Original or copy cones for 2205 ?

[Bruno GINARD]

Hi all,

I have found in a shop a pair of old 2205. These vintage speakers have Alnico magnets, and they were recently reconed.

The seller doesn’t know if the new cones are original JBL replacement kits, or if they came from an other manufacturer. There are some indications back to the cone: W5694 468.

Does anybody know if those references seem to be original JBL replacements parts, or if they are imitations? In this case, are the differences between an original JBL cone and a copy very significant? In fact, is the choice of an old speaker with the original cones a better way to a new reconed one with an exotic material!

At last, I had read and eared a lot of various things about obsolescence of Alnico magnets. Is it really a big problem, altering the quality of a 15 “ speaker? A friend of I own a pair of 4350, they are 25 or 30 years old aged, and quality is as good as the first time we test them.

Bruno

[Rolf]

Originally posted by Bruno GINARD
Hi all,

The seller doesn’t know if the new cones are original JBL replacement kits, or if they came from an other manufacturer. There are some indications back to the cone: W5694 468.

At last, I had read and eared a lot of various things about obsolescence of Alnico magnets. Is it really a big problem, altering the quality of a 15 “ speaker? A friend of I own a pair of 4350, they are 25 or 30 years old aged, and quality is as good as the first time we test them.

Bruno

Hi. I would expect that a original JBL cone is made with original specifications. I don't know if there are imitations out there. If so, I would not be happy. I believe Giskard knows. Regarding the Alnico magnets, there should be no problem. Don wrote about this on the previous forum. Maybe he can post this again?

Rolf

[locanti]

Salut bruno and Hi all!

I have a pair of 2205A that were in My 4333a when I bought them.I made them recone 4 years ago by a JBL dealer(La maison du haut-parleur in Lille ,no afiliation with the Parissian one) and I look at one the cone and there is a mark on it but illegible.There is a stickup on the basket wrote H1046-50272.Maybe it's the recone kit number.

Hope that 's help you!

Unless , I don't know what your gonna do wit these 2205A , but for me I had changed them to a pair of Beyma 15B100R as soon as I bought my 4333a and with a pair of JBL 136A last year(Found on Ebay in Danemark)

The 2205A can only be use for PA or Sound reforcement on stage(I'm a bass player and use them with my Ampeg Head) and can't be used for HI-FI.

[Bruno GINARD]

I have found further information on JBL Web Site about replacements cones. For a 2225 H, replacement cone is called “ C8R225», and the total parts of the kit are called “ 50201 “ and “52347”. Astonishingly, the references for a 2205 model are the same! It’s very distant of the references noted on the speakers I’ve found.

Rolf , I am on your mind, I prefer an old original JBL assembly, and have to recone it later with an original part, rather than an unknown material.
Price for recone Kit is about 140 $ in USA, and 190 €, without taxes, in France.

Locanti, I would like a to use a E 145, or 2225, or 2205 in worse situation, into a rear folded horn (same as JBL ) to substitute a Coaxial Tannoy 15 “ professional speaker ( enough for me for last 12 years !) and with a 2 “ Horn. See the thread I have posted 1 or 3 weeks ago.

[Oldmics]

Hello Bruno,The cones are DEFINITLY a generic recone kit.These were sold as pro speakers and being reconed tell me that they have lived a rough life.The gauss (magnetic strength) can dissapate because of time and hi power use.Since the frames are old and also have been reconed,that tells me that they have been used hard and blown up hence the reconing.It would be a costly affair to regauss and recone both speakers back to original specifications.I would pass on these items unless they are very difficult to acquire in your part of the world or unless its a great deal on the price. Best regards,Fellow Hartsfield owner,Oldmics

[sa660]

Bruno,

unless the price is right below 100Euro I will pass on this pair of 2205. Recone kit means high power uses and risk of demagnetisation of the driver.

Good luck.

[Bruno GINARD]

I forsake those models, waiting for a best opportunity...wisdom way !

