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I need to get rid of my JBL 4311s don't I?

I have a pretty decent system and can't help thinking that my 70's JBL 4311's from a radio station are holding me back.
I have them perched on some leadshot filled Target stands...toed in about eighteen inches from the wall. To my ears they sound great if the vinyl I am spinning is great. They seem to be a very revealing, flat, near field monitors. What speakers should I be checking out as replacements? I have an ARC Ref1, VPI TNT 3.5, ARC Ref Phono, ARC D130, old Cardas Hexlink interconnects. My local hifi emporium has a pair of used Quad EL63's that they are asking fifteen hundred bucks for...I listen mostly to jazz...lots of mono....and soul from the 60s...any suggestions? I am not concerned about cost but do like to get some bang for my buck. I have considered going all out for Wilson's, Revel, or B&W but really don't know where to begin. My next purchase is certain to be some kind of monoblock tube amplification but I guess that is for another thread. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
ntscdan
buscis2's avatar
buscis2
468 posts
 
I have completely upgraded my system including my speakers. I still own my JBL L112s that I purchased new in 1981. I refinished the speaker cabinets, and rebuilt all the drivers while rewiring the internals. I now have them stored. I cannot bring myself to selling them. To this day, I have not heard a speaker that was as dynamic, and as "profound" as the L112s.

The only reason for replacing them was sheer physical size. They do have a habit of letting themselves be known when in a room.

Don't let yourself be impressed by the "latest and greatest". Your 4311s are a classic loudspeaker that sounded great then, and still do now.
jsujo
348 posts
 
did you rewire them yourself, or a tech...what was used? and how much? I have a super mint condition L-96's and am not sure I wanna mess with them,,,what do you think was the improvement?
buscis2's avatar
buscis2
468 posts
 
Jsujo, I used LATs Silverfuse Hook up wire. I rewired all point to point wiring. I also replaced the binding posts with a pair of LATs binding posts. The stock binding posts on the JBLs are basically useless. When completed, I noticed much better driver control on the woofer, and the speakers tend to sound much more open and airy.

All soldering was done with high purity silver solder, although I'm not sure of how "pure" the silver solder actually is. I can tell you, it's not 5 nines purity like the LAT wire.

Personally, I have always felt that the L96s 10" woofer yielded a much tighter, more controlled bass response. But, needless to say, did not bark with the bass authority of the L112s. I am sure if you were to modify your L96s as outlined, you would be quite amazed at the results.

You would be making a classic loudspeaker even better.
woodburger's avatar
woodburger
143 posts
 
I found them (still have a pair but only becuase they'd be tough to get rid of) to be very very dependant on amp and position. Got mine after hearing them on a McIntosh tube system. On my Crown DC300A they were not nearly the same.

To me the tweeters are tizzy compared to what you can get now. I also suspect the pots in the controls get futzed over time, but can't prove.

It's a colored sound, IMHO, but one many like.

Best regards,

Bob
ntscdan OP
52 posts
 
thanks for all the suggestions...the speaker connections on the back are pitiful...especially for a pro speaker...the foam around the tweaters is starting to disintegrate and re-wiring the innards sounds like a good idea...I think I will put some effort into "fixing up" what I've got before I shell out any more dough...
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