for choosing. I can get only this pair for 500€, or 4311B for 700€, or L 100 Century for 280€.

Whats the best choise, they are all in mint condition and reconed and repaired.

Or what similar speakers u suggest for around 200-400€, cause i find the guy who can import me some pairs, i think he mention L 26...

Any suggestions are welcome, i listen most to the 70th rock, hard rock, some jazz here and there, and they will be partnered with Sony Esprit series and Project gramophone.

Thank you, and sorry for my bad english.

Greets

[SEAWOLF97]

I can get only this pair for 500€, or 4311B for 700€, or L 100 Century for 280€.


L 100 Century for 280€

that wud prolly be the best choice for the money from that group ...mebbe not the best speaker , but "bang for the buck" choice. First time JBLer's seem to love them.

[zzak]

I will buy them, but it is a chance they get sold, now they are at someone who test them and probably will buy them, hope not.

How are they compared to the L110? Similar sound or not?

[Fred Sanford]

I think the L110 is a much better sounding speaker than the L100, and I have both.

Are the L110s completely original? Can you post a picture of the drivers?

je

[zzak]

I can post them tomorrow, i think they are original, just the foam on all drivers was replaced.

I thought they were better, but the L100 are half of the price.
Can u please tell me more difference beetwen them.

I have notice that i have too much bass with 110's, cause of the room and position, and i am not living in the house, so i cant listen very loud. I like taht bass, its godd but too much of it, will the 100's be better?

[Fred Sanford]

I can post them tomorrow, i think they are original, just the foam on all drivers was replaced.

I thought they were better, but the L100 are half of the price.
Can u please tell me more difference beetwen them.

I have notice that i have too much bass with 110's, cause of the room and position, and i am not living in the house, so i cant listen very loud. I like taht bass, its godd but too much of it, will the 100's be better?

The L100 is actually likely to give you more bass, the L110s are more accurate overall. It seems like you need to play with positioning, or employ some kind of EQ temporarily.

L110s = much more complex crossover, flatter response, better high frequency quality & extension. Replacement tweeters can be tough to find if damaged.

L100s = easier to re-sell, because they're more well-known. Easier to find spare parts, because more were sold & many other models used the same parts. Boomier bass and more forward midrange.

Just my opinions...

je

[LRBacon]

I think the L110 is a much better sounding speaker than the L100, and I have both.


je

I concur with je. The bass on the L100 is more boomy and the overall characteristic is some what on the harsh side, especially at moderate to high volume levels. Listener fatigue sets in soon. To alleviate the harshness on the L100, I have the brilliance set at 1 and the presence set at about 1.5. According to Zilch, when the brilliance is set so low, it reduces the output of the upper high frequencies. I can't hear them so it doesn't bother me. I have been using a new amplifier that has a very high dampening factor which has seemed to have calmed the boominess. Probably just my imagination.
On the other hand I can listen for hours on end to the L110s, with the mid and hi controls set at flat, and not get tired of them. The L110 also has a very good soundstage.

Larry

[SMKSoundPro]

No Contest!

L-110!!!!!

I have them both and the L-110 is my favorite!!!!

Good Luck and welcome to the forum!!!
Scotty.

[zzak]

Now i have the opportunity to get "Altec Lansing 205a" for around 100-150€, is that any good?

Thank u for all opinions, i am turning to 110's more and more...

Will post pics later, dont have time.

[thymanst]

I just posted my first imressions of the L110 I just picked up on another thread - I wish I knew they were this good, I would have looked for a pair a long time ago....(I'm listening to Johnny Cash singing "Big John" as I type and its the best I've ever heard this song:D)

[zzak]

Pics as promised.

Is everything original, except foam?

One mid is damaged, but i cant here the difference, everything else is in mint condition.

[Fred Sanford]

All the important bits are there, the tweeters especially look very good. The foam size is a bit suspect from that pic, but it's hard to tell. They look great overall.

:applaud:

je

[SMKSoundPro]

поздравляю

Без перевода
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

OUTSTANDING!!!!!

