First JBL score

[santa]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and to JBL and wanted to say hello and share my find.
I found these speakers buried in a craigslist ad for video stuff. From the time I spoke to him to the time we shook hands I was expecting to miss out on the sale as a few days elapsed from the time we spoke to the day we met.
Heres a pic of what I found when I arrived:

Peering in the back

No sound from the HF section and the bass sounds funny, this may be the problem...

The bass bins are loaded with a D140R and a 2245H. I have another D140r in a box. It may have a problem, I have not swept it yet

Here's a pic of the XO's,2445J, bullet tweeters and that interesting acoustic lens


The price was $350 which I think was pretty darn good.

I want to build a pair of speakers using these parts and my first question is
"How appropriate are the D140R for hi fi use and should I be considering getting another 2245 for LF use?

Due to my listening room, I will likely go with a traditional vented box but I am open to suggestions.

[grumpy]

pretty darn good, indeed. Christmas was early for Santa. Just the 'funny' horns
sell for more than that, typically.

Appropriate for hi-fi use? Depends (highly) on your definition. Certainly not
if some parts are blown or incorrectly connected. You have chosen a complicated
collection of parts and cabinets to start learning about this stuff with...

(looking much like a JBL "LaScala" implementation with 'generic' JBL crossovers
3115A and 3105?) ... when I say 'generic', I mean in how they appear to be
used in this DIY system, as opposed to the system/driver combinations which
they were designed for.

[santa]

I have been into audio and DIY since childhood and have an Electronics background so the learning curve is not too steep .

In my case I got lucky as although the XO's were hooked up wrong with the 3105 cascading into the 3115A, I dont think any real damage was done as there was a low powered amp on these.

I got home and pulled the drivers, figured out the XO's, plugged things in and we have some pretty darn good sound. I immediately noticed the seamless midrange from the 2445J and I'm hooked.

I am now just getting a handle on the quirky things like the reversed polarity convention used by the manufacturer.

[robertbartsch]

I have one system in my basement that is close to this one. It has a 2225, 2445, 2405 and it is one of my favorites.

You got a great score! I would keep the cabs.

[brutal]

Those 2245H are crap, just send them to me.

[jcrobso]

They look like D140F except they have paper dust cap, they are also similar to a 2205B.
I agree with Grumpy, looks like a home made La Scalla cabinet.

[kevinkr]

Nice score.. The 2402/075 appear to be alnico, worth what you paid for the whole thing by themselves.

The standard X-O combination is generic, but fine for use with these drivers. I'm not surprised you are getting good sound.

I run 2402 with 2440 on the top with Iconic 165-8G on the bottom end in Onken (Ultraflex cabs) Of course I'm hooked on JBL and Altec stuff later in life when the deals are not so easily found.. (As a younger man I thought this stuff was too "old fashioned")

[santa]

I too once thought JBL and other vintage equipment to be " old fashioned", then I took a listen and well you guys know the rest.

One of my tweeter XO's seems to be configured for 8 ohm high pass so I'll have to replace it or rebuild it with better internal parts. Aside from that I am very happy with the sound.

I do have a couple of questions about the 2390 lens,

How high should it be mounted from the floor?

Should the baffle behind the lens be as wide and tall as needed to support the cutoff frequency of 500 hz?

Thanks,

Glen

[grumpy]

If you check out the info in the Library here, Pro components and look up the
horn/lens in question, there are baffle guidelines available.

[macaroonie]

350 bucks WOW. Since you got such a great deal why don't you think about aiming for a fully active set up. Once you get the bass end sorted out as far as cabs and even up the drivers you could profitably look at active crossover networks to run the whole deal.
There are plenty of analog units about including JBL/Urei M553 or Ashly or BSS or even go a step farther and find a System controller. These are complete digital units that do EQ/ Crossover/Phase etc. There is an entry level Behringer that does not cost the earth although there were some ' issues ' noted here.
The big deal with any of these units is that you basically dial in your system. Downside perhaps is that you will need 3 stereo power amps , there is plenty of info in the depths of this site on this subject.
I am using a neat and tidy Rotel 6 x 65 w power amp ( RMB1066 ) that does the whole job in one chassis. I scored it used over here for £300 and it has plenty of oomph for domestic use.
Good luck with your new system

Mac

[SMKSoundPro]

You got a great deal!!!
I am using this same combination of parts in my workshop hi-fi above the main bar.
2235 in a L200b enclosure/2440 on a 2390 "funny" horn thingy/ and a 2405 slot, all actively crossed over using a dbx 234 3-way crossover into older Yamaha p2200 (lows), p2100 (mids), and p2050 (uhf).

If you start into a 3-way world, you may really hear the difference, as I do.

Good luck and welcome!

Scotty.

[jcrobso]

I too once thought JBL and other vintage equipment to be " old fashioned", then I took a listen and well you guys know the rest.

One of my tweeter XO's seems to be configured for 8 ohm high pass so I'll have to replace it or rebuild it with better internal parts. Aside from that I am very happy with the sound.

I do have a couple of questions about the 2390 lens,

How high should it be mounted from the floor?

Should the baffle behind the lens be as wide and tall as needed to support the cutoff frequency of 500 hz?

Thanks,

Glen

But narrow vertical coverage, I use them a ear level.

[santa]

the library is such a great resource, I spent hours just looking at products.

I plan to go active as soon as I scrounge up some more power. I have a couple of Audio Control crossovers, one with a nice EQ that I have had from my auto stereo days that I'll press into service.

The plots show the lens should be placed at ear level as you guys recommend so I'll go with that.