A leap forward

[xyz65]

Hi everybody

I'm a 45 yo JBL enthusiast who live in Italy. Recently I sold my Klipsch Forte' loudspeakers and kept my JBL 4312A . I cannot do without the JBL bass. The Klipsch went down lower but i prefer the tightness of JBL bass. Moreover they were sometimes too harsh even with a very warm equipment (valve amplifiers and so on) . So i'm satisfied with my old JBL but i was thinking to do a significative leap forward buying some valuable vintage model. Also because I read tons of contrasting reviews on the legendary 4312 (from awful (??) to wonderful).
The JBL models I casted a glance are :
JBL L65
JBL L112-L150
JBL 4425- 4430
JBL Ti5000
JBL 250Ti

my room is 4x6 meters and quite reflective. The amplifier is a Conrad Johnson combo (valve pre + SS power amp 100 W).

thanks everybody
Ran

[xyz65]

no one owing a pair of 4312 that can give me an advise ?

[Mr. Widget]

Of the speakers on your list, I would go with the 250Ti if possible... perhaps the L150.

They may be too expensive, difficult to find, or you may find them unappealing visually, but I would give some serious consideration to the the new JBL 1400 Arrays. They have a classic JBL bottom end with better extension than most and the upper frequencies are delicately detailed, dynamic, and not at all harsh.


Widget

[rdgrimes]

my room is 4x6 meters and quite reflective.

That's something that needs to be dealt with first. Even the best speaker in the world can be overcome by room reflections and sound terrible. It's also a smallish room, so that should be considered as well.

I agree that the 250ti is the best of the lot, but it might not be in your room. In a smaller room I might lean towards the L112, 4425 or ti5000.

But you'll get more for the money by spending some cash on room treatments.

[Mr. Widget]

But you'll get more for the money by spending some cash on room treatments.

Good point... even something as simple as some curtains and a carpet will go a long way towards making a room "sound" better.

Widget

[Mannermusic]

no one owing a pair of 4312 that can give me an advise ?

The 4312, to my ears, has poor bass control and is boomy. Little wonder as the X-over consists of three caps. I installed an L96/L112 X-over in mine which was a significant improvement. Also plugged the tuning port which helps the boominess a bit (closed box). However the 4312A has a somewhat different crossover so you may be just fine as is. Mike

[Mannermusic]

The 4312, to my ears, has poor bass control and is boomy. Little wonder as the X-over consists of three caps. I installed an L96/L112 X-over in mine which was a significant improvement. Also plugged the tuning port which helps the boominess a bit (closed box). However the 4312A has a somewhat different crossover so you may be just fine as is. Mike

Whoops, my mistake! It's TWO caps, not three. Mid pass and high pass (plus adjustable L-pads); the drivers each run full range. Old age and senility.