JBL L 90

[jan_slagman]

Hi,

Does anyone know where can i find some information regarding the JBL L 90 loudspeakers.
I couldn't find any information on the internet. I was told these speakers were produced in Denmark.

Jan Slagman

[johnaec]

There's a whole series of speakers JBL made in Denmark, but as far as I know no one has ever been able to find any real info on them. I've got a set of TLX-60's new in the box that were made in Denmark - 'plan on selling them one of these days. They seem fine, I just don't have any use for them right now... They seem to be a cut above the consumer level speakers JBL was making in the U.S. at that time, though still nowhere near pro level.

John

[Guido]

Those speakers where extremely popular here in Germany. Paragon posted some information and is the expert concerning this speakers.

I owned them but the low end was simply not existing.

[mtolesen]

I got a pair of L 90, great speaker.
I have also tried to get some more info on these speakers, especially why JBL decided to have this series of speakers (L80, L90, L100) designed and made in Denmark.
More info about this would be very wellcome.

Thanks
mtolesen
Denmark

[paragon]

I bought this speakers years ago new.
Some pics:

[paragon]

More,

[paragon]

More pics,

[Guido]

WOW! Thanks for the excellent info!

As I said, good speakers but low end was lacking.

Where can we get technical manuals?

[paragon]

Believe me, it is working down to 40 Hz, measured in a 6.5 X 4.5m Room with HiFish-AC. And that`s enough for me. A big (bandpass sub with two 2205A)
may put more low`s , but i doen`t need.:D

Eckhard

[Guido]

You're right Eckhard!

I'm just addicted to bass. I have 2 250ti at the moment or my new years eve party setup with 2 4425 plus my double 2203 woofer.

And I still need more... 4435's

The L90 was just too small for me :p

[Earl K]

Eckhard ; Thank-you very much for posting these beautiful scans . :)

It is always, most appreciated . :D

( Guido; here's the tech sheet for the L90 )

- Remember , this ( L90 ) is designed as a "smallish box" , book-shelf type speaker .
- To find what this le120h-1 is fully capable of in the VLF department , one would need to explore other box/tuning options.
- Giskard has previously mentioned for tuning purposes , to treat this woofer like an evolved 128H.

regards

[paragon]

More pics,

[Guido]

Earl, thanks for the ts.

I wonder why they do not have a cone kit for this 120H. Is this core interchangeable with other cores?

[paragon]

The last ones,

[Earl K]

I wonder why they do not have a cone kit for this 120H

- That "NLA" policy was changed after the posted "ts sheet" was released. I've even seen these cone kits sold on eBay. One of our active posters bought one. In the future; I don't know how long JBL will support this driver by making recone kits available. ( A while back, I had actually thought this woofer was destined for use in the Project Array series. Since an Array1200 model didn't appear / I no longer have speculations on that subject ).


Is this core interchangeable with other cores?
- As long as original JBL recone kits are made available, that's all I would use.

regards

[Aeneas]

Paragon, that's just great! Thanks a lot! :applaud:

I've been looking for a quite a while now for info on my JBL L80's but it's really hard to find.
I bought them second hand and enjoy them for a few months now together with one of the most powerfull NAD integrated amps (the 319). The sound is superb. I'm still seeking for the best interlinks between the cd-player and amp, though the Audioquest I have for lone are really good.
I'll stop talking....:blah:

Regards,
Aeneas (another happy JBL owner)

[jimrhit]

Does anyone have any interest in a pair of the L100 towers?

I picked up a pair and truly have no use for them, just couldn't let the old owners allow them to go to waste.

[Don C]

You really need to post this in the Lansing Marketplace section, after you have updated your profile to show your location. It's free. Pictures would be good too.

[MastaOlli]

Hello, I looks for the TSP of the JBL woofer LE120H ! from the JBL TI 5000/L 90!

[Earl K]

- Remember , this ( L90 ) is designed as a "smallish box" , book-shelf type speaker .
- To find what this le120h-1 is fully capable of in the VLF department , one would need to explore other box/tuning options.

Hello, I looks for the TSP of the JBL woofer LE120H ! from the JBL TI 5000/L 90!
- Giskard has previously mentioned ( that ) for tuning purposes , ( just ) treat this woofer like ( it is ) an evolved 128H.

- TS Parameters for the Le120H have never been published .

- Giskard is the best authority on this subject ( he has unprecedented access to information for a lot of JBLs' weird & wonderfully obscure parts ) .

