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View Full Version : The last pair of speakers I'm gonna buy (really!)...



Regis
05-03-2005, 08:10 AM
After tossing and turning all night Saturday, I got up and made the three hour trip to San Diego from Palmdale to pick up the L-300's I was purchasing. I pulled up at a triplex near the beach in San Diego, not sure if this was the place or not, but it was. The young man who's a musician, opened the ancient garage and there they were, side by side, the big beasts silently waited in their dusty tomb. The cabs are perfect and even the original dark brown grills were in great shape, though pretty dusty and dirty. Even the backsides were free of scratches, though the bases were starting to go (but this is typical of L-300's from what I understand).

Loaded them and drove the three hours home, wondering how they'd sound. Would I be disappointed? Would the memory of listening to them back in 1978 be just an enhanced nostalgia? I wouldn't know until I hooked them up. My neighbor helped me unload these guys and then it was me and the L-300's. Hooked speaker wire from the 160 wpc Sansui G-9000 reciever, flicked it on, put the DAC on the right channel and put in a recently mastered smooth jazz CD, I wanted to hear something with serious dynamic range and see just how these sound.

The experience was OMG, unbelievable. The 15" ferrite 136H's cleanly pumped out a couch thumping bass. The LE85 midrange horns sounded incredibly full and rich. And the 077's were sweet. I could here wooden drumsticks clearly tapping on the metal drum rims, the cymbals crashed and faded away and I just had the biggest grin on my face. Threw CD after CD on and I was nearly stunned at times. Even techno music from 2005 sounded unbelievable on these 25 year old speakers. I understood immediately why people pay $2,000+ for these and I got them for considerably less than that. I can't figure out who'd want to sell a pair of these as I'd never get rid of them. The surrounds on the woofers are starting to crack, so it's gonna be time to talk to Rick and order a kit. I'm happy and now I know why a lot of the members here have 'super-sized' their JBL choice.

Earl K
05-03-2005, 08:17 AM
Nice Review Regis !

Welcome to the World of "SuperSizing" :p

regards <. Earl K :D

pmakres1
05-03-2005, 08:36 AM
Regis did you see how much that pair of L300's went for on eBay last night?

Get ready....$3,815.00.

Congratulations on your acquisition! :applaud:

Peter

4313B
05-03-2005, 08:56 AM
What'd I tell ya Regis?

Ready to impress the guests? ;)

Congratulations! :applaud:

***

The 15" ferrite 136H's cleanly pumped out a couch thumping bass.

Ah! :thmbsup:

boputnam
05-03-2005, 08:58 AM
Well done, dood! Great review, too.

No, get them refurbished, and don't limit yourself to the LF surrounds. Think about the wear-and-tear on those 20-yr old LE85 diaphrams... :o:

spkrman57
05-03-2005, 09:42 AM
Not too much JBL action here in Ohio that is worth a sh*t!!!!

I keep hoping for that great score for a cheap price:D

Ron

4313B
05-03-2005, 09:49 AM
Not too much JBL action here in OhioThat's for sure...

Regis
05-03-2005, 10:14 AM
For da' kind words, because only fellow JBL junkies would understand what owning a pair of these is like and I'm grateful that I just get to share the news. Didnt' realize the $3,800 sale on that last pair on Ebay (pretty impressive!). Thanks to Giskard for the encouragement and technical advice about the 136 and the LE85. Sir Bo, I am looking at replacing the diaphragms, tho' I detect no harshness or ugliness whatsoever on what I've got now (maybe I just don't know any better, but I'm going to do it anyway, based on the research I did here on this site).

Heck, I could only imagine what a pair of 4343's (?) sound like! But I've got to stop here. These speakers easily meet my every expectation and then some. The reason I purchased them, was because I was wanting more and I reached the end of the line with what I had (not that they were bad or anything, but... 'better, faster, louder or something like that...).

57BELAIRE
05-03-2005, 10:14 AM
:applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:

Congrats on your L300's...as an original owner of a pair, I would recommend perhaps installing pleated cloth surrounds instead of foam on your 136H'S.

