Your Favorate JBL's from the 70's

Cool thread. My dream system in the 70's which I never could afford was a Marantz 2325 Receiver and a pair of JBL L-100's. I was able to afford later my dream of owning the Dual TT. Similar to what Emailists had posted.Of course my system is much better now. Oh those teenage years revisited.

I still have a pair of L-65s which I bought new at the beginning of 1978. I've had them re-foamed (probably due for another within a few years) and have auditioned more than a few speakers which I was "probably sure sounded a little bit better.....maybe.....or which probably had better specs" but I've never been able to part with these. Back at the time I bought them, they were sort of my own consolation prize to myself for not being able to afford Infinity QLS 1's (or the municipal power stations necessary to run them!). Over the long haul, they've suited my lifestyle to a tee -- neither overly temperamental as to power requirements, placement, or the "eeek!...It's outdated!...trade it for something more trendy, quick!" factor, and they've weathered the ups and downs of my fortunes as a freelance visual artist/illustrator perhaps better than any other speaker that could've been custom designed for me! They've been powered by a Pioneer SX-1250, Then a Denon 100 watt per side integrated amp, and now a Sony ES series HT reciever. They've been connected up with reverb amps and equalizers and other sources whose brand names and model numbers I no longer remember. Some ones I do remember were a 1975 Teac 450 cassette deck (A-450??) which was my first venture into stereo equipment up and above all in one AM/FM/8 track/phonograph type things, a Teac X-7R reel to reel, and a Pioneer "Centrex" 8 track tape deck. Presently, I'm back into vinyl and my workhorse source component playing thru the '65s is a Music Hall MMF-5 turntable. I have daydreams of maybe going back to 2 channel at some point but who knows? Only thing halfway certain is that my L-65's will remain my speakers-of-choice unless Infinity comes out with a 100db efficient retro re-issue of the QLS-1s with ten times better than original specs for under $500 a pair...

LGL

Wow: The Pioneer Centrex. Our family had one too. We got it in 1970 and my brothers and I would fight over it because we each had our own stash of titles. Hard to imagine the initial excitement of 8 track compared to what we have today. I had the entire Beatle catalogue on 8 track and I loved it when they would break up songs up into two parts as it moved between tracks, especially on Sgt Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. Nothing like a five second delay mid-stream with a song!!!

I still have my 4311's that I bought when I was an enlisted GI in Germany for $500 in 1977. I only made $3K/month (pre tax), so that was major dough. I've been carrying them around with me since then. Steve Perry and Journey blew out a tweeter in 1980, and then Springsteen did it again in 1985 and they've been in my garage(s) evcer since. I just can't bring myself to part with them.

Still have my four L-65 Jubal Speakers that I bought new in 1974. Since then, numerous things had worn out, and needed replacing-upgrading. Of course any JBL fan knows the foam surrounds are a ticking time bomb, sure to eventually go at some point in the future. Sadly, I now understand the Cone Kits for the 126A Woofers are no longer available from JBL. Appears if I ever blow one, I will now be screwed.

In time, the L-Pads went to hell, the X-Overs also too went bad, and Decided something had to be done, so I commisioned Madisound to make four brand new X-overs to exact JBL Jubal Specs, but using Goertz Alpha Core Air Inductors, Solen Poly Caps throughout, replaced the shot L-Pads with 100W versions, and Edison-Price 5-Ways bought from MusicDirect, thus replacing the wimpy, problematic Push Pin Terminals on back.

Internal Wiring was of course high grade Copper 12ga from terminals to X-Over, 12ga from X-Over to Woofer, and 16ga to LE5-5 mid, and 077 Tweeter. All was soldered up with WBT Silver. All four Cabinets were further interally braced, particularly the Front Baffle Board.

While internally different-improved, they still live on without a knick on any of them, grill cloths, and glass tops still like new. Of course I cover them after each play.

The front end driving these today is certainly a step ahead of what was available in '74, a VPI MK-IV, AQ PT-8, Benz Ruby 3, Sutherland PhD. Digital is all CAL Audio Labs.

Only regrets were these were so satisfying for all these years, that I didn't choose go back to the drawing board, and buy a pair, or two of the large 4300 Series Speakers when they were much more easily gotten (4343,4345) Sadly too, turned down the last four brand new 4430 Monitors that JBL had in stock in the mid 90's, at a cost of $1600 ea. Mark