- He mentioned in the past that ( with the absence of published TS Parameters for this woofer ) the best thing to do would be to use the parameters from the 128H ( or 128h-1 ).

- Unless he updates that opinion , I'd follow his older advice ( others have, with good success / ie; read John Ws' L7 makeover (http://audioheritage.csdco.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=15807) ) .

- You could also invest the "sweat-equity" and learn to measure a woofers' Thiele Small Parameters for yourself ( granted , a bit of a "hit & miss" venture ) .

<> Earl K

ps; JBLs' current Thiele-Small Parameters (http://www.jblproservice.com/pdf/Thiele%20Small%20Parameters/Theile%20Parameters.pdf) in pdf form .

[pos]

L90 on ebay.de right now, with a 650€ BIN :
http://cgi.ebay.de/High-End-Studio-Monitore-JBL-L-90-aus-Erstbesitz-L90_W0QQitemZ320260237242QQihZ011QQcategoryZ23323Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[toobwacky]

Hi All,

I just bought a pair of L90 speakers in excellent condition from a local used shop. I found this forum when I was trying to find information about the L90s and I have a couple of questions.

According to the magazine article that paragon posted (previously, in this thread) the L90 speakers had an MSRP of 5000 marks. If my research is correct regarding early 1990s valuations of Marks vs Dollars, these sold for over $3000 in early 1990 US Dollars... is this correct? If so, I got the deal of a lifetime :D What was the actual street price of these in early 1990s Europe?

Also, were these ever sold by JBL in North America?

Thanks!

[hjames]

Hi All,

I just bought a pair of L90 speakers in excellent condition from a local used shop. I found this forum when I was trying to find information about the L90s and I have a couple of questions.

According to the magazine article that paragon posted (previously, in this thread) the L90 speakers had an MSRP of 5000 marks. If my research is correct regarding early 1990s valuations of Marks vs Dollars, these sold for over $3000 in early 1990 US Dollars... is this correct? If so, I got the deal of a lifetime :D What was the actual street price of these in early 1990s Europe?

Also, were these ever sold by JBL in North America?

Thanks!

JBL has a HUGE amount of legacy speakers they made over the years ...
the question I'd ask you is - do you like how they sound ...?

[toobwacky]

...the question I'd ask you is - do you like how they sound ...?

I don’t like the way the L90s sound... I LOVE the way they sound! :applaud:

It’s obvious they faithfully transmit whatever signal is fed them. Imaging is rock solid. There is no dynamic compression or frequency coloration, even at loud levels. In my room, there isn’t any bass below 40hz, but when the rest of the spectrum is so spectacularly recreated, who cares?

The used shop I bought them at thought they originally sold for $900 a pair. Anyone know if this is correct or not?

[BMWCCA]

I just bought a pair of L90 speakers in excellent condition from a local used shop.
:useless:
Seriously! We wanna see 'em!

[toobwacky]

:useless:
Seriously! We wanna see 'em!

Okay... Here they are:

[midlife]

Nice :applaud: Bass ported at the rear?

[toobwacky]

Nice :applaud: Bass ported at the rear?
Yes, there's a huge vent on the rear along with bi-wire / bi-amp binding posts.

[Earl K]

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=40124&stc=1&d=1244993640
- Beautiful ! That's one classy looking 3-way .

- The closest I can come is that I now own a pair of le120h woofers ( sadly, just sitting in a cardboard box on a shelf ). :o:


The used shop I bought them at thought they originally sold for $900 a pair. Anyone know if this is correct or not?

- The price mentioned is way low .
- I believe that shop is confusing it with some other older "L" model / the scuttlebutt is (was) that this series was never available in North America ( or maybe it was just the USA ) . ie; It was Europe only .

>< cheers ;)

[toobwacky]

BTW, the L90 was designed for horizontal orientation. I have them set up vertically because of space constraints.

Also, they come in mirror imaged pairs.

[BMWCCA]

They look beautifully crafted. I'm guessing it's like an improved 4412A or maybe even (in the L100 configuration) a 3/4-L7 in how it performs. Anyone tried the new L100 tower with the same drivers to compare? I can only imagine that that 120H is screaming for a larger box! How big is that back port?

I recall the posted L90 TS bulletin link (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=12100&d=1136751199) for a PDF from a previous thread (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=8694&highlight=l90) but anyone know the direct link to JBL for the L90/L100, like those in the Technical Reference Links on this site for USA models?

