Does anyone here have real life (i.e., not demo in a store) experience with the Lintons, L82s and L100s? I have the Lintons and I absolutely love them, esp with older pressings, but there are times when I would would like a more transparent, cleaner and more neutral sound that still has lots of energy, etc., so I've been considering the JBLs. I'm curious if anyone could speak to the difference in sonic signatures. Just for the record, I am def not asking which is "better"--I think they're all great, and "better" is subjective anyway. I'm also not in the market for any other speakers, so no need to recommend other brands/models. I'm really just curious about a comparison of these three, so would prefer to keep the convo focused, if we can. Thanks in advance.
Have you watched Steve Huff's review of the JBL L82? He describes their sound as warm side of neutral, not overdoing transparency, etc. That actually reminded me of the Lintons!
Will have a look! I think the Lintons have more body and are (intentionally) a bit more sloppy in the lower frequencies. I've been trying to find a video comparison, but so far no luck. Thanks for letting me know about SG's review--will dig around for it.
Only at Axpona, so it’s not exactly apples to apples. I will say that at no point have I ever wished for something else.
What about changing your DAC? If you're running only vinyl -- a new cartridge? Have you treated your room? Have you added dual subwoofers? (I'm a fervent proponent). I know this response is not answering your question, but your speakers are excellent -- the things I mention are vital, though, to making ANY speaker sound better.
There is nothing wrong to me with the sound--I absolutely love the Lintons. (I do have two subwoofers, too, actually, and a handful of carts to choose from.) But with warmer pressings/carts, the bottom can get a bit sloppy, which works for me with some pressings and not with others. My impression is that the L100s control lower frequencies a bit more and articulate them with more detail, and the lower frequencies don't overlay the mids and highs as much. So this is why I'm asking if anyone has been able to do an A to B comparison.
Yes, I myself tend to like tighter bottoms, though all are welcome to apply Do this experiment: on the "sloppy" ones, block the port off. I don't think the Linton (Heritage I assume you mean) have a port bung/stopper, maybe oversized tightly wedged socks or small towel will work, until you feel no airflow. That makes it a sealed alignment with "tighter" response-does that do it? If not then it is most likely the ROOM and not the speakers at all. Have you ever measured the room response? Experimented with placement? Fine to change speakers if needed but you want to be sure it's really a speaker thing. I don't see any equipment in your profile-do you have any room correction available?
i have the denton 85 and blocked the ports with some foam and the bass sounds considerably tighter (and better in my small room)
Thanks. I have several speakers and it only happens with the Lintons, so I'm pretty confident it's a native characteristic of the speaker. Like I said, I really like it with a lot of pressings, but sometimes crave something that's still warm but a touch more neutral. Again, I am not trying to fix anything. Just curious if people have compared these speakers to each other. I love the Dentons, @hostaempresswu -- I use them in my office.
My only hesitation with the L82s is that I'll wish I got the L100s for some reason other than just a bigger sound that eludes me right now but will become obvious after I make the purchase. So that's the main reason why I'm curious to see if anyone has done direct comparisons.
I haven't noticed any problems related to bass yet. Is there a particular track that makes it obvious?
It's not a problem--just a different sonic signature. As I've said, I love the Lintons, and for me they make better parts of my chain that I wouldn't necessarily enjoy as much otherwise (e.g., Orto carts and the Hana EL). But sometimes I would like a speaker that is more balanced and controls lower frequencies a bit more succinctly.
If I find a track that highlights this in particular, will post it. Haven't been keeping close track (no pun intended) -- just a general impression after a few months of listening to them.
See this thread about the 100s/82s: JBL is reissuing the classic L100 speakers A lot of info here leads one to believe that the 82s are "better" than the 100s.
Personally, I use Front Line Assembly's Retribution from their album Implode, to test the bass for my pair of Linton speakers. I had to make adjustments to my speaker position so that the bass is not so boomy and in my listening area, it sounded much better. Mind you, this is from the CD version since the LP is pretty hard-to-find.
Thanks--will stream it. I have three TTs and a bunch of carts, and my experience of the Linton bass changes dramatically with each source. The one thing that's consistent, though, is my impression that I am seeing the highs and mids through a layer of lower frequencies. And most of the time I love that, esp when the source is neutral/bright. But when the source is warm, it can get a little bit too soupy for me. Again, it's not a complaint of any sort--I have never even for a second not enjoyed listening to the Lintons, literally. They are my favorite speakers by far. But I have a feeling I would love the JBLs, too, just for different reasons.
Did your Lintons come with the stands? They certainly look like a great value. Not sure you'd get much more value out of the smaller 2 way L82 at $1k higher price. But I know nothing in reality!
I actually have been a bit split between the L82s and the Lintons while considering new speakers for my main system. Have not been able to hear the L82s and only heard the Lintons in store for a couple tracks. I tend to use “bright” AT carts so I could do with a little warmth to balance that out I think.
I bought different stands. More or less the same height. I think the Lintons are gorgeous, especially for the price. Wholeheartedly recommend them.
Yup, I think that's right about the Lintons balancing out a bright source. I think they're tremendous speakers. I wouldn't want to be without them. Which makes me wonder if I will like the JBLs as much. And, if not, whether they're worth the outlay for me. I really wish I could hear them side by side...
