old JBL studio monitors


(old) JBL Studio monitors seem like an interesting deal on ebay (or here on agon).

But what makes a "studio monitor " a "studio monitor " ?

How well have 15 (20?) year old JBLs aged? I do know about failing foam woofer surrounds. I would imagine the caps in the crossovers are getting unhappy too, maybe.

Any thoughts?
lester_ears
I have a pair of 4350 and believe me that is sound.DEEP BASE, natural impac sound, the presence is there.
I have JBL 4333AWX's (basically the studio version of an L300). With Quicksilver KT88 monoblocks I find them smooth and very relaxing.
I did the same as foxtrot. There was an article in speaker builder about two years ago regarding rebuilding L300's.
Studio Monitor was a promotional term used in the seventies
to suggest that the speakers making that claim were designed to be utilized as monitor speakers in the recording studio. If the engineers used these speakers to record the sound, surely you would be wise to use them for retrieval. I always thought it was a lot of crap but it certainly sold a lot of product.

JBL construction quality is unsurpassed but the sound is definitely a matter of taste.
I have 2 pair of JBL monitors. 4311's and L-100's. The 4311's came from a co-worker who bought them new and took very good care of them. The L-100's came from the Salvation Army for $40.00. They have had some cabinet work, but sonically were in great shape.

Both of these pairs have held up really well. The only problem I have is that one of the attenuators has a dead spot in it. Deoxit has helped but not completely. No caps in the crossovers to fail.

I have several vintage receivers and one thing I have noticed is that these speakers need more power than most people think. It's true that they can be driven nicely with 50WPC, but give them 100 or more and they change dramatically. It's like a completely different sound.

I can't see paying the dollars that people are getting on ebay, but if you are looking to put together a vintage system and like 70's rock and or jazz, you might find them very pleasing.