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midlife
04-27-2009, 02:49 PM
Hello to forum members, I am new here and would like to get some advise. In the hurricane Katrina flood, I lost my music collection and my system; L300s, Cerwin Vega Metron preamp, Crown DC 300 & OC 150, R2R, turntable etc. After lamenting this loss long enough I am now ready to begin assembly of my new system. I was happy with the sound I had before and although price is a bigger concern than it had been in the past I hope to find similar or similar performing components. I would like to ask which JBL speakers (vintage or modern) might provide nearly the same audio experience that I had with the L300 Summits. I need smaller speakers to blend physically and accoustically into my smaller accomodations. I am leaning towards another Crown amp, not sure of which preamp, but any and all recommendations are gladly appreciated. :bouncy:

Titanium Dome
04-27-2009, 03:59 PM
Welcome to the forums! Glad you're making a rebound from all Katrina did.

Not much else sounds just like L300s, other than the studio version, and it takes up just as much space.

If money weren't a concern, I'd say go for a pair of 1400 Arrays, but that's a pricey investment. A pair of 800 Arrays would be less, but still pricey, and you'd want a sub with them.

A used pair of S/2600 or S/3100 speakers might fit the bill, but they're large: smaller footprint but higher profile.

Others will chime in with better suggestions, since I'm not helping you much.

robertbartsch
04-28-2009, 01:50 PM
http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/support/getfile.aspx?doctype=3&docid=628

CONVERGENCE
04-29-2009, 07:21 AM
Hello to forum members, I am new here and would like to get some advise. In the hurricane Katrina flood, I lost my music collection and my system; L300s..... but any and all recommendations are gladly appreciated. :bouncy:

Hi

I'm sorry to hear this,

You want something similar with no frill and no fuss .A contractor could probably get the 4338 model for you as it is marketed for the Japanese market.

General
Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1m)
93 dB
Impedance
8 ohm
Frequency Response (–6dB)
35Hz - 40kHz
Crossover Frequency(ies)
750Hz, 9000Hz
Low-Frequency Transducer
15"
High-Frequency Transducer
3"
UHF Transducer
1"

SUPERBEE
04-30-2009, 04:13 PM
Another set of L-300s and McIntosh, Marantz or H H Scott tube amps

IMHO!

BMWCCA
04-30-2009, 05:09 PM
I've been following your thread and have suggestions based on my own experience that I think fit your needs for a smaller footprint and smaller dent in your wallet, yet accommodate your well-placed trust in Crown amps, without sacrificing the sound quality you've become used to.

I currently have one system configured with a Crown PS-400, a pair of JBL L7s, and a Soundcraftsmen Pro-Control-Four pre-amp, that sounds fantastic. Total cost (shhshh, I'm turning over a new leaf here!) was about $400 plus the input device of your choice, be it CD player or turntable. I'll leave those up to you.

I've heard the L7s played next to L300 equivalents and, even without as much power as I give them at home, they acquitted themselves quite well in comparison with the iconic 4333/L300s. You might not find as cheap a PS-400 but you may not have have to pay much over $200 for one and I like it better than my DC300A-II which is a fine amp, too. Your OC-150 was a classic but the Soundcraftsmen Pro-Control-Four has more modern capabilities, wonderful, quiet C-MOS circuitry, and you can even run it in straight-line "direct" mode, bypassing its tone controls or any processor loops.

If you can stomach the all-black look you can have a superb system for far less than the cost of your old speakers alone. The L7s have a far-smaller footprint though they might be too imposing in your new accommodations so you can always substitute L5s for the L7 even though you'd miss the full sound you remember from your L300s.

Good luck with your search. I'd be happy to help if I was closer to you. I have multiples of all of these you could try. For some reason the L7/L5 series seem to pop up quite often in Texas. I know it's a huge state but they are your neighbors! :)

Titanium Dome
04-30-2009, 08:37 PM
Upon further reflection and a couple of Long Island Iced Teas, I'd suggest you try out a pair of SVA 2100s (preferred) or SVA1800s (recommended). They have CD horns and a pair of substantial woofers in an MTM design.

