JBL L112 second hand, how to test them ?

[nicosalto]

Hi,
Iam new to the forum and i need some help to evaluate some second hand speakers that i found on gumtree:
http://www.gumtree.sg/a-speakers/eu...l112-3-way-speakers/1001564315620910673135609 (http://www.gumtree.sg/a-speakers/eunos-geylang-paya-lebar/jbl-l112-3-way-speakers/1001564315620910673135609)

If you look at the pictures you can see the speakers are not at their best condition. And iam looking for some advice to what i should look for when i test them from a visual perspective and sound perspective to make sure they are in working order...
As you can see in the picture one of the speaker is black and the other is white. is this the original design ? or the piece has been replaced ?
The seller dont have any amp to test them so i'll have to bring my own... i have a small little dot mkIII preamp but iam not sure it can drive those....

[Joseph Smith Jr]

Hi,
Iam new to the forum and i need some help to evaluate some second hand speakers that i found on gumtree:
http://www.gumtree.sg/a-speakers/eu...l112-3-way-speakers/1001564315620910673135609 (http://www.gumtree.sg/a-speakers/eunos-geylang-paya-lebar/jbl-l112-3-way-speakers/1001564315620910673135609)

If you look at the pictures you can see the speakers are not at their best condition. And iam looking for some advice to what i should look for when i test them from a visual perspective and sound perspective to make sure they are in working order...
As you can see in the picture one of the speaker is black and the other is white. is this the original design ? or the piece has been replaced ?
The seller dont have any amp to test them so i'll have to bring my own... i have a small little dot mkIII preamp but iam not sure it can drive those....
I would pass on that pair
Seller is asking too much, cabinet damage, drivers questionable, Sun fade and corrosion and that's just from looking at the crummy "pics" The mid range drivers are really screwed up, one almost bleached out and the other has a damaged dome And the beautiful tweeter frames have corroded; this is very difficult to remove if it's been on there for any length of time, in fact, short of tearing them apart and sanding them out, it's impossible

No the mis-matched woofers are not by design and are another strike against this pair Both woofer cones should be WHITE The mis-match might only be skin deep or it might be a functional, driver model mis-match, who knows, either way, it's a hack repair

They are filthy, so much so that they look like something abandoned on a trash heap or abandoned with a "free" sign attached.
At best, they've clearly spent a big part of their life in a damp and dirty shed or garage uncovered
There is not one area on this pair that will not require you to spend considerable
sweat equity and maybe money to make presentable. Even then, this pair is so dog-eared that only a complete restoration could ever possibly make them a "nice" pair again

I don't know how it translates to U.S. dollars, or if in fact that's what is being asked for this pair, but either way, $990 dollars for that pair of L112s is a joke and a bad one at that

Find a better pair for sale from someone who will ship to you, you will probably be able to do so for around the same money, maybe a little more in the end, who knows

I would NOT buy that pair under any circumstance (when I can see rust on the screw heads) You are just asking for trouble

Decent pairs of L112s become available routinely

If it's one of these you are talking? No, it cannot drive the speakers well enough to make any sort of meaningful determination, if at all, as to their functional condition, but hopefully you won't be wasting your time with this pair anyway:
https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41u34cfwxOL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg

[Chris Brown]

Interesting. I don't know how that price translates to US dollars, but I would probably still go for it if the price is cheap enough. The 128H drivers (Used on L112, L150, etc) are white, while the 128H-1 drivers (Used on 4412, etc) are black. They are said to be functionally equivalent other than the cone color. In addition, some 128H / 128H-1 drivers have a cone diameter of 9 5/8" (inches) while some have a cone diameter of 9 3/8". If they are the same actual cone diameter, and the only difference is the cone color, I'd let it slide. The midrange and tweeter drivers are obviously dirty but I've seen worse. I'd judge them based on how they actually sound.

The Little-dot won't drive the speakers directly, but it is able to function as a preamp if you have a dedicated power amp handy.

