Keep my L300's or sell them and get a pair of 1400 Arrays?

[audiomagnate]

Here are my considerations, please chime in with your own. I love the way 1400's sound but I'm not crazy about the way they look (is anyone?) and have owned L300's off and on for several years. I can buy a pair of 1400's for what I can get for my pristine 300's, so assume money is not an issue. I sold my first pair of 300's a few years ago and wasn't happy until scoring my present pair.

L300 Pluses:
========
> I think they look extremely cool
> The lowboy style is very practical and doesn't dominate a room like most large speakers
> They sound great
> I already own them
> Resale value continues to climb and they're in demand

L300 Minuses:
=========
> Dated technology
> More "colored" than the 1400's


1400 Array Pluses:
============
> I think they sound quite a bit better than the 300's

1400 Array Minuses:
=============
> Ugly
> Level or falling resale value
> If I don't like them in my room I will have a tough time selling them, and an even tougher time finding another pair of L300s as nice as my current pair


Right now I'm leaning towards making the move but would be curious to hear from others familiar with both speakers. Owning both at the same time and deciding which I like best is not an option unfortunately.

[Ed Zeppeli]

You make some good comparisons. I can't speak from direct experience but I do love the look of the Arrays; maybe it will grow on you! Also, when will we reach peak L300 prices? While I can't see L300 prices coming down much off-peak I do see the Arrays bottoming out in price eventually.

Given that you already think the Arrays sound better, I'd make the switch and bank on getting used to the look.


Good luck,

Warren

[audiomagnate]

Hey Warren, thanks for the input, but you didn't vote! This pic makes them look OK, but in real life they don't look this good IMO.

[BMWCCA]

Are you not in the position where you can buy the 1400s and let them both play in your house for a while until you can make a final decision?

I lusted after the L300s for over 30-years—and even toyed with purchasing a pair of 1400s myself—until I pulled the trigger on my 4345 Kenrick-cabinet clones about eight-years ago. I paid L300 prices for the 4345s and passed on the 1400s for a couple of reasons. First was their aesthetic; I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Second was the constant suggestion that they would benefit from a sub. And then there was the issue of how I'd get them apart for transport without destroying the badge over the connection which JBL wanted a sh*t-ton of dollars for to replace. Sadly, I never even got to listen to the 1400s in my home.

I always thought the L300 would be my ultimate bucket speakers, until I listened to some 4333s and thought they were lacking somewhere in the middle. The 4345 had no such shortcomings. I can't answer your poll because I don't like to sell any of my JBLs. You're wresting with some of the same issues I had with the 1400, but I'd hesitate to suggest you should kick the L300s out the door.

[Mr. Widget]

Personally I am not a fan of the aesthetics of the L300 or the 1400 Array. I do like the L200s a lot and also like the 4333As too, but am not a fan of any of the JBLs with rounded corners, the L250s, B460, etc. I think I hold a minority opinion in this crowd.

Sonically, there is no comparison in my mind. I'd take the 1400 Arrays over the L300s any day, but if the opportunity to pick up a pair of pristine 4333As came along, I'd seriously consider them too.


Widget

[SEAWOLF97]

If you can't have both in your home long enough to make a decision and then sell the non-keeper , I'd stick with the L300's a while longer. As you said, the 300's are appreciating and the 1400's are depreciating. Is there some hurry to decide.

I had the dilemma when trying to settle on either 250Ti's or the L300's. LHF member SOUNDBOY came over for a visit and I posed the question to him, since he'd heard both.
His answer was "L300's are like a '59 Caddy , fun to take out for a cruise a couple of hours, but then become fatiguing" .


That said , I'd recommend holding them a bit longer before jumping OR find a way to have both in your home at the same time until a verdict emerges.

[hsosdrum]

Since my only criteria would be sound quality, for me it would be a no-brainer, and I'd get the 1400s. (I voted accordingly.) However, I'm single and don't give a damn about aesthetics (although I happen to think the 1400s are tre cool looking, while the 300 is just a box with a glass top). I also don't give a damn about resale value — this isn't a retirement account we're talking about here, it's a device that serves as a window into another world, and the 1400s are a much more satisfying window than are the 300s. I've heard Retroman's 1400s several times, and they sound much closer to M2s in the midrange than I was prepared for. The nasal midrange "honk" and clicky bass that I always felt marred the L300s sound (byproducts of 1960s-era transducer and crossover design) is completely absent from the Arrays.

P.S. You will probably need a sub. Retroman's 4645 kicked very appropriate ass with his 1400s. He EQd it flat down to 25Hz, as JBL recommends. (I haven't heard his system since he changed to the Array 1500 sub.)

[kris90]

I just sold mine....Love the design.....

They are great all around speakers...Love the 3-way designs...

Very dynamic.

They are collectable antiques keep that in mind.

[LowPhreak]

I'd go with the 1400s and try to tolerate the aesthetic. Who knows, it may grow on you. Of course I'm a little biased.




Here Magnate, you can practice with this:







See, a vertical bi-radial isn't so bad, is it? You know what's bad, though? Trying to get used to a pair of 6' high x 4.5' wide Maggie Tympanis staring me down, no less than 3' out from the rear wall. After those I could handle almost anything. :P

Good luck on your decision, my friend!

[jblnut]

I was in the same boat 2 years ago with my 250Ti's and the 1400's. All your points are valid for the 250 vs 1400.

I kept the 250's. I'd keep the 300's too.


jblnut

[audiomagnate]

Since my only criteria would be sound quality, for me it would be a no-brainer, and I'd get the 1400s. (I voted accordingly.) However, I'm single and don't give a damn about aesthetics (although I happen to think the 1400s are tre cool looking, while the 300 is just a box with a glass top). I also don't give a damn about resale value — this isn't a retirement account we're talking about here, it's a device that serves as a window into another world, and the 1400s are a much more satisfying window than are the 300s. I've heard Retroman's 1400s several times, and they sound much closer to M2s in the midrange than I was prepared for. The nasal midrange "honk" and clicky bass that I always felt marred the L300s sound (byproducts of 1960s-era transducer and crossover design) is completely absent from the Arrays.

P.S. You will probably need a sub. Retroman's 4645 kicked very appropriate ass with his 1400s. He EQd it flat down to 25Hz, as JBL recommends. (I haven't heard his system since he changed to the Array 1500 sub.)

Thanks for your thoughtful response. Could you elaborate on what "clicky" bass is? RE: needing a sub, I've got that covered. I have a 2245 infinite baffle and a couple of 7 cu ft node smoothing "helpers."

[srm51555]

This would be a really tough decision for me also because you know that you'll probably never get another pair as nice as your L300's but the 1400 array will be sonically superior. What finish were you thinking?

[audiomagnate]

This would be a really tough decision for me also because you know that you'll probably never get another pair as nice as your L300's but the 1400 array will be sonically superior. What finish were you thinking?

The only ones I've seen in the flesh have been the wood grain, but the pair I'm considering are black gloss. I'd love to see good pic of what the black gloss version looks like but can't find one.

[rdgrimes]

The only ones I've seen in the flesh have been the wood grain, but the pair I'm considering are black gloss. I'd love to see good pic of what the black gloss version looks like but can't find one.

I have one of each in the 1500 sitting next to each other. They are both wood-grain high-gloss finishes. The dark one does not photograph well, you won't get an appreciation for its depth. Its a very dark grey with a very slight green-grey cast in bright light. In the shadows they are both pretty dark.

[kris90]

You could go the nelson pass route on the l300's......