L86 vs. L96

[AmericanPie]

I'm a relative newbie on this forum but I've been doing some homework and learning from you folks since I joined. What a great resource this place is. The JBL Library alone is invaluable!

I just added a mint pair of L86s to my growing "collection" and am amazed at their performance for a relatively small 3-way. Now I'm thinking of acquiring another pair of speakers so I can use all four with either my vintage Sansui QRX-6500 4-channel receiver (rated 35wpc) in my home office or a more powerful (~100-150 wpc) stereo amp. I'm debating whether I should look for another pair of L86s or get a pair of L96s with their more powerful woofers.

Four L86s would make sense with the 4 channel setup but having L96s as fronts and the L86s for the rear (or "surround", with stereo) might be optimal.

What do you think? Is the L96 a noticeably better performer than the L86 and does it warrant a significantly higher price? Actual condition is also important to me, and I'm willing wait for the "right" ones to come along.

[rdgrimes]

You'd want a bit more power for L96s. While they can handle unlimited power, they need at least 150-200W to sound their best. The most obvious difference between the 2 is more bass from the L96 and a much heavier woofer. But the tweets in the L96 are a bit more durable too.

I'd try for L86 for your lower power amp, and L96 for the higher power one.