Where do you live ? and so on..

[Hofmannhp]

Would everyone enable the location display on their posts, please? It helps us remember who is who by where you are.

Well, it helps ME, anyway.

We need a map here: "A thousand points of light..."

Hi Zilch,

you met the point......thats what we need
my map shows some worldwide contacts, but is'nt very complete

HP

[Hofmannhp]

And we've still never seen a picture... ....

Hi Bo,

look at this:
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...light=Eldorado

HP

[boputnam]

Hey, HansPeter...

Yea, but Scottie PROMISED he give us the cook's tour, one day, but he's had trouble getting the digital camera going...

[louped garouv]

he doesn't want us to know he is actually the one making those E&S DJR Rotary Mixers and just pretends that it is some french lab making them -- doesn't want us to see all of the NOS Urei 1620s that he has laying around either....

[JonathanKeehn]

Hello Friends:

First of all I would like to say how grateful I am for this forum! I have learned a great deal this last year by just reading these threads! I am a fifty-something commodity day trader who lives about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. I was an electronic engineer for a few years after College but went for the freedom and autonomy of being self-employed. I was a Chicago commodity broker for 12 years and now work out of my home. I was first introduced to hi fi when I was about 16. I built a Heath Kit preamp and amplifier, a Rek-O-Kut turntable kit and bought a 15" Altec coaxial Speaker. I think it was a 177 model with the sectorial horn. In 1968 I inherited some money from my Grandmother and did what 90% of guys that age do: I spent it. I bought a used 65 Shelby GT 350 Mustang and a JBL sound system which consisted of a pair of C60 Sovereign I S8R speaker systems with the built-in JBL Energizer and a JBL Graphic Controller Preamp. The Energizer had an equalizer PC card that flattened the S8R’s response characteristics. I also bought a Thorens TD 125 turntable with a Rabco horizontal tracking arm and a Stanton 681 cartridge. I was in audio heaven! My friends would come over and listen for hours and we would carry the 180 lb. speakers downstairs to the living room to get better bass than my 10x13 bedroom would permit. Despite the geometrically-progressing technology of today, there are few audio systems in today’s market that could surpass what JBL was doing in 1968! I am a member of The Chicago Audio Society and have heard many systems in the 100k to 200k price range that could not equal the power, visceral impact and clarity of my system back then, for a little over 3k!

JBL got the basic electro-mechanical design parameters right many decades ago and is just refining the designs, i.e. better crossover network components and designs, better magnet structures, power handling improvements, beryllium diaphragms, better horn flare shapes, etc. I am looking forward to building a pair of speakers next year. I will probably use the 2235, 2441 and 2405 drivers with a pair of wooden tractrix horns from Dr. Bruce Edgar, unless the K2 S9800 drivers would be available next year, but I doubt that would happen. I suspect JBL management ( read Harman) is more interested in gross sales volume of mass market home audio products rather than catering to a few hundred hard core types like those of us who read this forum. I wonder if JBL top management has the single-minded passion of an Enzo Ferrari or a Ferdinand Porsche to offer state-of-the-art individual drivers and up-to-date crossover networks to its hard core fans. Probably not. I did for a couple of decades after Mr. Lansing’s passing. After all, isn’t the United States the place that allowed JBL to reach such a position of dominance in the audio world in the first place? JBL should consider selling it’s latest series of components to the audio public because it’s the right thing to do, rather than making millions more dollars for them, which they probably wouldn’t do. I realize this is very hard to do when stores like Best Buy are your dealer network. I know from being a professional trader that "money always goes to the yield." I also realize that there is probably not much gross profit from selling top-end systems in today’s consumer climate; but at least make the latest components available for us die-hard JBL fans.

[doodlebug]

The real name is David and the moniker is the term of endearment bestowed by my mother upon my birth. I live in Santa Cruz, California but work in Silicon Valley/San Jose, CA in software marketing these days. I heard my first stereo system in 1963 when my father purchased one of those big Philco console systems. It actually had a 3-channel amp inside, as I learned later, with the 3rd channel to drive the only woofer in the cabinet - must have been one of the original subwoofers.

After getting hooked on electronics in junior high school, I didn't get another real exposure to higher quality audio until as a freshman in college, where lots of guys showed up with their systems. After discovering a talent for fixing broken electronics, I realized I could work on audio gear for *beer*. This is how my career in electronics really started. After dropping out of college for partying too much, I took a job at a local stereo shop fixing and installing stereo systems and commercial background music (anyone remember Muzak?) systems while playing in rock/funk bands. Then DISCO hit.....

I ended up installing many, many disco systems along with the lighting systems, too. In the early days, there were few DJs and most bar owners just assumed that the guy who installed it *must* know how to operate it, right? Installing what really were wide-band PA systems, I came to understand and appreciate all the research JBL provided to make sure an audio installer would use the appropriate drivers for the need. I can't tell you how many speakers I blew from trial and error without the documentation from JBL.

In the late 70s, I decided that I'd had enough of the audio biz and switched to those new-fangled things called micro-computers, seeing that those job appeared to pay better than being a local disco installer, part-time DJ and funky sax player. For the past 25 years, that has proven to be a good thing for me.

