So I've been paying a visit to a used audio store. I was originally looking for a pair of 4311 to replace dad's missing pair, but the store owner does not have one. He promised me to look for a pair though, and he said 4311s are pretty easy to find in Indonesia, since it was a very popular model during its time.
Nonetheless, the store owner also offered me either JBL 4315 or JBL L120Ti. Probably I am prejudiced against the Ti series (though I'll discuss about it later), so I am going to explain about the JBL 4315 first.
The price, the condition, and the previous owner
The store owner offered US $1.500 for the JBL 4315. He sold the speakers "as is", which mean he has not restored the speaker, but keep it in the exact original condition as he received it. He does the usual cleaning, etc, but he leaves restoration to the buyer.
He said the previous owner is Aquarius Records, a prominent recording studio and music label who dominated audio cassette market in Indonesia. They also also owned the largest chain of audio cassette store in this country, and was my dad's favorite store because they had practically everything.
The fact that the speakers belonged to a studio could mean two things:
(1) the people who operated the speakers are supposed to be smart enough not to blow a tweeter, for example.
(2) but since the speakers have been used in a studio, it could mean that the speakers have been receiving quite a dose of daily "abuse".
What's your opinion in this matter? Generally, are speakers that have been used in a studio safe to buy?
The listening test
Then I went listening to the JBL 4315. The store owner used a NAD C326BEE amplifier. It has 50 watts continuous per channel, actually lower than the 75 watts continuous per channel my Sansui AU-7900 can drive to drive the speakers. Then I have to say I'm impressed.
macaroonie was right when he said that the 4315 was far better speaker than 4311. The sound was transparent and crystal clear, despite the 50 watts amplifier the store owner was using. One of the CDs I tested was Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata (I brought my own CDs to test the speakers), and the low-octave intro piano sounds as good as my dad's 4311, if not better. I even brought my mother for second opinion, and she said "this pair of speakers beat your dad's hands down."
I also played Chicane's Halcyon for the "thumpy" test. The bass is tight and solid, but noticeably less thumpy than my dad's 4311. I actually prefer the west coast's thumpiness of the 4311, but I think it's a matter of taste.
(well, it seems the less thumpy bass is actually the more accurate bass, but again, it's a matter of taste)
The physical condition
Well, this is where I wary the most. I regretted I didn't bring my camera, so I took the photos using my android. However, I think the photos should do their job.
So, here is the story:
(1) Each cabinet is wrapped in some sort of polymer sheet, which is wood-textured. I don't know how much it will damage the cabinet by removing the polymer. It may require sanding and re-finishing.
(2) One of the mid-range (2108) is in bad condition, the upper surround does not stick to the frame anymore, showing a gap between the surround and the frame.
(3) The left tweeter (2105) has freckles on its metal frame, probably because of oxidation.
(4) the right tweeter (2105) also has similar freckles.
(5) one of the woofers (2203) has splinted surround. The seller said it can be easily glued, though I believe a refoam should work better, am I correct?
(6) the lower right corner of the left speaker is stained quite badly.
(7) oddly, the supertweeters (2405) are still in excellent cosmetic condition. Here is one:
(8) I have tested the turning knobs on each speaker. They still turn perfectly and tight. However, the panel is stained.
(9) The JBL emblem has light-brown stain near the right edge.
(10) The woofer cone (2203) still looks pretty good for each woofer.
The questions
My first and foremost concern is of course, spare parts. I have been searching the web for spare parts, and hjames was right; the 4315 uses multiple drivers that are no longer available or repairable in the US and are probably even more rare overseas. As such:
(a) since the 2203 recone kit is no longer available (the refoam kit, on the other hand, is still abundant), what should I do if the cone gets damaged? What if I use "generic" 112" re-cone kit? I found several generic recone kits on ebay, and one of them makes pretty bold claim like "compatible with JBL, Jensen's, etc".
Or if I'm using recone kit for other JBL woofers, what is the recone model that is closest to the 2203?
(b) same questions with 2208 and 2105.
(c) If I have to replace the entire driver, what would be the best "unofficial upgrade" replacement for the drivers? I remember reading somewhere about L166 repair, that you can replace damaged 066 tweeter with 044 model without ruining its sound characteristics too much, because 044 and 066 sound almost silmiar. I also remember that you can replace damaged L166's LE5-8 woofer with LE5-12 if the former is unavailable, because JBL recommended the LE5-12 as exact acoustic replacement if the LE5-8's are not serviceable anymore.
But that's L166. How about 4315? Does such "unofficial upgrade path" exist for 4315?
(d) How long the driver's magnets will last? I mean, everyday listening use.
(e) I'm concerned about the freckles on the 2105 and the 2108. Any tip to clean them off (and probably refinish them) without damaging the speaker's cone?
Last question: if you were in my shoes, would you buy the speakers?