2397 vs 2380A.

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, Friends,

An hypothetical question, if I may. When I was gathering JBL goodies, I ended up with a pair of 2380A horns, in mint condition, as well as a pair of the squat 2311's, for which I have the proper lenses. One of these days, I will definitely get to the JBL projects I have on tap, but I'm beginning to think that the 2380A horns might be more proper for SR, and not home use. I've never heard a pair of 2397 diffraction horns in a home system, but wonder if they might be sweeter-sounding, and have better dispersion than the 2380A's? What do you think, JBL Mates? If the 2397's will work better, I might start hunting for a really nice pair, with throats, and add them to my JBL stash/cache. Advice, suggestions, and comments will be much appreciated. The 2" horns will be working with my 2445J drivers, with stock diaphragms, crossed at around 1,200 HZ. Thanks, very much, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[SMKSoundPro]

Hi Doc!

As you may know, I am using the 2380a/2445 combo in my workshop above the bar. I am crossing at 800hz, and the run up to 8k, then I am using a 2405 slot.

They sound okay. Not really very warm, but very bright and snappy. I am using a dbx 234 crossovr and my L200b cabs with 2235 woofs. Then I add a pair of 2245's for a little extra bump on the bottom, from 80hz and down.

I am SO ready to start building some 2397's and am always looking for great ideas here from the others.

Scotty.

[Doc Mark]

Hi Doc!

As you may know, I am using the 2380a/2445 combo in my workshop above the bar. I am crossing at 800hz, and the run up to 8k, then I am using a 2405 slot.

They sound okay. Not really very warm, but very bright and snappy. I am using a dbx 234 crossovr and my L200b cabs with 2235 woofs. Then I add a pair of 2245's for a little extra bump on the bottom, from 80hz and down.

I am SO ready to start building some 2397's and am always looking for great ideas here from the others.

Scotty.

Evening, Scotty!

Thanks for the shout, and your thoughts on this, my Friend! You have offered some valuable information, as I'm really wanting something that is "sweet" and somewhat "warm" in sound quality. One thing that I've not liked about some horn and driver combos is that, to my ear, somethings "bright and snappy" is fairly irritating after a short while! One thing that I like about our L300's (again, in OUR home, and with OUR listening levels), is that they sound sweet and natural to me, and not over-bearing, at all in the mids or highs. The 2380A/2445J combo has me a bit scared, just LOOKING at the components, as I have a strong feeling they are going to sound a "bit too much" for our ears. In truth, I'm more excited about the 2311/2308/2445J combination, as I have a feeling it will sound very similar to what we already have, but with the added benefits of lower distortion. We'll see. But, after what you've said, I'm leaning towards getting a pair of the 2397's with the proper throat adaptors, and see how I like them. I like the idea of the 2380A, as well as the 2311, as they are both fairly short, and will be less likely to cause phasing problems, me thinks. But, harkening back to our L300's, the horn/CD on that system is long, and I don't really "hear" any phasing problems, at all. So, it's quite possible I'll not hear them with the 2397, either. Who knows for sure?? My ears are, I'm sure not up to the level of some of our JBL Friends here at LH. But, hey, they are all I have, and I rely a lot on Sweet Bride, too, as her hearing is definitely better than mine, and if she things something sounds natural and "sweet", and I do, too, that's good enough for us! So far, every single person that has heard our L300's has gone away in awe, even Sweet Bride's Mom, who wasn't too keen on them at first listen, now thinks they are the best speakers she's ever heard! Go figure...

If the pair of 2397's on the Bay were in better condition, I'd spring for them, as the price seems fairly good. But, something in my heart is telling me to wait, and a nicer pair, in far better condition will show up, for not that much more. So, I'll not bid on those. It's obvious that at least one of the has been dropped on its front edges, sometime in its past, and I worry that they are not solid anymore. So, I'll wait.

Thanks, again, Scotty! I always appreciate your comments on such things, as you "live" it far more than do I, and your experimentation is always reliable and offers good results. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc