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Thread: JBL 4343's used in Discos in the 70's?

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    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    JBL 4343's used in Discos in the 70's?

    Ok so I'm a little young to have been going to Disco's in '79. I was surprised to read this snippet from the year which talks about a Roller Disco event featuring a "holographic" sound system which was comprised of...

    "8 x JBL 4343 four way speakers" "Four of them are suspended 20 feet in the air, four are eight feet in the air and all the bass elements are on the ground. There's a computerized processor which randomly throws the sound on any one of the eight suspended speakers"

    The Roller disco was in Hawaii but they talk about using this same sound system at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC for a Billboard Disco Event.


    http://books.google.com.au/books?id=...0disco&f=false


    Also surprised that JBL actually marketed 4343's to be used in discos. I thought these babies were reserved for the studios. check out the brochure

    http://www.diyaudio.rs/JBL/JBL%20-%2...0(English).pdf

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    Senior Member martin2395's Avatar
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    Well, why not. They all can produce massive SPL for a disco.

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    it's amazing what Google searching will turn up these days, with Google scanning everything ever printed. With all the old Billboard issues scanned and open to view, and it's been pretty cool to go back over a few of them here and there. I wish "Audio" and "Audio Engineering" was open (it's scanned but not made public..)

    I can't comment much on the disco question, but there have been references made here over the years about JBLs being used in some well known clubs in the major cities. I believe a bunch of 4340s (in utility cabs) were used in Montreal clubs back in the 1980's. I see no reason for JBL to not sell those systems to dance clubs - as Martin 2395 says, they could produce loud, clean, and consistent sound, and that would bring in customers to the clubs.

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    Senior Member pyonc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goldjazz View Post
    Ok so I'm a little young to have been going to Disco's in '79. I was surprised to read this snippet from the year which talks about a Roller Disco event featuring a "holographic" sound system which was comprised of...

    "8 x JBL 4343 four way speakers" "Four of them are suspended 20 feet in the air, four are eight feet in the air and all the bass elements are on the ground. There's a computerized processor which randomly throws the sound on any one of the eight suspended speakers"

    The Roller disco was in Hawaii but they talk about using this same sound system at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC for a Billboard Disco Event.


    http://books.google.com.au/books?id=... disco&f=false


    Also surprised that JBL actually marketed 4343's to be used in discos. I thought these babies were reserved for the studios. check out the brochure

    http://www.diyaudio.rs/JBL/JBL - Fir... (English).pdf
    Don't know much about it. Interesting. What I know for sure is 4343s were immensely popular outside of studios in Japan. Numerous audiophiles there used 4343s in their living rooms for jazz listening in the 1970s...

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    Senior Member martin2395's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomee View Post
    it's amazing what Google searching will turn up these days, with Google scanning everything ever printed. With all the old Billboard issues scanned and open to view, and it's been pretty cool to go back over a few of them here and there. I wish "Audio" and "Audio Engineering" was open (it's scanned but not made public..)

    I can't comment much on the disco question, but there have been references made here over the years about JBLs being used in some well known clubs in the major cities. I believe a bunch of 4340s (in utility cabs) were used in Montreal clubs back in the 1980's. I see no reason for JBL to not sell those systems to dance clubs - as Martin 2395 says, they could produce loud, clean, and consistent sound, and that would bring in customers to the clubs.
    If a club in the Netherlands still had a bunch of 4343 and/or 4350's (or even something crazier like Clair S4 or Gauss stacks) in use I would buy a lifetime membership for it

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    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pyonc View Post
    Don't know much about it. Interesting. What I know for sure is 4343s were immensely popular outside of studios in Japan. Numerous audiophiles there used 4343s in their living rooms for jazz listening in the 1970s...
    Yeah for sure, I was in japan earlier this year and auditioned a bunch of big jbl's. I ended up getting a pair of 4343s.

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    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    Arrow

    [QUOTE=martin2395;365885]Well, why not. They all can produce massive..