Into the 90s, after the kids finally grew up, I had enough $$ again to spend on fun things and the audio bug bit again about 10 years ago. Recently, I was given a set of Mac pre/power amps - tubes, of course - along with a set of JBL D130 woofers/175 horns. Then I stumbled over a yard sale with a set of 4425s, for which I had replace the surrounds. Latest gear for me has been a set of Quad ESL988s and a Harmon-Kardon Citation II power amp - lovely stuff. The 4425s I use in the garage for my sax practice, which I've also taken up again.

So, I surf out here to keep up with all the others who have found their way to the same sort of interests in their mid-life.

Nuff said for now.....

Cheers,

David

[Triumph Don]

Don Mahon from Cincinnati, Ohio. First pair of L 100's new in 1974, still got ' em. Small integrated Sony. Then L 200, big Pioneer integrated. Next Crown 150 amp and preamp. Then DC 300A. Next, L 300's. Sold it all [except the 100's, cheap turntable and CD] for race car parts. Then a house. Late 80's great deal on some Jubals [still got them,also] more Crown and Carver amps [they were cheap-found out why] listened to this stuff for 10 years. Then, well, eBay! Been through 6 McIntosh amps, have a coupla Crowns, settled on a Mc 37 preamp, bought some near mint 300's [recently sent to a new home in CA to a member!] now have 4343's tipped off to me on Marketplace! Just for fun bought some Radience [junk] series 3 ways. Replaced the air moving stuff with LE10's, LE5's and 25's. All mint. Lots of work on the cabs braceing, insulating, fabed ports, veneer looks better than new. Project with the [desearving] 16 year old. WAY to much money, but if you ever pass through Cin City you can compare them to my L 100's [I really like Guinness]. Next-Bi Amp the big guys. Have a Mc 2125 and a Crown PS-2 [now produces some nasty buzzes] and a JBL 5234 crossover bought from a member. If the xover works like the amp I bought form him, well, After all the scary stuff posted on the site about the Crown VFX-2 I had, its gone, looking at an Ashly1001 and another Mc [damping factors/speed be damned] for the lows. Results will be posted!

[porschedpm]

Ed Stimmel from Reno, NV but work in the SF Bay Area. My stereo/JBL hobby started around 1972-73 when I was 15 yrs old. My best friend, Steve and I used to hang out at a little stereo store in San Luis Obispo, CA called Stereo West. Stereo West changed it's name to Warehouse Sound and went on to develop a fairly big audio equipment mail order business. This was a time when Quadraphonic Sound was just coming on the scene, names like Dual, Marantz and Teac were still big kids on the block, and the L100 was THE speaker that young dorks like us could ever hope to aspire to. Sure we listened to some of the L200, L300, and the Studio Monitors but they were so far out of the budget they were never considered possibilities. When Steve and I were both 16, the Country Club restaurant/bar we were working at as dishwashers decided to add a night club. They installed a dancefloor, 4 huge Altec Speakers (I think 1219's), 4 Crown DC300A's, a small Tascam board, some Shure mics, and a 2ch Teac Reel to Reel and voila, instant night club. After they got it all installed, nobody new how to run the stuff except Steve and I, so at 16 years old we became the dishwashers and part time Sound Technicians on Thursday through Saturday nights. We did this all through high school and then some. After a year of screwing off in college I moved to Salt Lake City to work at a place called Custom Hi Fi which sold mid-fi stereo gear. That lasted about a year, after which I went back to college. I studied Accounting, got my CPA license, and concentrated on building a family and a career for the next 20 years. During these years, my hobby laid dormant, being replaced by a passion for Porsches. (After buying a used Porsche there wasn't much left over to buy any stereo gear). I eventually ended up in Reno, NV working for the North American distributor for Porsche, first in their Finance Dept. but later as a District Parts Manager (hence my user name PorscheDPM). Then in about 2001 some things happened which rekindled my interest in audio equipment. It was a combination of my income gradually rising over the years, my kids growing up and leaving the house, and my discovery of eBay and Audiogon. I first built up a pretty decent 7.1 home theater system (TAG/McLaren pre-pro, McIntosh 2 ch amp, Bryston 5ch amp, Sony DVD and Paradigm speakers). After about a year, I next built a smaller 6.1 HT system for the bedroom (Outlaw pre-pro, McIntosh 6ch amp, Sony DVD, and Paradigm speakers). These HT systems were great for movies, concert videos and audio listening. And while I thought the sound was very, very good, I felt the speakers left me just short of that "West Coast" sound I had grown up. Deep down I think I knew that the sound I was looking for was what the JBLs provided 30 years ago but I had to convince myself that a 30 year old speaker could sound as good or better than the modern speakers available today. So when I went to build a small high end 2 ch stereo system for my home office/apartment in Pleasanton, I took a leap of faith and purchased a pristine pair of L100's, coupled them to a small Cary tube integrated amp, and immediately fell in love with JBL's all over again. It was indeed the type of sound I was looking for (although L100's did give up some in detail and resolution) and I loved the look of the quadrile foam grilles. They were good but after a few months the upgrade bug hit so I found a nice pair of L65 Jubals to replace the L100's and the sound got a little better. (I sent the L100's to my friend Steve to rekindle the flame in him, too). Soon afterwards I discovered the Lansing Heritage Forum and became aware of what some of the best JBL had to offer. It didn't take too long for the L65's to be replaced by a pair of 120ti's which gave me everything I wanted: good tight bass, detail, resolution and crisp high end. And then after about six months the 120ti's were replaced with a pair of 240ti's. With the then retired L65's I built another small 2ch stereo system in my Reno home office, again using a small Cary tube integrated amp. Slowly but surely, my Reno home office has evolved into my best high end system. Beginning last July, the L65's were replaced by a pair of 4343's. Over time, all the drivers were upgraded to 4344 spec, the Cary integrated was replaced by a McIntosh preamp, a McIntosh amp, a Pass Labs amp, and an Ashly crossover to allow bi-amping. This system is about as close to perfect as I've ever achieved. If you'd have asked me when I was 20 something yrs old to design a truly high end system it would have been a system very similar to this although with older electronic gear. My latest project has been to take L100 cabinets and upgrade them by putting in L100T crossovers, 128H woofers, 104H-2 mids, and 035Ti tweeters. The sound is much better than the original L100's, and approaches that of the 120ti's. I kept one pair and gave another set away to a friend. Because the cabinets aren't cosmetically perfect they make great garage/workshop speakers. So now I have JBL's situated where I end up spending most of my waking hours: in my two offices and in my garage. I still use my home theater systems for occasional movies and concert videos but most the music I listen to is either through 4343's, 240ti's, or my updated L100's. Let me end this by saying how much I enjoy and appreciate this forum. This Forum has helped rekindle a passion that once was a big part of my life. And I've learned so much by being able to tap into the collective JBL brain trust. I'm proud to be part of this community that never seems to tire of sharing knowledge, ideas and advice; and seem to have fun doing it.


