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L-300 lenses on Klipsch Mid horn


roadworn

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On 2/5/2020 at 9:37 AM, Marvel said:

JBL manufacturing was impeccable! the woofers in my 4311s are works of art. If Eminence were to make all of their cast baskets with that touch of detail, we couldn't afford them.

Yes, but JBL never sold many corner horns or L300's. The Klipschorn and Cornwall trounced them in the marketplace as a much better value. JBL's corner horn, revived by a local guy running Classic Audio builds them and they sound like crap compared to a Khorn or Jubilee, even with these silly Field Coil drivers that do nothing but increase cost, they still sound like crap IMHO. JBL lost the battle as they put too much in the wrong place at too high a price. But hey, when you sell maybe 2 speakers a year, you can do whatever...........................

 

"The design of the Hartsfield was not terribly innovative. Instead, it was an example of refining a proven concept with an uncompromised approach to design and build quality. (Nonetheless, the Hartsfield design was considered unique enough that a patent was issued in 1957) While there had been some criticism of the Klipschorn in its use of mass market drive units and an insufficiently rigid cabinet, there would be no such compromises with the Hartsfield." Quote from the JBL site.

 

The L300 was just an expensive Cornwall

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jbl.jpg.44f53a2e8a49c6acba210f8983fb0dbc.jpg

My brother in law bought a lake house to fix up. He wanted me to help with some speakers built into book cases. I expected junk. This is what i found. New surrounds on the woofers, and they sang again. Very impressive. I offered to sell them for him and get him some newer bookshelves, but he opted to keep these.

 

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8 minutes ago, glens said:

He needs to turn that tweeter 90 degrees as it's dispersing up and down, not side to side.

Yeah, someone else on here suggested that after I had put everything back together. I told him, but I doubt he will. He thinks they sound fine, good actually. These sit on the floor at the bottom of the bookcase, so maybe it was done on purpose???? Whoever built them, did a nice job and used good components, so maybe....

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16 hours ago, Marvel said:

 

My 4311s from the early '70s were walnut with black fabric grills. Actually prettier than the L100s, and cost less. I got a discount through a studio I visited, so the price was around $280 (listed for $329 at the time. Pro gear didn't follow the rules on the fair trade laws, so they could discount more where the retail stores could not) each, give or take a few dollars. It was a long time ago and I have lost the receipts. Crossovers on the 4311s are a weak point... a single cap on the mid and tweeter, along with an L-pad for each. Most studios bought them in gray, like the ones on the right in this pic.

 

Bruce

4311.jpg

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/JBL-4311-WX-A-Speakers-Pair-Studio-Monitors/223900000449

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@glens  Why show me an ad? I have a pair, will probably keep them, but won't go buy another pair. If anything, I would build new cabinets and flip one of the front baffles so the would at least be symmetrical.  As is, you always have two lefts or two rights.

 

18 hours ago, ClaudeJ1 said:

Yes, but JBL never sold many corner horns or L300's

 

We will never know (nor do I care). The L300s were about $1800 a pair when made. Sales/numbers data apparently got lost in the Northridge earthquake.

 

Paul was a genius, no doubt, but the L100s and similar pro models made the company a lot of money with a decent product. They introduced tons of folks to a higher output home speaker. My 4311s are rated at 91db/w, etc. Way lower than the Klipsch offerings, but much better than Advent and others at the time.

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33 minutes ago, Marvel said:

Why show me an ad?

 

I was sitting out in my truck for lunch, and by the time I got the link pruned down to its basic form, and found this thread, then pasted the link, and accidentally hit "submit," it was time to get back into the hell hole.  I don't remember just what I was going to say.  Sorry.

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1 minute ago, Marvel said:

 

I'm waiting for you to spring for a trial on the Classic L100s,,,,

 

I keep asking myself, "How often would you really listen to them?" I would probably go at them hard for a month and then drop back into my normal habit of private listening with IEMs and my laptop.

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58 minutes ago, Deang said:

then drop back into my normal habit of private listening with IEMs and my laptop.

 

I get that. When I am at my computer I often have on a gaming headset. It's a little fat in the bass, but they block out room noise so I can concentrate on whatever I am working on. I have some small JBL speakers for the PC, but often leave them off.

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4 hours ago, Marvel said:

@glens  Why show me an ad? I have a pair, will probably keep them, but won't go buy another pair. If anything, I would build new cabinets and flip one of the front baffles so the would at least be symmetrical.  As is, you always have two lefts or two rights.

 

 

We will never know (nor do I care). The L300s were about $1800 a pair when made. Sales/numbers data apparently got lost in the Northridge earthquake.

 

Paul was a genius, no doubt, but the L100s and similar pro models made the company a lot of money with a decent product. They introduced tons of folks to a higher output home speaker. My 4311s are rated at 91db/w, etc. Way lower than the Klipsch offerings, but much better than Advent and others at the time.

So the price you quoted from 1971 means they would be almost $12,000 today as a new pair, after State Sales taxes, over TWICE the price of a Cornwall IV, which I bet would Trounce them sonially at half the price! Great drivers in an overpriced Bass Reflex Box...........JBL's mark of excellence..........if you can afford them. Don't get me wrong, I actually own and have owned many used JBL drivers, and still do today, but my point should serve to explain why JBL's are no longer available, and Klipsch is still kicking butt in the marketplace 50 years later.

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On 2/13/2020 at 3:49 PM, ClaudeJ1 said:

 JBL lost the battle as they put too much in the wrong place at too high a price. 

 

Yes, what I have noticed through the years unfortunately.

16 hours ago, glens said:

Kicking butt or holding their own?

Well when you are only counting Heritage, probably holding their own.  The overall Klipsch line, probably kicking it.

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