I'm sure this suggestion will probably rankle a few "purists" on this forum but after replacing the foam surrounds twice in 20 years ...no more foam for me!

Actually, I think the "Achilles' heel" in speaker mfg. is the foam surrounds that literally melt away after a few years.

How about this....various JBL alnico compression drivers were fitted with foam damping material on the inside backing plate that over time turns to dust . When you remove the back in some instances you can literally pour it out!

:barf:

4313B
05-03-2005, 10:24 AM
I would recommend perhaps installing pleated cloth surrounds instead of foam on your 136H'S.

I'm sure this suggestion will probably rankle a few "purists" on this forum

Ick! http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/puke.gif Yeah! Consider me rankled. http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/rotfl.gif

How about this....various JBL alnico compression drivers were fitted with foam damping material on the inside backing plate that over time turns to dust . When you remove the back in some instances you can literally pour it out!

They get really nasty. I guess I've always caught them at the in between stage when they are worse than chewing gum.


Heck, I could only imagine what a pair of 4343's (?) sound like! But I've got to stop here.YES! STOP and smell the roses for a bit! :rotfl:

The reason I purchased them, was because I was wanting more and I reached the end of the line with what I had (not that they were bad or anything, but... 'better, faster, louder or something like that...).Totally understood.

That reminds me... back in the day of the L212 it was said that nothing larger than a 12" was required in a home environment. Obviously the guys who wrote the L212 propaganda didn't read the concurrently published L300 propaganda. :p

spkrman57
05-03-2005, 10:44 AM
I would not do that to a vintage orignal worth a darn.


But when i look for new drivers to use in a system, I stay away from drivers with foam surround.

Example: Many used 2245's for LF response while I waited and lusted after 2242's for mostly that reason and I prefer a lighter cone with stiffer surrounds.

I look at not needing maintenence on the 2242's for decades to come barring unforeseen circumstances.

Also with stiffer suspensions there is less of the dreaded "cone sag" in the larger drivers!

Ron

4313B
05-03-2005, 10:49 AM
But when i look for new drivers to use in a system, I stay away from drivers with foam surround.Understood. The LE14H-3 and 1500AL look like good candidates.

Regis
05-03-2005, 10:55 AM
Thanks 57Belaire, but I'll stick with the foam. Giving some more thought to what Giskard says here

"...That reminds me... back in the day of the L212 it was said that nothing larger than a 12" was required in a home environment. Obviously the guys who wrote the L212 propaganda didn't read the concurrently published L300 propaganda..."

To get my highly modified L-150's to even come close (if they ever could get there), they had to work really, really hard. The L-300's produce the same amount of sound just idling at the stop light, much less putting any power to them. Once the 10 wpc line is crossed, the Summits just open up like a Holley Dominator and haul! The 15" does very, very well, producing effortless bass and have now achieved speaker nirvana. Can you say "Ohmmmm?

spkrman57
05-03-2005, 10:58 AM
What are the different ways to shop for modern current (raw) JBL drivers? I see references to "consumer" and "pro" divisions of JBL. Do they have websites where I can scan the products and see prices in case I get some extra cash and want to shop a little???

Ron

4313B
05-03-2005, 11:10 AM
To get my highly modified L-150's to even come close (if they ever could get there), they had to work really, really hard. The L-300's produce the same amount of sound just idling at the stop light, much less putting any power to them.?Yep, welcome to the realm of moving lots of air with minimum effort. Gotta love it! :)

What are the different ways to shop for modern current (raw) JBL drivers? I see references to "consumer" and "pro" divisions of JBL. Do they have websites where I can scan the products and see prices in case I get some extra cash and want to shop a little???

RonJBL Consumer stopped offering components officially with the demise of the LCS (Loudspeaker Component Series) - easily my favorite memory of JBL. Pro has their new catalog out here (http://www.jblpro.com/).

Titanium Dome
05-03-2005, 11:14 AM
Understood. The LE14H-3 and 1500AL look like good candidates.

