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Thread: Building the 4345/4344

  1. #1
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    Building the 4345/4344

    Under Construction

    This thread will be dedicated to those members wishing to construct the vintage JBL 4345/4344 Professional Series Studio Monitors.

    Over the next few weeks I will document blue prints (in JBL Blue..LOL) and provide a Step by Step Guide to Enclosure and Crossover Network Design & Construction.

    Some of you will have already been this route with the 4343 so please your collective wisdom and knowledge is most welcome

    Ian Mackenzie.


  2. #2
    Senior Member JuniorJBL's Avatar
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    Talking Thanks Ian!

    I have always wanted to build a pair of 4345's just because I used to listen to them at my favorite pro shop when I was a young teen. My friends mom worked there and that was our hang-out! The most I could afford was a pair of 4301b's from her JBL sale for employees. 129.45 for the pair. that was a lot of money for me at the time. I must build. Thanks again!!
    Shane

  3. #3
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Well you know I am interested. Took me a while to get the drivers but I am finally ready now so I am all ears!!!!


    Rob

  4. #4
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    Just a teaser until I gather the information in a usable form.

    Ian
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  5. #5
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    I am new to this forum and am already quite fired up. If my deal on the 4333A don't go through, I am also tempted to build the speakers myself.

    However, if I decide to build one, I will go all the way and maybe build the 4350. I will probably out source the cabinet building to a professional carpenter and install the drivers/crossovers myself.

    Anybody can advise me where I can get the cabinet plans and drivers, crossovers etc?

    Thanks.

    David

  6. #6
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    David,

    There are a number of experienced members who have walked the 4350/55 road before you, suggest you do a search and post in one the 4350 threads.

    But before you leap, consider you current and future requirements and situation, larger is not necessarily better..do some research.

    I have previously built (some 25 years ago) the 4343 and can attest to its performance for 90+ % of most domestic needs.

    The 4344 is more refined and the 4345 a larger version with added sensitivity and a bit more extension. Both these designs are more manageable in use and construction over the 4350

    Ian
    Last edited by Ian Mackenzie; 02-23-2004 at 04:36 AM.

  7. #7
    Tom Loizeaux
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    David,
    I understand that the JBL 4344 Mk II is available outside the US. You might want to look into a pair of these . Though they may cost more then the 4333 you've been looking at, they certainly will be less "trouble" then building your own...and these sound very nice from what I've heard.

    Tom

  8. #8
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    Dear Ian and Tom,

    Thanks for the advice. In fact I have been doing some surfing lately and found a couple of good deals on the 4344 in Japan. But most shops do not want to go through the trouble to air freight them to Singapore.

    Agree that building is a lot more trouble. Also don't know if I will be able to get all the parts together. I went to ebay and did some search, and most of the parts required don't seem so easy to acquire.

    Our papers run a local classified ads. I'm thinking of throwing the bait out this weekend to see if anybody is willing to part with theirs. I have a feeling I will not rest until I see the cool blue baffles in my living room.

    Sigh...
    David

  9. #9
    Alex Lancaster
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    Smile

    David:

    Go all the way!, for the 4350īs, with better components, I know Mike Caldwell can help with the horns and lenses, JBLDog has NOS Xovers (The Hog), I think Ken Pachowski has the 2202īs,
    for 2405īs and 2235īs, eBay.

    Look up the threads about bypass caps or charge coupling the 3107īs here.

    It will be a hybrid because of the newer components, IMO better.

    Now, all You need is to fly Ian Mc or the other artists here, to make the cabinets, etc.

    Alex.

  10. #10
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Hello David

    If you decided to go the build route one thing you certainly would not find are the crossovers. Any other component will eventually show up on E-Bay. NOS crossovers for the monitors asside from the 3107's recently in the Tent are not that common. When the older system get parted out they will come up but 4344/4345 or 434X series don't seem to get parted out that often. I wonder why

    Rob

  11. #11
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    What I think what will work best is to introduce this topic in weekly instalments over say 6-8 weeks in an informal diy chat basis.

