Yamaha versus JBL speakers

[Dark Knight]

Greetings All. I have been contemplating the benefits of a 3-way over a 2-way in terms of potentially greater sound detail. So, I have been searching hi and low for JBL L36s over my current (L46 & 4301B) speakers. I like my 2-ways for sure but my step up to these has left me craving more.

There are a pair of Yamaha NS-A 635 3-ways that at a seem similar to the JBL L36s. How do Yamaha and JBL generally compare?

Best Wishes,

DK

[BMWCCA]

do Yamaha and JBL generally compare?

Only in Gotham City.

I have two-way, three-way, and four-way JBLs. Love 'em all.

[Gary L]

Just a personal observation here but Yamaha made a couple of outstanding speakers. NS 1000 and NS 2000.

I never compared them to any JBLs but they sure could keep up with many of the big boys we like here and at half the size.

My only real complaint about the Yammies was what do we do when something breaks and there is no replacment parts?

Gary

[SEAWOLF97]

I restored a pair of NS-690-2's....it is the same speaker as the NS-1000 , but without the BE tweeter but does have a nice wood cabinet and wood baffle. The HF,MF,LF drivers are all cast, making the speakers heavy.
Sound-wise I would call them a Japanese L-100 , very foreward sound , great bass , quality construction , a definate bargain at the going prices.

They will tear up L-36's ...which I've had 3 pair, and find the L-36 less apealing than the 2 way L-26.

[Dark Knight]

No replacement parts? Wow. I hadn't thought of that. That is important to know. I guess it is worth holding out for the L36s.

[Gary L]

I was talking about the NS 1000 and NS 2000 speakers which are the only ones I have any experience with. A while back you could still buy direct from Yamaha a berrillium tweeter but they were well over $300 each and I would be very surprised if still available today.

I also know all of my Yamaha amps and pre amps were famous for blowing the light bulbs and Yamaha quit making them. Go try to find a 14.5 Volt 115 MA lamp for a Yamaha Face plate!

Just a personal observation here but JBL and Altec still seem to be the best bang for my bucks and I can usually get either one repaired as long as you buy the higher ends from these companies.

The NS 1000 & 2000 speakers are the "High End" Yamahas and a very fine speaker but only as long as they continue to function properly. Speakers that don't work and can't be easily repaired never sound very good to me.

Gary

[SMKSoundPro]

I bought a pair of NS-1000 at a pawn shop back in '91, while still working for the JBL PRO shop and were able to A-B them to a fresh reconed pair of L100s.

We agreed that the 1000 was a good bit like a 100, and overall we were impressed. We were using a Yamaha P2002 amp with plenty of gusto. The NS-1000's were comparable.

I mounted these yams in Lisa's Jazzercize club over in the free weight room tied into a b-flat basic receiver for the lifters. Then a tweeter popped and I had a hard time finding a replacement. I don't recall what I used but it must have been something out of the MCM catalog of the day.

Bottom line. The yams went to a dentist to play in his personal workout space, and he still reports that he loves them.

So, when it comes to parts support and pure love of a product, JBL is still the winner in my book. If another pair of NS-1000's came along the pike , I would snatch them up and resell them to an install situation, somewhere. ie. coffee shop, bar, gym...etc.

Scotty.

[Gary L]

Both of my pairs went down the road too Scotty but it had nothing to do with them not sounding great!

I just saw the writting on the wall and figured it best to cut and run!

Gary

[Daytona50]

I actually have a pair of L36's that are in nice shape (not perfect) that I would consider selling.

[Mr. Widget]

I bought a pair of NS-1000 at a pawn shop back in '91, while still working for the JBL PRO shop and were able to A-B them to a fresh reconed pair of L100s.

We agreed that the 1000 was a good bit like a 100, and overall we were impressed.

Must have been using some pretty terrible source material if the NS1000's Be tweeter and mid didn't simply out shine that LE5 and paper cone tweeter. I'm not going to dump on the L100, but up top it is really from the dark ages and those Yamahas were pretty cutting edge.


Widget

[SMKSoundPro]

Must have been using some pretty terrible source material if the NS1000's Be tweeter and mid didn't simply out shine that LE5 and paper cone tweeter. I'm not going to dump on the L100, but up top it is really from the dark ages and those Yamahas were pretty cutting edge.


Widget

Agreed! We were a JBL Pro dealer and fairly large regional Mom and Pop sound reiforcement company, and were JBL blue...through and through!

Those yams did sound very good, but they just weren't JBL.

