jsut picked up a set of c54 with LE8's in them

[Docwolf]

The cabinets are in fair shape but the driver needs help. this is my first dealing in vintage JBL, I have been building my main home system with vintage Pioneer and modern Yamaha components. these JBLs where at the local thrift store and i figured for 5 bucks for the set, they where worth a shot. the surrounds on the drivers and radiators are toast, one drive is free but rough while the other was stuck. the spider on the blown driver is ripped also and the cones feels very brittle. i was amazed at the size of the magnet and the cast aluminum frame, theses things look awesome. I have no experience with re-coning or re-foaming. are they worth while to fix up? wheres a good place to get the work done? i see these have a rather tight clearance on teh voice coil so i would rather have a pro do the work. I can re-foam the radiators, that seems simple enough and the kits are cheap, though it would be nice to have the stock color. thanks for your help and sorry for being a noob LOL.

[Docwolf]

HEY, thanks for all the great help and info guys, wow what a terrific community you have here...that was sarcasm if you where un sure. guess i will pitch them.

[1audiohack]

Hi there;

Sorry you didn't get what you came for. This is a relatively small community and while there are some technically oriented folks here many are not very active.

Currently (this minute) there are 80 people on this entire site as compared to 873 on AK so the number of responses will likely be small as well.

I read your original post but I don't know much about your speakers and had nothing of value to offer. I myself would not toss the LE8's, I would repair them and find a use for them. If you want to quadruple your money pull out the drivers and sell them to me.

Don't go away mad, this is a neat site if you are a JBl fan.

All the best,
Barry.

[BMWCCA]

LH helps them that help themselves. An attempt at a search would have answered most of your questions. Google would show value. Others would show you how to re-surround, and explain the Lans-alloy material. You likely got no reply because your post showed you hadn't done the basics for yourself.

What you have are slimline cabinets with the smallest vintage JBLs. They are indicative of the quality in JBL drivers but not the sound. The LE8T is a sweet little speaker but more of a novelty than a great-sounding speaker. Sounds like yours need a complete recone which will cost far more than the finished product is worth. Do what you want. Don't expect to restore your battered IRA with a quick flip.

[grumpy]

Kind of like buying a porsche for $500, then realizing it needs a new motor.

If you really want to fix them up as keepers, they can likely be restored.
I'd lean more toward JBL pro service centers (vs consumer) but only because
that's who I've done business with. A call to JBL pro might net you a local
service center that can give you recone estimates, and
whether parts are currently available.

[Docwolf]

thanks guys, that was info i was looking for, i only spent 5 bucks on the set so i am not concerned about getting my money back out of them. i had done some research, but nothing i found told me weather they where worth fixing or not. i have seen working units sell for 80 bucks on ebay. but nothing told me what i would have invested. If you are serious about the 20 bucks for a drivers, your on, but you pay shipping too while these may not be the best sounding, they sure look cool and i would rather them go to some one who can use them rather then toss 'em. do you want the passive radiators too?

[BMWCCA]

If you are serious about the 20 bucks for a drivers, your on, but you pay shipping too while these may not be the best sounding, they sure look cool and i would rather them go to some one who can use them rather then toss 'em. do you want the passive radiators too?

That's a nice offer you're making to Audiohack. They really are a beautifully made little speaker! Eye-candy even if you never get to hear them sing. Makes me think of this:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ull=1#post9264

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...1&d=1068158203

[Docwolf]

mine are not that nice, or that broke down lol. the magnet covers are un coated and rusted. but yeah, i am happy to make 15 bucks on the deal, seems like a good profit margin.