JBL L Series (1990s)

[rlspence]

Before tossing in the towel...

Do R3, R4, or L3 look smoked? Do you have and know how to use an
ohmmeter? These parts are all in series and each could act as a blown
fuse (although both R3 and R4 would have to be blown together).
Across R3 or R4 you should read 2.4 ohms. Across L3, probably less
than an ohm. C7 (whether working or open-circuit) should allow you
to read these values in-circuit (without pulling the parts).

R5 would have to short to keep a signal from coming through
(unlikely).

With an audible, but low signal from your receiver/amp, you -could- work your
way backwards through the 'map' (the schematic diagram) until you get
a signal... just use the speaker as your test probe. Keep the volume down
and you won't hurt the mid.

Thanks,this goes to the top of my list.I have called the local Hi-End dealer and they gave me a number,never a return call.

[HCSGuy]

I found a 708G-1 in my spare parts closet from a pair of L7's I parted out due to a damaged cabinet. If anyone is interested let me know. The driver is in great shape except that the previous owner lightly engraved his ID# on the face of the frame, so the drivers for go, not for show. I know I have its mate somewhere...

[BMWCCA]

If anyone is interested let me know.

If no one else speaks out for it and you just want it gone, I'll take it and start the repository for L7 parts to be disseminated to LH members who find themselves in need. Of course I'll pay shipping.

I'm not interested in parting any complete systems out but I can hold on to the leftovers from those who have already. Someday loyal L7/5/3/1 owners will be looking for this stuff. Generally folks sell the tweets and chuck the rest or, in the case of the L7s, the woofers, too. The rest seems to go wanting until an individual need arises. It's a shame to see the stuff just tossed when it might eventually help someone keep one of these future-legacy systems singing.

[rlspence]

You wouldn't have a crossover would you?Thanks,Ray

[BMWCCA]

You wouldn't have a crossover would you?Thanks,Ray

I have no parts! Just two high-functioning pair of L7s, one pair of L5, and one pair of L1s. I'm not planning on parting out anything but I will take all donations of L-parts and see that they find good homes as others here need them. That darn Ebay has people believing the crossovers are worth more than the whole system.

[Fred Sanford]

Hey, no problems on the questions.

You guys with LX’es? Guilty.

HP? Uh huh.

Interesting- this is the first time I've waded through this entire thread sequentially, I'd never caught this before. I'm the one that hosted the L7/4333A shootout last November, and also got to listen to the L1s at that time. I own a pair of HP420s (VERY interesting design approach, I have lots of questions about that series) and have LX300s and LX600s in my parent's systems, which always have impressed me with their sound. Thanks for posting here, and if you're still reading/responding I'd love to hear some thoughts on the HP series evolution. I had a thread here as a start:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ad.php?t=19706

je

[CHagen7]

John,

You should prefer the L-3 over the L-60T. The absolute bass output is the same, but the 708G-1 in the L-3 is MUCH smoother in its roll-off than the 116H-1.

Chris

[CHagen7]

Fred,

I DID d othose LX'es, but the HP's I did were the HP-8B, HP-88F, etc. (AH!!!! I can't remember the model names anymore!!!!). THe HP-420, etc. were designed and built in Europe. I DO know something about them, but won't claim credit for designing them. I'm sure I could answer your questions.


Chris

[CHagen7]

TD,

I haven't been here for a bit 9personal life is wearing me out), but yeah - all the parting out is upsetting. I still have MY L-7's and of course hope they never fail. But I'm in a unique position. If (yes, pessimists, and when) they DO fail, I can design my next generation. It'll be on my dime because we don't do sats where I work now, but that's ok.

But I haven't heard any speakers that sound as musical or play as loud. I did some nice linear things for M&K..........but then they were based on 4" and 5" woofers. And those can't move the air, ya know?

Anyway, I try to stay understanding.


