JBL 4311 WX-A - thinking about buying them

[vrobec]

The 4311 speakers are on my wishlist for a long time. Today I found a pair and thinking about buying them. The seller said they are in original, untouched condition. The veneer is in very good condition. I made a photo, and this time I am asking you to give your opinion about the condition of the drivers. Thank you, giving info about the drivers, you will help me a lot.

90305
90306

[Mr. Widget]

They look very nice. Are you interested in them because you have always wanted a pair, or did you audition them and you love their sound?

I own a pair of similar vintage L100s which share the components and sound the same. I bought them years ago when I found them in a secondhand stereo shop and felt I needed them. Over the last couple of decades I haven't used them much since even though the sound is fun for a trip down memory lane, it's not really something I want to listen to every day.

Don't get me wrong, I think they are cool and if I had the room for a proper speaker museum I'd want them too. My L100s are currently on semi-permanent loan to a friend who uses them in his shop. He has a McIntosh amp powering them and they sound fine in that application.


Widget

[grumpy]

Fun speakers in nice condition.

Suggest not touching the foam around the tweeters... or if you purchase the speakers, consider replacing the foam with available "rings". They almost certainly have become inelastic and would easily crush and turn to dust if disturbed.

[vrobec]

Thank you grumpy and Mr. Widget ! Very useful infos. Before I buy them I will make a listening session.

[audiomagnate]

Don't. Save up for something better. Those speakers hurt my ears.

[edgewound]

Don't. Save up for something better. Those speakers hurt my ears.

It's a good thing that not everyone has the same anomaly. History is important in audio...and these speakers are all about the drivers...and the historical value. They still sound great if you know how to listen. Music detail lives in the midrange. Countless records were mixed on these speakers.

This looks like a very nicely maintained example. The foam ring around the tweeter can be replaced/updated with a neoprene piece that won't rot.

[vrobec]

Fun speakers in nice condition.

Suggest not touching the foam around the tweeters... or if you purchase the speakers, consider replacing the foam with available "rings". They almost certainly have become inelastic and would easily crush and turn to dust if disturbed.

Got them, and the sound is nice. :) Only thing I noticed is a small crease on one of the tweeter's membrane. I can't hear any distortion or difference betweein the tweeters. Tested them with various frequencies 10,11 and 12kHz and plays equal.

90352

[Mr. Widget]

Cool... they look beautiful!
I don't think you need to worry too much about the crease as long as they sound good to you.


Widget

[vrobec]

I tested both tweeters using frequencies from 6kHz to 12kHz in 1kHz increaments. Every frequency is present on both tweeters. Above 12000Hz I can't hear anything, but I think this is acceptable at the age of 50+. :)

[vrobec]

I have a chance to buy spare LE25-2 tweeters. Please let me know are these OK units, and why are the cones around dustcups soaked? What caused this?

90722

[RMC]

Vrobec,

Could this be tweeter Ferrofluid leaking? If so then you have a problem with regards to power handling.

I checked quickly in my JBL documents for LE25-2 and could not confirm if it has or not Ferrofluid.

[Mr. Widget]

I don’t believe ferrofluid was being used by anyone in tweeters when those JBL‘s were being built.


Widget

[vrobec]

I don’t believe ferrofluid was being used by anyone in tweeters when those JBL‘s were being built.


Widget

Could it possibly be glue soaked into cones? I saw this soaking on some LE25, LE26 tweeters. But don't want investing in something thats not 100% perfect. :o:

[BMWCCA]

Rather it looks to me as if the glue and edge treatment offered some sort of UV protection and the lighter area is just sun-faded. A bit of dye could fix it. :dont-know:

[vrobec]

Rather it looks to me as if the glue and edge treatment offered some sort of UV protection and the lighter area is just sun-faded. A bit of dye could fix it. :dont-know:

OK, thanks!

I got the DCR values that one tweeter measured 4.0 ohm, the other one has 4.3 ohm. Acoording to condition and measured values what do you think is it worth investing in them?

[Odd]

From what we see in the picture and measurements you have received, I think they are good.

Search in Google for pictures of JBL LE25-2 and you will see many have some variation in the color on the membrane.

[vrobec]

From what we see in the picture and measurements you have received, I think they are good.

Search in Google for pictures of JBL LE25-2 and you will see many have some variation in the color on the membrane.

On pictures posted on internet I saw a plenty of them with this leakage, soakage around the dust cap, so probably that counts as normal.

[RMC]

I just checked the LE25-2 factory spec on DCR: 3.6 - 4.4 ohms. So that aspect of yours seems OK.

[vrobec]

I just checked the LE25-2 factory spec on DCR: 3.6 - 4.4 ohms. So that aspect of yours seems OK.

Thanks, good to know. :)

[jblguy]

OK, thanks!

I got the DCR values that one tweeter measured 4.0 ohm, the other one has 4.3 ohm. Acoording to condition and measured values what do you think is it worth investing in them?
The real question may be do you have any choice. Are there any others around? If these are the best you can find or have found. Buy em.
Don't forget what Mark Twain said " Buy land, their not making it anymore".
How much $ are they anyway?

[Ian Mackenzie]

They might not be original JBL diaphragms.

Unless you pulled them apart it’s sn unknown.

It could also be jbl changed the diaphragm during production. There were a number of iterations of this loudspeaker. You can by an after market version of this type of jbl tweeter. It wasn’t a particular good tweeter by today’s standards.

This is OT but:

It depends on what your trying to achieve. It’s a fun loudspeaker. It was originally designed to emulate the Altec 604 with its mid range characteristics at the time. The more recent 4312 and 4412 are more refined.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/long-live-jbl-4412-studio-monitor

It it were me l’d live with them for a bit and then improve them. Troels an EU loudspeaker designer has a revised 4311 crossover on his website. Put in the more recent mid cones and a pair of Scan Be dome tweeters and your done!

[vrobec]

Just finished the stands for 4311. Made them from beech, wood was painted with walnut coating. Stands are 38cm tall, weighty and stabile.

91046

[DerekTheGreat]

Nice job with the stands! The JBL logo on them is a nice touch as well.

[vrobec]

Nice job with the stands! The JBL logo on them is a nice touch as well.

Thanks! It takes time designing and making the stands, but I think it's worth doing.