Changes in store for the Everests

[audiomagnate]

I heard about the new Everests at RMAF. If this has been discussed already I apologize. New woofers, no more battery powered crossover, price hike.

[grumpy]

Those are 65000's? I like the signed front access panel

[4313B]

Everest dd67000

Somewhere in the thread Jerry outlines the woofer changes he made for both models.

We are patiently waiting to see when the woofers will be available over the counter. I suppose it's possible that JBL will make them available only to people with valid DD66000 serial numbers.

[Valentin]

is that photo in Rmaf

not much info on the web

[pos]

We are patiently waiting to see when the woofers will be available over the counter. I suppose it's possible that JBL will make them available only to people with valid DD66000 serial numbers.

that means we may soon start to see some of those "old" 1501AL woofers appear on the used market

[Mr. Widget]

I received this pdf today. As a true woody... I would jump on the real wood option while they last. I am not a fan of the "Zebra Wood" finish on the S9900, which makes the DD65000 a nonstarter for me.


Widget

[grumpy]

Re RMAF pic, it looked like rubber surrounds and non carbon fiber baffle face, from what I could see...
(why I thought dd65000) ... shrug. Ah well, just curious

[Mr. Widget]

Re RMAF pic...

That pic is the DD66000.


Widget

[4313B]

That pic is the DD66000.

And rumor has it that particular pair was obtained in trade for a collectable jukebox.

[Titanium Dome]

I received this pdf today. As a true woody... I would jump on the real wood option while they last. I am not a fan of the "Zebra Wood" finish on the S9900, which makes the DD65000 a nonstarter for me.


Widget

Based on that announcement, are we possibly in a situation where the K2 S9900 has a better top end than the DD65000? I already liked the S9900 horns better than the D66000 horns, in dispersion, control, and soundstage accuracy, not to mention looks. So now it's got a better UHF driver? Or not?

Maybe this is proof that Mg is good enough to replace Be, if the all-Mg DD65000 is believably better than the the all-Be DD66000.

Maybe this is a statement that the older networks in the DD66000 were good but not great, and the new nets improved things so much that lesser drivers produced better results?

Maybe I should replace the 045Be with 045Mg and the 1500AL-1 with 1501AL-1 or -2? Then new networks? That's the $16,000 question. ($60k vs $44k) Inquiring minds want to know.

(Of course, I'm not going to change anything. I'm just ranting. And curious.)

[4313B]

Maybe this is a statement that the older networks in the DD66000 were good but not great, and the new nets improved things so much that lesser drivers produced better results?

That would be the implication. The 476Mg and 476Be haven't changed, only the networks and low frequency transducers.

I posted the network schematics so fire up your soldering irons.

The 045 in any form is crossing over pretty high... do we really care which material? Perhaps only in conversation.

[Mr. Widget]

Maybe this is a statement that the older networks in the DD66000 were good but not great, and the new nets improved things so much that lesser drivers produced better results?

I certainly wouldn't agree. I think the DD66000s are great, the newer woofers may be greater, but most of the verbiage is marketing hype. They are essentially lowering their costs on the 65000 and maintaining the price and keeping the production cost about the same and increasing the prices on the 67000.

I would consider upgrading the woofers to the newer cloth surrounded versions, but I certainly wouldn't "upgrade" to the newer model unless I was able to get the DD67000RA-LTHR version.



Widget

[4313B]

I certainly wouldn't agree.

I think I posted the voltage drives of the three networks. There were some changes. And Greg did say he tightened up the networks a bit.

With respect to mixing and matching drivers I can tell you that the 1500AL and 476Be/H4338 sound "not quite right" with the stock DD66000, 4365 and S9900 networks.

I guess my point is, the days of the LX5-type canned network are long over. The network really does make or break a system. Well, except for the L100.

And that's why there are different networks for the DD65000 and DD67000.

I would consider upgrading the woofers to the newer cloth surrounded versions, but I certainly wouldn't "upgrade" to the newer model

Yeah, that's a serious chunk of change. I'd be inclined to try and be happy with the DD66000.

There's a real good argument for going totally active instead of screwing around with a bunch of passive filters. You can make these things sound anyway you want going active and you don't have to spend money over and over on passive parts.

Of course, if you have sixty grand to spend on loudspeakers I doubt you really care what incidentals like various passive networks cost.

most of the verbiage is marketing hype

There is undeniably that component to it.




In any case, cool drivers!

[Mr. Widget]

I'd be inclined to try and be happy with the DD66000.

It's a daily struggle.


Widget

[audiomagnate]

Yeah, those pics are of 6600s from RMAF. The left one was signed by Greg and says "JBL Rules!" and I can't remember what the right one said, but it was different. These demo speakers were being offered at an insane discount BTW. I know this is heresy to most JBL fans, but I greatly prefer the sound of 1400 Arrays to these speakers. For me it's not even close. Great show BTW. Too bad Harman decided to stay away.

RE: The PDF:

I think going to a self charging crossover system is a step in the right direction and mimics what B&W did when they converted their original battery powered protection system on the original 801s to self charging a few years down the road.

The forwardness in the midrange on the 66000s is what bothered me. At one point a female vocal just seemed to "take off" and sounded like a horn, something I've never heard in the 1400s.