eBay Aftermarket Recone kits caveat.

[edgewound]

While I'm not aware of a correct aftermarket kit, to just blanket make this statement is more religion than fact. You can say that every kit you have experienced is incorrect, if that is the case, and express your doubt as to others, but you can't factually know that every aftermarket kit in the world is wrong. It is possible that they are, but you can't know it. What you have expressed is a religious conviction.

Let's make it easy here, Thom...o.k.?

I'm not opposed to reconing a JBL driver with aftermarket parts when factory parts are NLA. But the parts...especially voice coils... aren't always as good as the originals, especially when it comes to DC resistance, material choice, and the construction techniques that JBL uses to make a more reliable voice coil. I know this from experience....you don't.

The only recone kits available that are designed to be up to JBL Factory specs are from the JBL factory...period.

The assemblies are put together on factory tolerance jigs assembled with factory tolerences to give factory designed performance.

The thing that gripes you is that you can't buy factory recone kits directly and do the work yourself.

Fact is...it's cheap insurance to have it done right with a factory recone kit.

And BTW....every aftermarket reconed JBL driver...period....that has come through my shop in the last 19 years has been an inferior performer....period.

Don't try and tell me that that's religion....it's more than that...

It's the God's honest truth.

Have fun being a burr under the saddle. Happy Halloween.

[Earl K]

snip,,,,,,but you can't factually know that every aftermarket kit in the world is wrong.

- True enough, but then , I've never seen anyone who's selling aftermarket kits actually provide anything near enough proof that their kits perform up to JBL spec. ( superficial things such as "looks-like ", don't count here ).

- Only rigorous test-results showing ; FR, TS parameters & CSD plots would come close to convincing me otherwise.
- But, I can assure you Thom, the aftermarket crowd is not going to go to these lengths ( only to prove ) their product is not up to JBL spec. ( they play a T. Barnum Bailey game seducing/suckering in the "what-if ? crowd " { who just don't know better } , to do their dirty PR work for them ) .

- We ( LHF ) have a member here who vigorously swore that his reconers' 2235H aftermarket kits were excellent ( as good as originals ) / though that position changed 180° / after he took the challenge and bought himself Woofer Tester II and found out for himself.

It is possible that they are, but you can't know it. What you have expressed is a religious conviction.

It's a matter of faith that I'm willing to abide by / at least until some aftermarket dude presents enough pertinant "facts", to convince me that my position is wrong .

[4313B]

The thing that gripes you is that you can't buy factory recone kits directly and do the work yourself.

From what I've seen on this forum, some of the members have no business owning JBL's anyway because they flat out can't afford to maintain them. To be honest, I have no clue why they're even here. My only guess is because this site is free...

***

I was just reminded that some come here right after finding a pair of JBL's at the curb or at the GW and they run home, Google and end up here... it's kind of like winning the million dollar lottery and buying a million dollar house, they soon discover that they can't afford the property taxes and have to move back out.

And BTW....every aftermarket reconed JBL driver...period....that has come through my shop in the last 19 years has been an inferior performer....period.

I just did four 2235H's that looked like one of those quick and dirty jackasses got hold of them. All four sported aftermarket kits with copious amounts of glue spooged all over the place. There are definitely different classes of people out there...

[Audiobeer]

Now this is entertainment I can afford!

[jblwolf]

OH THE PAIN-quote-DR.Smith-LOST IN SPACEI'm so thankful I got my many different models/drivers of JBL's-s o o long ago,nothing but the real thing-babyWell I also own a pair of CLASSICREPO"S HEARTSFIELDS with old JBL/TRUSONIC drivers,they pretty nice too-Cheers

[Thom]

Let's make it easy here, Thom...o.k.?

I'm not opposed to reconing a JBL driver with aftermarket parts when factory parts are NLA. But the parts...especially voice coils... aren't always as good as the originals, especially when it comes to DC resistance, material choice, and the construction techniques that JBL uses to make a more reliable voice coil. I know this from experience....you don't.

The only recone kits available that are designed to be up to JBL Factory specs are from the JBL factory...period.

The assemblies are put together on factory tolerance jigs assembled with factory tolerences to give factory designed performance.

The thing that gripes you is that you can't buy factory recone kits directly and do the work yourself.

Fact is...it's cheap insurance to have it done right with a factory recone kit.

And BTW....every aftermarket reconed JBL driver...period....that has come through my shop in the last 19 years has been an inferior performer....period.

Don't try and tell me that that's religion....it's more than that...

It's the God's honest truth.

Have fun being a burr under the saddle. Happy Halloween.

