4430 vs. L300, L250Ti, etc.

I see some 4430's going for ~$1500 which seems to be about the going rate for nice L250's and considerably less than L300's. How does the sound compare to the home models? Are the 4430's really in an entirely different league? Are they more of a rock speaker or do they work well for all kinds of music?

Being Professional Series the 4430's are more industrial looking and therefore might not be as suitable for many home decors, but if the price is right and they really kick butt, I suppose that fact could be overlooked to some extent. :bouncy:

If you can handle a large speaker in your home, all three are good choices. The 250Ti is the most accurate and is closest to modern high end speakers. The other two systems are dynamic and capable of putting out an amazing amount of music into your home. Each has it's strengths and weaknesses and to discuss them meaningfully is quite difficult if we want to keep personal bias out of the discussion.

Personally I prefer a more contemporary looking loudspeaker with sonics closer to the 250Ti for a music system, but you won't find any new speakers that can do what these do at the price points they are typically available at. The two horn designs would be my choice for a theater system, with the 4430 nudging out the L300 primarily due to pricing.


Widget

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr. Widget

Each has it's strengths and weaknesses and to discuss them meaningfully is quite difficult if we want to keep personal bias out of the discussion.
Personally I prefer a more contemporary looking loudspeaker with sonics closer to the 250Ti for a music system, but you won't find any new speakers that can do what these do at the price points they are typically available at. The two horn designs would be my choice for a theater system, with the 4430 nudging out the L300 primarily due to pricing.
Widget

---

Mr. Widget is absolutely right, if you can, try & listen to them personally if at all possible.
I have 4430s & like them quite a bit but the 250Tis have a great reputaion & many fans here.
The L300s are (I am sure) fantastic (have no personal experience with) but the pricing is generally much higher then the other two models.
Maybe some members here could be persuaded to help you in your pursuit, some adult refreshments are always helpful :)
how will you be primarily using them, audio or HT? What will you be using to drive them SS or Tubes.

PM me if you would like a listen to the 4430/~L300 comparison. I'm in the Tustin area of Orange County about 1-1/2 hr southeast of you (depending on LA traffic).
http://www.largescaleonline.com/eima...L200_v4430.jpg

Hey, American Pie,

If you can arrange it, I'd take Todd up on his very kind offer of a comparison test, listening to both the 4430's and the L300's. This is the ONLY way that YOUR ears will tell you which one you like best.

Sweet Bride and I dearly LOVE our L300's, and that has not changed in the time we've owned them. I have now listened to two different sets of 4430's, and whilst they are very nice speakers, they are WAY too "dry-sounding" to me. Sweet Bride has heard one set of 4430's, and her comments about their sound is very close to my own thoughts on the matter. To us, the L300's win, hands down, no questions asked. However, the most important thing is not that we like them, or any other speaker, but that YOU like them, and make your choice accordingly!

PM Brother Todd, and go hear his JBL goodies. As one who has been to his lovely home, and listened to his system(s), I can recommend it very highly!! Best of luck on your decision, have fun, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. Good on Ya', Todd, for your very kind offer of help to AP! :applaud::applaud:

the 250ti (and by extension - the L250) DO NOT really impress on first hearing...they DO NOT exhibit the classic JBL sound ....if you had all 3 (4430,L300,250) side by side ...IMHO the 250 would not be the first pick (unless you knew the 250's capabilities)

It took time for my hearing to acclimate to them ....they can be magnificent (on the right material) or just "normal" on standard source material.

I read that the 250 is more accurate , but have no experience comparing them to other large JBL's (only to bookshelves like L166,L88,L100 etc)

MORE: the 250 series seem to be in a pricing dip right now, which MAY make it a better buy than the currently riding high L300's.

there was something about the 4430/4435 that just never seemed right...maybe the crossover point was not low enough...but that was dictated by horn design

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mikeharris

there was something about the 4430/4435 that just never seemed right...

---

Both were fine as designed. One either likes them or they don't. JBL made a ton of them for many, many years.


I personally found it quite easy to move on from the 4331's, 4333's, and 4343's to the 4430's and 4435's. It wasn't a problem at all.


We ran the L300's next to the 250Ti's for several years and many people preferred the 250Ti's, both visually and sonically. The rockers invariaby went for the L300's. For several years the L300 was the top system in JBL's sound room. I spent many a Friday afternoon in that room listening to them next to a whole array of other JBL systems. In that particular room the L300 and 4315 were my personal favorites.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mikeharris

there was something about the 4430/4435 that just never seemed right...maybe the crossover point was not low enough.

---

So many things come into play with any speaker, I had my 4430s runing on an ss amp then moved onto a tube set up & like them a heck of a lot more now, much warmer (they can be a bit harsh at time, at least in my experience), they sound great now. If money were not an issue I would probably pursue the 300s, otherwise I would seriously consider the Ti's.

Personal preferences/bias should not be underestimated! hence audition first if you can.

My personal ranking would go like this:

250Ti
L300
4430

I've heard all three numerous times, but the pair I own are 4430s. Oops! That's #3 on my list. What happened?

Well, I got a killer deal on an immaculate pair, then paired them with with a B360 sub and they sound very, very good.

The L300s always go for more than I think they're worth, but that's a personal financial choice, not exclusively an aesthetic or sonic one. If I'm spending more than $1500 for a pair of speakers it's going to be new stuff, not used.

I do have L250s, and I prefer them to the L300s and 4430s. Sometimes I even prefer them to 250Tis, especially in their current office setting. The 250Tis would be too hot in the HF.

The large 4340/43's have a different sound than the 250ti's. It is a different speaker. Is it really possible to compare a horn loaded speaker to a non-horn loaded system???

Apples and oranges, but I like eating both foods...

I have both and love both for different material.

Just an opinion, but I do not compare them. Different animals:):)