[Joseph Smith Jr]

Interesting. I don't know how that price translates to US dollars, but I would probably still go for it if the price is cheap enough. The 128H drivers (Used on L112, L150, etc) are white, while the 128H-1 drivers (Used on 4412, etc) are black. They are said to be functionally equivalent other than the cone color. In addition, some 128H / 128H-1 drivers have a cone diameter of 9 5/8" (inches) while some have a cone diameter of 9 3/4". If they are the same actual cone diameter, and the only difference is the cone color, I'd let it slide. The midrange and tweeter drivers are obviously dirty but I've seen worse. I'd judge them based on how they actually sound.

The Little-dot won't drive the speakers directly, but it is able to function as a preamp if you have a dedicated power amp handy.
A Singapore dollar is worth about .75 U.S. cents, give or take
If you'd be willing to go, and really can, $700+ for that pair then you and I need to talk, like today
Those speakers are rags and not worth anywhere near what the seller is asking
Not even in the same ball park
Take another look at those mids
Yeah, I've seen worse too, center cap pushed in a little small rip in cone, still works good doesn't affect sound! Rare!
http://d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net/images/c/5/rare-jbl-le5-12-mid-range-for-jbl-l25-l26-l36-l100-4311-4312-ripped-working-eb324b0bc48d4d59cda25766540dde1c.jpg

[SEAWOLF97]

I would NOT buy that pair under any circumstance (when I can see rust on the screw heads) You are just asking for trouble

answer seems a bit severe to me.

IF they have spent their lives in Singapore, that is the tropics ..very high humidity. Surface rust on screw heads happens even here in the PNW. I've purchased worse and rehabbed.

I'd buy them IF the price was cheap.

[Chris Brown]

If you'd be willing to go, and really can, $700+ for that pair then you and I need to talk, like today

I said up front that I didn't know the conversion rate. There are plenty of currencies where thousands of local dollars equals maybe $30 US. Thanks for looking it up.


Take another look at those mids
Yeah, I've seen worse too, center cap pushed in a little small rip in cone, still works good doesn't affect sound! Rare!

What exactly are you referring to? From the 6 pictures I see in the ad, mids look fine other than maybe a little bit of bleached color and a very tiny dent in one dust cap. Not saying that makes the speakers a good deal, but the mids don't look that bad.

[Joseph Smith Jr]

answer seems a bit severe to me.

IF they have spent their lives in Singapore, that is the tropics ..very high humidity. Surface rust on screw heads happens even here in the PNW. I've purchased worse and rehabbed.

I'd buy them IF the price was cheap.
Guy asked for advice, I gave him good advice based on what was right in front of my eyes

Guess I should have qualified my reply to his questions with IF I were you

Anyone wondering if that headphone amp he has will drive a pair of L112s does not need a project pair of junkers like that as their introduction to JBL, especially anywhere close to that price

Under any circumstances-he'll be unhappy in the end and out even more money before all is said and done, and more than the speakers will ever be worth, he can do better

I think the OP is looking for a pair of JBLs to enjoy listening to more than he is a pair to rebuild

I understand that there is high humidity in the tropics, monsoon country in fact-how does that change the facts? I'd be willing to bet that there are pairs of vintage JBLs in Singapore that are in show room condition too along with automatics that don't jam

I didn't get the vibe that the OP is desperate for a pair, just interested in them, and for music, not learning how to rebuild junked up orphans and closet finds

[rdgrimes]

$0.02:
If you need to ask, they are not worth it. An experienced collector and re-builder knows they aren't worth 1/3 that much. A newbie needs to be looking at something VERY different from what's pictured in that ad. Assume a need for several drivers or re-cones, re-finish the cabs and new fabric for the grills. For that price you should see a pristine pair in need of no (or very little) work.

[Joseph Smith Jr]

$0.02:
If you need to ask, they are not worth it. An experienced collector and re-builder knows they aren't worth 1/3 that much. A newbie needs to be looking at something VERY different from what's pictured in that ad. Assume a need for several drivers or re-cones, re-finish the cabs and new fabric for the grills. For that price you should see a pristine pair in need of no (or very little) work.
Precisely
Thank you

[grumpy]

What else would you be ok with putting in your garage and having some quality tunes for under a grand :D?