I'm not griped. I don't think I own any drivers with after market parts. Some people pay extra for hemp parts. Factory parts of just a few years ago were not set up and glued at the factory. Factory kits may very well be superior to everything else I just think it is a dangerous statement without more research than I believe most people have done. I generally stay away from every and none statements. I also don't think that every driver is best original. If it were why would JBL have continually come out with new designs?

[4313B]

[edgewound]

ditto

[jbl_man_uk]

Just to add my 2 cents....recently removed a couple of K140 `s from a stage monitor that had aftermarket recones fitted (ribbed cones,black dust caps)...they sounded truly awful...weak,thin and lacking in any punch....it might as well have been an Eminence driver, it sounded so naff.

[4313B]

they sounded truly awful...

Thanks to the Internet, I'm discovering that alot of people really like that sound.

[subwoof]

it like goes to 11 man....totally crunchy.

[GordonW]

When I can take an aftermarket kit (say, 2235H) and TEST the resultant speaker on LEAP/LMS, and have all the parameters come to WITHIN FIVE PERCENT of factory specs, I'll go on a limb and say that the aftermarket kits are good enough, if the CORRECT combination of parts are built up in the PROPER manner.

In fact, I had MORE parameter variation in FACTORY RECONED 2235s, 127Hs, 128Hs, 122As and others, than with a properly-assembled aftermarket kit. Like up to TEN PERCENT variation in parameters. Sure, this is "acceptable" to pretty much any driver supplier out there... but it certainly doesn't lend itself to the "factory only, nobody else" mantra, in any realistic sense. Also, the variations in upper-frequency response curves is AS GREAT in the factory kits (and original OEM drivers) as with the aftermarket (again, properly assembled) units.

I'm getting pretty tired of all reconers that use aftermarket parts, being all lumped into the same "incompetent" box, by some people. When you have to FIX the SCREW UPS of the SO CALLED FACTORY AUTHORIZED reconer in your area, you start to get a different perspective, altogether...


In short... enough of this, already.

Regards,
Gordon.

[GordonW]

Just to add my 2 cents....recently removed a couple of K140 `s from a stage monitor that had aftermarket recones fitted (ribbed cones,black dust caps)...they sounded truly awful...weak,thin and lacking in any punch....it might as well have been an Eminence driver, it sounded so naff.

Funny that... I just custom-built a set of 4 drivers, using JBL M115-8 frames, and Eminence cones, spiders and dustcaps (with JBL-type edge-wound coils, however).

Measured FAR BETTER than the factory cones. Far less "lumpier" high-frequency response, on and off axis. Better midbass punch, better low-end extension too.

Made great woofers for the Seeburg retro-mod project. In fact, after hearing the first ones, I got TWO OTHER people who want to DUPLICATE the whole project... and have gone out and found MORE SETS of the cabinets...


Some of us DO know what we're doing...

Regards,
Gordon.

[4313B]

I'm getting pretty tired of all reconers that use aftermarket parts, being all lumped into the same "incompetent" box, by some people. When you have to FIX the SCREW UPS of the SO CALLED FACTORY AUTHORIZED reconer in your area, you start to get a different perspective, altogether...

Valid point taken. The title "Factory Authorized" doesn't mean one is going to end up with "good as new". They are supposed to but we all know that isn't always what actually happens. And we all seem to have a different definition of "good enough".

Some of us DO know what we're doing...

Understood.

Funny that... I just custom-built a set of 4 drivers, using JBL M115-8 frames, and Eminence cones, spiders and dustcaps (with JBL-type edge-wound coils, however).

Measured FAR BETTER than the factory cones. Far less "lumpier" high-frequency response, on and off axis. Better midbass punch, better low-end extension too.

Made great woofers for the Seeburg retro-mod project. In fact, after hearing the first ones, I got TWO OTHER people who want to DUPLICATE the whole project... and have gone out and found MORE SETS of the cabinets...

Alot of people try alot of stuff in the field and swear by it. Sometimes a company will take notice and incorporate the hybrid in a new design of their own.

[edgewound]

Hey Gordon....

Nobody pointed you out specifically....did they?

Like any other service professional...factory authorized or not...including many medical professionals...some care alot about what they do for their customers, and some, unfortunately don't. Many more, it seems, that used to be, don't care much about good quality anymore.

When it comes to OEM parts, the chances of known performance expectations have a wonderfully high probability ratio as long as the parts are not defective....which sometimes happens.

There are car tuners everywhere that can make a car go faster, corner flatter, etc...but that in itself takes research, time and money.

I'm confident that can do what you say you can do, but that takes a level of knowledge and commitment that many don't have, and it shows in their work....as you've no doubt seen, as have I.

So...I'm fighting for keeping the Lansing Heritage alive by restoring with the "correct" parts as they come from the factory. Until I see otherwise better performance from the aftermarket, I'll stick with OEM...and the factory warranty.

Keep up the good fight, Gordon.