The LE14H-3 is relatively inexpensive and its potential remains largely untapped. I searched and did not find any reports of a project using these drivers.

4313B
05-03-2005, 11:18 AM
The LE14H-3 is relatively inexpensive and its potential remains largely untapped. I searched and did not find any reports of a project using these drivers.It was carefully engineered to be an acoustical replacement for the LE14H-1. I have not taken the time to examine it's electrical characteristics so I am not certain it can be dropped into something like a 240Ti or 250Ti and "work" with the crossover networks.

***

At a glance it appears to be a bolt-in.

bryantkenneth
05-03-2005, 11:30 AM
Nice read...

JBLnsince1959
05-03-2005, 11:45 AM
Regis:

:applaud: :applaud: congrads on the 300's, yes they are nice,real nice. I'm sure that you will enjoy them for a long time. I did an A/B with the 4430's one time.

Nice score. By the way, what did they set you back if I may ask? and if you don't want to say that's Ok too. Just wondering out loud.

rick

Regis
05-03-2005, 12:04 PM
The first price was almost ridiculous (just above L-65 territory, right about what a pair of L-7's or an L-212 system would regularly go for), but when I got down there, the guy told me he had already been fielding offers and wanted me to match the lowball figure. What was I gonna do? Visit da' ATM and pray it would spit out a thick stack of $20 bills (it did). For what I got them for, they were still under the radar. But I should add that I told the guy I wasn't interested in flipping them on Ebay either and that I'm a guy who's been passionate about JBL's for decades. They do need both pieces of glass replaced and the bases need to be rebuilt.

Interestingly enough, they were stacked under a pair of UREI time phased coax monitors. Bizarre blue cones stuck out of a flat pleated center cap in the woofer. The guy said "They screamed" and I believe it.

4313B
05-03-2005, 12:45 PM
they were stacked under a pair of UREI time phased coax monitorsUNDER!? :banghead: They should have been stacked on top! :p

JBLnsince1959
05-03-2005, 12:55 PM
They do need both pieces of glass replaced and the bases need to be rebuilt.


No biggie, that's easy enough to fix. Sounds like you got a good deal, not a steal ( that's bad karma anyway), but a nice deal.


Bizarre blue cones stuck out of a flat pleated center cap in the woofer. The guy said "They screamed" and I believe it


so do I :D

Lucky you on this, I'm sure you'll enjoy them for a long time. However, one word of warning....there's no such thing as "my last speaker". Some time down the road, you'll see something else............ ;)

mikebake
05-03-2005, 01:40 PM
Interestingly enough, they were stacked under a pair of UREI time phased coax monitors. Bizarre blue cones stuck out of a flat pleated center cap in the woofer. The guy said "They screamed" and I believe it.

Actually, shoulda just made him an offer and taken them along too! That is the audioholic way.:)

JBLnsince1959
05-03-2005, 02:06 PM
Regis:

Here's something to make you think. A few weeks ago a man took his 300's into the mcintosh store and compared them side by side with the mac LS360 speakers ( their best non-array speaker). I just happen to be there ( lucky me)

Anyway, the sales people were were really putting the old JBL's down ( before they played them) saying how this guy would hear how much better the mac speakers would be, 25 years improvement :blah: :blah: :blah:

HOWEVER, once the 300's fired up everyones mouth dropped ( except mine of course). There was very little difference between the two. There were small differences but as to which one would be "better", beats me. I of course like the JBL's :D

By the way, the guy did buy the LS360's, but he also took his 300's back home.

something to think about.

JBLnsince1959
05-03-2005, 02:14 PM
Oh yes, I forgot to say..