Oldmics, as i see on the avatar, you really own 2 Paragons in addition to your Hartsfield's ( the original toploader if i remenber your precedent threads )?

[Oldmics]

Hi Bruno,Yes I currently own 2 Paragons and 2 Hartsfield toploaders and a bunch of other JBL goodys including two types of Minigons and a Metregon and an early JBL 1950s front loaded corner enclosure.The Hartsfields are very early units displaying the Jim Lansing water decal as opposed to the later units displaying the brass logos.The two Paragons that I have are consecutive serial #s and are what I believe to be the transition between the models of drivers and crossovers used.The Paragon units that I have have the serial #s of 61 and 62.Number 61 has the 150-4C speaker compliment and the N-400,N-7000 crossovers while #62 has the LE-15As and the LX-5,LX-7 crossovers.I believe that # 61 was originally a two way cabinet with the tweeters and N-7000s added later.The logos displayed on the fronts of each Paragon are different.A small rectangular JBL emblem is displayed on the front of #61 with the larger more reconisable square(what I call the 70s logo)on #62. At the time when the picture was taken I had 4 Paragons and 5 Hartsfields.The picture is of units that I no longer have.I just thought it was a fun shot to offer my version of a classic surround system or just the front section of a 5.1 rig.Best regards,Oldmics

[Mr. Widget]

Hi Oldmics,

You appear to be in a unique position to answer a question I have had. What are the sonic differences between the 150-4C Paragons and the LE15A Paragons?

[psteak]

The cones came from Waldom. You will probably find the spider, voice coil, surround, gaskets, & dome are from the same source. The voice coil will be just like the original JBL down the venting holes in the former if there were any. I used their products for years with customers that didn't have the money for factory kits. Yes I am factory certified & had a warranty station for JBL & many others. At one point I measured TS parameters on on both the Waldom & factory kits. It turned out that both assemblies were dead on the money.
That being said you have to take into consideration some variables that exist:
1) The Waldom kit comes in many pieces NOT a completely assembled unit!
2) The comparison I made was on the same frame. I installed the Waldom kit 1st, then tore it out & put the JBL kit in next. I thought that was the only way to get a true comparison.
3) Even though the TS parameters measured the same the sound from the speaker was different. The JBL sounded smoother, while the Waldom sounded tighter.
4) When acoustically measured with my HP FFT they were very close response curves, & time domain data.
5) As far as Alnico goes the speaker I used had rust on it & had been toured by extrapolation & direct measurement the flux density in the gap was to original spec. In fact in 40 years of Hi-end audio (pro & consumer) I have measured a loss very few times, maybe 19 out of 4,000 to 5,000 speakers.
6) I have to admit to my ears I like the sound of the Alnico speakers. I even once swapped magnet structures using the same frame & kit, that was not easy to do!
Let me know if anyone has more input.

[subwoof]

After almost eight YEARS I doubt he needs input on this question. Check the dates on threads before posting!

[tomee]

After almost eight YEARS I doubt he needs input on this question. Check the dates on threads before posting!

Good point, but the info he brings up is very useful! psteak, please keep posting - anyone with lots of experience reconing old JBLs is welcome here!

[edgewound]

Good point, but the info he brings up is very useful! psteak, please keep posting - anyone with lots of experience reconing old JBLs is welcome here!

Every single aftermarket reconed/rediaphragmed JBL speaker/loudspeaker/transducer/driver to date...and that's over 22 years...has been substandard in every category.

That's not my opinion, either. It's a fact.

[BillScintilla]

I have a 2205h that was re-coned with a JBL K140 re-cone kit. This speaker is intended to be used with bass guitar (hopefully even a 5-string if possible).

Can anyone suggest what parameters I should use to build a box for it that is as small as possible, please?

Many thanks for any insight you may be able to provide.

[Robh3606]

Hello Bill

Use the cabinet and tunning JBL recommends for the driver.

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/suppor...=219&doctype=3

Rob