best route to "big" JBLs

[jleblanc]

Hello!

I've been really enjoying collecting and listening to some older JBLs. I have a set of L150a, L26, L100, and L36 speakers, various other bits, mostly in really nice shape. My old boss had a mint pair of 4343s in his listening room, and I'm quickly realizing that no matter how much I like my "little" JBLs, what I really want is the big sound his setup had.

So, lets pretend I was to liquidate half my collection, scrape together some cash, and had $1500-2k to spend on a set of "big" JBLs, something similar to the 4343. Do I: 1) scour ebay and hope for the best 2) look locally and wait forever to find the right speaker (I'm in Seattle) 3) beg someone on here to sell me theirs 4) DIY it, find some cases (or make my own) and loose drivers.

I'm comfortable enough with my skill to repair or put together most anything that I need to, so I'm not afraid of a project.

Lend me some wise words on the best way to anger my wife with LARGE speakers in the basement!

[Rolf]

The easiest (and maybe the best?) way is to find a pair of originals. With that said, building your own cabinets will probably don't take any more time than to restore a pair of original cabinets, AND you got to do something with the networks in the originals anyway, so if you have the skills build them. (Cabinet builders ... climb in here)

If you decide to build, you must get your hands of the components. As far as I have seen on e-bay, buying the components, probably from different sellers costs more the to buy a complete pair of originals. Not sure if your budget will hold. Here in Europe it won't.

[Zilch]

Find a pair of 4430s up there locally. Go listen to them.

If you like them, you're done....

[$1000 - $1500, depending on condition.]

[Rolf]

Find a pair of 4430s up there locally. Go listen to them.

If you like them, you're done....

[$1000 - $1500, depending on condition.]

In my opinion the 4343 is a better speaker than the 4430 Zilch. But that's me.

[Mr. Widget]

In my opinion the 4343 is a better speaker than the 4430 Zilch. But that's me.

I wouldn't say that the 4343 is a "better" speaker... but if I had to listen to one or the other, I'd pick the 4343 myself.

Personally, I'd DIY a pair of 4345s... still not perfect, but nothing is and they are damned fine. There is plenty of info on these speakers on this forum... a few years ago there was only one pair on this forum and they got passed along from one forum member to another, but today there are several forum members who own factory 4345s and several who have built their own.

While I wouldn't say that the 4343 is superior to the 4430, I would say that the 4345 is superior to both the 4343 and the 4430.


Widget

[Zilch]

In my opinion the 4343 is a better speaker than the 4430 Zilch. But that's me.

No doubt, Rolf.

Following my recommendation, tho, he gets to keep his L100s....

[jleblanc]

Thanks for the advice guys, I like the idea of the 4345s. It it reasonable to find a set of drivers (and crossover, or would I likely have to make that myself?) for under $2k? I'll look around on here and see what other people have done.

No doubt, Rolf.

Following my recommendation, tho, he gets to keep his L100s....

If I'm keeping anything, it's the L150a!

[Mr. Widget]

If I'm keeping anything, it's the L150a!

He was joking... that's just a Zilchism.

You would need to build your own networks, but there is plenty of info on doing that here as well. I haven't priced drivers lately, but I am sure you could spend way too much if you grab the first pretty ones to come along, but with care you should be in that price range. I'd recommend that you buy as many of the drivers as clean cores as possible and have them professionally rebuilt.


Widget

[Fangio]

I wouldn't say that the 4343 is a "better" speaker... but if I had to listen to one or the other, I'd pick the 4343 myself.

Now I DO wish I had kept the 4430's that I sold earlier this year, for an a/b comparison. There wasn't just enough room for both. So far the 4343's don't let me miss anything here, quite the contrary.

Personally, I'd DIY a pair of 4345s... still not perfect, but nothing is and they are damned fine. There is plenty of info on these speakers on this forum... a few years ago there was only one pair on this forum and they got passed along from one forum member to another, but today there are several forum members who own factory 4345s and several who have built their own.

While I wouldn't say that the 4343 is superior to the 4430, I would say that the 4345 is superior to both the 4343 and the 4430.


Widget

I doubt a DIY 4345 can be done with 1,5-2k in $. I've exceeded this with the assembling of 4343's already, to get everything in desired shape. Paid for vintage cabs and networks though, instead of building them myself.


This pic is interesting, did you know they were for sale, and sold.. though I'm not sure if the deal is completed yet.