WELL DONE!!!!

Those look great!!! There is NOTHING "wrong" with that mid dome! Don't touch it! Leave it as is!!!

Welcome to the L110 club!!! (there is NO secret handshake or member card as of yet!)

I KNOW you will really like them!!!!!

Scotty.

[zzak]

They were reconed at one of the best services in my country, so if the drivers are original everythings good :)

[midlife]

Congrats, quick question please, are the L112s (rectangular style pair), well regarded? thanks.

[zzak]

I have also opportunity to get 112's, much better then 110? And L80T, what about them?

[zzak]

Few more:

[midlife]

I have also opportunity to get 112's, much better then 110? And L80T, what about them?
Good question since we're on the topic...:bouncy:

[BMWCCA]

Your L110s, I believe, have the large-section roll on the new surrounds. I believe they should have the small roll, like my factory re-coned L96s here: http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=38971&d=1241117793

If I might answer the L112 question by comparison to the L96, I don't think JBL made a better 12" "bookshelf" than the L112. They were my second JBLs and I bought them new in about 1983 and they haven't moved from my bedroom since. Great speakers. Like most JBL 12" speakers, they are very susceptible to boundary reinforcement and that probably accounts for most complaints of being "boomy" compared to the L96 or other 10" JBLs. I use mine away from a corner and about 8" off the ground. I suppose they would work well an actual bookshelves but that's how I use them. Very close to my 4412As but not as shrill on bad material as the titanium tweets. They will fill a room better than the ten-inchers and give up nothing that I can tell while providing a solid bass the L96 isn't really expected to provide.

I have L80Ts I recently acquired (http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=245082&postcount=19) for $50 and re-finshed and re-surrounded. A very nice speaker for that money. Heather is in the process of modifying her L100Ts with T3 networks so I'll have to see what that does. I've modded my L80Ts with just the extra insulation and lengthening the bass duct as suggested by Gordon W but the mid and high balance seems a bit off compared to the L96s so I'm hopefull further T3 mods will address that, or else I'll try L-pads. I can easily EQ them to sound like pretty much whatever I want and the 127H-1 puts out a heck of a lot more low-end than the LE10H-1 and probably the LE111A, too. The L96 is smoother over all and easier to listen to but that's not a titanium-versus-phenolic issue to my ear. I may not have given them an equal positioning advantage in testing so maybe more later.

[zzak]

If i reconed them with the right surrounds on drivers, will make any difference? I am completely new to vintage speakers so i dont have many experience in any way.

I will have them on the tv stand so the bass is allready a little boomy, so with the 12" i will get even more boomy-er bass? I dont want that. And they are preety close to the wall and there isnt any better way to put them :(

Whats with the knobs on the left of the tweet and mid, in the centre they are in the factory settings, and then +,- to the left and to the right?

When i play it little louder there is a lot of bass, but missing a little mid and treble, can i set them to the max, is that doing some bad thing to the crossboard or something?

L96 is same as L112? Confused all that models...is there any simple guide to the all series on this forum?

[BMWCCA]

If i reconed them with the right surrounds on drivers, will make any difference? It really depends on the stiffness of the foam more than the shape, I would guess. But any material is just a guess since JBL does not supply just the edge foam. That's why the consensus here from those who know is that to retain the original characteristics of your JBL, you should re-cone with factory kits instead of simply replacing foam surrounds with after-market stuff. :dont-know It's certainly a cost issue!


I will have them on the tv stand so the bass is allready a little boomy, so with the 12" i will get even more boomy-er bass? I dont want that. And they are preety close to the wall and there isnt any better way to put them :(If it's a placement issue, you do the best that you can. If you're happy with the bass output on your L110s then there's really little reason to look at a 12" JBL.


Whats with the knobs on the left of the tweet and mid, in the centre they are in the factory settings, and then +,- to the left and to the right?Exactly. One assumes the "0" is flat and anything else either cuts or "boost" that speaker from what the factory considers the flattest response (or preferred settings) from their measurements, usually made in an anechoic chamber.


