[eclein]

I have an offer to trade my JBL 4312A's for JBL L-200 Studio Masters....has anyone ever heard L-200??
Do I even consider it? I'm pretty sure its an even trade, but would I gain better sound...I know its subjective but kindly
give me any thoughts you guys might have.
 Ed

Update-- Not gonna pursue it, read some reviews, gonna stick and stay with these.

[macrojack]

The L-200 was a marketing decision that didn't fly. However, many guys have used it as a building block to create an L-300 which is a much revered 3-way version. The L-200 has the excellent LE 15B woofer in a very sound cabinet and a horn that is just too small. I bypassed the JBL horn and the native crossover and mounted a better horn on top.

If you can effectively get the L-200 pair for the $50 you have invested in your 4312, then I would say do it.


The above photo shows how mine turned out. The job was easy and the results are very impressive sounding.

[eclein]

Macrojack- I decided not to go for it...I would most definitely convert it to a 3-way but I live in an apartment with my gear being in the bedroom, my eyes were too big...15 inch woofer!! So I'm just gonna enjoy my 4312A's and sit and listen for awhile. I'm sure that will change in a week or so...LOL. Thanks for your time though, greatly appreciated.
 **those horns are very cool by the way

[macrojack]

Good decision. I'm about 13 feet away from my horns in a 22 x 15 room and I think a larger space would be better. I'm sure you wouldn't want them in a small room. Think about finding a Plinius integrated for your 4312 instead.

[Wayner]

Good decision. A friend of mine had these and all I can say is that they were big and tubby sounding. More like a theatrical speaker, like "The Voice of the Theater" speaker. I seem to remember that the L200 had a 15" woofer, and I thought the top was horn loaded, but..........oh wait, it had that goofy finned diffuser over the tweeter, maybe the tweeter was a piezo???? I don't remember a midrange driver, but hey, this is like 35 years ago. He had some EPI mini towers that sounded better, but he blew them up with his Crown DC-300 amp, when the furnace kicked in during a party, cough, cough.

Wayner

[Wayner]

I found a picture with the grill removed.

 

W

[macrojack]

Wayner - That photo is an L-300. In the center top you can see the 077 slot radiator tweeter. A nice pair of L-300 can fetch $4000.
L-200 was a two-way using the aforementioned LE 15B woofer and the H-91 horn with LE-85 one inch compression driver. It also used the not so goofy diffraction lens to distribute its sound pattern. I've read that the engineering department at JBL was overridden by the marketing people on this one. It has a typically well made JBL cabinet however and a 15 inch woofer that is as well made and high performance as the TAD stuff. The problem lies in the horn being unable to fill its mission. Utilizing a larger wideband horn saves a lot of money on the bass section if you can buy L-200 right.

As an aside, the parts in the L-200, if sold separately, are worth twice as much on the open market as the 4312s are in operating condition.

[jtwrace]

MJ

Your horns are stunning.   

[eclein]

Beside 4312A's what model would be an upgrade or parallel move..L100's, I'm just curious because I religiously check CL and see some very cool stuff but don't know what would be an upgrade to 4312A's other than like multi-thousand dollar JBL's...what's a hot sh_t (JBL) to jump on next if I see it??
Ed

BTW-I'm selling my E-80's if anyone knows anybody near Allentown,Philly area who may want some...I'd be happy to get $200 for them..

[macrojack]

MJ

Your horns are stunning.   

Thanks. I like them. I have to tell you though anything I create that has a pleasing aesthetic  quality is an artistic accident.

[eclein]

Thanks. I like them. I have to tell you though anything I create that has a pleasing aesthetic  quality is an artistic accident.

You made them?? Awesome..way to go..

[macrojack]

Beside 4312A's what model would be an upgrade or parallel move..L100's, I'm just curious because I religiously check CL and see some very cool stuff but don't know what would be an upgrade to 4312A's other than like multi-thousand dollar JBL's...what's a hot sh_t (JBL) to jump on next if I see it??
Ed

I run some risk here in trusting my memory but a lot of people like the L-65 Jubal. Also remember the L-166 Horizon being smoother than but similar to the L-100 Century. What you have is the professional version of the L-100, I believe.
The Horizon is the same size as your speaker but the Jubal is a bit larger and designed to sit on the floor. Both are 3-way with 12 inch woofer. Both should be reasonably affordable although not as cheap as what you just paid. All of the speakers we have talked about were generated at the same time.

BTW-I'm selling my E-80's if anyone knows anybody near Allentown,Philly area who may want some...I'd be happy to get $200 for them..

[eclein]

I bought a sign for my cave....its a sickness I tell ya..!!!

[macrojack]

You could do much worse than JBL for an obsession.

[eclein]

You could do much worse than JBL for an obsession.

Thanks!! 

[Wayner]

Wayner - That photo is an L-300. In the center top you can see the 077 slot radiator tweeter. A nice pair of L-300 can fetch $4000.
L-200 was a two-way using the aforementioned LE 15B woofer and the H-91 horn with LE-85 one inch compression driver. It also used the not so goofy diffraction lens to distribute its sound pattern. I've read that the engineering department at JBL was overridden by the marketing people on this one. It has a typically well made JBL cabinet however and a 15 inch woofer that is as well made and high performance as the TAD stuff. The problem lies in the horn being unable to fill its mission. Utilizing a larger wideband horn saves a lot of money on the bass section if you can buy L-200 right.

As an aside, the parts in the L-200, if sold separately, are worth twice as much on the open market as the 4312s are in operating condition.

OK. I thought that it didn't look quite the same.