new 4312s

[sandbites]

Visited Japan for the holidays and managed to score brand new 4312E's as a souvenir. I've always drooled on the extensive JBL releases from Japan so I plotted to bring home a pair with me as my souvenir. I got it from a sweet little shop in Akihabara in one of the small store dealers of JBL Japan. The guy in the store was nice enough to wrap the box in foam paper so that it won't scream JBL at the airport. I was so excited that I got the biggest JBL I can take in the plane with me as accompanied baggage. My wife could only shake her head, and probably thought to herself "you and your bright ideas".

Store where I auditioned the speakers. You could choose which one to listen to and adjust the volume as you please. You can go as loud as you want, no one will stop you and only shame tempered the temptation to crank it up.
DSC_2563 by sandbites, on Flickr

DSC_2561 by sandbites, on Flickr

The S4700 and 3900 which I shamelessly tried with reckless abandon
IMG_4801 by sandbites, on Flickr

My speakers separated from the herd and ready to be sold
Untitled by sandbites, on Flickr

In the airport shuttle
Untitled by sandbites, on Flickr

The white woofer King
JBL 4312E by sandbites, on Flickr

Safely in the house
JBL 4312E by sandbites, on Flickr

Testing mode using the Yamaha DSPA1
Untitled by sandbites, on Flickr

[Formerly YB-2]

Nice.

Just surfed the JBL website and could find none of the speakers shown in your pic's. Are they "Asia only" speakers these days?

[sandbites]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Nice.

Just surfed the JBL website and could find none of the speakers shown in your pic's. Are they "Asia only" speakers these days?

They're exclusive to Harman/JBL Japan not even ASIA-Pacific. Search for Harman or JBL Japan and you'll see the goodies there.

The wide array of JBL choices in the picture above is typical of most Japanese big box electrical stores carrying JBL. Plus they have all of these in stock, the really big ones are order only. It can be delivered to the store in 2 days tops

[Mikado463]

very nice, I've always had a soft spot for 'Mr Lansing' ......

[sandbites]

My oh my these 4312e's are power hungry. The original plan was to use the JBL's in a second system powering them with my Yamaha DSPA-1. Power was kinda short with the DSPA1 so I tried them with the Mc 275 vi running stereo. The JBL's are begging for more so now I'm surfing the web for a new power amp... Bryston, Macs... choices... choices....

[crwilli]

Originally Posted by sandbites

My oh my these 4312e's are power hungry. The original plan was to use the JBL's in a second system powering them with my Yamaha DSPA-1. Power was kinda short with the DSPA1 so I tried them with the Mc 275 vi running stereo. The JBL's are begging for more so now I'm surfing the web for a new power amp... Bryston, Macs... choices... choices....

Don't know where you are located but there is a very nice MC352 at a great price in our marketplace. That would have plenty of power. You could also pick up a second MC275VI and run them in mono. 150+wpc of McTube goodness

[sandbites]

Originally Posted by crwilli

Don't know where you are located but there is a very nice MC352 at a great price in our marketplace. That would have plenty of power. You could also pick up a second MC275VI and run them in mono. 150+wpc of McTube goodness

The MC-275 stays with the Sonus for now so I'm looking at the US$1,500 and below power amps used or new

[Formerly YB-2]

An MC2125 or MC7150 should work well and are considered to be somewhat 'tube like' in their sonic presentation.

[Pampero]

Originally Posted by sandbites

The MC-275 stays with the Sonus for now so I'm looking at the US$1,500 and below power amps used or new

How about something from ATI? They make/made amplifiers for many Harman divisions (including JBL) for years. Is there a less expensive route to a balanced amp than ATI? 2000 series should do the job.

I've owned countless JBL monitors over the years and for most of them, 200 honest watts/ch is more than enough.

[sandbites]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

An MC2125 or MC7150 should work well and are considered to be somewhat 'tube like' in their sonic presentation.

Originally Posted by Pampero

How about something from ATI? They make/made amplifiers for many Harman divisions (including JBL) for years. Is there a less expensive route to a balanced amp than ATI? 2000 series should do the job.

I've owned countless JBL monitors over the years and for most of them, 200 honest watts/ch is more than enough.

Thanks for the inputs but I'm feeling guilty over the purchase so I'm scrimping on the amp for know.
I'm toying with the pro Crown xls 1500 or 2000, it's really cheap compared to a used Mac and what not. I'm just having misgivings on the quality of sound I'll get at this price point.