    Aside from the drawings and how to interpret them, there is a lot of detail to be covered in terms of actual fabrication and quite of few tips along the way.

    I will also attempt to explain just why these monitors are put together a certain way with references to the Library and pdf documents posted previously by our resident JBL insider Giskard.

    So all in all it should be fun and informative, and you can pop in at any stage and pick up on the chat as all will be recorded in the previous posts.

    Obviously some of you will be starting think about collecting your driver sets. This is half the fun and can take a little while. My first tip is it ain't impossible to find these gems and here is a clue

    "As to selection an sourcing of drivers, that will be largely up the reader and I would suggest you search the threads for details of the midrange driver (2122h) and how it maybe created from a recone" i.e.

    Quote from Giskard

    "You can recone K110's and other LE10 cores as 2122H's, search for other threads dealing with that issue. Recones for these excellent midrange transducers are no longer cheap either. "

    The sourcing of the drivers can take a little while as mentioned above, try the market place on the forums, Mike Caldwell, Ebay and even Jammine Jersey...they just come along with a little patience.

    Oh and if you stray from the flock its at your own peril, this series will be about the authentic original designs, not mutants or hybrids

    While you are doing this you can eagerly start preparing the enclosures. Next week is will start with overall box dimensions and publish the first in a series of blue prints

    ian
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  12. #12
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    Alex,

    I am OK with the idea of hybrid. There is a question: What are the substitutes drivers and are they easily available?

    A comparison table will be fine. Thanks.

    David

  13. #13
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Hello Alex

    Well as far as driver substitutions the 2235/2245 are readilly available. You can either buy the drivers outright or build them up from frames. With these 2 systems I would have to say that aside from the 2231A/H there are none for the lowend.

    The midrange drivers are listed above with the exception of the 2120/2123/2012. Any substitution with these drivers will require network changes.

    Any 1" compression driver that can accept the 2307 will work. The 8 ohm versions will need a network change. So that list includes Le-85, 2420/2421/2425/2425S with 1" adaptor, 2426, 2427 with 2"adaptor removed and 1" adaptor installed, 2416 with 1" adaptor.

    The 2405 and the 077 can both be used.
    Last edited by Robh3606; 02-24-2004 at 06:04 AM.

  14. #14
    TimG
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    If anyone is interested in building a hybrid version of the 4355 with JBL's newest, lowest distorion drivers, I would be willing to help develop a crossover and cabinet tuning once Don's Project May speakers are completed and delivered.
    Here are some suggested drivers

    4355 hybrid
    Woofers: (2) 2235H $326 each or (2) 1500FE $510 each
    Midbass: 2012H or 2020H about $250 each or 2251J ?$600?
    Compression Driver: 2430 $275 2332 horn $50 or S4800 horn ?
    Supertweeter: 045Ti ?

    4348 hybrid
    Woofer 1500Fe
    Midbass 2012H
    Compression driver 2430
    Super tweeter 045Ti

    I almost forgot, another alternative woofer could be the HS136, which is based on the 2226 motor. It uses a currently available recone kit but it also requires an additional bucking magnet to be added to the back of the motor. This driver was used in the Sythesis S2S subwoofer. Here is a link to a picture http://www.dvdstore.at/DVHS/S2s.jpg It will work in a cabinet volume similar to the 2235H but would require a different tuning. I will see if I can figure out what size magnet needs to be added to the back.
    Last edited by TimG; 02-24-2004 at 07:14 AM.

  15. #15
    Alex Lancaster
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    Smile

    David:

    I posted all the parts before, and all drivers are ferrite, Alnicos might need re-magnetizing, too much hassle.

    per side:

    2 2235H or E130/E140, 2205/25, 2231 reconed as 2235H
    1 2202H or E120 "
    1 2445J
    1 2405H

    All are available.

    You could go as Tim suggested, but it would be expensive and complicated.

    Alex.

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