Chris

[CHagen7]

Ray,

I might have the schematic somewhere for the L-7 crossover. I also have an update crossover schematic....somewhere....that was SUPPOSED to become the L-7DX. This was going to be a high-end, very smooth L-7 that sold with a DX-1 so it would be specifically used in the bi-amped mode. But it worked with the smooth dome tweeter and not the ribbed. And marketing lost interest, so it wasn't introduced. This will all take a little bit to find and get to you, but let me know if you are interested.

I also have test gear and so forth, and I'd certainly be willing to try to help a set of my babies to stay alive and loved. PM me and let's see what can be done.

Chris

[Titanium Dome]

Ray,

I might have the schematic somewhere for the L-7 crossover. I also have an update crossover schematic....somewhere....that was SUPPOSED to become the L-7DX. This was going to be a high-end, very smooth L-7 that sold with a DX-1 so it would be specifically used in the bi-amped mode. But it worked with the smooth dome tweeter and not the ribbed. And marketing lost interest, so it wasn't introduced. This will all take a little bit to find and get to you, but let me know if you are interested.

I also have test gear and so forth, and I'd certainly be willing to try to help a set of my babies to stay alive and loved. PM me and let's see what can be done.

Chris

Seriously, if you find the crossover (and any other) info on L-7DX, please let me see it. Pretty please...

[Fred Sanford]

Fred,

I DID d othose LX'es, but the HP's I did were the HP-8B, HP-88F, etc. (AH!!!! I can't remember the model names anymore!!!!). THe HP-420, etc. were designed and built in Europe. I DO know something about them, but won't claim credit for designing them. I'm sure I could answer your questions.


Chris

Thanks for the reply! I knew the HP420 was a European design, that's why I was a bit surprised to read that you worked on "HP"s, but I guess this clarifies that - I'd never heard of the "HP-8B" etc. My questions mostly were regarding differences between model tiers (420/520) and what drove the choices at that time - nothing groundbreaking at all, just that they were an interesting twist on what was typical for JBL at the time.

Thanks for all the contributions, back then and here & now...

je

[JonJeffman]

Hey there, I stumbled across this site and have been here for hours now. I'm new to the world of hi-fi and looking to upgrade my system, so hope you don't mind some newbie questions.

I'm looking for some quality sounding speakers for a stereo set-up, and when I try to get info from 'audiophile' sources, there seems to be an attitude that anything less than $1500 on Paradigm's or B+W's or electrostatics is something to be scoffed at as 'consumer grade' junk. Problem is (a) I can't afford this (b) I'm not convinced you can't get good speakers for a lot less than this. But on the other hand, I'm willing to pay enough that I'm satisfied for 10+ years and not looking to upgrade as soon as I have some cash in hand.

So, while I know there's obviously a bias on this forum as you're all JBL fans, are the L5's a truly top-notch speaker? Or are they just good for the price, or good for 'consumer grade'? Do they really stack up to higher end Paradigm's and B+W's, or other 'audiophile grade' speakers? (Or, as I'm suspecting, do 'consumer grade' and 'audiophile grade' have a lot more overlap than many would like to admit?)

There's a pair of L5's for sale in my neck of the woods for $550 canadian. This sounds higher than other's I've read about on this forum, but do you think this is a reasonable price? Ad says they've been stored for most of their life. Any advice on what I should be looking for if I go to check them out - any problematic components, etc?

Are the L5's not as picky as the L7's on placement? For now they'll be stuck in a bedroom, but I'm likely moving soon and they'll become the central stereo system.

Thanks for the advice (sorry for the long post - hopefully you had the patience to read it).

[JBLAddict]

Hey there, I stumbled across this site and have been here for hours now. I'm new to the world of hi-fi and looking to upgrade my system, so hope you don't mind some newbie questions.