All the parts in the 300's were original. Now the people at the mac store know me by name and they also know how I feel about JBL's.

anyway, I was talking to one of the sales people later and I said. You know if we put all new parts, electronics, wires etc into those 300's so as to make a true comparsion, the 300's would most likely stomp those LS360's.

nuff said

4313B
05-03-2005, 02:17 PM
Anyway, the sales people were were really putting the old JBL's down ( before they played them) saying how this guy would hear how much better the mac speakers would be, 25 years improvement :blah: :blah: :blah:

HOWEVER, once the 300's fired up everyones mouth dropped ( except mine of course). There was very little difference between the two. There were small differences but as to which one would be "better", beats me. I of course like the JBL's :D I've suffered listening to maligning of JBL's such as the L300 since I learned to spell "audiophile". Like your tale, what is interesting is how the maligners react once they actually hear a pair of JBL's. Yeah, that's right... plenty of "audiophiles" running around out there talking trash about JBL's and they've yet to hear a pair.

Regis
05-03-2005, 02:43 PM
Actually, shoulda just made him an offer and taken them along too! That is the audioholic way.:)

But he wanted $600 for the time-aligned little puppies. I figured my bank account suffered enough damage for one day:blink: . And from the appearance of them, I didn't want to damage the house. BTW, Is there a cure for this disease?

spkrman57
05-03-2005, 02:53 PM
At least not that I have found. LOL


Ron sick audiophile and loving it!!!!

JBLnsince1959
05-03-2005, 03:35 PM
I've suffered listening to maligning of JBL's such as the L300 since I learned to spell "audiophile". Like your tale, what is interesting is how the maligners react once they actually hear a pair of JBL's. Yeah, that's right... plenty of "audiophiles" running around out there talking trash about JBL's and they've yet to hear a pair.

You hit the nail on the head Giskard :thmbsup: . I've had to suffer with "audiophile bigots" many times. Seems like I'm really stupid... I like JBL's and Mac's - TOGETHER!!!!

However, if I can get them over to listen, their story changes ( for the most part) and if they don't come over, well here's my answer :moon: :moon:

mean while back at the ranch.... you have some great speakers Regis and with a little work they meet or beat the new ones.

JBLnsince1959
05-03-2005, 03:41 PM
BTW, Is there a cure for this disease?

Of course there is a cure :D ... so don't worry yourself about this.

Simply buy more speakers when the "urge" hit's, it's so simple :bouncy:

jblnut
05-03-2005, 04:25 PM
I've suffered listening to maligning of JBL's such as the L300 since I learned to spell "audiophile". Like your tale, what is interesting is how the maligners react once they actually hear a pair of JBL's. Yeah, that's right... plenty of "audiophiles" running around out there talking trash about JBL's and they've yet to hear a pair.

My favorite is "they're a good rock and roll speaker" as if to say "they can't do much other than boom and sizzle". I love the look on people's faces when I put on a string quartet or some acapella music (like Take6). Once they realize they have badly misjudged the speaker's capabilities, it's time for the knockout punch - spin up some vinyl and watch the smiles :) . When I finally do get around to rock, they're already in the bag and it's crow eating time.

I don't know how or where JBL ever got such a bad rap, but I'm a one man re-education force in the NorthEast working to change that...

jblnut

4313B
05-03-2005, 04:41 PM
I don't know how or where JBL ever got such a bad rap, but I'm a one man re-education force in the NorthEast working to change that...

jblnut:applaud:

bryantkenneth
05-03-2005, 06:17 PM
Took me 3 years to get my set....replaced my L-65s. Well actually the L-65s are sitting on top of the 300's...could not be happier! Well if I had more room for JBL seakers I might be happier, enjoy!

Titanium Dome
05-03-2005, 07:02 PM
My favorite is "they're a good rock and roll speaker" as if to say "they can't do much other than boom and sizzle".

I don't know how or where JBL ever got such a bad rap, but I'm a one man re-education force in the NorthEast working to change that...

jblnut

Yeah, that condescending "compliment" is a real test of my nonviolent nature. :bash:

I once stopped in to a higher end store that prominently displayed the "JBL Authorized Dealer" banner in the window. When I asked what models they were stocking, I got a derisive snort followed by, "We don't carry JBL. It's more of a consumer model for people who don't understand the finer points of sound reproduction."

