TheEvan Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I scored the JBLs recently at a garage sale for $10. I probably heard some way back when but really don't know how they sound. After some searching I was surprised to find people pay big money for these, typically well over used Heresy prices with which it is comparably sized. I thought I'd flip them but figured I ought to give them a listen first. I mean, you never know, right? I cobbled together a system to run them in my shop and pulled out a pair of RB5s I've had for 3 years or so. I'll sheepishly admit I've never hooked them up. So basically, I'm comparing two unknowns. First, the RB5s: Surprisingly smooth and warm, with fantastic imaging and a nice full-range sound well beyond what I expected for their small size. Then I hooked up the much larger 4311Bs. Nasal, pinched, congested, flat, cold and, wait for this...an adjective I've never used personally but have heard applied so many times to Klipsch, SHOUTY. Yes, it literally sounds like somebody with a clothespin on their nose, who has been breathing helium and is singing through cupped hands! How that descriptor ever got applied to Klipsch is beyond me. Like I said, I'm flipping them... to some deleriously happy JBL 'bot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Oh, and no wonder so many pop recordings from the early 70's, when these boxes ruled in recording studios everywhere, sound so awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The caps and possibly the "pots" are probably shot on the 4311's. Placement is/was an issue, and they were not as efficient. I have 2 pairs of the 4312's (the "right side up" version...), but have redone the caps and made sure the presence and brilliance pots are clean, etc. You may want to try "cycling" those pots back and forth a number of times and note the difference. If they are "crackly", then the pots need cleaning and also the caps need replacing. But..... let me tell you now, LOL!!! to get that crossover board out/ off, is an ungodly PIA, etc. Other problems can also be that they were either played to the point of meltdown (which causes the mid drivers to sound real funny...), or allowed to sit for 20 years... Either way, unless they are restored, re-capped, etc., they will not sound like they were when new. The Control Room Monitors (43xx, etc.) were always "brilliant" primarily because they were designed to be as "flat" as possible for a recording studio. The 4311's were funny, in that they really need to be placed up quite high to use the ceiling to get the bass to bounce; unless it was a "near field" (small...) studio. You can actually flip them upside down, and at about 24" off the floor, and you might get a completely different sound. Also, check your PM's [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 If you place them on the floor, you definitely need to turn them upside down, to get the mids and tweets up higher. Mine sound very close to the sound of my HIIs, but they aren't as efficient as Marshal says. The pots for sure need to be cleaned. A pain to get out. To remove the pots/crossover, you have to remove the thin aluminum strip with the logo on it and remove the screws underneath. Remove the woofer (quite heavy, and it sits in a recess on the motorboard) to reach inside to get hold of everything. Packed with insulation... The actual setting for those pots for those to be mostly flat isn't what you would expect. Dennis posted the info one time, but I can't find it right now. I powered mine with my ST-70 for years. Used them to mix a couple of albums, loaned them back to the studio I bought them through, so they could mix a Styx album. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The 4311 measures flattest with the tweeter pad set to about half, and the mid pad set to about one-quarter (three -quarters off). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Okay, there's more to these than met my ears. Still and all, I can't imagine them being more listenable than the RB5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Okay, there's more to these than met my ears. Still and all, I can't imagine them being more listenable than the RB5. You may still like the RB5s better. That's a preference only you can make.On the bright side, the JBLs don't have foam surrounds that have rotted out. [Y] If it wouldn't cost so much to ship them, I would take them off your hands cheap... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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