JBL reissuing the L100 monitor

[Tigerjones]

Hi Joel,

I have enough amplifiers at the moment but if you were in the UK I might be tempted. I am keen on your thoughts about the JBLs when you get them. Please let us know.

P

 

[joel]

Well that didn't go to plan at all.
The speakers and amp were... OK, but for that money I'd need something significantly more than OK. So, in the end I chose a system that is not for the 'classic' thread and is a pretty radical departure from what I've had or been advocating for over the last 15 or so years on here.

 

[Tony L]

We obviously need to know more! Your lovely Yamahas would have set a very high bar to jump, so very curious as to where you have ended up!

 

[joel]

We obviously need to know more! Your lovely Yamahas would have set a very high bar to jump, so very curious as to where you have ended up!

Where I'm heading is a radically different place, but this is not driven by some existential ennui with what I have. The issue is that while the Yams work on stands, for reasons of safety we simply cannot have 40kg speakers on stands right above sleeping kids here in Tokyo. It is as simple as that.
I've also ordered a s/h Esoteric CD player, and am negotiating on a Technics SP-10-2 with an audiocraft arm, because a) my current CDP is broken beyond repair and b) there is a need for a longish-term replacement for the SL7s. Basically, all change here.
It is going to take a while for all this to come together: the speaker system won't arrive until October or November, but I will post as things progress.

 

[andyoz]

It's interesting that the L100 classic retail for £4000 and the 4429 retails for £5000. The L100 seems expensive to me for what it is...although reading Joels comments comparing them to LSR6332 ups the anti a bit. I;d have snapped up a pair of 6332 second hand but they are known to be bass shy and I;m not a fan of subs.

 

[joel]

I would take LSR6332 and subs and DSP over the L100 (or what it is I've actually ordered)... I noted your comments on the Genelecs in the other thread. While I haven't gone down the Genelec route, I do have similar long-term concerns with where I'm headed. However a non-lethal hifi is the absolute priority at this juncture.
I've not heard the 4429s, but the 4428s had strong 'pinking' issues around the xover that I really didn't like.

 

[andyoz]

Yes, I have seen the original LSR32 sell stupidly cheap. I think they had carbon fibre baffles too until JBL realised they cost a bomb - They do need a sub though by all account and I can't be arsed with all that.

The 8351 are interesting things. On the weekend I put the 120Ti's up in the mid field and my ears instantly relaxed (recessed mids of domestic gear at play there). I also tried turning the 8351 auto room correction off and preferred some aspects of the sound so I think I need to manually tune and not trust the computers. I don't think I'd want the 8351 for casual home listening at any sort of distance though - the advantages of the massive waveguide are lost then and it sort of defeats the purpose of all that R&D (they are savage at pulling a mixes apart). The things aren't made in China so you're paying for that..

I've heard the 4429 is alot better than the 4428. The horns on the 4428 just look 'wrong' to me for a start!

p.s. UK dealers are ready to deal on the 4429...and near £4000 is possible

 

[Tigerjones]

Well that didn't go to plan at all.
The speakers and amp were... OK, but for that money I'd need something significantly more than OK. So, in the end I chose a system that is not for the 'classic' thread and is a pretty radical departure from what I've had or been advocating for over the last 15 or so years on here.

Sorry to hear the speakers weren’t up to scratch. Was hoping they’d get a glowing report as I like the look of them.

 

[joel]

, but They didn't convince me

UK dealers are ready to deal on the 4429...and near £4000 is possible

Sounds like a plan... The 4428s were so horrible I never bothered checking out their replacements. But if the 4429s are good enough, you could have a plan.

Sorry to hear the speakers weren’t up to scratch. Was hoping they’d get a glowing report as I like the look of them.

The JBLs weren't bad, but they were coloured, and generally worse than the Yamahas I have whilst not that much smaller.

Currently have the Yams back on their stands, and a new CDP in the loop. Sounds good. hmmmm....

 

[ToTo Man]

The issue is that while the Yams work on stands, for reasons of safety we simply cannot have 40kg speakers on stands right above sleeping kids here in Tokyo. It is as simple as that.

I'm trying to visualise the problem. Do your kids sleep on the floor or are the Yamaha stands really high?

 

[stevec67]

There has to be an engineering solution to stop your speakers falling on any passing children.

 

[Tony L]

I'm trying to visualise the problem.

Tokyo can get quite wobbly at times, there was a truly horrendous earthquake in Japan last year IIRC.

 

[cooky1257]

Is some pro mounting hardware affixed to the top of the cabs with a bungee/strap connecting them to the ceiling(like a seatbelt for speakers) not feasible ?

 

[stevec67]

Tokyo can get quite wobbly at times, there was a truly horrendous earthquake in Japan last year IIRC.

With the kind of solution that I have in mind, by the time an earthquake had shaken the speaker off the stand or the stand off the floor the hifi would be the least of your worries.

 

[joel]

The speakers are 43cm from the floor and the kids play and occasionally fall asleep in their general vicinity.
That said the Yams did not fall over during the Great Tohoku earthquake of March 2011. However, the next big quake is likely to be more powerful and the epicenter much closer to Tokyo.

 

[andyoz]

Sorry to sidetrack but just noticed JBL are dumping these if anyone wants to go to the consumer electronics 'dark side'. Their bluetooth homage to the L series..

These actually sound really good! https://uk.jbl.com/outlet/AUTHENTIC+L8.html?cgid=Outlet&dwvar_AUTHENTIC L8_color=Black-EMEA-Refurbished#start=1

 

[joel]

I ended up reverting to type

 

[Mr Tibbs]

Good to see you posting Joel. I'm likely never going to change from my old CB and Olive Naim kit but can't help smiling at the thought of something like that big McIntosh sitting dead centre between my Gales - looking very cool and sounding great

Mr Tibbs

 

[Gervais Cote]

I heard these new/old JBL in an audio show and I was disappointed: they sounded grainy and colored. They were hooked up to a McIntosh solid state integrated so I don’t know if that helps or not........

Nevertheless, I heard some old JBL with a large black woofer and a horn fed by a 2x 7 watts vacuum tube integrated and the sound was awesome so although I’m not a big fan of JBL, I know they can sometimes be wonderful when paired with the right component.

 

[joel]

I heard these new/old JBL in an audio show and I was disappointed: they sounded grainy and colored. They were hooked up to a McIntosh solid state integrated so I don’t know if that helps or not........

I don't know what 'grainy' means other than as something valve fans seem to hear, but the speakers did sound coloured to me and a downgrade on my venerable NS1000s.

Nevertheless, I heard some old JBL with a large black woofer and a horn fed by a 2x 7 watts vacuum tube integrated and the sound was awesome so although I’m not a big fan of JBL, I know they can sometimes be wonderful when paired with the right component.

Best JBL system I ever heard, was an active, digital Accuphase system into some old-school PA cabs at the Tokyo International Audio show over a decade ago.