I felt like saying I've got a thought about human reproduction I'd like to share with you but since it's physically impossible, I let it pass. Instead I simply said, "I didn't come here to hear your arrogant and ignorant opinions. If you ever learn anything about your profession, give me a call."

Never got the call... :dont-know:

speakerdave
05-03-2005, 07:14 PM
Good post, Regis. I always like to hear the story that goes with a deal like that, and it's done us all good to hear yours because the exaltation comes through and it's infectious.

I share your appreciation of the speaker, though mine is not exactly the same (4333A). I've never heard your Sansui, but I understand it is a rare classic of the receiver genre. I usually listen to my 4333A's in my vinyl setup with a 60 wpc tube amp, but when I want to make them do their thing I plug in the CD player and hook up a 200 wpc McIntosh or even a pair of strapped 6260's if Miss Kitty is off visiting and I'm feeling particularly uncompromising, and then its, jeez, just glorious. These speakers have changed my mind about good low bass response--it's not optional.

I can't share your prediction that this is the last speaker, though. I know I want a big 4-way monitor, a 4344 or a 4345, or perhaps one of the later developments--K2 M9500, to be exact. But until then I'm enjoying the music.

Congratulations on a good score.

David

Steve Gonzales
05-03-2005, 10:22 PM
Thank you for sharing that. Great big, beautiful JBL's, you gotta love it! Isin't that LE85/H92/L91 midrange wonderful?. Sweet 077's and Big BAD 136H bottom end with a beautiful enclosure. I've always loved the L300's. They don't call em' SUMMITS for nuthin' :D

Steve Gonzales
05-03-2005, 10:32 PM
Thanks 57Belaire, but I'll stick with the foam. Giving some more thought to what Giskard says here

"...That reminds me... back in the day of the L212 it was said that nothing larger than a 12" was required in a home environment. Obviously the guys who wrote the L212 propaganda didn't read the concurrently published L300 propaganda..."

To get my highly modified L-150's to even come close (if they ever could get there), they had to work really, really hard. The L-300's produce the same amount of sound just idling at the stop light, much less putting any power to them. Once the 10 wpc line is crossed, the Summits just open up like a Holley Dominator and haul! The 15" does very, very well, producing effortless bass and have now achieved speaker nirvana. Can you say "Ohmmmm? I agree, 20 years is more than enough service life IMO. There is usually a big difference in FS between a foam and paper/pleated surround among other factors. I really love the difference it makes when you upgrade from a much smaller model. For me, it made my entire music collection new again . Kudo's to Mr. Giskard for his guidance, well done!

pmakres1
05-04-2005, 06:31 AM
Thank you for sharing that. Great big, beautiful JBL's, you gotta love it! Isin't that LE85/H92/L91 midrange wonderful?. Sweet 077's and Big BAD 136H bottom end with a beautiful enclosure. I've always loved the L300's. They don't call em' SUMMITS for nuthin' :D

Ditto Steve...I've always loved 'em too. They wouldn't be right for my living room system (not tall enough) but I would still love to have a pair. Don't know where I'd put 'em, but I'd still love to have a pair, they are beautiful! :bouncy:

Peter

JBLnsince1959
05-04-2005, 03:55 PM
Regis:

Have you seen this? It's a repo but still might be nice

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14993&item=5771317389&rd=1

pmakres1
05-04-2005, 04:09 PM
Regis:

Have you seen this? It's a repo but still might be nice

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14993&item=5771317389&rd=1

It would be nice if someone would scan one of their L300 manuals and post it here on the forum, like we recently did with the L220 manual. I don't own a pair but I still wouldn't mind reading the manual.

Peter :)

Regis
05-04-2005, 04:14 PM
Thanks guys, but I actually have the download from the JBL site and while it's not as nice, it's still readable. Especially interesting is the part of how to pull the LE85 and not injure yourself... :p What I'd really like is an original brochure on these beasts.

4313B
05-04-2005, 04:21 PM
The Library (www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1975-l300.htm) one won't do?

