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Thread: My time with the 4343

  1. #1
    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    My time with the 4343

    Six years ago I went on a 600 mile road trip with two friends to pick up a pair of 4343's. It was a fun trip . Since then I've experimented with various front end gear, amplifiers, sources etc with the 4343's which I still have. I've also experimented with other speakers. But the thing about these 4343's is this: whatever breakthroughs I made in the source and amplifiers etc , I always felt that the 4343's were still just waiting for me to catch up, waiting for...more. These things just have so much to give, and after 6 years with them I don't think I've got to the most that can be got from them yet.

    Listening to them tonight, admittedly a bottle of wine deep, what stands out to me is the people/person that was behind this. My understanding is that it was John Eargle. The excellence in audio engineering that went into this, that is locked into this object, that I am hearing 42 years or so after it was created is...impressive. It does transcend just being an object and is perhaps a window into art, music. It is also, to me, a connection to the past to, people like John Eargle who strived for excellence. Maybe he was thinking about the end user as a studio engineer that has certain requirements. But I wonder if he knew that a guy in Australia, who was born around the same time the speaker was created, would be loving it, appreciating it, and exploring and enjoying the universe of music with it so many years later? I hope so.
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    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    IF that photo is him, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who cares or looks behind him. If John has commented on this forum, I'm not aware. Certainly not like Greg Timbers, who has commented in various forums, including this one. He's absolutely tickled that people like us continue to embrace his designs/products.

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    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
    IF that photo is him, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who cares or looks behind him. If John has commented on this forum, I'm not aware. Certainly not like Greg Timbers, who has commented in various forums, including this one. He's absolutely tickled that people like us continue to embrace his designs/products.
    John Eargle was another great man at JBL. His long list of accomplishments and contributions to audio recording and reproduction are only touched upon in this Wikipedia page:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Eargle


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    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goldjazz View Post
    Six years ago I went on a 600 mile road trip with two friends to pick up a pair of 4343's....I always felt that the 4343's were still just waiting for me to catch up, waiting for...more. These things just have so much to give, and after 6 years with them I don't think I've got to the most that can be got from them yet.
    Keep going, the journey is often even better than the destination!


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    If you don't have The JBL Story by John Eargle, pick up a copy. I found one used on E-Pay for ten bucks.

  6. #6
    Senior Member DavidF's Avatar
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    We find John here in an advert for Dolby circa 1970.

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    David F
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  7. #7
    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    John Eargle was another great man at JBL. His long list of accomplishments and contributions to audio recording and reproduction are only touched upon in this Wikipedia page:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Eargle


    Widget
    Thanks for the info, Widget. No wonder he hasn't commented on this forum or elsewhere, died in '07. I'd like to get my hands on a copy of "The JBL Story: 60 Years of Audio Innovation" some time, perhaps it has a list of all the systems he designed or had a hand in.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    Thanks Widget, will do. I've certainly enjoyed the journey so far. Thanks for the photo of a young John.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    Keep going, the journey is often even better than the destination!


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    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Just a little something from John Eargle
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    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Senior Member Goldjazz's Avatar
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    Cheers Rob, a wealth of knowledge from John and others contained within those documents.

    Quote Originally Posted by Robh3606 View Post
    Just a little something from John Eargle

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