L212. L250, L300? Which cost more new? Which is better?

[mbottz]

I am really confused now, Looking at the JBL pricing guide posted on the website the price for two L212's and the Bass Energizer was $5224.00. Pricing for two L300's was $3000.00 and pricing for a set of L250's with B460 was $3500.00.
According to price that would mean the L212's were the best folowed by the L250, then the L300.

If you dont factor in the B460 the order changes to L212, L300, L250.

Just looking at the L300 and L250 pricing without a sub the l300 is the best.

From a standpoint of 3 way vs 4 way with comparable bass woofers should the L250 have been priced higher for the better technology?

A set of 250 Ti's without the B460 were only $3,396.00 making them only marginaly better than a set of L300's

But none of the before mentioned ever beat the L212 in price.

Did the price paid new not reflect the quality of the product being sold?
Or is there an error in the the pricing guide.

While listening to everyone on the forum the L250 and the L300 are far superior to the L212's.

Everything I read says the L250 is king.

According to price paid the L212's were never outdone.

Can someone explain the thought process for the difference in cost when these were new to me?


Thanks

MB

[MJC]

I am really confused now, Looking at the JBL pricing guide posted on the website the price for two L212's and the Bass Energizer was $5224.00. Pricing for two L300's was $3000.00 and pricing for a set of L250's with B460 was $3500.00.
A set of 250 Ti's without the B460 were only $3,396.00 making them only marginaly better than a set of L300's
Everything I read says the L250 is king.
Thanks

MB

That price you saw has to be a misprint. In Jan'79, the retail price for the L212/B212 was $2k. I bought the store's display units for $1500.
In '86 I heard a pair of 250Ti, the L250 was upgraded to Ti in '84. I think the price of the 250Ti was in the $1700~$2000/ea.
The 250 was and still is superior to the L212.
As for the L300, I can't say, being I've never heard them.

[4313B]

The L212 was priced as a 3-piece system. It started out priced at $2,559 in 1977 and ended up at $2,200 in 1981. The B212 was also available separately and priced separately because people liked to buy it and use it with other systems.

So, in 1981 you have the 3-piece L212 system priced at $2,200 and the L300's priced at $3,000.
In 1982 the L212 system was replaced by the L250's priced at $2,600 a pair. The L300's still priced at $3,000 a pair.

According to price that would mean the L212's were the best folowed by the L250, then the L300.

And the Paragon at $6,000 was better than all of them? Not at all...

If you dont factor in the B460 the order changes to L212, L300, L250.

Unlike the L212, the L250 didn't require a sub to function properly and neither did the L300.

Just looking at the L300 and L250 pricing without a sub the l300 is the best.

Not best, but rather most expensive.

From a standpoint of 3 way vs 4 way with comparable bass woofers should the L250 have been priced higher for the better technology?

As far as better technology - I consider them all to be of the same technological era.

Did the price paid new not reflect the quality of the product being sold?

I think the prices reflected the cost to manufacture correctly.

While listening to everyone on the forum the L250 and the L300 are far superior to the L212's.

Having had all three in the same room I personally preferred listening to the L212 or L250 for pretty much everything. The L300 was quite fun for brief periods. It could really impress guests. I personally consider all three excellent specimens from that era.

Everything I read says the L250 is king.

It just did more things right than the others.

According to price paid the L212's were never outdone.

The Paragon was more expensive than any of them and I won't go into what it sounded like compared to any of them.

[mbottz]

Seems that as a 3 piece set the 212 falls more in perspective. I figured there must have been a misprint.

Thanks

Again

MB

[mike]

The thing that you have to realize is that the L300 was made for those that preferred a forward and punchy sound. The L212, L250 and especially the 250Ti were meant for those that preferred a more laid back speaker.
All are good in their own way but none were really intended to be an uprgade or downgrade.

Mike

[toddalin]

So, in 1981 you have the 3-piece L212 system priced at $2,200 and the L300's priced at $3,000.

MSRP on L200 and L300s were ~$1,200 and ~$1,500/pr, respectively in the 70's.

[4313B]

MSRP on L200 and L300s were ~$1,200 and ~$1,500/pr, respectively in the 70's.

Here:

http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/...999-prices.htm

The Studio Monitors as well:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ost.php?p=2246

[MJC]

The L212 was priced as a 3-piece system. It started out priced at $2,559 in 1977 and ended up at $2,200 in 1981. The B212 was also available separately and priced separately because people liked to buy it and use it with other systems.

That price structure seems totally backard, at least compared to how the PT800's retail price keeps going up.
I only saw one new L212 system, the one I bought. The reason I remember the price was when I told the sales guy "I want to order a set, if you don't have any more in the back." His reply was "I'll sell you these for 25% off." That dropped the price to $1500. So the list price he had was less than any that you show. Normally, things cost more, here in Nevada, than what it would cost in CA.
That dealer had those on the floor for at least a year, I first saw them in early '78 or late '77.
The set I bought in '04 had to be newer. They have a foam insert in the top grille opening, gluded to the cloth, with holes the same size as the 066 and le5-9.

[4313B]

That price structure seems totally backard, at least compared to how the PT800's retail price keeps going up.

If you look at the list you can see that JBL made adjustments to the prices of various systems during their production years.

[Andyoz]

Thanks for that link to the pricelists. A good resource for tracking model production years.

The 250Ti's really jumped up in price between 1988 and 1989...extra $800/pair.

[MJC]

I just looked at the list. And the prices for the L212 in '78~79 is what it was before I got the 25% discount.
And it much have been '88 when I saw the 250Ti, being I remember its price of $1995.

[Edwards]

I have posted on this before, But there is a fallacy on this Forum that bigger is always better. This is not true, so please do not make a buy decision based on what is selling at the highest a discount relative to list price some 30 years back.

Buy based in what will sound best in your room.

In the early 90's I owned a pair of the 250's, At the time I lived in a smaller-medium sized house, with a lower level family room of a decent 13.5 ft square size but a 7.5 foot ceiling and they sounded terrible, and that was with some very decent electronics behind them. I sold them and bought a pair of Infinity K-8's and was very happy, as they were a smaller speaker.

Today in a decent sized office I have a pair of L-36's and they sound incredible. In my family room with a 9 foot ceiling I have a pair of L-212's and they play very nice at all volume levels, they have incredible smoothness, and great dimension.

My dad has the L-300's in a large deep finished basement and they sound absolutely magical.

This is like buying a TV, you can not expect to put a 70inch TV in a small room, sit 5 feet from it and expect to get good results. So give some thought and consideration about the room before you go shopping.....In the long run the best deal may not yield the best sound...Enjoy!

Ed

[4313B]

Agreed.