Tom Loizeaux
05-04-2005, 06:59 PM
People should stop and think about what audio engineers and mixers want in their playback systems. JBL didn't design those speakers because they looked big! There's something about hearing (feeling) a quality 15" driver hit you with clean low end, and an upper midrange that makes you wonder if the artist is in the room - that so many people have never experienced.

Yes, I like my 4333s, but I listen to my 4343s...because they're just a little nicer!
Anyway, it's good to hear from someone who's found real pleasure from a classic pair of JBL studio monitors.
As far as "The last pair of speakers I'm going to buy"... well, enjoy these! You may find, however, that you want even more.

Tom

yggdrasil
05-05-2005, 03:27 AM
As far as "The last pair of speakers I'm going to buy"... well, enjoy these! You may find, however, that you want even more.

Tom

:D I would not be surprised..

Clifford
06-04-2005, 06:51 AM
I paid a premium for the Jbl speakers because I did not want to have to fix 25 year old speakers to make them like new. I have had previous jbl speakers repaired and it is very expensive. It is very hard to find speakers like these in any kind of condition and the ones I bought are all but new. Sonically they are stunning when playing back though my VAC SUPER AVATAR all tube integrated amplifier. For the price I paid I could have not bought a new pair from JBL. If the price 25 years ago was 1500 dollars if they made them now they would probably cost at least 10,000 for a pair. It's nice to buy something that does not have to be fixed. Yes I paid alot but there beautiful and need no servicing. Clifford


Regis did you see how much that pair of L300's went for on eBay last night?

Get ready....$3,815.00.

Congratulations on your acquisition! :applaud:

Peter

johnaec
06-04-2005, 07:17 AM
'Sounds like a reasonable rationale for the purchase, Clifford. Enjoy them! And welcome to the forums!

John

JBLnsince1959
06-04-2005, 07:40 AM
. Yes I paid alot but there beautiful and need no servicing.



Congrads and I hope they are everything you hoped for. Recently there was a side by side A/B comparsion at our local Mcintosh dealer between the L300 and Mac's best non-array speaker ( I wrote about this in another thread, can't find it). Bottom-line, the Mac salespeople's mouth dropped on the floor as the mightly but old L300's sounded just as good ( I thought better really, but no way the salespeople would admit that) as Mac's latest and greatest. AND...the L300 has had NO work done to it in 27 years, in other words all "old" parts.

Amazing speakers...also when compared ( again side by side, true A/B) to the mightly 4430's ( which I have and love, I've also had the L300's), the L300's are more "Mid-range friendly" ( of course the 4430's have other things).

Again Congrads on the speakers and enjoy. Glad to see you on the forum. Welcome...... :applaud:

Titanium Dome
06-04-2005, 09:16 AM
Yes, welcome. Price is meaningless as long as you're happy (and solvent, of course). ;) Enjoy them. They are wonderful, especially if raised a bit so the highs are more at ear level.

Clifford
06-04-2005, 12:24 PM
Yes I'm still solvent :) I wanted a pair of these for so long. Its great to have them even though I'm 48 years old now. All I could do is drool when I seen these new so many years ago. I was amazed to find these available to buy and during bidding a fella from the Soviet Union who had money bid the price way up and I almost quit. I looked at the things he had bought in the past and whoever he was he had alot of money to throw around. But, I tried again and put in my final bid and won thinking that I could not go out and buy these just anywhere and by todays prices it was still cheap for the quality of the speaker. I had talked with the seller and felt assured that they were very nice and he even had a money back garrantee. I'm so very happy with them and I hope that they run for the rest of my life.
JBL L300 Summits are JBL's at there best in my humble opinion. :applaud:

57BELAIRE
06-04-2005, 01:00 PM
Thanks guys, but I actually have the download from the JBL site and while it's not as nice, it's still readable. Especially interesting is the part of how to pull the LE85 and not injure yourself... :p What I'd really like is an original brochure on these beasts.

