JBL, end of an era

The company I work for uses JBL speakers exclusively for cinema installations, it will be sad to see the US-made product cease production.

-Aaron

 

Although I don't have JBL speakers, and never had any (notably the JBL L100), I do owe some thanks to that speaker, because the ones I now have are apparently a descendant of the L100. Sorry if I'm a bit off the topic, but a few years ago, I ended up with a pair of freebie Pioneer HPM-60 speakers and had planned to use them for my garage system. Problem is, they ended up sounding so good, I actually replaced my main home speakers with these "old classics" (late 70s vintage). Upon further research, I discovered these were the smaller version (60w) of the Pioneer HPM-100 (100w), which themselves were an idea based on the JBL L-100 speakers. Some have even said that the JBL engineers/designers had left JBL and went to Pioneer to design their HPM-100 speaker (thus the comparisons often made between the two). Just thought I'd mention it, since there's supposedly some sort of connection to JBL there.

 

Same here, one of my favorite speakers.

 

I still have a pair of JBL 4311b speakers that I got on closeout at May Company in the early '80s for around $200-ish for the pair. (Yeah, May Company used to actually sell hi fi...and had a record department until the end of the '70s, for that matter).

Perfect for listening to those '70s albums that were mixed to sound good on these...

 

I used to love those colored grills. Everyone had a pair except me. I probably would have gotten a pair, but I lived in LA and bought some RSL's factory direct. They did have some great speakers at some great prices.Also, if you blew a driver they would usually replace it for free right at the factory in Van Nuys, no questions asked.

 

RSL = Rogersound Labs a small LA chain...I used to love hanging out in their store on Topanga in Canoga Park (the flagship)...I remember when I bought a top of the line Kenwood KR9600 receiver there...that was my first big audio purchase...But it was a nice place to shop because they weren't on commission. They also opened up a boutique-within-the-store, Upscale Audio, which stocked high end stuff.

One great thing about RSL is that they never stocked the junky low end.

Another good thing: The salespeople actually knew something about audio.

You could get your MoFi pressings there, too, if you wanted, fresh from the company about a mile away

Then one day (1992) they closed :-( Apparently, the original owner sold them to a venture group who everextended them, mis-managed them (brought in a doofus from the horrible Silo Electronics) and drove them out of business. The end of an era...

Sad. But then, all the moderate sized chains from LA in the '70s eventually closed: Pacific Stereo, Leo's Stereo, University Stereo, Cal Stereo, Federated (the first mega stereo store...Anyone remember the huge store on Van Owen and Canoga?) (Trivia fact: "Fred Rated", the goofus in the Federated TV ads, was a pre-fame Shadoe Stevens).

 

JBL is the McIntosh of speakers.

Should it be the other way around?

McIntosh is the JBL of amplifiers.

 

Oh yeah, Federated-Shadow Stevens.I bought a Technics table from that location.

 

Let's just hope McIntosh does not go down the road JBL is on.

 

As a long time owner of JBL's this is very sad.....

 

The only logical choice is Wilson Audio.

Better start saving your pennies...

 

This really is sad news.

 

The speakers in the control room at the radio station I work at has JBL speakers. Before they blew a tweeter, they were the best speakers I'd ever heard.

 

RIP jbl

 

The economist in me wants to think that this is just business and the company is fulfilling its obligation to the shareholders...

But this just really sucks. A very sad day and I feel for those that spent a good part of their life there. There is just way too much of this going on these days.

 

That's going way too far IMHO...

 

Very sad. Still have my L-65's,L-100's,L-112's,L-150's& L-166's in heavy rotation.

 

Since when has Harman not ruined everything they've touched? Another old classic audio name gone to junk. Bet you can buy JBL soon at K-Mart!

 

You can already I'm pretty sure...

 

Jeez is there any way to rescue and archive all the great discussion and knowledge that is contained in the JBL/Lansing forum?

 

Lessee, the L-65 is the one known as the "Jubal" as I recall. Owned them for about 7 or 8 years. Nice speaker - it had the so-called "nozzle" tweeter and a nice-looking smoked glass top..

I still visit them once in a while at a friend's house (he bought 'em from me).

 

haha. I have a chance to own Klipsch. No chance to own Wilsons. Even if I had the money, I dunno if I would buy 'em.

 

Maybe he meant that JBL has been around as long as McIntosh. They're the second oldest speaker company in the US. The oldest is Klipsch.

 

I concur.

 

I received my JBL L-100a speakers as a legacy gift from a friend whose father had purchased them new in 1972 and had used the fine sound of their AlNiCo woofer and midrange speakers to enjoy listening to his favorite Opera and Classical Music.



That was in 1997 and it didn't take long before these JBL L-100a speakers had me listening and truly appreciating Baroque and Classical Music for the very first time also in that although in my opinion these classic JBL speakers sound good with any kind of Music playing, but over the last 13 years it has been my experience that very well recorded and finely Mastered Baroque and Classical Music like the fine early Nippon Columbia CD's along with the unique synergy that these speakers have with vintage Vacuum Tube amplification bring out the very highest sound quality that these 38 year old speakers with their original AlNiCo drivers have to offer.



It seems as though every year that goes by we loose more irreplaceable legends in the world of recorded Music. Fortunately the virtually indestructible classic JBL speakers that they listened to can still provide for us a reminder of their Musical sensibilities.

~Maxx~