    Yeah I just got a pair of 4343s and finished the refoam the other day. I fired them up in the massive space you can see in the attached pic cause there was no room in my workshop, it was late at night amd nobody around so I got them load. just filled the huge space with clean music and slamming bass. Even with only with my 110wpc sansui. They are pretty amazing. Yeah so I can imagine with proper amplification 8 of these babies would blow the mind of a stoned rollerskater
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    Senior Member martin2395's Avatar
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    With a Crown K2 and HP filter set to 30-40Hz, pure madness!

    I wonder what mine can produce loaded with 2235H, 2123H and 2441 drivers. Sadly I don't think my neighbours will like that

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    Senior Member pyonc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goldjazz View Post
    Yeah for sure, I was in japan earlier this year and auditioned a bunch of big jbl's. I ended up getting a pair of 4343s.
    Perfect decision! By the way, you mentioned 5234A with factory 4343 cards in your previous thread. Are you using it now? If you're, won't you share any episode?

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    Senior Member pyonc's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Goldjazz;365901]
    Quote Originally Posted by martin2395 View Post
    Well, why not. They all can produce massive..

    Yeah I just got a pair of 4343s and finished the refoam the other day. I fired them up in the massive space you can see in the attached pic cause there was no room in my workshop, it was late at night amd nobody around so I got them load. just filled the huge space with clean music and slamming bass. Even with only with my 110wpc sansui. They are pretty amazing. Yeah so I can imagine with proper amplification 8 of these babies would blow the mind of a stoned rollerskater
    Play jazz such as Art Blakey, Miles Davis or John Coltrane, and you'd feel as if you're in a live jazz club!!!
    You'll see why Japanese jazz fans are crazy about these particular 4-way 4343s, and 4344s.

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    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=pyonc;365922]
    Quote Originally Posted by Goldjazz View Post

    Play jazz such as Art Blakey, Miles Davis or John Coltrane, and you'd feel as if you're in a live jazz club!!!
    You'll see why Japanese jazz fans are crazy about these particular 4-way 4343s, and 4344s.
    How much Jazz did they play in the discos in the 70s??

    Google Link from the original Post
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

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    Senior Member pyonc's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=hjames;365923]
    Quote Originally Posted by pyonc View Post

    How much Jazz did they play in the discos in the 70s??

    Google Link from the original Post
    How much? Hardly ever, I think. Mostly rock 'n' roll? I'm not talking about the disco music at the time.
    4343s were hugely popular among the Japanese mainly because they appealed to their jazz listening.
    And this gentleman could feel the same intensity, too, if he plays jazz or even rock 'n' roll.

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    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pyonc View Post

    How much? Hardly ever, I think. Mostly rock 'n' roll? I'm not talking about the disco music at the time.
    4343s were hugely popular among the Japanese mainly because they appealed to their jazz listening.
    And this gentleman could feel the same intensity, too, if he plays jazz or even rock 'n' roll.
    But see, the discussion here WAS talking about using 4343s in Disco clubs in the 70s ...
    its even the title of the thread itself. It was NOT a thread talking about retro Jazz clubs in Japan.

    I'm not a huge disco fan - I have much more 'trane, mingus & miles in my stacks than disco,
    but have you tried a little disco on your big JBLs ... nothing too fringe, or hard to find,
    heck, just a bit of the long play version of the Georgio Moroder/Donna Summers track "I Feel Love"
    You should give it a spin - its a great track to workout your JBLs

    You could feel the same intensity, the same bass if you even tried a bit of that song ...
    Or even try some Earth Wind & Fire, Funkadelic, or any similar track to get the blood pumping
    and get you on your feet! Find some Bootsie, for sure!

    jazz is kinda dry for dancing and that sort of thing, right?
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
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    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pyonc View Post
    Perfect decision! By the way, you mentioned 5234A with factory 4343 cards in your previous thread. Are you using it now? If you're, won't you share any episode?
    Chees. Yeah I havent got the 5234A yet, nor the amps I wanna biamp with. Will definitely report back when I do

  15. #15
    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=pyonc;365922]
    Quote Originally Posted by Goldjazz View Post

    Play jazz such as Art Blakey, Miles Davis or John Coltrane, and you'd feel as if you're in a live jazz club!!!
    You'll see why Japanese jazz fans are crazy about these particular 4-way 4343s, and 4344s.
    Ive only had one listening session at this point..so busy. I did play Miles Davis...really cool.

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