L100's are as antiquated as anything using a paper cone tweeter! I have four 4311's mounted on the walls in the main bar area for foregound/background music. A pair of 4312's in each dj booth as monitors, and have a pair of L110a's in my workbench office, and the L200b's in the larger workshop space. They are all playing everyday!

In hindsight, I wouldn't mind a pair of NS-1000's. I would have to hide them behind some grill fabric, or everyone at the bar would give me shit about something NOT being JBL!

I got's a reputation.

scotty.

ps. Anyone want a pair of NS-10m's? Perfect shape. Only used in my office stereo.

[Fred Sanford]

I got's a reputation.

scotty.

ps. Anyone want a pair of NS-10m's? Perfect shape. Only used in my office stereo.

I sold my 3 NS-10Ms to a friend in PA with a studio...he might want two more for 5.1 mixing, I'll let you know...

je

[georgebrooke]

Well, chalk and cheese really.
I have a pair of NS1000M speakers. In the time that I have owned them I have gone through L300, L110, 4343 and L100 (and several pairs of ESL speakers too).
The NS1000M runs rings around the JBL in terms of detail and image. The JBL provides presence and the "JBL Punch" that I don't find anywhere else .. which is why I keep coming back to them. Sweet they are not. The Yamahas are not easy for an amplifier to drive (see later), they do have a pretty good WAF, which the 4343s (my current UK JBLs) do not.
I find the JBL a bit full in the bass, while the Yamaha is dry and hard. The mid-high on the Yamaha is really hard to beat at any price. I found the NS1000 model to be very poor compared to the NS1000M... much too boomy!
Spare parts, as far as I know, are available for both JBL and Yamaha, so should not be an issue. The Yamahas are harder to work on.. the JBL seem designed for easy maintenance. The Yamahas are the closest I have come to ESL speaker-quality but with power. They are also beautifully made.

So, here are the plans. I am bi-amping the 4343 speakers. To keep everything on the electronic side relatively simple I am also going to bi-amp the Yamahas (Ian Mackenzie is building me an active crossover to take into account the two different cross-over frequencies and slopes, and I am rebuilding the crossovers of both). I plan to use my current Aleph 5 amp for the mid-highs and a Crown K2 for the bass. For both speakers the bass-amp will directly connect to the corresponding bass driver. My guess is that once I have finished renovating the 4343s the WAF will be really low and they will have to go, leaving me (again) with the Yamahas, but now bi-amped.
If anyone has thoughts on the above strategy I should be grateful to hear them.
I hope the above helped. If you want more deatisl on Yamaha, etc just send me a PM

[Dark Knight]

Thank you all for a terrific thread. It was just the type of discussion I was hoping for. I learned a lot. I have considered all the posts very carefully.

I started off with Advent 1002s. It is a really nice little speaker. But, I recently tried the JBL L46s, and my jaw dropped the moment I cranked-up the volume. I got curious about the studio monitor series and got the JBL 4031Bs. I am typing now as Boston is cranked on these baby blues. I must admidt that I am now addicted to "the JBL presence and punch". Georgebrooke, you summed it up nicely. Yet, I am craving the additional detail that might be achieved by going to a better spaeker. My thoughts have now turned towards the potential gain detail with 3-way. The JBL L36s also offer an additional increase in woofer size too. (that can't hurt). A recent thread is very informative here. However, I can't go any larger due to finances and room size.

I have decided now to pass on the Yamahas based on what I have been enjoying so far. I will say that the Yamaha series seems to be priced well and is very tempting. Daytona50, I wish I would have seen your post before I "just" bought a pair of really nice JBL L36s. This will most likely be my last speaker purchase due to funds. Plus, there is simply no more room. I may be looking to sell my L46s just to make room

You guys have been great. I will post my comparisons shortly after they arrive. Thanks.

DK

[georgebrooke]

Hi,

well if you really want to hear detail, and you don't want head-bashing stuff, the Quad ELS 57, or 63 are really the only choices (the newer models are expensive, bigger and Chinese).
The detail and imaging is honestly unbelievable. I hesitate to mention these speakers in this forum becasue they are everything that JBL are not. Every couple of years or so I have to go and buy another pair to get my "fix"; then I sell them. I have owned around 6 or so pairs of these super speakers.
Don't do anything uuntil you have listened to a pair.. these are the reference speakers for detail and image (but sadly not for power, bass, or that "JBL punch").
Please don't blame me if you switch to the Quad forum