[jleblanc]

Wow, I just read through the 4345 DIY thread with the pics/description of John's speakers. Holy !@$% those are stunning. Probably a little beyond my budget and expertice at the moment, unfortunately. Maybe in a few years!

Does anyone in the Seattle area know of who I should check with to find a local pair? I'll put in a word at Hawthorne Stereo to have them keep an eye open, but I don't know any other dealers/stores/individuals in the area that might come across this kind of gear.

[Mr. Widget]

Does anyone in the Seattle area know of who I should check with to find a local pair?

They are extremely rare... I doubt you will find a local factory pair. John is in Renton though... you maybe able to coax him into an audition.

As for cost... a pair of DIY 4345s should cost only a couple of hundred dollars more than a pair of DIY 4343s. They are physically much bigger though as the 18" 2245H needs almost twice the volume as the 15" 2231.


Widget

[jleblanc]

They are extremely rare... I doubt you will find a local factory pair. John is in Renton though... you maybe able to coax him into an audition.

As for cost... a pair of DIY 4345s should cost only a couple of hundred dollars more than a pair of DIY 4343s. They are physically much bigger though as the 18" 2245H needs almost twice the volume as the 15" 2231.


Widget

Definitely not expecting to find (or be able to afford) a factory 4345 locally, but rather anything similar, 4430, etc.

[Robh3606]

I did a pair of 4344 for about $1500 actually less, however I was lucky. I had a lot of things fall into place and it was a while ago so the prices were lower on the recones. A friend did the crossovers and I did the cabinets. So the cost for me was the drivers.

Figure $350-400 for the pair of 15" 2235's. That's an average price used and if you got cores at $50 a pop about $150-175 each for a recone with current prices. 2245's are going to run higher on the recones and cores

2122's are very hard to find so you would be better off again doing cores with E110 as an example figure $50 each. I think they are about $200+ each on the recones if they are still available. Puts them in the same ballpark as the woofer cost wise.

2425's/2426's are all over the place and you can get pairs for as low as $200-350

The 2307 and H91 you have to go looking for and prices on them are all over the block figure $100-150 on the horns and the potentially the same on the lenses.

The 2405's again are all over the place. I scored a pair for $69 BIN but I was lucky. Figure $100-150 each depending on condition.

Then you need crossovers and cabinets. Crossover you will have to build and the cabinets you can have built if you can't do them yourself.

I tried to give you an idea of what a scratch built DIY might cost you. If you are patient you may be able to do it in your range or for a little more than your high figure. It's all the luck of the draw with Ebay. I have gotten some real steals but it's takes a while.The 2122's are the key to this whole project. You can always get the other drivers. If you are serious about the 4344/4345 find out if the recone kits are available and get them first.

Good Luck

Rob

[SUPERBEE]

I would scour CL, EeePay, and your local fishwraps till you find a set of JBL Olympus, L-300's, or 43?? that you like and can actually go and hear before you pick them up.
Or buy one of the said sets from a trusted person here like I did for my friend Bill (Thanx Mike) and have them properly crated and delivered.

[toddalin]

Hello!

I've been really enjoying collecting and listening to some older JBLs. I have a set of L150a, L26, L100, and L36 speakers, various other bits, mostly in really nice shape. My old boss had a mint pair of 4343s in his listening room, and I'm quickly realizing that no matter how much I like my "little" JBLs, what I really want is the big sound his setup had.

So, lets pretend I was to liquidate half my collection, scrape together some cash, and had $1500-2k to spend on a set of "big" JBLs, something similar to the 4343. Do I: 1) scour ebay and hope for the best 2) look locally and wait forever to find the right speaker (I'm in Seattle) 3) beg someone on here to sell me theirs 4) DIY it, find some cases (or make my own) and loose drivers.

I'm comfortable enough with my skill to repair or put together most anything that I need to, so I'm not afraid of a project.

Lend me some wise words on the best way to anger my wife with LARGE speakers in the basement!

OK, wife would like these out of the house. $1K/pair bottom line and you pick up or arrange to have shipped from Orange County, CA.

C50 monitors with an S7 load including LE15As (reconed by OCS in Dec 1994), LE85's, HL-91's, and LX-5s. These include custom made brackets and 6 foot stands. Cabinets are beautiful and on a scale of 1 - 10, speakers are 9.5+.

Add an 075/077 and N7000/N8000 (or the equivelent caps/coils), if desired.