What are you talking about, the 20 some odd year olds ones?
If so, it is more about the "romance" of owning a pair of speakers you could not even think about affording in high school or college. They are decent on most tube gear and are very efficient, or mosfets, they kinda need those types of amps to smooth out the midrange, which can be nasal. I geniunely never had much problem with the highs, its strongest feature, in my humble opinion. Where they sound like they have bass, its not as much as a woofer that size would lead you to believe. One of the truly best built speakers ever, JBL drivers of that era have few peers when it comes to build quality and finish quality, it was and is incredible. I recently got into a huge written argument on one of the other web sites about the sonics(?)of a pair of these being driven by 3 older SAE amps with an SAE pre amp and marchand 3 way xver's. Needless the say the person that had this setup and I have different opinions on what it must have sounded like.
It is a great system if you want a classic. And like most other classics, if you are waxing nostalgic about a time in your life, it will sound and look wonderful to you, and in a lot of ways is still impressive. But up against many of its modern equivilants, I don't think it holds up.
I have bought and sold a few pair in the last couple of years, Nashville has its fair share of them. There are better speakers sonicly for the money spent, usally 1500 to 2000 dollars. A more impressive speaker build wise, probably none.
If so, it is more about the "romance" of owning a pair of speakers you could not even think about affording in high school or college. They are decent on most tube gear and are very efficient, or mosfets, they kinda need those types of amps to smooth out the midrange, which can be nasal. I geniunely never had much problem with the highs, its strongest feature, in my humble opinion. Where they sound like they have bass, its not as much as a woofer that size would lead you to believe. One of the truly best built speakers ever, JBL drivers of that era have few peers when it comes to build quality and finish quality, it was and is incredible. I recently got into a huge written argument on one of the other web sites about the sonics(?)of a pair of these being driven by 3 older SAE amps with an SAE pre amp and marchand 3 way xver's. Needless the say the person that had this setup and I have different opinions on what it must have sounded like.
It is a great system if you want a classic. And like most other classics, if you are waxing nostalgic about a time in your life, it will sound and look wonderful to you, and in a lot of ways is still impressive. But up against many of its modern equivilants, I don't think it holds up.
I have bought and sold a few pair in the last couple of years, Nashville has its fair share of them. There are better speakers sonicly for the money spent, usally 1500 to 2000 dollars. A more impressive speaker build wise, probably none.