JBL L110 against JBL L3

[hjames]

This is my first post as a new member. What a great site. I am not sure if I should be responding to this thread or starting a new one, so thx for your patience either way.

I bought a pair of JBL L110 speakers around 1980, along with a CR 620 ...

~ The Yamaha CR 620 needs to be replaced for "size" reasons as much as anything. We do not need 'surround sound' and just desire good quality stereo to best accommodate the L110's. Question - What is the best receiver to replace the 620 asssuming a budget of 400 to 600?
I know zilch about separate pre-amp and amps, and want to keep it as simple as possible while getting the most out the speakers. A local store recommended the HK 3490. The Yamaha RX 797 is another option. I'd consider "separates" but know zip about pre-amps and amps.

~ The 110's are in good condition (refoamed several yrs ago), but I would like to replace the grill fabric. Is there a company that will do this or can one buy the fabric somewhere?

Thanks! Jim

Okay, what are you using for signal sources?
CD/FM only?
Tape deck (either RR or cassette?)
Turntable?
Many new receivers do not have an input for turntables - if so,
you'll need a turntable preamp with RIAA equalization to feed signal from your turntable into a contemporary receiver (One of the AUX ins)

Occasion VHS or DVD & TV sound use?

I had an Yamaha CR-400 and a pair of L-36s for many years (bought new in 1976) - for that system I haunted ebay and found a Yamaha CD-1020 (75w/channel) for around $200 and just simply upgraded to a higher end but still vintage receiver. No remote control, except "pause" on the CD player.
You can find an older Yamaha CR-2020 or similar (110w/ch) for maybe $300 - if you want to go that route, there is a guy on Audiokarma that gets the old yamahas, cleans and tunes them up, puts beautiful veneer on the cases, and sells them in your price range. Powerful and good looking, if you like the classic receivers.

For my bigger system with the TV and stuff, I went with a Harman Kardon (HK) receiver as a front end for my system. I bought a multichannel receiver because I'm doing surround in that room, but HK makes contemporary stereo receivers that are comparable and work well, with remotes and all of that ...
Some even have iPod docks, if you like the ease of music via an iPod

I got some "JBL Monitor blue" speaker cloth from a guy here named Zilch and redid my grills myself - do a search and there are some good directions posted here on how to accomplish that!

[Fred Sanford]

L110s don't use the blue cloth, they use a very sheer black material (as in my avatar). If anyone DOES have a source for this material, there are a few of us waiting for that info...

As for powering my L110s, my favorite amp is a Yamaha P2100 professional power amp. For basic stereo all-in-one packages I've also liked various older Denon integrated amps I've tried (PMA-520/720/920) and Nakamichi RE-1 & RE-10 receivers.

je

[LRBacon]

Hi Jim,

Happy to see another L110 owner at the forum.
You might try this outfit http://www.speakerworks.com/speaker_...abric_s/25.htm
for your grille cloth. If you send them a self stamped and addressed envelope they will send you free samples of which ever ones you are interested in.

Good luck replacing the cloth, the L110 grilles are a real pain to take apart. Search the forum for threads on the subject.

The original L110 speaker was available only with the black semi-transparent grille cloth. The L110A was available in semi-transparent black, brown and apparently blue according to the instruction manual. I have never seen any that came with the blue grilles.

As far as receivers go, if you had no problems driving the L110's with your Yamaha, stick with Yamaha. Go with model that has all the features you need or would use.

Larry

[Jimruns]

Larry, Fred, hjames and Mac,

Thanks very much for your input and advice.

> I appreciate the ideas about used Yamaha receivers (1020 and 2020). The classic receivers DO look great, incl Yamaha and Marantz., etc. I run CD's on the CD player through the receiver, still use the old Dual 502 belt-driven turntable for the classic vinyl, and also run MP3 (Ipod) stuff from the computer to receiver and the L110's. I automotically assumed ANY stereo receiver would have a phono-input jack. Mistake, but it is hard to believe as pointed out below, that is not necessarily the case. I feel a bit like Mr. Rip Van Winkle in that regard! Thx for the heads up.

> When I had the woofers re-foamed I also explored the possibility of having the grilles re-done at the same time since the speakers still look great. My recollection is that JBL (or whoever represented that marque then) would have done the work for about $75-$80 per speaker. I dawdled and never had it done. In the process I may have missed the best and final opportunity to have acquired that great original transluscent fabric.

> In '78 or '79, prior to the L110's, I bought the "poor man's JBL's", the Bolivar Model 18's. See link below for a little history. They were a fine speaker, but I longed for the JBL's...just could not afford them! The stereo shop I worked with then (Stromboli's in Lewiston, Maine - for historical accuracy buffs) had a policy of allowing a $ for $ trade-in if done within 1 (or maybe 2) years. When that first bonus came through the next year the Bolivar's were history. They were carefully placed in the trunk of the car that very same day, driven north and the JBL's made the trip home. They have been part of the household surroundings for the last 28 years or so.
Jim
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=98012