JBL Hartsfield.... number made..?

[patpong]

hello, I am new here at this forum. I just got the original JBL Hartsfield pair... really magnificent speakers... the huge soundstage, tight and power bass. clarity...The power of the sound it produces is just unbelievable. No matter how loud or whichever peak, it handles all with ease.... I never experienced such power coming out of speakers and they run only by a pair of 30 watts, Mcintosh MC30. I wish I had these 20 years ago when I started my stereo hobby with the highend... Krell, Apogee, Levinson and such...

I understand these Hartsfield were rare and most sought after and that they were produced during 1957 till 1964. Would anyone know how many were there in total coming out of JBL. I understand they were sold individually as a mono.

Pat,
Bangkok, Thailand

[BMWCCA]

Welcome. Nice pair! Where did you get them?

Can't help you with the numbers but I'm sure someone here will know the answer.

It's great to see a Mac C-20 in regular use these days, and with such appropriate speakers, too. Very nice pre-amp. I still own mine and ran it for years with my C37 030s.

Nice little Testarossa, too.

[Maron Horonzakz]

Is that a pocher model car kit ???

[Amnes]

Nah, it's 1:12 or larger.

Back on track - lovely speakers, what else can I say. Good to hear a proud no longer highend hype audiophile swapped out for the classy Lansing gear.

[speakerdave]

Nah, it's 1:12 or larger . . . . .

I hope so. Otherwise the Testosterossa's I've seen have been downsized copies.


. . . . t's great to see a Mac C-20 in regular use these days, and with such appropriate speakers, too. Very nice pre-amp . . . .

I used a C20 for years, until my sons, then teenagers, complained about the bass woofiness and begged me to keep the Luxman 1000 in the system. Maybe I should dig it out and rebuild it to see if I believe all the nice things people are saying about it.

[BMWCCA]

I used a C20 for years, until my sons, then teenagers, complained about the bass woofiness and begged me to keep the Luxman 1000 in the system. Often the key is proper use of the variable loudness control. But then I haven't listened to mine critically in many years. :dont-know:

[patpong]

Thank you, guys.... I bought the Hartsfield out of the blue... never even seen them in life, not to mention listening to them. But I heard a lot from those guys that have listened to them and all say same words that nothing else can even compare to the hartsfield... not any vintage or highend. And when I got them and have a two full days of listening... all were right...!!! They worth as people say they are.

The Mcintosh C20... I love it... lots of bass. At the moment, the C20 and MC30 match the Hartsfield perfectly...

The models are Porcher 1/8, Alfa Romeo Grand sport and starch built Amalgam 1/8 Ferrari 512TR... hahaha.... that's me... cars and music..:)

[Maron Horonzakz]

THE HARTSFIELD SOUND SO REAL,,,, I COULD SPOT A POCHER KIT A MILE OFF,,1000 parts BUT SO REAL,,,ALL ARE VERY VALUBLE,

[BMWCCA]

The models are Porcher 1/8, Alfa Romeo Grand sport and starch built Amalgam 1/8 Ferrari 512TR... hahaha.... that's me... cars and music..:)

That's what I figured. Did you want to say "scratch-built" on the Amalgam kit TR?

Amalgam (http://www.amalgamcollection.com/en/product/product_detail.php?SKU=M5248-SEB&list_type=&list_value=&PHPSESSID=15b)

Pocher (http://www.pocher.net/english/engframes.html)

[patpong]

That's what I figured. Did you want to say "scratch-built" on the Amalgam kit TR?

Amalgam (http://www.amalgamcollection.com/en/product/product_detail.php?SKU=M5248-SEB&list_type=&list_value=&PHPSESSID=15b)

Pocher (http://www.pocher.net/english/engframes.html)

hahaha... yes, Scratch-built.... very nice indeed...

As far as the number of Hartsfield built out from JBL... Would it be totally off to estimate based on the total number of sale of the Paragon of 1000 units over 20 years in production... that's 1000 customers, so 10 years in production for Hartsfield, so estimate of 500 customers bought and since the Hartsfield were sold as a mono, so that's 500 pieces sold. And using a classic cars estimate method, 50% survived today in functional condition over 50 years of its life. That means around 250 pieces of the Hartsfield still in existence today... How off am I.............opinion please...

[tom1356]

I don't know how many they built but it was more than you think.
They started making them in early 1954 and stopped in 1964.
Beginning in about 1956 people were pairing them up for stereo.

[patpong]

I don't know how many they built but it was more than you think.
They started making them in early 1954 and stopped in 1964.
Beginning in about 1956 people were pairing them up for stereo.

sure hope so... a good chance to get a second pairs then...:applaud:

[shaansloan]

sure hope so... a good chance to get a second pairs then...:applaud: Pat, nice system you have there! No doubt it has that wonderful vintage sound.

There have been many Hartsfields that I have seen for sale in the last few years, there seems to be plenty of them.

I notice the Altec Lagunas seem to be far more rare as I have only seen one pair of those sell in the last 4 years.... http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Altec/1959-h.jpg (http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Altec/1959-h.jpg) The Lagunas actually have dual 15" woofers and a similar horn arrangement as the Hartsfield...

[patpong]

I notice the Altec Lagunas seem to be far more rare as I have only seen one pair of those sell in the last 4 years.... http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Altec/1959-h.jpg (http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Altec/1959-h.jpg) The Lagunas actually have dual 15" woofers and a similar horn arrangement as the Hartsfield...

very nice.... also love the Altec 820c

[RKLee]

Wow, what a beautiful set of speakers.

The records of JBL speakers were produced were lost in the Northridge Earthquake. From what I read these high-end speakers were built to compete against the Klipsch Corner Horns.

ETA(edited to add) - you should register your speaker in the registry:
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?24908-JBL-Registry