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Thread: L65 vs 4430

  1. #1
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    L65 vs 4430

    I have an oportunity to get a pair of 4430's to replace my loved L65, I really don't know if it's a good step.
    I owned the 4425 and don't like it at all, but I think the 4430 it's in another league.
    I'm afraid to miss the 077 a lot with this change.
    Can anybody give me a thought about this? Thanks!

  2. #2
    Senior Member martin_wu99's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dachox View Post
    I have an oportunity to get a pair of 4430's to replace my loved L65, I really don't know if it's a good step.
    I owned the 4425 and don't like it at all, but I think the 4430 it's in another league.
    I'm afraid to miss the 077 a lot with this change.
    Can anybody give me a thought about this? Thanks!
    Keep both of them
    46 lover

  3. #3
    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
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    I would counsel you to give a good long listen before you decide. These are very different speakers as you know.

    Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

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    Senior Member jbl4ever's Avatar
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    Hello Dachox, I have both the L65's and 4430's and have listened to them for years. The L65's are good speakers but the 4430's win hands down. The 4430's have higher efficiency 93db verse 89/90db, better bass extension, a effortless less in your face midrange and better imaging and soundstage. The L65's do have the 4430's on the very top registers. If you eq the top on the 4430's around 15 to 16Khz by 4 or 5 db this helps balance it out for a bit more top end. Also the 4430's can play very loud a pair can reach over 115db with full input. Give the 4430's a listen and see, I do not think you will go back unless size matters. Hope this helps

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dachox View Post
    I have an oportunity to get a pair of 4430's to replace my loved L65, I really don't know if it's a good step.
    I owned the 4425 and don't like it at all, but I think the 4430 it's in another league.
    I'm afraid to miss the 077 a lot with this change.
    Can anybody give me a thought about this? Thanks!
    Can you state why you don’t like the 4425?
    Is the 4430 an opportunity or do you find the L65 deficient in some way.

    Aside from that perhaps talk to other forum members for their views on other jbls that use the 077/2405? Examples are the 4315 and the L300 or the 4333 / 4343 / 4344. These are larger more efficient loudspeakers (except 4315)

    If you plan to stay with 10 or 12 inch system consider the 4313, the XPL series or a 4312 series. These system are more refined than the L65.

    IMHO the 4430 is a good alround system but it’s not exceptional in any one particularly area as a HiFi loudspeaker for home use. I find it somewhat muted for midrange clarity compared to the larger 4435 which uses a lighter cone with a helper woofer.

    If you are patient you might find an Array system which have excellent imaging and accuracy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dachox View Post
    I have an oportunity to get a pair of 4430's to replace my loved L65, I really don't know if it's a good step.
    I owned the 4425 and don't like it at all, but I think the 4430 it's in another league.
    I'm afraid to miss the 077 a lot with this change.
    Can anybody give me a thought about this? Thanks!
    I'm also interested in your thoughts of the 4425 anomalies. I have modified the pair I have in an attempt to eliminate the flaws that I perceive.

    Regards,

    John

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dachox View Post
    I have an oportunity to get a pair of 4430's to replace my loved L65, I really don't know if it's a good step.
    I owned the 4425 and don't like it at all, but I think the 4430 it's in another league.
    I'm afraid to miss the 077 a lot with this change.
    Can anybody give me a thought about this? Thanks!

    Here is my take on 4430, if you are primarily into vinyl you will love the sound of this speaker, the lack of high frequencies at the very top helps mask off the surface noise and other nasties that are the hallmark of the analog format but if you prefer CD and SACD sound then this speaker is simply not full range.
    At my age I do know that I can not hear 16kHz but in the real world I can tell that something is missing from the upper end of 4430.

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    Well, thanks for your replies on this thread!

    Some answers:

    - I can't afford to have both. I have to sell the L65's to buy the 4430's

    - At the time I had the 4425's also had L80t3, everything sounds better (for my ears and taste) in the L80t3, my amp at that time was a Yamaha CA2010, the lack of high frequencies in the 4425 was notorious, also bass was better in the L80t3.
    Then I bought a pair of Yamaha NS1000 and I love the middle and high freq. but not the bass, so I finally get the L65, and I think are the most complete of all, more musical and great for home use.