When i play it little louder there is a lot of bass, but missing a little mid and treble, can i set them to the max, is that doing some bad thing to the crossboard or something?The only way that might hurt anything is if you're really hammering the HF driver (really loud) with distorted output from a low-power amplifier. Other than that, do as you like. If it starts to sound bad, turn it down!


L96 is same as L112? Confused all that models...is there any simple guide to the all series on this forum?L96 and L112 (and L150A) share the same HF and mid-range drivers. A leisurely stroll through the library links on this site is about the best history lesson on JBL you're going to find. :applaud:

[Fred Sanford]

Few more:

Replacing those input connectors would be on my to-do list, but all in all they look to be in very good condition. Congrats!

je

[zzak]

BMWCCA, thank u for all ur time and answers. The mids and hights are worst then the Altec Lansing 205a, so thats wxy the Altecs got first place in living room, gonna try now little playing with crossovers.

@Fred; the guy who sold them to me, said there is a lot of work to change the connectors, so for now gonna leave them. Gonna get some old dirty pair to play on them first.

[Fred Sanford]

@Fred; the guy who sold them to me, said there is a lot of work to change the connectors, so for now gonna leave them. Gonna get some old dirty pair to play on them first.

It only took me a few minutes to replace mine. Remove the woofers, take off the nuts & washers, remove old connectors, install new connectors, connect wires, install washers & nuts, replace woofers. Done. Some of the old JBL connectors were so bad that replacing them was an audible improvement, on the L110s it was really mostly so I could use banana plugs & heavier gauge wire.

I've used these on two L110s, two 4401s, two L100s, and six L46s so far (I think only the L100s needed any effort, to slightly round out the mounting holes):

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=091-340

I haven't done my 4333As yet, because those actually will be a little bit of work.

je

[Ralph856]

Will those ones also work on L96 and L19's, Fred?

So the wires from the network clip on to the rear of the binding post and don't need soldering? Cheers.

[Fred Sanford]

Will those ones also work on L96 and L19's, Fred?

So the wires from the network clip on to the rear of the binding post and don't need soldering? Cheers.

No experience on those particular models, sorry. The spade terminal males that come with these haven't been used on any of my models, there are crimped-on rings leading to the crossover - those simply slide on to the threaded part of the connector and get tightened with a nut. The only thing I've run into so far is that most of the connectors I've seen have round holes, so the new connections have a nice, snug fit right off the bat. Some, however, have had smaller holes or flattened sides to the holes, and needed to be reamed out slightly to accomodate the new connectors.

je

[LRBacon]

"Whats with the knobs on the left of the tweet and mid, in the centre they are in the factory settings, and then +,- to the left and to the right?

When i play it little louder there is a lot of bass, but missing a little mid and treble, can i set them to the max, is that doing some bad thing to the crossboard or something?"



Zzak, the upper control is for the tweeter (treble) and the lower one is for the midrange. When the raised dot on the slotted portion of the control is at the top (12 o'clock) it is in the "flat" position. Both controls may be adjusted to listening preferences.

I would stick with the refoamed woofers and not spend the extra cash for reconing since you have plently of bass. Reconing would make them alot more compliant therefor increasing the bass output a bit.

Larry

[zzak]

What amplifier do you guys recommend? I have now Sony TAFA5ES, but im thinking maybe they dont go along, since the Altecs play much better on details. Or are they just better speakers'

And what cables is good choise to go with the JBL's?

I think iam gonna change the terminals for them as soon a spossible if it isnt really so hard.

Thanks

[4313B]

If I might answer the L112 question by comparison to the L96, I don't think JBL made a better 12" "bookshelf" than the L112.L100 < L112 < 120Ti < Century Gold is how the progression went.
I can easily EQ them to sound like pretty much whatever I want and the 127H-1 puts out a heck of a lot more low-end than the LE10H-1 and probably the LE111A, too.Price points killed the LE10. :rotfl: The less expensive 125/127 variants prevailed in the end. :barf:
JBL sure put a heck of alot of R & D into it though, it came a long way from the 125A.

