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View Full Version : Jbl L300 Vs 4343



tv506
06-19-2003, 09:09 AM
Which one sounds better, L300 or 4343? Are they use that same Tweeter, Compression driver, and woofer? Please help me decide

Thanks,:confused:

4313B
06-19-2003, 09:12 AM
"Which one sounds better, L300 or 4343?"

4344 :D

Tom Loizeaux
06-24-2003, 05:42 AM
Yes, the L300 and 4343 use the same drivers, but the 4343 adds the 2121 10" mid-bass driver and a different network. This lets all th drivers work in a narrower band and does improve the sound. Is it worth th extra cost...only you can decide.
I fired up my bi-amped 4320s (pro version of the L300) and I must say it sounded great! When I A/B'd it with my 4343 on the other side I felt the 4343 had a smoother, richer sound. The 4320s were very nice though!

Tome

4313B
06-24-2003, 08:06 AM
Tom brings up a good point. Without an A/B, "ignorance is bliss". I'd probably use unawareness instead of ignorance though ;)

I did own 4333's and did move up to 4343's and found the extra cost well worth it. I just can't say enough good about JBL 8", 10" and 12" midbass/midrange transducers.

boputnam
06-24-2003, 08:13 AM
"Which one sounds better, L300 or 4343?" 4344 :D

So, maybe you could give us a bit more on the 4344? My interest is real piqued... :p

4313B
06-24-2003, 08:24 AM
It's a 15-inch version of the 4345. 2235H instead of the 2231A/H, 2122H instead of the 2121/2121H. 2425J instead of the 2420. Overall it just has a bit less distortion and a bit more power handling compared with the 4343.

If one is building from scratch it's worth the pursuit unless one prefers to have an original 4343 :)
Usable 2231A/H's or 136A/H's are tough to come by these days unless you go the refoam route. I'm sure they're suffering spider fatigue regardless.
If I had a pair of L300's or 4333's laying about I'd expand them into a pair of 4344's. Just my opinion.

boputnam
06-24-2003, 08:36 AM
So, a 15-in 4345 in a 4343 cabinet? Nice advantage on conserving space - a wife pleaser! ;)

But different from (some...?) 4345's, the 4344 uses the 2425J instead of the 2421B? Have you A/B'd these two and what's the verdict?

Hey Tom! It sounds like you might have one more mutation to go! :D

4313B
06-24-2003, 08:58 AM
"So, a 15-in 4345 in a 4343 cabinet? Nice advantage on conserving space - a wife pleaser!"

Definitely

"But different from (some...?) 4345's"

The only difference between the 4344 and 4345 is the 18" in the 4345 can move more air with greater ease which translates into lower distortion at higher volume levels. Bandwidth is the same.

"the 4344 uses the 2425J instead of the 2421B? Have you A/B'd these two and what's the verdict?"

Both the 4344 and 4345 use the 2425J. As for the 2425J, just pop a D16R2421 diaphragm into it. IMO that's the "best" diaphragm for Home use that I know of. Titanium is superior to aluminum when you run at full power for extended periods. If you don't need that requirement, go aluminum. Titanium also has a bit better "top end" and a bit better transient response but if you don't like the sound character go aluminum.

boputnam
06-24-2003, 09:08 AM
Got it. But I know a pair of 4345's that have the 2421B, and it's noted in the "vintage" brochure: http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/4345.pdf - I'm sure you have a copy anyway! ;)

Either way, I'll make note on that comment about the 2421 diaphram, and the 4344.

4313B
06-24-2003, 09:18 AM
"But I know a pair of 4345's that have the 2421B"

Stickler :D

Early runs of the 4345, 4430 and 4435 used the 2421A and 2421B compression drivers. These were actually prefered for normal listening over the 2425H and 2425J but they couldn't take the hammering the titaniums could. You might say "warranty repair" won :D

Besides, titanium really is the overall better material but if you don't like the sound character then aluminum is a great choice. I'm currently running aluminum and have the titaniums put away. I was told by a few others when I first got my 4430's to snag a set of 2421A's at the same time but Nooooooo! I snagged the 2425H's instead :rolleyes:

tv506
06-25-2003, 03:46 PM
Giskard and Tom, Thank you very much for your input. I am currently using the L300 I am pretty happy with L300 but I would like to upgrade to 4343. Anyone have a pair of 4343 for sales? Please contact me by e-mail [email protected].

Also, I would like to know which tube amp work best with L300 or 4343 and how many watts is good enough for these speakers?

Thanks again,
Taylor:)

Tom Loizeaux
06-25-2003, 06:03 PM
boputnam,
Yes, I looked into the 4344, but only found the 4344 MkII (Japan), which I wasn't that interested in. I'm sure the 4344 is great, but I've never seen on, seen one for sale or heard from anyone who owns one! I guess they're rare.
I'm very happy with my 4343s and, since I use them for studio playback and CD music in a very small basement studio, I think they are going to deliver everything I expect from a monitor speaker system.
But hey, I'm always interested in learning.

Tom

(cautiously seeking sonic perfection)