    - I know there are a lot of other options, but in my country its very difficult to find a classic JBL speaker

    - I listen the 4430 for two hours at the sellers home and I really like it, I feel it more in your face sound, love the midrange and the soundstage, but I really worry about the high freq.

    - I forgot to mention that my actual setup are Mcintosh 2205 amp + Mc C47 pre + LEAK ST20 + Pioneer PD91 CD player + Technics 1200mk2 with a denon 301 MC cart.

    - I listen mostly vinyl and Tidal.

  9. #9
    Senior Member martin_wu99's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dachox View Post
    Well, thanks for your replies on this thread!

    Some answers:

    - I can't afford to have both. I have to sell the L65's to buy the 4430's

    - At the time I had the 4425's also had L80t3, everything sounds better (for my ears and taste) in the L80t3, my amp at that time was a Yamaha CA2010, the lack of high frequencies in the 4425 was notorious, also bass was better in the L80t3.
    Then I bought a pair of Yamaha NS1000 and I love the middle and high freq. but not the bass, so I finally get the L65, and I think are the most complete of all, more musical and great for home use.

    - I know there are a lot of other options, but in my country its very difficult to find a classic JBL speaker

    - I listen the 4430 for two hours at the sellers home and I really like it, I feel it more in your face sound, love the midrange and the soundstage, but I really worry about the high freq.

    - I forgot to mention that my actual setup are Mcintosh 2205 amp + Mc C47 pre + LEAK ST20 + Pioneer PD91 CD player + Technics 1200mk2 with a denon 301 MC cart.

    - I listen mostly vinyl and Tidal.
    IMO,4430 is much better than L65, if you really worry about 4430's UHF,just add 077,there are many such cases on this forum
    46 lover

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    If the L65's didn't stir your soul while being feed 200w/ch maybe it is time to move on. Are you sure they are healthy? The other factor is height. You need to get that midrange and 077 up off the floor.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DES-1 View Post
    If the L65's didn't stir your soul while being feed 200w/ch maybe it is time to move on. Are you sure they are healthy? The other factor is height. You need to get that midrange and 077 up off the floor.
    Yes they are very healthy and I got them 1 feet up off the floor.
    As I said before, I love them, but I want to take a step up in my setup with the 4430

  12. #12
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    As stated here you are dealing with two VERY DIFFERENT beasts. Full disclosure: I have never liked the L65. When I first saw it I thought It would be a 12" version of the L300. It wasn't. Ok, that said, I don't think you would be happy with the 4430. It takes a long time to change from a reproducer like the L65 to a more accurate speaker like the 4430. What did you dislike about the 4425? What did you like about the L80t3? Maybe you would be happier with a 4412. Or maybe building your own ersatz 4315. the l65 box could even be used the a different crossover. I'd consider the 4412 which is a pretty darn good speaker even after all these years. In any case you need to listen to the speakers side by side with your own material.

    Have fun

    Ed
    KEEP ON LISTENING!

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Kreamer View Post
    As stated here you are dealing with two VERY DIFFERENT beasts. Full disclosure: I have never liked the L65. When I first saw it I thought It would be a 12" version of the L300. It wasn't. Ok, that said, I don't think you would be happy with the 4430. It takes a long time to change from a reproducer like the L65 to a more accurate speaker like the 4430. What did you dislike about the 4425? What did you like about the L80t3? Maybe you would be happier with a 4412. Or maybe building your own ersatz 4315. the l65 box could even be used the a different crossover. I'd consider the 4412 which is a pretty darn good speaker even after all these years. In any case you need to listen to the speakers side by side with your own material.

    Have fun

    Ed
    Just my $.02

    Have owned L65, L80t (not t3) , 4412 , and MANY others.

    The L65 seemed to live up to the "sizzle & boom" rep (did not seem "musical")
    L80 was NOT impressive (despite having abt same drivers as 4410, that I did like)
    4412 was pretty good , but designed as a horizontal speaker

    I did a comparo and slightly preferred the L166 to the 4412, Also MUCH
    favored the 120Ti over all of them.

