What is generally considered the BEST JBL Studio Monitor
 

I hope that I am not opening up a can of worms here, but I know we have a lot of JBL fans here.

I would like to limit this to the "standard" size... not the, really huge, 2 woofer models.

Let em rip..

I put together a full 5.1 system with all LSR6238 monitors and a McIntosh MX135 for a friend. It's a kick ass system!

I'm ready... :)

https://www2.bc.edu/~bakertu/Gladiator.jpg

Best, I don't know. But I remember the 4311 as one of my all-time favorite speakers. Those big white woofers doled out wallop after wallop of delicious bass on my young and impressionable ears. Some complained about brightness, but I found them just perfect. Rumor has it that they sounded so right on so many recordings because so many recordings were mastered on them. I don't know this as a fact, but they were a pretty common fixture in recording studios in the 70s and early 80s.

Behold:

http://mixonline.com/TEC20/JBL-4311.web.jpg

Alberto

Alberto, I think everyone on the planet owned a pair of those or the L100's aka Century. :)

I was fortunate, I owned the following JBL's

L100
L220
L300
4311
4312
4343

I owned a pair of JBL100's, and hammered them for years with many hours of great music. I bought them new in 1979, and after many years gave them to my brother in 1989. He passed away two years ago, but the L100's are still in his home being enjoyed by his wife. I replaced them in 1989 with a new pair of JBL 4312A monitors that I still own, and drive them with a McIntosh MA5100 integrated amp. They still sound damn good.

I also own a pair of JBL LSR6332 monitors, and five LSR6328P active bi-amp speakers. These are serious studio monitors, and are only available through pro audio dealers. The LSR6332's are 3-way passive, and are very much in the vain of JBL's line of 3-way monitors. All great speakers.

Favorite? LSR6332's. They are kick ass speakers.

Wow, this IS a loaded question. I'm a longtime JBL fan, as most of you know. I haven't heard every JBL model, probably few of us have. Also, I'm still not sute what we mean by "standard" size. Lots of one-woofer models, some of them large. As Ivan pointed out, many of us have owned the famous L100 Century; originally based on the 4310 monitor, and a few variants followed. The 4310, 4311 and 4312 were all desirable monitors.

I've owned a pair of L220's since 1982, it is large but is technically a one-woofer system that utilizes a passive radiator. The nearly 29 years I've owned these attest to how I feel about them-I believe JBL got a LOT right with this design.

The legendary L300 was based on the 4333 monitor. This could also be considered large, though with only one woofer.

I also own a pair of 4313B's which I use in my vintage florida room system. They are a very nice 10" 3-way design with the LE10H woofer, an LE5-9 midrange and an 066 dome tweeter. This is a very nice monitor in the nearfield, though it does not have the thunderous bass of the larger models. (Of course mine do now, with that 2241 based sub I am using with them, courtesy of Ivan. No low frequency anemia in this case! :D)

Perhaps we need a better definition of what we mean by "standard" size. (perhaps non-floor standing?) There were (and are) many JBL models to choose from, and IMO they are all good.


Pete

As far as I'm concerned the L300 was "The JBL" to own back in the day. They rightfully named it the Summit.

Oh' the memories! ;)

Yep, the L300 was a legendary model indeed. The 136A Alnico driver delivered an awesome low end, and the horn-loaded LE85 compression driver midrange was awesome as well. They are a bit low, wide and squat for my room and system, one reason I like the L220's with their tower design. They named this one the Oracle.

I still daydream about having an extra room somewhere with a pair of L300's!


Pete

Now you're talkin! :thumbsup:

Here is a very good JBL Reference: Vintage Product Information

Ivan....I actually need several more rooms for the additional rigs I'd like to put together. A pair of McIntosh XRT18's also strike my fancy! :sigh:

Pete

Great Resource Dan, thanks!

Alberto...I too owned the 4311's and wish I still had them:thumbsup::music: other JBL's owned were the L36's and L100's but the 4311's were my favs:yes:

Dave

Does anyone know what a nice pair of 4311's would be worth.

Any love for the 4430?

This JBL thread motivated me to get out my bottle of Howard Feed N Wax, and wipe down my JBL 4312A speakers last night. Mine have the walnut veneer, in excellent condition, but were really looking dry. After about 30 minutes on each speaker, rubbing Howard Feed N Wax into the walnut and letting it soak in, then buffing the speakers with a soft clean cloth, the 4312A's look brand new. Of course I couldn't have the JBL's looking so good without turning on the MA5100 and playing some CD's. Man, oh man the JBL 4312A's sound great. No wonder JBL sold so many, and they were used professionally by so many studios. These JBL's can rock. I am glad I have kept them all these years.

If you haven't tried Howard Feed N Wax, you owe it to yourself to buy a bottle of this stuff. It is excellent. Home Depot sells it, and so does Amazon. It will totally restore oiled veneers like brand new. My JBL 4312A's are looking beautiful.


