Recapturing the JBL L100 Century

I recall those JBLs specifically from years ago working at a Tech HiFi part time during college.

Speaker and amp technology and options have come a long way since then. SO its hard to compare stuff from back then to today.

I would feel confident in saying that there are many ways to do much better these days than was possible back then.

Having heard and demoed both on many occasions, I always preferred the OHM line to JBL back then. OHM is still in business and when available still sells their old models/cabinets refurbished and with updated components, drivers etc, for not much more than they cost back then.

The old OHM's most comparable to those JBLs would be the C2s or Hs, I would say. Hs were perhaps my favorites in the whole shop back then, though tonality of C2 was more like JBL as I recall. Contact John Strohbeen at OHM and I would bet he could whip you up a new and refurbed pair of Hs or C2s for a price that will remind you more of the 1970's than what something similar might cost otherwise today.

Or, for fun, if DIY has appeal, maybe find a pair of L100s on ebay and rebuild them yourself with more modern components and see what you might accomplish. That's what I did a couple years back with my old pair of OHM Ls from back then, and they probably sound better than ever, especially in that the gear I feed them with these days blows away almost anything that was available back then.

What if I told you, Mapman, that I have a pair of Ohm F's in my garage waiting to be refurbished? Vastly different than C2's r the L's, but intruiging none the less

"What if I told you, Mapman, that I have a pair of Ohm F's in my garage waiting to be refurbished? Vastly different than C2's r the L's, but intruiging none the less"

Getting those Walsh drivers on those OHMs refurbished properly is extremely tricky and requires some very specialized skill/knowledge, as I understand it.

There are art least one or two companies/people that I know of reputed to be able to do it, and it may not come cheap.

But those very wide range omni Walsh drivers are most unique and of historical significance in home audio as well. Many would covet a pair in good condition and working order these days, if possible.

Dale Harder is the person I know of who seems to be the most advanced in terms of ability to resurrect the original OHM A or F design these days. Maybe worth talking to him about it.

Audiogoner Mamboni is also very knowledgeable when it comes to DIY Walsh drivers and has blogged on the topic in great detail on other web sites. He helped resurect my interest in the OHM Walsh speaker line a few years back. Might be worth a google search there.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/30689-ohm-acoustics-walsh-f-speaker-remakes-13.html

The Briton II uses a NOS JBL L100 AlNiCo driver and sounds far better than the tired L100 Century. The L100 Century was known for it's "West coast sound" West Cost Sound because the woofer ran without any cross-over full signal and at times a little rough around the edges.

Put this amazing driver with a Horn port and 6 db cross with ultra high ends caps and coils and you have this....

Have a look!!!

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-2013-rocky-mountain-audio-fest/?page=2

Zav,

Another option is those Fs have trade in value up to $4K or 25% of cost of new speakers with OHM as long as cabinets are in decent shape. My F5s used refurbished OHM F cabinets from OHM.

Shipping cost to OHM in Brooklyn would be the main expense.

You could probably work a very favorable deal to trade in for very minimal cost towards refurbed C2s or Hs, or even a DIF upgrade to the newer OHM Walshes to save shipping, if of interest. An upgrade to F5000 would give you something similar to the F5s I use, but mine are last generation drivers, not current.

http://www.ohmspeaker.com/legacy-products/f/