I recently downsized from my 5,000 sf home in Virginia to a less than 2,000 sf home in Florida. There was no way JBL L300s will fit in this small home so I reluctantly gave them to my son-in-law. My question is what state of the art small size speakers would be best to come closest to the sound that I am used to. Thanks for any and all input. Tom
I think something with controlled dispersion would be most appropriate since 1 will be in a corner and 1 will be out in the open. Perhaps an Array 1000 or Studio 590/580 would be good choices.
After seeing the photo I have to say that space is simply crying for a pair of L5s. They work beautifully in a similar environment at my house either side of my TV in the Library. They are the right height without stands, their footprint is small, and they will surprise you with their sound quality. For the $200-500 they'll cost you, certainly worth a try. My prediction is that you won't pine for the L300s for long.
The LH member who picked up my first L5s for me in Boston kept them in his townhouse for a couple of weeks until I could pick them up. He played them alongside his 4333 and was impressed. I found another pair in Boston and told my brother-in-law to buy them and if he didn't love them, I'd take them off his hands for what he paid. I think he's had them now for over ten-years. I truly believe the L5 is equivalent to my L96 in that they play well anywhere, and they're perfect for tjm100's new room.
New and "state of the art" might also describe the 580 and 590 series.
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
Great point. Perhaps it's just me, but if possible, I'd rearrange the furniture such that both speaks could be in a corner.Originally Posted by rusty jefferson
Tom you did not mention your budget. If you are into the JBL legacy speakers you might what to check for some Ti250’s, L220/22’s or L150A’s. These are kind of narrow speaker versions and they get the mid and tweeter up to ear level while sitting on your couch.
Thanks guys for all of the great ideas. I'm processing all the options in the middle of furnishing a new house in a new area of the country. I see a guy on Facebook Market Place has some L5s for sale. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...8&__tn__=!%3AD They are in Jacksonville, FL which is about three hours north of me. They look a little beat up on the cabinets. I've never seen an L5 up close. What are the cabinets made of? Do you think something like these are repairable/paint-able?
L5s are wood veneer with a black stain. The front baffle is more like masonite painted black. I have a problem with FB Marketplace sometimes where the entire description disappears, and this is happening with your link. I can't even tell if they have all four grilles for them. The speakers/drivers themselves look fine and you can freshen up the cabinets with anything from black shoe polish to stripping them and refinishing them in normal wood tone. I suppose that's current pricing but you used to be able to get two-pair for that.
Okay, it seems to work on my mobile so I can see the grilles. Everything looks like it will clean up okay. He's looking for offers Compared to other nicer ones much further away . . . I'd toss $300 out there and see if he bites. But then you're the one who has to do that drive, not me!
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
Take your paper-towel tube to verify that all drivers are working. Plenty of blown 035ti from under-powering at high volume, and other bad behavior.
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
Thanks! I just knew you'd have the scoop on this. I appreciate it. We'll see what happens.L5s are wood veneer with a black stain. The front baffle is more like masonite painted black. I have a problem with FB Marketplace sometimes where the entire description disappears, and this is happening with your link. I can't even tell if they have all four grilles for them. The speakers/drivers themselves look fine and you can freshen up the cabinets with anything from black shoe polish to stripping them and refinishing them in normal wood tone. I suppose that's current pricing but you used to be able to get two-pair for that. Okay, it seems to work on my mobile so I can see the grilles. Everything looks like it will clean up okay. He's looking for offers Compared to other nicer ones much further away . . . I'd toss $300 out there and see if he bites. But then you're the one who has to do that drive, not me!
I bought a Yamaha A-S301 for starters. The L5s sound pretty good, but I miss the bass most from the 2235s I had in the L300s. Especially in this room which has a lot of reflective surfaces along with the tile floors all throughout the new house. I'm trying to remedy that with drapes, etc. So what I'm thinking of is getting one of those long excursion 15 inch subwoofers that fit in a relatively small box to put in the corner next to the right L5. The A-S301 has a subwoofer output that passes 90 Hz and below. I'm assuming that is a mono signal so I'm thinking of hooking that output to some fairly high wattage used bargain mono amp (If that's possible these days). At this stage I'm really not sure exactly how that subwoofer output works. In other words I don't know if it is a constant level signal out of the preamp section of the A-S301 or if it varies with the gain of the volume of the amp? So I'm looking for some suggestions and ideas. Thanks. Tom
I recommend getting a dedicated sub amp that will let you control the volume, crossover point and phasing. I also recommend getting a sub with an internal amp. I bought a HSU sub that works well for both home theater and music that goes down to 25hz which is low enough for an 18'x20' room. It pairs very well with the L5s for HT and music. Get a decent sub because it makes a difference. I spent $400-$500 on mine about ten years ago and it hasn't missed a beat in this time. The amp in it has enough power to cover everything from explosions with authority while subtly dealing with the nuances of music. It was designed to serve both uses and does a fine job doing so. If all you care about is music then pick a sub designed only for it.
While I understand your desire to make these work as well as they can for you, had I known your expectation was to have the dynamics of the L300 on a smaller budget and footprint, I'd have recommended the L7 instead of the L5. The LE120H-1 used in the L7 has been used by JBL and others in powered subs. Crossed too high to really be called a sub in the L7, it will still shake the house.
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
I had to do a little body work on the side panels of one of my recently purchased L5s and I think I have found the near perfect paint match for those who may be interested. After a little patching up a few damaged spots I did two double wet coats on the top and two sides with this stuff and it looks about as close the factory finish as possible. I got it at AutoZone.
Good info.
I've always used Krylon Semi-Flat Black but it was discontinued from their consumer lineup I think because of its lacquer base. It dries so fast you can touch or re-coat within minutes. It's my go-to for JBL baffles, motorcycles, and cars. I recently found the replacement industrial version and ordered two cases.
It now goes under an industrial number: KRYLON® 1613 Industrial ACRYLI-QUIK™ Semi-Flat Black Acrylic Lacquer Paint - 340 Gram (12 oz) Aerosol Can SGP118690
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
Powered JBL 708P speakers would probably fit the bill... but may not be the ideal aesthetic choice.
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