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majick47
02-08-2009, 11:49 AM
My second system with JBL 4301b monitors gets a lot of listening time and I'v switched a number of amps/preamps in and out of the system and finally can say that the 4301B now sound the best I'v ever heard them after settling on a Threshold SA/3 amp (class a / 50 watts x 2) and a SL10 preamp (with MC & MM phono). The detail/accuracy of the sound is now noticably better than when used with any prior amps/preamps. The Threshold units were updated by Jon Soderberg who formerly worked with Nelson Pass at the original Threshold Corp. Both are roughly 25 years old and needed to have the caps changed out and monor service. If any member here is looking to upgrade I can highly recommend vintage Threshold equipment and if it is ready due to age for service Jon Soderberg is a highly capable person to do the service at a reasonable price. The Threshold amps were built with the best available components/materials at the time and with service will last a lifetime. About the only possible area for improvement for me is the speakers themselves. I have read a post where Zilch rebuilt the 4301b crossovers for a LH member and the end results were excellent according to the member. Once things settle down the crossovers will be on the way to Zilch for him to update the caps etc. It might be preaching to the chior to say here that almost any of the pro and totl home JBL speakers matched with excellent electronics are hard to beat.

macaroonie
02-08-2009, 02:13 PM
A thing of beauty indeed. I have always lusted after one of these. :)

Ian Mackenzie
02-08-2009, 05:24 PM
Very nice.

They are highly sort after and often talked about.

Enjoy.

Ian

jblnut
02-11-2009, 03:34 PM
Rightly so - Congrats Majick!

I had the later and bigger brother - the T2 - in the house recently for an extended listen. Talk about build quality - WOW. Just an incredibly solid and well made 2-piece unit that defines simplicity. Strangely, it did completely different things in my system than it did for a friend using horn speakers starting with a K. I passed on it and went with a Mac C220. He's got it on layaway while he sells his Audio Research SP11 (another stellar and legendary preamp).

I'm becoming more and more of a believer that the pre-amp is an extremely critical link in the audio chain.

Congrats again!


jblnut

Mr. Widget
02-11-2009, 04:52 PM
I'm becoming more and more of a believer that the pre-amp is an extremely critical link in the audio chain.I am too... and you prefer the Mac? Now that's weird. :D

To be fair, I never heard the later Threshold preamps. I did own their first preamp, the NS10 and as with all Threshold gear, the build quality was pure NASA. That said, it didn't float my boat. After retiring the NS10 Threshold came out with the SL10 which was vastly superior.


Widget

jblnut
02-11-2009, 06:05 PM
Yeah, go figure ....

The T2 was tomb quiet and had bass that was incredible. But the vocals were just flat and lifeless. It just didn't have any magic in my system. But across town running through some Klipsch Fortes, suddenly the normally exagerrated mids were brought under control and he gained another octave of bass it seemed.

Sure the Mac is noisy and it doesn't have the separate power supply, but the sound is just amazing with my system. The vocals are sublime and the high end is clean and clear without being too much. We both spent a lot of time listening to each other's systems and reached the same conclusion.

The Mac just sings through the 250's.....


jblnut


I am too... and you prefer the Mac? Now that's weird. :D

To be fair, I never heard the later Threshold preamps. I did own their first preamp, the NS10 and as with all Threshold gear, the build quality was pure NASA. That said, it didn't float my boat. After retiring the NS10 Threshold came out with the SL10 which was vastly superior.


Widget

Mr. Widget
02-11-2009, 06:16 PM
The T2 was tomb quiet and had bass that was incredible. But the vocals were just flat and lifeless. It just didn't have any magic in my system.I know exactly what you're talking about. I had the same experience several decades ago when a friend brought over an Audible Illusions preamp and we temporarily pulled the NS10 out of my system... the tubed Audible Illusions preamp was noisy as hell but musical too. There was a life to the music that the clinical NS10 killed... that NS10 was shockingly quiet though... even through the phono section, no audible noise even with high sensitivity speakers.

Now that said, if memory serves, the SL10 was almost as quiet as the NS10 and allowed the music to come alive.


Widget

majick47
02-13-2009, 08:58 PM
Mr. Widget I'v heard positive comments re the NS10 preamp when mated to the Threshold 400A amp. Comments were that the 400A was more "tube like" and darker sounding, guessing they balanced each other out. My SL10/SA3 sounds both detailed/musical and the SA/3 (50 watts class A) powers the 4301B better than any amp I'v used on the speakers so far. Highs are cristal clear, midrange smooth and base tight/powerful. After I get the crossovers updated by Zilch I'll let you know how the system sounds. I have another SL10 to go out to Jon Soderberg in CA for all new caps etc. When it comes back it will be going in the L300 system with a Threshold S500II amp.