The L7s are an excellent suggestion, but the horn-based SVA Series will no doubt get you closer. It's a completely different horn than the compression driven L300, but it still has that brain-scrambling horn power and presence. It's a complete knock you on your butt system.

midlife
05-01-2009, 05:47 AM
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I have ebayed so far; 2 Crown D-150s (pre A model) for mono use, and 1 Kenwood 8300 tuner. I am watching a Mac C32 pre, and also watching L96s, 4312s, and the like. I do have an opportunity to try different JBL speaker styles, because I will eventually do not only the small study area but also a game room and 2 bay garage. Not looking to go off the deep end $$$ wise, just good solid performance. My primary source will be cds, as my turntable and album collection were put to pasture (or the swamp) as a result of the flood. Keep the comments and suggestion coming, I do find them useful. :bouncy:

BMWCCA
05-01-2009, 06:25 AM
I have ebayed so far; 2 Crown D-150s (pre A model) for mono useI assume by "ebayed" you mean you've already bid and won them at auction? I have one early D150 that has been in near-constant use since new in 1973. I could be mistaken but I believe to bridge any of those pre-A-series amps for mono use you have to go inside and make a minor change in the wiring because they have no mono-stereo switch. It's all detailed in the owner's manual.

In case you haven't already made the purchases, when I contemplated a matching D150 for the same purpose Crown techs suggested one DC300A-II instead. They weren't trying to sell me anything since the DC300 was long out of production by that time. I found used prices for the DC300A-II to be about the same as one D150A-II.

As a recent L96 owner, I can concur it's a fine speaker. Certainly no replacement for an L300, but it is smaller. :) Personally I'd not waste time looking for a 4311 but instead focus on the 4411/L112 series since they're all close to the L96 family. Or maybe even 4412/4410. Seems like you're determined to go '70s and '80s vintage so I won't push the L7/L5 on you.

midlife
05-01-2009, 06:45 AM
The pre-A, D150's will have to be bridged internally, and I not only like the brushed chrome faces better than the alumn or blk, but I also like the 2 amps presence in the rack. Subjective choices I suppose. How do you feel about the sonic characteristics of the Mac C32? Have never had the chance to listen to the L7s. :bouncy: Forgive my ocassional spelling flubs.

BMWCCA
05-01-2009, 07:40 AM
I not only like the brushed chrome faces better than the alumn or blk, but I also like the 2 amps presence in the rack. How do you feel about the sonic characteristics of the Mac C32? Have never had the chance to listen to the L7s. :bouncy: Forgive my ocassional spelling flubs.I have a Mac C-20 hooked to my early D150. Had if for about forty years! I always liked it but I don't really try to compare it to modern solid-state pre-amps. I bought it when I was in high-school along with a Fisher SA1000 for $200. I keep it, like you, for subjective aesthetic reasons. I worked on a Model-A Ford the other day when one died in front of my house. Interesting and classic, but I wouldn't drive it or want to depend on it every day.

With the C-32 suggestion you've moved out of the "moderate" price category. Plus most Mac enthusiasts insist they all need a thorough going-through and updating which can double your purchase cost and put you close to what a pair of L300s might be bought for on a good day. A good solid-state pre-amp will do what a pre-amp is supposed to which I feel is to provide control over inputs without adding any unwanted characteristics like noise or "color". If I want that laid-back living-room sound Mac owners seem to crave I have plenty of equalizers! But then I don't drive a Buick. For the money a nice C-32 would cost, I'd rather have a Crown SL-2 and change in my pocket, but it's all subjective. Here's one in silver for you: http://ebayitem.com/260402129186

You're speling look fein too me. ;) We all should enjoy mid-life . . . because next comes geriatric dementia and no spell-checker can help with that. :(

midlife
05-01-2009, 08:05 AM
With apologies to die hard Buick fans, I do believe your analogy makes a useful point. :)