Might sound fine, but poor investment, as previously noted.

[nicosalto]

Thanks a lot everyone! All you inputs are very valuable to me and i have a better idea of what iam dealing with now.
I always wanted to own a pair of those and its very rare to find them in Singapore.
I think i'll go to see them and see if i can lower them to a quarter of the price. I don't think this seller really know anything about it if you look at his other listings. I might take some more pictures and post them here if you are interested to look closer ;)
I haven't solved my amp issue, i might borrow one from a friend.
Do you know which requirement the amp should have to drive those ?

[rdgrimes]

Do you know which requirement the amp should have to drive those ?

Honestly I wouldn't expect them to truly show themselves with less than 150WPC, but I'd recommend 250WPC.

[BMWCCA]

Do you know which requirement the amp should have to drive those ?
My L112s have played just fine in my bedroom for nearly 35-years with the same Crown D150 amp I've had since then, too (about 75-WPC). JBL says maximum recommended power is 300-watts.
They also say the L112 will produce comfortable listening levels with an amp producing "as little as 10-watts continuous sine-wave per channel".

[Joseph Smith Jr]

My L112s have played just fine in my bedroom for nearly 35-years with the same Crown D150 amp I've had since then, too (about 75-WPC). JBL says maximum recommended power is 300-watts.
They also say the L112 will produce comfortable listening levels with an amp producing "as little as 10-watts continuous sine-wave per channel".
Same speakers in the same bedroom with the same Crown D150 for 35 years?:jawdrop:
35 years in the same house is a record nowadays
How old were you when you bought the L112s?

[SEAWOLF97]

Same speakers in the same bedroom with the same Crown D150 for 35 years?
35 years in the same house is a record nowadays
How old were you when you bought the L112s?

bought my home in PDX in 1977 ... that's 39 years :dont-know:

paid it off 15 years ago. Living gets much cheaper w/o a mortgage ;)
it's an empty nest and more than enough room for 2. (+ lots of toys)
and for kids when they visit.

Unlike Phil, all my gear from the 60's/70's has been upgraded (to gear from the 80's+)

Couldn't afford to buy this same place today.

[Joseph Smith Jr]

bought my home in PDX in 1977 ... that's 39 years :dont-know:

paid it off 15 years ago. Living gets much cheaper w/o a mortgage ;)
it's an empty nest and more than enough room for 2. (+ lots of toys)
and for kids when they visit.

Unlike Phil, all my gear from the 60's/70's has been upgraded (to gear from the 80's+)

Couldn't afford to buy this same place today.
Congratulations, nice to have a rock
It is good to have a home of your own
No idea where I'll be living here shortly, if at all

[BMWCCA]

How old were you when you bought the L112s?
Married for one year at 28-years old.

Contrary to what Seawolf says :D, I've upgraded to the '90s as well.
My main amps are the Crown PS200, PS400, and Studio Reference-II, though the stuff from the '70s and '80s is still working great!
Hoping to move soon, though. Bought a lot across the street to build on . . . 28-years ago! Should start this year.

[nicosalto]

Thanks for all the answer on thread, all very useful and helpful.

So i went to see those second hands jbl L112 during the week end. And indeed the condition of the speakers was really bad, even worse than what the pictures are showing. The seller didnt seemed bother by the appearance and told me they sounded great the last time he eared them, 10 years ago! I explained that there were obvious issues and the price was way too high, he went down to 400 sgd without negotiating actually. But i was reasonable after all and didn't bought them, i could see my self stuck with those for year trying to fix them.
Anyway i actually enjoyed looking for this deal and reading more about those speakers. I have seen a pair of second hand jbl 4319 for sale and i might go for those, i think they are a new serie inspired by the L112 series from the 80s...

Thanks again for all the advices!

[rdgrimes]

I have seen a pair of second hand jbl 4319 for sale and i might go for those, i think they are a new serie inspired by the L112 series from the 80s...

Thanks again for all the advices!

The 4319 should be considerably more speaker than the L112. Get them if you can and they are in good shape. Here, we can only get them from Japan and spend maybe $1800-2000 per pair plus shipping.