JBLs: quality then vs. quality today?

[Michael Smith]

Well Guys
The older JBLs we all enthuse about were infact beautifully built with state of the art mechanical technology and that is a fact that can't be disputed.
In those days there were two primary ranges L series for the domestic market and Studio Monitors for the Pros (I am not taking into account sound reinforcement as that is another gig altogether)
I guess what I am saying that a product that is well manufactured will stand the test of time, I wish it could be said about the plethora of series they made after 86.
Time will tell, but as sure as eggs are eggs we won't be getting a woody over Radiance series and the like.

Michael

[duaneage]

I think there is no question the drivers were designed to be the best. No doubt why they fetch a pretty penny today on eBay. Some of the SYSTEMS were put together in ways that were not optimal. The L100 was , IMHO, not an optimally tuned or designed system.The crossover was simple to a fault and the box tuning was a real mystery We all know how the grilles faired after a few years and the foam surrounds on some models are a constant problem.

But look at what the Japanese were producing, or other American companies for that matter. THe AR systems were hideous to look at and response charts were worse. The AR-3 had great bass and not much else. The JBLs look right at home today just like they did back then, they are respected.

I have a pair of Polk Audio 10B speakers. Danish drivers in an American designed cabinet made in Md. They sound quite good after 20 years and go for what I paid for them on eBay. Polk today is a shell of what it once was, I don't care for any of their Chinese made products. Klipsch went down the same path, my Cornwall speakers were quality cabs, even if the drivers were not the best. I fear JBL may go that way as well someday if the Array Series does not take off.

I feel JBL made drivers far better than they had to, many customers had no idea just how good they were. And the lunatics on this site appreciate them everyday.

[scott fitlin]

I feel JBL made drivers far better than they had to, many customers had no idea just how good they were. And the lunatics on this site appreciate them everyday.

[Mr. Widget]

I feel JBL made drivers far better than they had to, many customers had no idea just how good they were. And the lunatics on this site appreciate them everyday.

The first time I pulled a pair of LE15As out of a cabinet and saw that beautiful wrinkle finish, the stamped serial number, the precision machining and heavy casting I knew I was on to something that the "good enough" mentality that surrounded me couldn't appreciate. I was in awe. I still am.


Widget

[Zilch]

The first time I pulled a pair of LE15As out of a cabinet....

LE15B woulda been a more "complete" experience....

L200 = 3.0

L100 = 4.0

[SUPERBEE]

my friend and i were discussing my L100s and L200s that i bought during college days in the early '70s and got to wondering how they stack up against modern, high end speakers

neither of us have kept up with technological advances in the speaker business....

for the sake of argument, on a scale of 1 to 10, if my JBLs were, say, an 8 back then, where would they rank today, compared to what's available today?

thanx.....

GAAWWWD!

How did I miss this thread?

I think I have bored everyone here with my "Modern 5K Speakers VS 1958 JBL Olympus" story

[Valentin]

Would you say that the pro LSR6332 are the equivalent to the consumer perfomance pt800
Has any one compaird them
it seams very few form member owen a pair of LSR and are more incliend for the perfomance series
is it becuase the subwoofer

Currently LSR6332 is the top of the line monitor and shuold be the most detailed speaker from the pro series for hi fi use

i know some of the pro divers are used with some modification in the top end of the consumer line specialy compresion drivers
so it would be expected that some kind of new studio monitor to apper with these drivers

Shouldt top of the line monitors and top of the consumer line be the same
if you read some of the white pappers at the harman site they make enfasis that their gol is for this to happen acusticaly.

One example would be the Revel Speakers which top models are designed with the LSR principal the Gem model has the same mid as the LSR6332 but the gem has a difrent cone material titinum insted of kevlar

shouldent jbl pro monitors have the best posible drivers specialy if you have them in hand Is the kevar cone better than the Titanum in this aplication (giskard) or any one care to explain

[JBLnsince1959]

GAAWWWD!

How did I miss this thread?

I know what you mean... Now, with so many categories to open and check on the forum it's easy to miss a real gem of a thread....

see.... even on the forum "new Tech" ain't always best