[toobwacky]

L 100 tower:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=32657&stc=1&d=1211912885

The L100 is a beauty. I'd much rather have this model than the L7 based on looks alone. It's probably easier to position and integrate into a room too.

The L90 port is about 8 inches long X 3.5 flared to 5 inches.

[BMWCCA]

he L100 is a beauty. I'd much rather have this model than the L7 based on looks alone. It's probably easier to position and integrate into a room too.Yes and no. I find the complaints about L7 position issues to be overblown. But what do I know, I only own two pairs!

And don't forget the L7 is a 4-way and crosses the LE120H-1 at 180Hz and the 8" 708G at 900Hz. The L100/L90 specs show crossover points of 400Hz and 2.5kHz. That seems a lot to ask of a 5" mid-range driver. I'd think the advantage of going 4-way with the LE120H-1 shouldn't be under-estimated since it is used as a pure sub in several applications. :dont-know

It's really sort of like comparing an L7 to a 4412A, which I can do anytime I want but the L7 sounds so much better I don't really play the 4412As anymore. Full L80/L90/L100 specs are earlier in this thread

Then there's that whole issue of plastic laminate, no matter how good it looks in photos, it's still plastic "wood".

[toobwacky]

Then there's that whole issue of plastic laminate, no matter how good it looks in photos, it's still plastic "wood".

True that! Fake "wood" should never have been applied to these otherwise spectacular speakers. Who ever made that decision deserves to face a firing squad!

As to the 4 way versus 3 way debate. There is a gentleman on this board who parted out an L7 and had custom L90s made (real wood veneer too) and he prefers the 3 way to the 4 way. The 4 way may be better, but I'd like to hear an L100 versus an L7 because it's possible the added complexity is actually a detriment to sound quality.

[BMWCCA]

The 4 way may be better, but I'd like to hear an L100 versus an L7 because it's possible the added complexity is actually a detriment to sound quality.Maybe you can get Chris Hagen to comment on that! :)

[toobwacky]

I'll see your Chris Hagen and raise you an Einstein :D

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."
-- Albert Einstein

[BMWCCA]

I'll see your Chris Hagen and raise you an Einstein :D

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."
-- Albert EinsteinI hope you enjoy walking to work and living twelve-hours in the dark! ;)

I'm a bit of a Luddite, too, but I have 4-way and 3-way JBLs (2-way, too) and my favorites are the 4-ways. To each their own. :dont-know

[toobwacky]

We're just having a friendly exchange of ideas here... right? That's certainly my intent.


...I have 4-way and 3-way JBLs (2-way, too) and my favorites are the 4-ways.

In the end, that's all that matters!

As an occasional speaker designer, and given a choice, I would never cross over smack-dab in the middle of the mid-range the way the L7 does. A designer is just asking for trouble when they do this. Far better IMHO to let one driver cover this critical area and speak with one voice.

That's not to say a cross-over here can't be done successfully, as I suspect it is in the L7.

In fact, I'm designing a speaker right now, a 2 way, that crosses over at 1000hz. :eek: See this thread: http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=25623

Believe me, I'd prefer to cross-over an octave lower, but given the drivers I have chosen, I have no other choice... I have to X-over at 1K.

Happy 4th to you!

[BMWCCA]

We're just having a friendly exchange of ideas here... right? That's certainly my intent.Sure, but I'm guessing you've never heard a pair of L7s, and there's plenty of info right here on this site pertaining to them and their design, some of it contributed by their designer at JBL, Chris Hagen.

Hope your holiday was a real blow-up!

[denBavo]

Hi guys although I am very happy with the highs and mids of the L90's some bass is lacking, therefore i will switcht to an entirely professional active system and will sell mine. let me know if interested:applaud:

[Siljuholtet]

They look beautifully crafted. I'm guessing it's like an improved 4412A or maybe even (in the L100 configuration) a 3/4-L7 in how it performs. Anyone tried the new L100 tower with the same drivers to compare? I can only imagine that that 120H is screaming for a larger box! How big is that back port?

I recall the posted L90 TS bulletin link (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=12100&d=1136751199) for a PDF from a previous thread (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=8694&highlight=l90) but anyone know the direct link to JBL for the L90/L100, like those in the Technical Reference Links on this site for USA models?

The 120H is performing fantastic in these cabinets ( L 100 ). Super fast response and very deep bass. The 250 ti LE bass ( LE 14 H1 ) is not so responsive. Maybe the Electrocompanys 250 Watt isnt inough .