250 TI's.

[JBLforlife]

Are your grilles black or dark brown?...they look black in the pictures but it may the camera/my monitor?

Yes they do look somewhat gray/black in those pics. They are the Dark Brown
grilles though. Thanks for the reply.

JBLforlife

[JBLforlife]

Beautiful speakers JBLforlife!
You have sure kept them in great shape!
Can you please tell me their serial numbers (and driver serials if you know them) for the Serial Number Thread?
Or post the info there yourself, if you're so inclined.
Thanks,

Thanks for the compliment. I dont have the Driver serial numbers recorded but the Serial #'s on the speakers are 02618 and 05971. Hope that helps.

Thanks Again,

JBLforlife

[mike]

I agree, that woofer needs an amp with enough damping factor to control it.
Surprisingly though I've driven my 250Ti's with a few different vintage tube amps with good results, even though they really don't have much damping ability. It seems to me that the 250Ti is so neutral that a little coloration from the electronics driving them is usually a good thing.

Nice speakers,

Mike

[varice]

Nice set of speakers. I also have a 250Ti system, but finished in teak. Your birch cabinets look very beautiful. Are they treated with wood oil only or do they have another finish?

Varice

[JBLforlife]

I agree, that woofer needs an amp with enough damping factor to control it.
Surprisingly though I've driven my 250Ti's with a few different vintage tube amps with good results, even though they really don't have much damping ability. It seems to me that the 250Ti is so neutral that a little coloration from the electronics driving them is usually a good thing.

Nice speakers,

Mike

Thanks,
I have heard that about Tube Amps with these 250's. That is why I was interested back then in getting a Tube Amp but it just was not in my budget. Perreaux Amps have always been known to be warm and tube like and I have been very happy with them over the last 20 years. I also have a Tube CD player the AH Njoe TjoeB 4000 and that helps too. That is the one thing I have always liked about the 250's is how neutral they are. I do prefer a warmer tube like sound and that is why the Bryston Amp did not work that well for me.

JBLforlife

[SEAWOLF97]

, Your birch cabinets look very beautiful.
Varice

AFAWK...JBL never made anything in Birch. Beech maybe, or maple or teak, but not birch. One of our members has a fixation with birch.

Birch is generally used for cheap kitchen cabinets, not fine speakers.

[johnaec]

Birch is generally used for cheap kitchen cabinets, not fine speakers.

A slight correction - Baltic birch is used more than anything else for pro speaker cabinets, (there are plenty of fine ones), that is, the multi-ply stuff is used - not the cheap stuff you get at Home Depot. Of course, they usually end up with a black Duratex finish...

John

[JBLforlife]

Nice set of speakers. I also have a 250Ti system, but finished in teak. Your birch cabinets look very beautiful. Are they treated with wood oil only or do they have another finish?

Varice

Thanks. My 250 Ti's are Teak finish and since they were bought new in 1987 I have only used Teak Wood oil on them. That is why they have stayed nice and I never gave them a chance to dry out. I think they made the 250 TI in one other wood finish and I believe it was a Black Rosewood. Someone correct me if I am wrong. I also believe they made a set of 250's in Black Acrylic laminate but not sure about that either. Unless some of the earlier L250 versions had another wood finish that I am not aware of.

JBLforlife

[varice]

Thanks. My 250 Ti's are Teak finish and since they were bought new in 1987 I have only used Teak Wood oil on them. That is why they have stayed nice and I never gave them a chance to dry out. I think they made the 250 TI in one other wood finish and I believe it was a Black Rosewood. Someone correct me if I am wrong. I also believe they made a set of 250's in Black Acrylic laminate but not sure about that either. Unless some of the earlier L250 versions had another wood finish that I am not aware of.

JBLforlife

Storm was joking about the birch wood! I need to be more careful with my reading.

Your picture of the right speaker looks alot my cabinets, but the left one looks much different to me.

Varice

[SEAWOLF97]

Storm was joking about the birch wood! IVarice

no. actually there is a long history of flame wars with Storm and his opinions on birch, as he had Atecs in unfinished birch and .......

[Zilch]

... then he changed his mind.

[After considered deliberation. Heh, heh.... ]

[kingjames]

How can one tell if the finish is teak or walnut? I believe mine with the low serial numbers were made in 1984 or 1985, I just assumed mine were walnut. Come on all you wood pro's with your expertise. Thanks!

[macaroonie]

Walnut tends to be darker than teak although some varieties can be very similar. Both will bleach and yellow with sunlight hence old walnut cabinets can look very similar to newish teak.

[JBLforlife]

Storm was joking about the birch wood! I need to be more careful with my reading.

Your picture of the right speaker looks alot my cabinets, but the left one looks much different to me.

Varice

I kind of figured they were kidding. Probably when I took those photos the lighting on the left was affected by my front picture window. Both are similar in color but the contrast of the grain is greater on the front of the left speaker and kind of flat on the right speaker so it makes them look different.

JBLforlife

[kingjames]

Walnut tends to be darker than teak although some varieties can be very similar. Both will bleach and yellow with sunlight hence old walnut cabinets can look very similar to newish teak.

Based on this evidence mine would have to be teak and not Walnut.