Are vintage speakers really that good?

I used the 4311's in the studio when they were new. They are probable the last good JBL's made. But still, there are even older , better speakers.

The vintage drivers can be good sounding. The only problem with the vintage speakers are the cabinets. Many folks bought these drivers and build them with good cabinets and they can be as good sounding as a $5K to $10K speakers.

My JBL L150A were manufactured around 1982 and I think they retailed for around 2,500.
Not sure about the blue book price now, guess it's around 600, but I wouldn't change them, they are in mint condition and the sound is great.

One question, how can I cheaply mod them to make them even better ?

Thks,

Speaker drivers have improved dramatically in just the past 5 years. I have heard some older drivers that aren't bad, but they are nowhere near the latest designs.

Just the facts, ma'am.

"Improved Technology" often means producability. They are more easily made, and therefore cheaper. "Improved" does not always refer to audio quality.

Fashons change with regard to how a speaker should perform. Nowadays, imaging is king. Older speakers excell in reproducing large sounds, like a symphony orchestra, at realistic volume. Maybe that is more important than imaging. Doing both with the same speaker is the challange. My solution, by the way, and a lot cheaper, is to use different speakers for different kinds of music.