My First JBLs after 30 to 35 years

[SansuiFlorida]

While I was in high school/college (late 60s and 70s) I saw and heard a lot of JBL speakers but didn't have that kind of money in those days. I just remember JBLs from those days were a standard of excellence in speakers and wished one day I could own some. I had audio equipment in those days but I built all my speaker cabinets with modest components I could afford.

Recently I've been getting back into the audio scene after all these years and wanted to try out some JBLs. I've been hanging around this forum and learning a lot, thanks! So I took a chance on some 4311Bs for about $100. The speakers are in pretty good shape and the cabinets need just a little TLC. They sound great compared to some Sansui speakers I've been using. The JBLs are much smoother sounding and more detailed. Now I know what quality speakers sound like, yes there is a difference.

The only issue is one of the tweeters isn't working so I'll pull it out tomorrow and see it there is a loose/bad connection. Do these fail easily? If bad, I guess I'll wait around on the ebay until someone parts one out. Appreciate any suggestions. Even with one tweeter not working, these 4311Bs still sound great.

Thanks for letting me be part of this forum
Mike

[boputnam]

Do these fail easily?

Yea, if they have been overdriven, the tweets can be the first to fail. Kinda like a canary in a coal mine, if you know what I mean...

[Titanium Dome]

Welcome to the site and welcome to JBL mania. The 4311Bs ought to do you fine, especially once the tweeter is in play.

Eventually, you'll start to think about a 14" or 15" woofer JBL, then maye some horns, then...

[JBLnsince1959]

Welcome to the forum .......

Hope you can easily fix the speakers...how I wish I still had my 4311's ( got stolen)

enjoy....

[Don C]

Try swapping the tweeters from one speaker to the other, and see if the problem moves with the tweeter. It's not unusual for the L-pads to fail, causing a midrange or tweeter to lose it's input.

[Don Mascali]

Welcome Aboard,

Many of us are finally at the point financially, where we can indulge our desires. Pretty cool ain't it?

[SansuiFlorida]

Thanks to everyone for your advice and comments. I tried to un mount the problem tweeter but it won't budge. It looks like it has been glued with a gasket behind it. I can't see anyway of getting it out without chiseling it out. Yikes! I hate taking the woofer out but that might be the only way to pop it out from the rear. It looks like JBL didn't want anyone to open up the cabinet. I'd like some guidance before I screw something up.

Appreciate any suggestions from someone who has been down this road before.

Thanks
Mike

[Don C]

It's probably not glued, just stuck to the paint on the baffle. A putty knife would probably help break it loose. The woofer probably has the same problem, but try to pull it out anyway. Sometimes you can use the extra weight of the woofer to pop it loose, remove the screws, tip the cabinet forwards and thump on the back. Sometimes it works. Then you can hit the back of the tweeter from inside the cabinet, popping it loose. The nidrange is in a sub enclosure, so don't bother with it. This problem can be a pain, but I've never had one that would not eventually come out.

[boputnam]

...that might be the only way to pop it out from the rear.

Be gentle. Obviously, lay the cabinet on it's back.

[SansuiFlorida]

Thanks Don C and boputnam,

I'll give it a try and let you know.

Mike

[57BELAIRE]

I don't know how far you are from W. Palm Beach, but if you still can't remove the tweeter and are within driving distance....

I will safely extract it for you

[SansuiFlorida]

Success!!!!

Using the putty knife did the trick. The gasket is still pretty sticky but once I got two corners up, it was no problem. Thanks Don C for the suggestion, it worked. 57BELAIRE thanks for the offer but I'm on the other end of the state in the panhandle and I got it done.

Couple of questions from a newbie. I noticed there are a lot of red ring L25-2s on ebay.

What's the difference between the red ring and black ring versions. Different materials? One more desirable than the other?

Also what function does the foam ring serve?

I don't see any serial #s on the these 4311b models?

Any suggestions on a price range for a used pair?

Thanks for all the help
Mike