What are you using with your JBL 4345?

[dkalsi]

I am current building a JBL 4345 Clone (-a project which is moving super slow since work is super busy now a days - i.e., 65+hours a week).

I was just curious what equipment other 4345 owners are using with their JBL 4345s. What you may have tried in the past and would/would-not recommend.

I have the following list of components on hand at the moment:

- Vintage Scott 296 Intergrated Amplifier (Serviced by NOSValves)
- Vintage Eico HF-85 and HF-87 (Both serviced by NOSValves).
- Plinius SA100 MKIII + DIY Hifi Supply Django TVC Preamp with S&B Trannies
- Benchmark USB DAC1
- Ashly XR2001 x-over (currently not in use)

The Plinius+Django are currently hooked up to my Klipschorns.
The Scott 296 and the Eico are hooked up to pair of Cornwalls.

The above is what I have at my disposal to try with the 4345s whenever I do get to completing them.

I was wanted to get an idea what others are using or would recommend I try down the line.

[BMWCCA]

FWIW, I have a pair of 4345 clones, too. Cabinets by Reissen, new or re-cone drivers, crossovers from the CC design in the 4345 DIY threads so they must run bi-amped. I plugged them into an existing system in my living room, with the addition of an Ashly XR1001, consisting of:

Soundcraftsmen Pro-Control Four pre-amp
Soundcraftsmen Pro-EQ 44
Crown D150A-II for upper section
Crown DC300A-II for the 2245s

[remusr]

McIntosh C41 PreAmp & MC352 (350wpc) Amp. Speakers need to be used frequently to stay "warm". System needs 2-3 hrs on before sounds stable & good bass. Acoustics of basement 17'x25' room have not been optimized, pool table kinda inhibits that.

[dkalsi]

McIntosh C41 PreAmp & MC352 (350wpc) Amp. Speakers need to be used frequently to stay "warm". System needs 2-3 hrs on before sounds stable & good bass. Acoustics of basement 17'x25' room have not been optimized, pool table kinda inhibits that.

No one is using tubes with the system?

Remusr, are you not bi-amping?

I would imagine tubes on the high-end, with solid state on the bottom end would be a good combination. Just guessing though. I personally have not owned/tried enough equipment to come to a conclusion regarding which I prefer more (solid state, or tubes)

Components I have tried are: NOS Valve VRDs, and Welbonre DRDs, Baldwin Tube Amp, Juicy Music Blueberry and Juicy Music Merlin.
Of the above components, my favorite were Welbonre DRDs and Juicy Merlin.

[Ducatista47]

No one is using tubes with the system?

Remusr, are you not bi-amping?

I would imagine tubes on the high-end, with solid state on the bottom end would be a good combination. Just guessing though. I personally have not owned/tried enough equipment to come to a conclusion regarding which I prefer more (solid state, or tubes)

Components I have tried are: NOS Valve VRDs, and Welbonre DRDs, Baldwin Tube Amp, Juicy Music Blueberry and Juicy Music Merlin.
Of the above components, my favorite were Welbonre DRDs and Juicy Merlin.

I bi-amp and use tubes all around. I have an extremely nice small tube amp I use for the top. You will find that the top of the 4345 needs very few watts unless you want to misuse it as a PA. A tube amp will not destroy the components if it clips now and then and the sound quality is much better. I would not doubt that the Welbourne sounds great, outstanding gear.

If you want to audition your small tube amps for this role, might I suggest using very good headphones if you have them (until the speakers are completed). They will reveal more about the amp's all important first watt than any speaker will. At 98dB/watt/meter, the top of the 4345 is pretty much a first watt speaker. An ideal setup for this would be a used Stax SRX Mk3/SRD7 adapter box setup, because it uses the speaker outputs. About $200 US used, it will also be a great thing to have anyway. A little light on the bass (they were studio monitors like the 4345 was, and some recording engineers prefer slightly recessed bass; you can hear deeper into the mix) but very accurate.

I used to use a big solid state amp for the 2245H, but with time I came to prefer a 60 watt JoLida 502B I had around for that duty. It sounded more natural musically. This is one speaker I do not think benefits from the death grip a big solid state amp imparts. Too much damping.

Clark

[Mr. Widget]

This is one speaker I do not think benefits from the death grip a big solid state amp imparts. Too much damping.

Not to argue, but I'd suggest this area of the speaker's performance is too room dependent to make such a statement. I don't doubt that in your room the additional bloom of the JoLida is complimentary, but I am sure this isn't a universal truth.


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