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Thread: K151 vs E155

  1. #1
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    K151 vs E155

    Can anyone tell me the technical differences between the 3 18inch instrument woofers?
    I just recently picked up some of 4695 cabaret cabs. Seller said they were E155 woofers in them.

    I ended up with a load of E155, 2 E151 and a single alnico K151! A few of the E155 and I think one E151 will need a recone. The E151 have aluminium dustcaps. One E155 has a ribbed cone so it seems to be a 2240? The K151 was reconed with a E155 kit by JBL some years ago, it sat in a box unused ever since. A shame I only have one as now I have to find another one!

    From reading this forum I see some people mention that they are all slightly different woofers. The K151 and E151 seem to share the same basket, just with alnico and ferrite magnets being the difference. The E155 looks like the 2240/2245, and its spoken that they can be reconed as any of the 3.

    I'm really looking for info on the K151 and E151. How exactly are they different to the E155? Are they underhung? I can't seem to find any technical info out there.

    As for getting them reconed, there are aftermarket E155 kits out there that as far as I can tell use the same software as the JBL NLA kits, and a high quality edge wound voicecoil wound by Precision Econowind. It seems to be the same coil as the 2240/2245. Is the only difference between the 151 and 155 the coil?

    Also it seems like all the drivers I have are 8 ohm, but JBL used to offer the K151 as 4 ohm? Still haven't figured out the benefit of 4 vs 8 apart from it using more power. I'm also trying to track down what the K151 was actually used for, most people say organs? I guess in the 70s when they were available there wasn't much that produced real sub frequencies apart from maybe a DBX boom box. I'm looking forward to getting another one so I can have a full alnico house party system!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by budney View Post

    Also it seems like all the drivers I have are 8 ohm, but JBL used to offer the K151 as 4 ohm? Still haven't figured out the benefit of 4 vs 8 apart from it using more power.
    Higher impedience will also have a higher BL. The BL is a measure of the "control" of the woofer movement with higher being tighter.

    One benefit of 4 ohm is that SS amps will make more power into them. Another is that they can be seriesed to make 8 ohms and many companies use two drivers in their bass cabinets.

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    Hi budney,

    JBL E-151 had a very short life based on two JBL docs printed one after the other. K-151 was transferred to ferrite magnet as E-151 then shortly after replaced by E-155, no wonder there's little info about E-151, like a transition driver.

    At the bottom of E Series doc dated 7/80 there's another doc dated 8/79 showing K-151 and E-151 with little info, but the doc above the latter (less than a year later) shows the E-155, no E-151 anymore... Pretty short career. I'll try to post for you some documents i have in as much as the site accepts their size, no guarantee.

    There's at least another doc i have in my other lap top (haven't had time to transfer all i got to new laptop), in case i forget about that other doc just bug me here (i don't log in often) this way it will remind me to get it in the other computer for you, sorry somewhat busy these days...

    Richard

    JBL - E Series - E110, E120, E130, E140, E145, E151, E155 (1980).pdf

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    This doc from Don Keele is a W horn article for K151, but at page 2 he mentions a box size and tuning for K151 so this may help you somewhat in case you don't build a more complicated W horn.

    Richard

    JBL K151 - W HORN Construction Notes and Specifications (1977).pdf

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    K Series brochure re K151

    Richard

    jbl k_series.pdf

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    Hi budney,

    there's a table somewhere in this forum (each time I'm looking for it I don't manage to find it ) that lists any TSP of JBL transducers, including the ones you're focussing on. Perhaps it may help?

    Best regards!

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    JBL Tech notes #3 and 3A regarding low frequency transducers, see pages 6 & 9 and page 4 respectively, for example

    Richard

    EDIT: Site won't accept size, could send it by e-mail to you, PM me with an e-mail address.

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    I've meant this one: Thiele Parameters.pdf

    I have it on my home PC's SSD, but couldn't find it online.

    Best regards!

    Edit: Oops, I see there's no E 151 mentioned in it??

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    Oops, I see there's no E 151 mentioned in it??
    Just use the K

    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Rob,

    do you say that the K151 and E151 only differ in their magnet material and construction, but apart from this are the same speaker? This reminds me of the 2205H whose magnet JBL swapped from AlNiCo to ferrite during production.

    Best regards!

  12. #12
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    Kay Pirinha
    Rob,

    do you say that the K151 and E151 only differ in their magnet material and construction, but apart from this are the same speaker? This reminds me of the 2205H whose magnet JBL swapped from AlNiCo to ferrite during production.

    Best regards!

    Could be look at the ones that are there. 2231A vs 2231H Look for a 136H not there same as a 2231H. I own a pair of them. Same as a 2231A/H. I know there are differences between K and E look at E-145 vs K 145 but if the T/S are not there go as close as you can.


    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    RE post # 8

    Tech Note # 3 is too large to post, but Tech note # 3A should fit size wise, see pages 3 and 6 for example regarding E155 details...

    Richard

    JBL Technical Note Choosing LF Transducers- Vol.1,No.3A[1].pdf

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    Hi Budney,

    This should answer your point about compatible cone kits for your 18" drivers

    Richard

    Name:  JBL Cone Kit Interchangeabillity.jpg
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  15. #15
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    JBL's Cabaret Series boxes used many K and E series drivers. This might give you ideas on how to use your drivers.

    Richard

    Cabaret Series 1

    JBL Cabaret_Series1[1].pdf

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