JBL 240Ti value

[jblnut]

I bought a pair of 120's from a forum member a few years back. They are my "daily drivers" as they are on in my office all day while I work. They replaced - and sound very similar to - the 4410's I used to have up here. I originally lent them to a friend who was considering leaving the Klipsch fold. We spent a lot of time comparing them to his Forte's and while the 120's produced far superior bass, the mids and highs just did not have that transparency he had become accustomed to. Of course they aren't horn-loaded with 98db efficiency so it surely wasn't an apples/apples comparison. His wife loved them ("the Klipsches are always SHOUTING at me and are JUST TOO LOUD") but he decided to keep the Forte's. So much for WAF .

The 120's might be the best of the legacy JBL 12" 3-ways, but may not compare to a more modern design like the LSR32. If you like the sound of an L100T/t3, 4410, 4412, etc, you might want to check out a pair while they are still undervalued.

Or you might wish to pass knowing the 044Ti's in them may be living on borrowed time...depends on how you view this whole foam damper busniess.

jblnut

[SEAWOLF97]

I bought a pair of 120's from a forum member a few years back. They are my "daily drivers" as they are on in my office all day while I work. They replaced - and sound very similar to - the 4410's I used to have up here. I originally lent them to a friend who was considering leaving the Klipsch fold. We spent a lot of time comparing them to his Forte's and while the 120's produced far superior bass, the mids and highs just did not have that transparency he had become accustomed to. Of course they aren't horn-loaded with 98db efficiency so it surely wasn't an apples/apples comparison. His wife loved them ("the Klipsches are always SHOUTING at me and are JUST TOO LOUD") but he decided to keep the Forte's. So much for WAF .

The 120's might be the best of the legacy JBL 12" 3-ways, but may not compare to a more modern design like the LSR32. If you like the sound of an L100T/t3, 4410, 4412, etc, you might want to check out a pair while they are still undervalued.

Or you might wish to pass knowing the 044Ti's in them may be living on borrowed time...depends on how you view this whole foam damper busniess.

jblnut

thanx for your perspective on the 120Ti ..tho I find it unusual to compare them to 4410's (which I enjoyed) and 4412's (not so much)

in actuality , I dont need more speakers. there is already a que of them waiting for something in use to develop a problem..so that they can get their moment in the spotlight.

Grumpy & I kinda hashed out that 044Ti foam thang here ....http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ns-Help-needed ...and I took pictures.

and

(..sometimes making a coherent forum post is harder than swapping out that foam)

[BMWCCA]

Interesting to review this thread so many years later. And great to revisit Seawolf's commentary (may he RIP) and others who no longer contribute as frequently.

Now that I am a 240ti owner for over a week, I find these a very pleasant speaker to listen to. I got my wife to enter the Speaker Dungeon to hear them and she liked them enough to ask if she could have them in her room. I hesitated to ask what "her room" was, but . . .

I'll be doing the re-surround as soon as Rick's kits arrive. I ordered four since I've still not done my 250ti that are still stored in the boxes at my old house. This may be just the ticket to get me going on both.

When I got these, one tweeter wasn't working (long story described elsewhere here), so I had no fear in taking it apart to check it out and look at the dreaded foam issue. For my first time, it was really not much of a problem to disassemble them. I've been in nearly every variant of the 044 so taking out the o-ring, screen, and magnet assembly is simple. I found a heat gun, a stainless "spudger" set I bought for iPod battery replacement, and ultimately a very thin putty knife was all I needed. Emphasis on the heat-gun. Even with the applied heat, the foam plug was supple and not sticky even at over 35-years. That was encouraging and maybe I'll concoct a felt replacement now that I have no fear of opening these up for periodic maintenance.

Visuals, just for the heck of it:

[BMWCCA]

All done and breaking in the surrounds—in case they need it. Sound pretty good right now.
It's a little late to be blasting them!

[DerekTheGreat]

Awesome speakers, I've always liked the look of both.

Good ole Seawolf, his commentary is missed.

[BMWCCA]

I was "allowed" some loud listening time this evening after work and I have to say these are quite impressive.

Like most upper-level JBLs, you have to feed them good recordings or they'll drive you batshit crazy. I started with what was in the CD player all night working the surrounds—Michael Hedges Live on the Double Planet. I could have listened for hours. Next up was Daft Punk but even as much as I love Nathan East, I just tire of the electronic vocals very quickly. From there I jumped to Bill Evans Quintessence which starts out with "Sweet Dulcinea Blue" and that fantastic interplay between Harold Land on tenor sax and Kenny Burrell on guitar. I know it probably sounded even better on my 4345s but it was pretty sublime with the 240ti and the Crown Studio Reference-II. From there I moved to Dire Straits' On Every Street which seemed perfectly matched to the voicing of the 240ti with both attenuators at -2dB. I tried some of my favorite Lizz Wright whose voice and range I love, but here the poor quality of the recording made it no fun to listen to for more than a short moment. No such problem with any CD from the late Chris Whitley I tried.

Easy to get lost in the music and this was the first time I even lit the signal lamps on the Studio Reference-II. These are now keepers and I can't wait to do the re-surround on my 250ti next!

[Mr. Widget]

Very cool...