Ed Stimmel
Reno, NV

[mikebake]

Nice post, Ed. Thanks.

[Zilch]

Good job, Ed. I hope you'll be coming to the next Project May audition so we can meet you....

[porschedpm]

Thanks, guys. I'd like to go to the next Project May audition as I was disappointed when I couldn't make it to the first one.

Ed S.

[leif]

Hi,
My name is Leif, and I live in Sandefjord, south east in Norway.
I am 36 years, and have been interested in audio equipment since I was about 17-18 years. My first speakers was a pair L65 Jubal. I have not always had JBL, but also had some KEF 104.2, B&W 805, some small Pro ac, and some other stuff too.
I had a pair Ti240 but sold them when the foam started cracking. I have at the moment a pair small infinity floor standing speakers, that I use with my very much loved B460 sub. That one is a real piece of furniture that also make good sound.
I am dreaming about getting a pair of large JBL studiomonitors, like the 4430,4435, 4343 or similar.

[yggdrasil]

Hi my name is Johnny Haugen Sørgård. I live in Bodø, Norway. Which is just north of the polar circle. I am a software developer.

In 1967, just one year old I dismantled my fathers turntable a dark sunday morning, long before he awoke. A Thorens with 12" SME arm. A story which have been following me ever since.

I remember in 1970 my father built a rearloaded horn speaker with a Tannoy 15".

My first contact with JBL came in 1973 when my father acquired his first Paragon.

In 1985 I acquired my first complete stereo equipment. A Kenwood kac7000 preamp, Sansui b77 poweramp, Philips speakers, Kenwood cd-player, Kenwood turntable.

In 1987 I built my first loudspeakers. A rearloaded horn with a 12" driver(unknown). Designed to go into a small room with just a footprint of 34 x 44 cm, but 160cm high and a motorola piezo horn. In 1988 they were upgraded with a large midrange horn (lousy driver unknown). At that time I used an Accuphase electronic crossover. These speakers went through 7 versions during their lifetime.

In 1997 I bought the drivers in my avatar. By this time economy was better. The amps was changed to Doxa (norwegian), new cd-player Pioneer PD-s06.

This upgrade was fantastic.

Last summer I picked up some Altec drivers which have been turned into a small project. The bass-cabinets have been designed with a 3d-spiral horn. Will post a complete thread on this in a few weeks.

I must do a paragon project some time, don't know when, don't know how.

Long ago I gave up the local HiFi-asylum. They talk about large 6" woofers with NO dynamics at all.

[57BELAIRE]

Hello everyone....Whew! I can't believe I found this place.

As a pro musician for the past 40 yrs it all started with my first "real"
guitar amp...a '61 blond Fender Showman 12 (which I still have). It was
factory equipped with a D131...that aluminum centerdome had a mistique
that captivated me from the start and led to a lifelong love affair with
all things JBL.

The association with JBL in my professional career spilled over to my
personal preference for home listening and through the years has
amounted to a collection bordering on lunacy...from the Paragon
right on down to the Minuet, and everything in between.

I can't bear to part with these treasures, hence my house resembles...
well, you can imagine.

I'm a S.Florida native and look foreward to being a member of this eclectic group who share a passion for a marque that has established itself above all others in modern American history.

Russ Howard [email protected]