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View Full Version : L56 questions & .....help!



Ken B
09-22-2003, 11:59 AM
I found a pair of L56`s for 50$ but the surrounds are shot. Is it possible to get replacement surrounds or do they have to be completely re-coned.

Has anyone out there heard the L56`s? I want to use them as a "for now" monitor for recording. (I hate my Alesis monitor One`s)

The 10 inch on the bottem combined with the power spec (150 watts rms) is about right for my application.

Are they at all simmilar to a 4410?

Are they worth re-coning?

Any info is usefull.....Thanks

.....btw - This is a great site

GordonW
09-22-2003, 06:47 PM
I'm not as familiar with the 118H in the L56, as I am the LE10A, 125A and 127H that were used in the L77 and L26 (which preceded the L56), and the L40 (which IIRC, followed the L56)... but I'm reasonably sure, that the 118H 10" should be re-surroundable, with either the part for an LE10A, or more likely, a much more standard 10" foam surround, such as that used in the 125H and 127H.

Regardless, a good speaker rebuilder should be able to easily replace the surrounds. If there's nothing else wrong with the driver, that's definitely what I would do.

As for sound- I REALLY liked the L26s (used to own a pair), and also like the L77s (on a nice tube amp, to "smooth out" the upper mids a bit) but I found the L40s a little "scooped out" in the mids, in comparison... like there was a bit of a depression there in the response. Dunno where the L56 fits in there... if it has tonal balance more like the L77 or L26, then I'd say definitely, go for it... should be a decently faithful monitor.

Regards,
Gordon.

4313B
09-22-2003, 07:02 PM
Just to fill in a little - the L56 was a member of the family that used the 034 aluminum/ phenolic HF driver. They were the L15, L46, L56 and L86.

http://lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/catalogs/1982-home/page10.jpg

http://lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/catalogs/1982-home.htm

They are not like the 4410.

Ken B
09-24-2003, 12:20 PM
Thanks for the replies,

"the L56 was a member of the family that used the 034 aluminum/ phenolic HF driver."

......from my rock and roll days I remember the earlier horns (2482`s?) having phenolic diaphragms. If memory serves me right, they only went up to about 12 K and required bullets for the top end - not good. What is the rep of the 034 drivers - are they "known to be harsh"? if so, is there a common HF replacement that are known to match the X-over and LF driver? Are there any other common mods that people have been doing over the years?

Thanks

4313B
09-24-2003, 01:32 PM
"from my rock and roll days I remember the earlier horns (2482`s?) having phenolic diaphragms. If memory serves me right, they only went up to about 12 K and required bullets for the top end - not good."

The 2482's did what they were designed to do. I would think that was good.

The 034 and 044 are phenolic alright, just like the 033, but the 034, 044, and 066 have a very thin coat of aluminum on the dome via vapor deposition which increases their high frequency response. The differences between the 034 and 044 are that the 034 has the plastic mounting flange and the 044 is cast aluminum. The 044 also has a 1/2 pound larger magnet which extends response to about 18 kHz. The 034 is "good" to about 15 to 16 kHz. The 066 with it's aluminum voice coil is "good" to about 21 kHz.

"are they "known to be harsh"?"

I've never heard anyone describe any of them as harsh.

"Are there any other common mods that people have been doing over the years?"

Not to the L56 that I know of. The 034 balances quite well with the LF transducer. They are on par quality-wise as well as performance-wise.

Ken B
09-24-2003, 06:54 PM
'The 2482's did what they were designed to do. I would think that was good.'

....Yes they did.


Thanks for the info and insight on the top end. I have been in touch with rcobb about getting new surrounds. I picked the speakers up today - $60 CDN.

This is a great site! I have been roaming around for a few days now. I had forgotten about the JBL's I used to dream of.

....This is fun