    HAD 4310b (not bad) and 4312 (DidNotLike-sounded dead)

    Whatever you decide, AVOID the L56

    all run with same amp/sources etc.
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  14. #14
    Dang. Amateur speakerdave's Avatar
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    After years of listening with Altec 604-8G's, which many listeners consider to have an unworkable upper midrange--I would now tend to agree--I used the L65 for a little over a year. I really wanted it to work for my diet of classical, jazz, rock, folk, international. The only way it came close was to toe them in so the axes crossed in front of the listening position; otherwise the hot midrange was endurable for only a short session. Besides that to me the bass never sounded like anything but a decent 12" doing what it could. (I had bought them on eBay without ever having heard them.) I moved on to LSR32's and then 4333A, 4345 tweaked with TAD midrange, 1400nd pairs with TAD treble, and finally all TAD. Later I came to understand, thanks to these forums, that the L65 was intended as a party speaker, which is to say, it was given enough extra midrange to be heard in a room full of talking people, none of whom are sitting in the sweet spot. It does that service very well.

    I've listened to the 4430 only very briefly, but certainly agree with the above comments about the differences between that and the L65. Because of the similarities between the 4430 and 4425 I think you will feel the same way about them. I suspect you like a lot of midrange presence and extended HF, and want a better or bigger woofer. You probably need a three-way monitor, so many of the above suggestions will work. A large JBL four-way monitor could be your Shangrila. If you want to explore the special soundstaging of the 2344 in company with your other preferences, follow Ian and Guido with a custom built, biamped, 2235, 2123, 2344 with a TAD 1" beryllium compression driver.

    You've been given a full range of solid ideas to consider. Obviously the realities of the market will condition the possibilities for you. Good luck with the search.
    "Audio is filled with dangerous amateurs." --- Tim de Paravicini

  15. #15
    Senior Member markd51's Avatar
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    I own both a pair of the 4430. and as well have owned the L-65 Jubal since the day I bought them in 1974, I own 4 L-65 Jubals!

    For close to 40 years I powered the L-65's with two MC-2105 McIntosh Amps also bought new in '74. I was going to buy the L-300, assume it was the first version since it had the 136A Bass Driver on board. It didn't happen. Bucking the tide, I liked the L-65 better in some ways versus the L-300.

    Through the years the Jubals went through some transformations, had all 4 of their 126A Drivers reconed twice, All new custom made massive high quality X-Overs for all 4 made by Madisound to exact JBL Specs, all new Internal Wiring, new 100W Rear Mounted L-Pads, Edison Price Solid Copper Binding Posts all cabinets further internally braced.

    They still sound very nice.

    Forward to the mint pair of 4430 Speakers which I bought right here from a seller, and also got helpful assistance from another member here to have them shipped from Cedar Falls, IA, to Southern New Mexico via Truck Freight.

    They are bone stock, and for a short while one of my MC-2105 Speakers powered them. I was not disappointed with the change from the Jubals to the 4430, there's that undeniable JBL House Sound, just more of it, and I particularly did not miss the absence of the 077 HF Drivers, and would call the 4430 lacking. Of course at 60 years of age at that point, my hearing is not bat-like anymore.

    A couple years later down the road, and I upgraded Amplification to two brand new Bryston 7BSST2 Monoblock Amps. I felt the older Mac Amps were due for restoration at that point, neither having ever seen a shop in all those years, and also felt the MC-2105'also lacked sufficient wattage and headroom to properly drive the 4430 Speakers.

    No, the "McIntosh Sound" was gone, but after a lengthy break-in of the Bryston Amps, they came around to strutting their stuff admirably, and drive the 4430's with authority with solid clean performance top to bottom.

    My analog front end which consists of a highly modified VPI HW-19 Mk-IV Table, Audioquest PT-9 Arm (Jelco) and a ZXY Airy 3X Low Output MC Cartridge running into a Sutherland PhD Battery Powered Phono Stage gives superb analog playback, and I would believe that my Table and what I've done to it can hold it's own against Tables costing $1000's more.

    Nothing seems to lack, high frequency detail is there in spades, with a CD-like silence of noise floor. Bass Response is respectable, even keeled Midrange response and very enjoyable, everything from Classical to Rock, and everything in between.

    Sure, there's better Speakers to be had, if you have the vast amounts of money to spend, but the 4430 is a speaker I'll be keeping.

    Perhaps not as revered as some of the large 4300 Series Studio Monitors, but I'd say JBL did a very fine job with the 4430 and its larger brother, the 4435.

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