They look great and I bet they do sound nice. Are you listening down in the dungeon, or were you able to take them upstairs where I assume the acoustics are more forgiving?


Widget

[BMWCCA]

Very cool...

They look great and I bet they do sound nice. Are you listening down in the dungeon, or were you able to take them upstairs where I assume the acoustics are more forgiving?

Acoustics are surprisingly good in the basement speaker dungeon. Rock wool insulation packed into the ceiling with Tyvek covering, waiting for an acoustic tile ceiling at some point. The second-floor "bonus" room is the eventual target but I'll have to finish that one before I'm no longer capable of hauling some of these heavy boxes up the stairs.

[DerekTheGreat]

I was "allowed" some loud listening time this evening after work and I have to say these are quite impressive...

...it was pretty sublime with the 240ti and the Crown Studio Reference-II... ...Easy to get lost in the music and this was the first time I even lit the signal lamps on the Studio Reference-II...

"Allowed." LoL.

Glad to hear that about the SR-II's, getting me all geeked up to receive mine. What can you say about the way it sounds compared to other amps or other Crown amps you've listened to? Is there anything it does fabulously well? Is there something you wish it did better or not at all? Which preamp did you use with it?

[BMWCCA]

What can you say about the way it sounds compared to other amps or other Crown amps you've listened to? Is there anything it does fabulously well? Is there something you wish it did better or not at all? Which preamp did you use with it?

Those types of evaluations have always been tough for me since I bought my first Crown over 50-years ago to replace a Fisher SA-1000. The McIntosh dealer I used for the Mac Clinics on my C20 had recommended Crown to me and gave me three to take home and try, D60, D150, and DC300. Back then my mind told me each increase in power gave me a "fuller" sound on the JBL 030 system which were my only speakers back then. My decision was based on cost as I was in high-school working summer jobs at a show warehouse, double-carrying golf bags back when they were leather and heavy on one of the hilliest golf courses I've ever seen to pay for my hi-fi and BMW. habit. 36-holes per day where on some holes there was a rope-tow to pull you from one green to the next tee. I still own the D150 and the C20—and the 030 in C35 cabinets. That's a preface in saying most of my experience has been with Crown amps.

Where my test setup is now I had everything running off a Crown Power Line Three and Crown SL2 preamp. The pre-amp developed an imbalance for which it will eventually go to AE Techron for a check-up and I replaced it with a spare Soundcraftsmen Pro-Control-Four, same as what I use in my main bi-amped 4345 system. (I also use a Crown PSL-2 and a JBL/Urei 6260 with L5s in our "Library" room. Both pre-amps do what a pre-amp is supposed to do in offering control over inputs without adding anything downstream, hence the Crown "straight-line" name.

Just like 50-years ago, what I heard when I first hooked up the SR-II was an increase in the fullness of the sound. I can't call it voicing and it has been rare for me to say power-amps that I've owned have any voice at all with the exception of my pair of Soundcraftsmen Pro-Power-Fours which to my ears have a bass-boost built in. I also own Adcom, Carver, and power amps, but the SC is really the only one that seems to color the sound. So I just don't use them. Probably perfect for subs, but I don't use those, either. I acquired the SR-II after I got my 250ti because I knew those really benefitted from more power. I have yet to try that combination but these 240ti are likely a similar situation. And they thrive on the SR-II, though I've never heard the 240ti before and this is the only amp I've tried them on so far.

I don't really see what I could want the amp to "do better". But every speaker system I've hooked it to sounds more "full" and I figured there might be some nuance lost with a big amp and some "sterility" based on those who have commented on the SR-II. The reality is there are nuances and subtleties heard through good speakers with this amp that make the music even more transparent, like looking past the veil into the individual instruments. The presentation, to me, is one of a more "live" sound, which is the point of High Fidelity. Even the lowly Pro-III Plus gain increased clarity with the SR-II. Now, of course, the amp loves to be played loud and increasing volume can alter your perception in any comparison, but it just sucks you in.

What would I want it to do better? I can't imagine what that would be. But given the limits of my amp experience over the years, I may just be ignorant of what I expect from any power amp. It will be interesting to hear what someone else experiences with the Studio Reference-II. And I may not have the audiophile jargon down enough to play this game. But I know what I like and so far this is the one.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go. Let us know what you think.

[BMWCCA]

When I got these, one tweeter wasn't working (long story described elsewhere here), so I had no fear in taking it apart to check it out and look at the dreaded foam issue. For my first time, it was really not much of a problem to disassemble them. I've been in nearly every variant of the 044 so taking out the o-ring, screen, and magnet assembly is simple. I found a heat gun, a stainless "spudger" set I bought for iPod battery replacement, and ultimately a very thin putty knife was all I needed. Emphasis on the heat-gun. Even with the applied heat, the foam plug was supple and not sticky even at over 35-years. That was encouraging and maybe I'll concoct a felt replacement now that I have no fear of opening these up for periodic maintenance.

As noted elsewhere, that tweeter "repair" only lasted a couple of days, so I have two u$ed ones coming from California. I also just received four diaphragms I ordered off AliExpress from China. Figured I may as well make the non-working one a project and an experiment!

Any words of advice before I screw up a classic JBL tweeter?