L7's vs. L250Ti's

[AmericanPie]

Has anybody directly compared the sound between the two? With L250Ti's going for $2500 and up, I'm tempted to take the plunge on some (allegedly) nice L7's for sale under $600, within driving distance. It seems almost impossible to go wrong.

[JBLAddict]

Has anybody directly compared the sound between the two? With L250Ti's going for $2500 and up, I'm tempted to take the plunge on some (allegedly) nice L7's for sale under $600, within driving distance. It seems almost impossible to go wrong.


for under 600 it is impossible to go wrong on L7s. I've never heard the 250Ti

[HCSGuy]

(Signal can of worms opening)

Either you love or hate L7's - I was never able to get them to sound good, through 3 different rooms and 4 power amplifiers. Others on this forum have done better.

I have never been able to get 250Ti's to sound bad - same three rooms, same power amplifiers. Well, with one exception; the Onkyo M-504 was a poor performer on both speakers.

If you're looking for a stepping stone speaker, try searching for a clean pair of L5's, then adding a subwoofer or two. They're much easier to place than the L7's.

Good luck!

[4313B]

Has anybody directly compared the sound between the two?Greg did the 250Ti, Greg didn't do the L7, so no. :rotfl:

Seriously though, the L7's are arguably underpriced at $600 a pair so just buy them. If you can't make them work in your home then sell them.

[Regis]

I'm with HSC Guy, I've owned a pair of L-7's that I've tried everywhere and I didn't like them either. For $600, you'd be better off finding a pair of XPL-160's, UREI 809's, L-112's, 4310's, 4311's, 4312's, L100T's and many others. The L-5's are OK.

[SEAWOLF97]

I've had both ... to me, its an "apples & oranges" question

besides the huge price difference , one was marketed to consumers (mainly from Circuit City) and the other was their TOTL offering.

never thought I'd be defending L7's, but they are fine, very capable speakers. I just couldn't get past the looks. did not have placement issues. Easy to drive. A pretty typical JBL sound. Bought them cheap , tried them a while and moved on...not very rare..lots of "bang for the buck" ..readily available for less than $600

250Ti's are more scarce. the sound is not traditional JBL (accurate ?) ....you will have to look longer and wider to find a pair and will pay more. I can listen all day and don't find them fatiguing at all. they do seem to need a more powerful amp. Most everyone who comes into the house remarks about their beauty...Other people (Hi Phil) , think the same about the L7.

My personal preference is for real wood that looks like wood. The teak is fantastic. I have NO black plastic gear or speakers... To my mind, speakers in a living room should complement the surroundings ...if you are placing them in a BR or dark corner of a HT then it doesn't really matter.

finally the viscous self-induced upgrade cycle is done for me.

[BMWCCA]

Most everyone who comes into the house remarks about their beauty...Other people (Hi Phil) , think the same about the L7.What I think is beautiful about the L7 is the quality of the sound reproduction. For the $200 I paid for each pair . . . simply amazing!

They opened my eyes and ears so much that within a year I had purchased my 4345s. Comparing the L7 to Fred's 4333 was entertaining and each had its strength. The comparison made me lust for horns. Attempting to compare the L7 to Opi's 250s in the bass-sucking living room was no contest though the L7s had marginal amplification in that room (one PS400) compared to rather sophisticated power for the 250s. At one-tenth the cost, the L7 is truly remarkable. At one-third, slightly less. At some point we always have to ask how much is "better" worth?

I don't think there's a better repeatable deal out there than a $200 L7, but I seldom listen to mine now that I've been to the mountain.

[HCSGuy]

besides the huge price difference , one was marketed to consumers (mainly from Circuit City) and the other was their TOTL offering.


Both pair I've had (250TiBQ Limited Editions) came from Circuit City. I worked there from about '90-'94 to pay my way through college. When I started, we were clearing out L100T3's, we did sell a few pair of 250TiBQ's, at $4999 suggested retail per pair, and then tried to move L7's. It was hard, as the only thing we had that came close to driving them was the HK Citation 22, and we always had to choose between putting them in a tiny soundroom, where they really sounded boomy, or out on the main floor, where the bass was tamed, but the background noise level was so high you couldn't compete.

Anyway, good luck, as 4313B said, at the price, you can't loose money:)

[SEAWOLF97]

L250Ti's

thats a common mistake ....you can have "L-250's"
or "250Ti's" , but there ain't no such animal as an
L250Ti

there is a fair difference in the used market pricing.