[zzak]

I notice that there are two differnet series of 110, 110 and 110A, mine has one number graviert by the name that begins with "A..." is that the louder model or not?

I just love the bass of the speaker and the sound of 10" driver, but iam not satisfied with the mid and high's, there isnt enough of them, if i want them to sound loud, clean and detailed, i must turn up the volume big time, and then the bass driver is too loud for my room. I have the knobs beside of mid and high's almost at max.

Any solution?

[LRBacon]

I notice that there are two differnet series of 110, 110 and 110A, mine has one number graviert by the name that begins with "A..." is that the louder model or not?

I just love the bass of the speaker and the sound of 10" driver, but iam not satisfied with the mid and high's, there isnt enough of them, if i want them to sound loud, clean and detailed, i must turn up the volume big time, and then the bass driver is too loud for my room. I have the knobs beside of mid and high's almost at max.

Any solution?

The more neutral sounding version is the L110A which will have a serial number on the foilcal followed by a die stamped "A" and "H." It will also have a curve in the port duct and the LE111H woofer instead of the LE111A. The original version does have slightly more boom to the bass and a little bit more pronounced midrange.

I would make sure the L-pads are clean and put the speakers up off the floor so the tweeters are near ear level when you are sitting in the listening position. This will help eliminate the boominess. How your room is furnished will also affect how the speakers sound.
Make sure your bass control is in the neutral position and turn off the loudness switch if you have one on your receiver or preamp.

Larry

[zzak]

I have "A and H" and durved bassreflex, i got source direkt on amp and no loudness and similar crap :)

What are the L-pads? Ma english isnt very good so i dont understand much technical terminology...

As i said i am satisfied with the bass, just the mids and highs dont follow them, maybe that the best words to describe the sound, maybe some suggestions on different amp or cables will help?

Thanks.

[LRBacon]

I have "A and H" and durved bassreflex, i got source direkt on amp and no loudness and similar crap :)

What are the L-pads? Ma english isnt very good so i dont understand much technical terminology...

As i said i am satisfied with the bass, just the mids and highs dont follow them, maybe that the best words to describe the sound, maybe some suggestions on different amp or cables will help?

Thanks.

The L-pads are the controls on the speakers for the midrange and tweeter. If they are dirty they may cause the output of their respective driver to cut out or have a much lower output. What size of room do you have your L110s in and how is it furnished? Do you have a lot of overstuffed furniture and lots of drapes or curtains? What are you using for a signal source, tape player, CD player or tuner maybe?



Larry

[zzak]

The room is about 32 square meters big, there isnt any curtains and carpet, but there is a big sofa in the room. There is wood on the floor.

I use Sony Esprit series amplifier and cd player, (FA5S and X333ES), interconnect is some good VanDenHul and some decent speakers kables (no name).
Sometimes i play lp's on Project turntable.

How do i clean the L-pads? Lot of work?

[LRBacon]

Gees zzak, they should sound very bright in that room you have. Try turning the tweeter and midrange controls from all the way to the left to all the way to the right several times maybe it will clean the contacts off enough that you won't have to get in to the cabinets to clean the L-pads.

Larry

[zzak]

What amps do you use for this speakers or similar ones, please suggestions.

Thx

[zzak]

I need dimensions for wooden stands for this speakers, i seen it before on this page, but cant find it. They were about 10-15 inchees hihg and the speakers stand on a little angle. The stands was made from 3 pieces of wood.

Thank you for help.

[Earl K]

I think these are what you're after . They're for sale here in N.A. ( click the pic to go to the sellers site ) .

http://foamtrends.com/images/new-stand-with-logo.jpg (http://foamtrends.com/pages/stands.html)

- To Make Your Own ; CLICK HERE ! (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4297)

<> cheers :)

[zzak]

Thats the ones. Thank you very much.