Regis.....this one's for you ;)

List price in '81 was 3 grand...6 grand for the Paragon, now convert that to today's dollars :jawdrop:

JBLnsince1959
06-04-2005, 01:28 PM
Regis.....this one's for you ;)

List price in '81 was 3 grand...6 grand for the Paragon, now convert that to today's dollars :jawdrop:

around 9 to 10 grand by todays standard

dllyons
08-14-2005, 07:36 AM
It does seem silly for that guy to sell those 300's, but I'm sure there are some good reasons. Congratulations on your luck and purchase !!!

There's been a couple of times since I bought my L-300's in 1978 that I considered selling them ... they are so big and my listening room is only about 11' x 19' But I wondered what in the heck I'd replace them with if I sold them ?!?!?!?!? Silly thoughts !! I always came back to my senses and I've concluded that I'll keep them forever. They still sound awesome and I'm really proud of them.
I was kinda lucky when I bought them- a store was going out of business and sold them for $1100 for the pair, and that was back in the day when you paid pretty much list price for JBL's most places in Ohio. Mine have the camel color grills.

richard c.
08-14-2005, 09:26 AM
I am new to this forum, and since I have mostly Altec stuff, I don't post much. I do enjoy reading the posts, though!

Anyway, your location caught my attention as I lived over in Indep. Missouri from '70 thru '95, and got a chance to audition a pair of L300's at Burstein-appleby in the "Independence Center" mall. It was probably late '76, so they were a fairly new model. They had them in a large "listening room" with full length glass doors to close off the room from the rest of the store. I was with a couple of friends and we REALLY wanted to hear the L300's, but there were customers in that room that "probably" wouldn't want to hear them cranked UP! Finally, the little old ladies left, and we were alone in that room - the salesman got a smile on his face, closed the glass doors (to keep the sound in and other people out!). He asked us what we would like to hear. We said, "How about BAD COMPANY", or something that would showoff the bass. Well, I will never forget that day - being blown away by anything that small! Yes, small, if I would have closed my eyes and stepped back, I would have thought there was a whole wall of speakers! I soon knew why the salesman had that smile. There was nothing in that store to compare them to.:applaud:

I now have Altec model 19's and I would like to hear them side by side with the L300's. There are differences, I know, and I don't know which I would prefer.

Remember "the Stereo Bug"? Wasn't that in Overland Park?

Richard C.

Regis
08-15-2005, 01:30 PM
I'd like to hear the L-300's against the Altec 19's as well. I've heard that the Model 19's were phenomenal speakers and I've always wanted to hear a pair. The floating cube design is visually striking as well. Regarding these two speakers, they just don't make em' like they used to (unless you want to spend a whole lot of dough!).

Mr. Widget
08-15-2005, 03:53 PM
The floating cube design is visually striking as well.

I always had a soft spot for it. I liked it even more on the Belle Klipsch, though I think they are both stunners!


Regarding these two speakers, they just don't make em' like they used to (unless you want to spend a whole lot of dough!).

As I recall, they were a whole lotta dough when they were new. I couldn't afford them then, and I can't afford the K2-S9800 now.:banghead:


Widget

JBLnsince1959
08-15-2005, 03:57 PM
Hi Richard C.

always glad to see new members. I've only lived in the KC area since 1984 ( darn...has it been 21 years?) and was in Lawrence for 4 years around 69 to 73. My father lived in KC and that's how I got out here.

there's alot I don't know about KC really as I still consider myself an East Coast boy ( Frederick MD and DC area).

I'm not familar with the the Stereo Bug store myself ( shame on me). Most of where I go are places called Accent Sound ( big Mac place) and AudioPort and there's a place close to downtown which I can't remember it's name.

For grins I visit (ed) places likeBrandsmart ( went out of business 2 years ago) and of course the B.B. and C.C. just to see what they have.