I'm looking for some quality sounding speakers for a stereo set-up, and when I try to get info from 'audiophile' sources, there seems to be an attitude that anything less than $1500 on Paradigm's or B+W's or electrostatics is something to be scoffed at as 'consumer grade' junk. Problem is (a) I can't afford this (b) I'm not convinced you can't get good speakers for a lot less than this. But on the other hand, I'm willing to pay enough that I'm satisfied for 10+ years and not looking to upgrade as soon as I have some cash in hand.

So, while I know there's obviously a bias on this forum as you're all JBL fans, are the L5's a truly top-notch speaker? Or are they just good for the price, or good for 'consumer grade'? Do they really stack up to higher end Paradigm's and B+W's, or other 'audiophile grade' speakers? (Or, as I'm suspecting, do 'consumer grade' and 'audiophile grade' have a lot more overlap than many would like to admit?)

There's a pair of L5's for sale in my neck of the woods for $550 canadian. This sounds higher than other's I've read about on this forum, but do you think this is a reasonable price? Ad says they've been stored for most of their life. Any advice on what I should be looking for if I go to check them out - any problematic components, etc?

Are the L5's not as picky as the L7's on placement? For now they'll be stuck in a bedroom, but I'm likely moving soon and they'll become the central stereo system.

Thanks for the advice (sorry for the long post - hopefully you had the patience to read it).

I own both, the L5 will play anywhere, L7s are more picky but still sound excellent in a non-ideal position. The L7 is full, rich, enveloping, the L5 output is less but still fills most medium size rooms very well with balanced, amazing output--everything you've read in previous posts...they fill my 10X15ft living space perfectly. The L5 market price is <300USD, though keep in mind you are getting a very very good speaker worth much more in the opinion of many here. Just feed them quality power and you'll be amazed at what your'e getting for the money.

Now that being said, I'm in the camp that says if I'm going to use something for thousands of hours over the next 5+yrs, and opportunities in my neck of the woods don't arise often, what's a hundred, two hundred more than "market" value over time? I say get em, enjoy em (which I promise you will, there's not a bad rvw of the L5 out there), and don't look back! Over a few years you'll have long forgotten about paying a small premium when you consider the endless hours of music pleasure they bring you. Now if you live in a place where they pop up often and you're hell bent on saving the shipping costs, you can afford a little patience..but weigh opportunity for acquisition against lost opportunity for listening time...

your seller is asking one of the highest prices I've seen for this speaker though, seems to know what he has, not sure if a counteroffer is possible.

[SWIN]

Now owned my L7´s for 6 months.

These are really truly fantastic speakers, and they have meant a lot to me.
They replaced a pair of Yamaha 690 III, not too bad sounding speakers - but from another time.

When I first listned to the L7´s at the sellers house, and setup - the sound was medium to good, but very unbalanced, sharp shrill sound.
Please see my earlyer post from the sellers house - very bad placement, with sharp echoes from the stone walls.
The used equipment was not too good sounding either.

At my home, I have a very neutral, and laidback understated type of sound - and the very best sound comes from analog LP, with a highly neutral sound, and very good resolution at the top, digital don´t resolve the higher frequencies as a good MC cartridge - using Yamaha MC9 and MC11.

But, of cause, digital doesn´t have end of the side distortion, and it is usually the first tracks of a LP, that have audible superiority.
Digital in my setup have a more warm, present, live and neutral sound.

The speakers must be used biamped, to realize their full potential, and mine had been underused in the bass department, so I had to allow some time to get their full potential.

They really have a high resolution, and even the smallest of changes to the used equipent is instantly revealed.

Soundstage is very 3D, and i can hear sounds coming from left/right of the left/right speaker, and I have a truly enjoyable feeling of beeing there.
The soundstage of my LP/CD setup builds a soundstage behind the speakers, but cheaper equipment may be mutch more flat and up front.

All blemishes of the original recording is very mutch aparent, older CD´s sounds the worst, but the more recent ones really shines.

All together a truly high-end speaker, very sensetive of placement, used equipment, and of cause the recordings.
But very rewarding, and highly enjoyable and addictable under ideal circumstances.

/SWIN