Which JBL speaker to clone for DIY with $500 to spend on used drivers?

[workaround1]

If you had ~$500 to spend on used JBL drivers off eBay or other sources, which JBL speaker would you clone?
For jazz, piano & rock music.
Unlimited space requirements (mostly).
Crossover plans need to be detailed somewhere on the Internet. I have no equipment to measure with, nor the knowledge to design a crossover.

I actually already have LE14A's, but one of them needs a recone. :(

Was planning to go Econowave Deluxe, but I'm now considering a tried & true speaker design.

[workaround1]

Btw, I have L55's right now.
But as I mentioned, one of the LE14A's needs a recone. Because it has a slightly saggy spider. :(

[speakerdave]

You don't mention what your cabinet making skills are, but in any case I think at that money you would be better off spending a few months reading on these forums and watching the markets until you have identified some speakers you think would work for you and get to the point where you can recognize a good deal on a set.

In your price range I would suggest you look for L100T' s, L100T3's, L7's, 4412A's. With luck you may be able to get some others that usually sell for more. While you're learning maybe you can save up a little more. As with buying a used car, be prepared to spend some money making them just right. If you really want to build cabinets I can sell you all the components (drivers and crossovers) for the L100T3's for $400 plus shipping. The woofers may need foam.

David

[Lee in Montreal]

Considering that sharks make more money selling JBL speakers in parts than complete, I would't buy separate components with the goal to make a full speaker... Buy the full unit then.

Make your own speakers ony if you think you can improve what's already on the market.

[workaround1]

I'm pretty good with wood. I've built about half the last several speakers I've owned. :)

I'll google the L100T' s, L7's, 4412A's and your L100T3's.

Any cabinet I use will be rolled with black truck bed liner to match my subwoofers.

What's the best speaker I could build, utilizing my existing LE14A's and leaving about $250 for mids, tweets & crossovers?

[richluvsound]

Flip what you have and buy 4412's. You wont build anything for the money you have to get even close to !

Rich

[Lee in Montreal]

I'm pretty good with wood. I've built about half the last several speakers I've owned. :)

I was not doubting your workmanship, but rather explaining the dollar & "sense" context.

$500 gets you a good set of JBL 4412, while you'd be paying at least 50% extra in components alone (which is why people are breaking up good speakers and sell them on ePrey), plus the wood and the work. It makes no sense.

If I were you, I would source some Pro components ($1000 of it) and have all the fun building something out of the extraordinary... 15" or 18" bass driver (2235 or 2245), 8" or 10" mid bass/mid, and a nice compression driver (2402, 2404, 2405 depending on how high your mid driver goes).

[Mr. Widget]

I'm pretty good with wood. I've built about half the last several speakers I've owned. :)Yeah... me too, but I agree with these previous posters. Essentially they are all saying that for around $500 your best bet is to find a good deal on a used speaker system. If you can up the ante, to perhaps twice that then you find yourself able to buy great components to build some superior speakers.

The bottom line is that for $500 on the used market there are a number of really great deals out there so why not take advantage of them. If you are after the truck bed liner look, you can find even better deals on a pair of speakers where the cabinets are pretty well trashed... fill the holes and scratches and roll on a nice thick coat of bed liner and smile all the way to the bank.


Widget

[workaround1]

Yes, it doesn't matter if I buy an entire enclosure with speakers or the individual drivers. I'll still build my own cabinets.
And I always look for the best deal.

So the 4412 is considered the best for jazz and rock at $500?

[Ruediger]

With a bit of luck You can buy a system such as from the cabaret series for little money.

Ruediger

[richluvsound]

If I lived in the US and had $500 to spend on parts OR a speaker , then this is the speaker I would own . Although, I would not expect to get the parts for that kind of money. If I'm going to invest time in building a speaker ,then I want the best parts I can find . The 4412 is a fine speaker and worth the effort . The parts for new networks would cost you 150 bucks alone . My advice is to find a working pair and refurb them gradually .

Rich

[workaround1]

I'm digging that 4602 cabaret but it appears to have a 3k hz two way crossover. Surely that 12" can't do awesome playing up to 3k?