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41S4ZdMrokL.jpg

Dan,

I use, and highly recommend, the exact same stuff on my JBL 4301b's.

Dan...now THAT is what I call a great way to spend an evening! (aside from parking whoever that was on your sofa with the Koss cans). :D

Pete

You can find them from time to time for well under $1K.

Alberto

One more HUGE plus about the 4311, is that they were DESIGNED for close-field listening and placed being close to walls - because those are the normal conditions in a recording studio. Typically you have the speakers just a few feet away from the ears of the mixing engineer and the speakers themselves are often sitting on/near the console or suspended in air with some brackets.

Until I got "fancier" speakers with stands and all, my JBLs were almost always placed at a room boundary, near a wall (even inside a cabinet) and they sounded great to my unsophisticated ears. Sometimes I miss those simpler times - especially when I am crawling on the floor with a tape measure to make sure that my Sonus Fabers are aligned within a 1/8" and properly toed in. Progress? I am not so sure.

Alberto

I couldn't agree more Alberto....

Sometimes I just want to move home to my cabin, set a Fisher reciever on the floor, hook up a Dual TT, some JBL's, stack 5 records on the spindle and let em rip...

Pete.......I guess last night wasn't enough. I had the JBL's cranked up again today, and marveling at how good they sound. The 4312A's are serious performers. I need to get busy with the plans you provided me, and build some angled stands. The stands I use now do not angle the speaker back, only raise it about 4 inches. These speakers work their best on the floor when angled.

:yes:

Pete

Really?

YouTube - Really: New Windows Phone 7 Official Ad

:D

0:17 to 0:19 - she's soooooo my type.

Wait, what was this thread about :D.

Alberto

Really?

http://audioaficionado.org/attachmen...1&d=1298082766

:naughty:

Alberto.......That is exactly the point where I drifted, too. :D

I owned a pair of 4312, which is the same as the 4311 turned upside down, and similar to the L100. They seemed to have good midrange detail but a light weight bass and soft treble to me.
I like the Dynaco A25 XL, 2 way 10" speaker better from memory of the 4312s, though I've not compared them side by side . They are designed and made in Denmark by SEAS for Dynaco and sound superb to me w/ both modern and vintage electronics.

Not for nothin guys but honestly....4311's ad 12's???? These are toys compared to the "real" deal monitors JBL put out! I've owned (still do) 4311's 12's,L300's.... My 4 way JBL 4345's w/ 18" woofers is THE BUISNESS!! Great sensitivity, dynamics, and AMAZING Bass!!

I still have my original 4311 and 4312s, both sets bought new. They still hold up very well.

I've worked in many studios that used to have 4345s which I think were the best of the big JBL studio monitors.

However, it's really two different applications of a similar device. In the studio they both were used for very different reasons. In larger pro studios it was not unusual to have 3 or 4 sets of monitors for different listening reason. If you were lucky all were good and translated well between the sets.

AThe 4345 and the UREI 813Cs used to battle it out for who was studio king. Along with my Westlakes, I still have an original pair of 813Cs setup in my shop that I've used to threaten my neighbors.

2 are better than 1
 

:banana:

C'mon, if you can have a pair of 4345's then a pair of 4350Bs or 4355s aren't unreasonable.

Besides, it's much easier to drive a pair of 2235H's to match a 2202 or 2206 with a 2241 and 2205 than to try and overdrive one bass transducer for a flat response.

;^)

The best JBL Studio Monitors in my listening room today are the pair of 4343s that I rolled in on a dolly and set up
this week. After several marathon listening sessions, I have forgotten most everything else I was supposed to do this week.
I just love these big bad JBL's!

I will always have a place for the 4311's and the 4312's. Sold my pair of 4425's to a friend and have missed those.

Jimmy.....congrats!! The 4343 is a beauty indeed. I've long lusted for a pair, though I'd have nowhere to put them. You take one look at the driver compliment and you know they'd have to be great.

If I had just set up a pair of these, I'm sure I wouldn't be getting anything done either!

I'l love to see some pics when you have a chance....:yes:



Pete

Real men hang 4343's from the ceiling with chains. ;)

:lmao: :lmao:

Make sure you're in some good solid rafters!! :D


Pete

Pete
As per your request here are a couple of pics... first sitting in the garage waiting to be moved in, and second in the Vintage Room with temp placement and temp audio rack... these 4343s sound amazing!
http://www.audioaficionado.org/attac...1&d=1316351133
http://www.audioaficionado.org/attac...1&d=1316351270

Jimmy.....beautiful! I'll bet they do sound amazing. I love these JBL pro monitors. I have a pair of 4313B's in my Florida room. By no means a 4343, but nice just the same.

Very nice!! :thumbsup:

Pete

Hey I did that Ivan, had 4 hooks into studs and used 200 lb test marlin fishing clear line... funny