Of course in the 50's, 60's and 70's THE place was a store called Beatty's and they are no longer here. Got to go as my dog is letting me know that she needs a walk. ( OK, OK, girl just another minute :D )

richard c.
08-15-2005, 04:13 PM
It would be a job for furniture movers, wouldn't it? My model 19's weigh well over a hundred pounds, and yours may weigh even more. I would like to hear the mid-range on up, especially...because both my 416-8B and your woofer are very good 15" LF drivers, but my single 811 horn is SOOO different than your setup. I could probably find someone in Atlanta with L300's to A/B test with mine, but they are BIG & HEAVY!

I probably have enough Altec stuff laying around to sell or trade for a nice pair of L300's. It gives me something to look forward to...

I wonder what ALL went thru your mind when the seller said he needed to raise his price. I would have been thinking,"Oh boy, here we go again". Kinda like, bait and switch.:biting:

Richard C.

dllyons
08-15-2005, 05:34 PM
When I was a fairly young newlywed in late 1977 and considering buying an expensive set of speakers, I was looking hard at the Altec 19's, but I was also considering L212's and believe it or not I almost got bamboozled by the hype of Bose 901's. I came to my senses and narrowed it down to the two big boys and when I had the chance to buy the L300's fairly cheap, I jumped and my friend bought the Altec 19's. We've never A/B'd them side by side, though we've listened to each other's several times trying to decipher the differences. Since then another friend of mine bought those 19's. He might be more willing to test them out side by side, but who does the move ? Both of them are HAWGS which is kinda nice in a way- you don't worry too much about a burglar slipping these under their coat and sneakin out with them. The 300's are a little smaller cabinet-wise, but nearly as heavy as the 19's. I've had mine out of the house a couple of times, I spose I could do it again .... you guys keep it up and you may force us to do it ...:blink: He's even got a nice 200 watt Adcom amp to honk them with.
from what I can remember of the times we did compare, I think the 300's might have better and lower lows, a little more forward midrange and more airy highs ......... but that's all :) there's a chance that I could have been biased.......
ya really do have to compare side by side tho...... to many variables affecting overall sound.

richard c.
08-15-2005, 07:46 PM
Dave,

One thing that most people don't like about the Altec Model 19 is the 1200Hz crossover freq. The literature states that the two (HF / LF) dispersion patterns match at 1200Hz! I guess this is great way off axis! Many Altec people would like a crossover no higher than 500Hz (prefer 300).

I think that I might actually "prefer" a monitor version of the L300 "IF" it could have a nice blue grill (cloth) that could be easily removed, for show and tell. They really are special, and if sellers can get almost $4000. for them on Ebay...then who would sell for less???


Widget,

Yes, the Belle Klipsch is very beautiful. I have seen them in person when they were new. I think they could be a little deeper though. That midrange horn is just too short! I went into a "Hi-Fi Buys" here in Atlanta and "my salesperson" had never seen or heard the old Klipsch line. The new Klipsch speaker is so tall and skinny that it looks like it would fall over on carpet, without spikes! I wouldn't let him audition it for me.:barf:


JBLnsince1959,

It sounds like the Hi-Fi shops have really changed in KC in the last few years. I do come back twice a year for family, but I stay around Indep. I really miss Magee Radio (19th & Magee). I bought a bunch of EV drivers and other sound equip. from them. They might have closed before you came to town, too.:(

Richard C.

Mr. Widget
08-15-2005, 09:25 PM
I forgot that's where they were located... I bought all kinds of stuff from them by mail order. Really nice people, not terribly knowledgeable, but then they didn't try to BS you either. I bought EV T35As and misc. close outs that they would feature. I even bought some Klipsch "B stock" K33 woofers... hell when I was a 16 year old I thought they were great... then JBLs crept into my life and the orders from Magee stopped.

Widget

richard c.
08-16-2005, 08:48 AM
Widget,

I still have a pair of EV T35's, and a pair of EV 1824M's that I bought there. Magee Radio used to sell large console radios from the 30's? thru the early 50's or so, and then they got into DIY audio. It seemed like they sold a speaker for everyone. A tragic freight elevator accident shut them down for good. It seems ancient freight elevators can have the doors open with the car on a different floor. Someone stepped off into the open shaft. The lawsuit ended Magee Radio.:(

Richard C.