Also liking the non-tower style of the 4412.

[SEAWOLF97]

If I lived in the US and had $500 to spend on parts OR a speaker , then this is the speaker I would own . Although, I would not expect to get the parts for that kind of money. If I'm going to invest time in building a speaker ,then I want the best parts I can find . The 4412 is a fine speaker and worth the effort . The parts for new networks would cost you 150 bucks alone . My advice is to find a working pair and refurb them gradually .

Rich

Rich is correct ..(is he ever wrong ??)... I read a story one time abt GM ....they said it costs 5X (five times more) to purchase parts and build the car yourself rather than just go buy one already assembled.

My brother is in the used auto parts biz .... he buys cars, doesnt care if they run or not ,,sell a fender or 2 and its all profit from there on out.

I had both 4412's and L166's and SLIGHTLY preferred the Horizons , but then looking at replacement parts ..should you ever fry a tweet....the 035Tia on the 4412 is much easier and cheaper to source out.

MORE: tho my L7's are gone, they are huge "bang for the buck" , come in black and regularly go for waayyy under $500 ...many threads abt L7's on the forum. Since you dont care for the tower style, I (in your shoes) would pick up L7's take all the drivers & network and transplant them into a box you do like.

LATER: one member did just what I suggest ....dismantled L7's and made his own boxes , came out spectacular far as I can see...

[workaround1]

That cabinet is definitely awesome.
One of the reasons I'm not fond of towers (actually the only reason) is because I have a huge projector screen. And I only have about 1.5' of width for a speaker on the side, before it hits a wall.
For me to be able to mount my speakers under the screen, would be a huge benefit. I have somewhere around 25" height available under the screen. I forget the exact number. The screen is 115" wide and I sit 10' from my current speakers. Or about 12' from the screen.

I originally wanted to build a tall, slender line array to get my dynamics. But after research, I found it would cost upwards of $1k+ for a proper sounding system.


I appreciate all the suggestions & ideas, folks. This thread has already been a tremendous help.
Can't have too many ideas to mull over. The more the better. :)

[Doctor_Electron]

"$500 gets you a good set of JBL 4412, while you'd be paying at least 50% extra in components"

AMEN. I totally agree with Lee on this point.

Two years go, I found a pair of near-mint 4412's locally on Craig's, after about a week or so of looking. The woofers had been fully re-coned by an authorized JBL PRO shop, about a year prior to my "stealing" the pair (IMO) for $550. Asking price was $600. It was (again, IMO), a very good price. The re-coned woofers were the deal-maker.

And, you might even do better, with a bit of searching and some good fortune.

Best of luck on your project, which ever approach you take.

[macaroonie]

I agree with most of the comments posted above . What you should be looking for is a used pair with good drivers and trashed cabinets. However that may sound easier than it is in practice. You should read Seawolf's SPEAKER SAFARI thread in these forums. Highly entertaining and a lesson in how to find the goodies amongst the crap.
Footnote , there was a member here who was selling L110's at a very fair price , he had a few pairs , I had a look but cannot find the posting , maybe someone else will remember.
If you can find some 4313's even better and with your subs you should be good to go.

[SEAWOLF97]

I agree with most of the comments posted above . What you should be looking for is a used pair with good drivers and trashed cabinets. However that may sound easier than it is in practice. You should read Seawolf's SPEAKER SAFARI thread in these forums. Highly entertaining and a lesson in how to find the goodies amongst the crap..

SS was fun while it lasted .... came up with 3 nice pairs of L166's (which I like slightly more than 4412's) for a total of $75 ....
also had 4412's from a CL ad ...seller asking $400 , I inquired how he got that price , he answered "Oh, my GF said those must be worth at least $400" ....I replied.."You are the man and your GF isnt here, so WHAT do YOU think they're worth" ?? ..... he says "Oh, about $300" ....I found one broken grill peg so we settled on $280 :D
(while this thread is on its 4412 high ...almost all bookshelf 44xx's I've seen have broken pegs ..they are flimsy)

[Lee in Montreal]

I replied.."You are the man and your GF isnt here, so WHAT do YOU think they're worth"

Ouch!!! That must have hurt... ;)