2. speakers
  3. 1067409830

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
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...
dannylw's avatar
dannylw
172 posts
 
I recently partially rebuilt L150's. I changed the binding post filled the innards with a newer filler and rebuilt the woofer surrounds. They are a little tizzy on top but they aren't bad at all. I think dynamat on the inside walls and cleaning of the potentiometers will find you a new and improved speaker for little money.
tony2704's avatar
tony2704
6 posts
 
I've just bought JBL 4315, it sounds much much better than my current modern Quad 22L in all aspect.

Anyone heard 4315?
timf
237 posts
 
You also mentioned wanting to purchase some kind of tube amplification in the future? That being the case, why not see if you can arrange to bring your JBLs along when you begin to audition the amps you have singled out for audition? This will not only allow you to hear the results of that sort of combination, but it will also allow you to talk to various dealers about the sort of speakers they might suggest & hear the speakers they are using.
More to discover