I've been browsing this site all day and thought I'd join and introduce myself. I'll admit that in the past I've turned down quite a few JBL's. I've been known to tell people that they're for the tube amp and guitar playing crowd. Yeah, I know...I was wrong. In my spare time I like to refinish neglected speakers. I have a pair of Technics SB7000A's, Original Advents, KLH model twenty fours, Fisher XP-7c's Marantz Imperial 8's (overkill), JBL 4401's and the very first speakers I purchased, a pair of Harmon Kardon Thirties. I'm 43 and primarily listen to classical, soundtracks and some ambient/electronic. I prefer vinyl (don't get me started on turntables- I own ten) but digital is just so convenient. I like the acoustic suspension on the Advents and KLH and do most of listening on them. The SB's are power hogs. I was never really sold on the 4401's. I think they're size is the limitting factor. I bought the Fishers on a whim and haven't listened to them much. The HK's are kinda stiff, to me.
So, what am I doing on a JBL forum? I was in my favorite thrift store and sittng in the speaker pile was a pair of 4301's. The first model with the black face. The cabinets were beat to hell but, interestingly, the grills and all the speakers were in perfect condition. Drivers are all correct. They even had their badges. I paid $26 for them. They sat in my storage unit for a while. Today I finally pulled them out and hooked them up to a Yamaha CA-1010 integrated. Simply put, these speakers are amazing. They've handled everything that I've thrown at them. I'm listening to Tim Hecker's album "Ravedeath, 1972" which is an electronic album. The long, drawn out electronic/organ notes and piano in the album can confuse some speakers. But not these speakers. The Yamaha isn't breaking a sweat. At just under "2" on the volume the room is full. I'm not good at describing audio components. I think that a lot of reviewers tend to guild the lilly a bit and descibe a component as if it was a glass of vintage wine. I'll just say that these speakers have a presence. They're very engaging. They're sitting on my dresser and the source is an iPod through the headphone jack. I can't wait to hook up a turntable and get some speaker stands.
So there you have it. $26 JBL's for the win.
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