Vintage Steal (I Hope)

[likeitloud]

I just scored some JBL L-19 DECADES for $30. I know something about vintage jbl
3 way gear , but have never heard vintage 2 way designs. From what I've read so far
they are pretty good speakers, even by todays standards, a guy in another forum
says they have one of the best 8" drivers ever put in a cabinet, by jbl or anyone else.
I'll decide that when I blast them in a few days, they have surround issues, is this
a do it yourself fix, I've read up on it, it seems straight forward. One may have a driver
issue. Is getting these sorted out worth it, If they can be fixed without going broke, I
will use them for surrounds, and if they are everything I read, I guess I may have got a
classic, as always...thanks

Pioneer VSX1015TX
JBL Northridge E150 Powered Sub
JBL 4410A Studio Monitors(Front)
JBL Northridge E30(Surrounds)
JBL Cinema Vison CVCEN50 Center
JBL Northridge Satellites(Back Channel)
Pioneer Elite DV45A DVDA/SACD
Panasonic DVD F86K
Sony RCD W500C CD PLAYER/REC
AR Interconnects
Cobalt 14G Wire
Sanus Stands
XBOX 360 (Just Added)

As Long As My Brain And Fingers Work I'm Cool...Edward Van Halen

[Florian]

Grats!

I have no clue about these speakers, but age and quality dont go in sync ;-)

[JohnMichael]

[QUOTE=likeitloud]I just scored some JBL L-19 DECADES for $30. I know something about vintage jbl
3 way gear , but have never heard vintage 2 way designs. From what I've read so far
they are pretty good speakers, even by todays standards, a guy in another forum
says they have one of the best 8" drivers ever put in a cabinet, by jbl or anyone else.
I'll decide that when I blast them in a few days, they have surround issues, is this
a do it yourself fix, I've read up on it, it seems straight forward. One may have a driver
issue. Is getting these sorted out worth it, If they can be fixed without going broke, I
will use them for surrounds, and if they are everything I read, I guess I may have got a
classic, as always...thanks

I always enjoyed the L19 and I liked the tweeter in that model. Contact www.partsexpress.com or www.madisound.com for kits to replace the surrounds. They are deffinately worth a little bit of work.

[likeitloud]

Thanks for the info, you guys are great. The more research I find on these, the more
I like them, they should be a good match to my 4410's. Can you recommend a good
shop to have these restored, I want them done right. Tks again.

[teradacto58]

The little JBL's are worth restoring! I scored a pair of Vintage JBL L65 JUBAL's (12" 3way)yesterday for $7.99... Very Sweet Sweet sound!!!! I found 2 pair of JBL L 36.(10" 3way)..a while ago for $10.00....they are in my attic at the moment....along with My Son And I's collection of approx. 100 pairs of vintage speakers. I think it's time for some extra insurance!!

[likeitloud]

Great score, I'm always looking out for vintage gear, I will be doing a vintage 4 channel
set up next year, have the speakers (4410A/L19), On the look out for a receiver. Your
attic must be something to walk thru. I really like the history of vintage gear. And
some of it still holds up today.

Pioneer VSX1015TX
JBL Northridge E150 Powered Sub
JBL 4410A Studio Monitors(Front)
JBL Northridge E30(Surrounds)
JBL Cinema Vison CVCEN50 Center
JBL Northridge Satellites(Back Channel)
Pioneer Elite DV45A DVDA/SACD
Panasonic DVD F86K
Sony RCD W500C CD PLAYER/REC
AR Interconnects
Cobalt 14G Wire
Sanus Stands
XBOX 360 (Just Added)

As Long As My Brain And Fingers Work, I'm Cool...Edward Van Halen

[yod]

how are you

i need your help to search and find twiter{mid} brand new for my jbl l19 series

thanks alot

mate

[yod]

sorry for my "rush"

[melvin walker]

The best JBL was built prior to 1970. The two way systems was popular in the JBL line doing the 1950's and early 60's. The reasons for the two way systems is because the response on the records of that period did not extend to far. Later the two way speakers added treeters to extend the range as record response had improved.

The JBL L-19 Decades was in no way JBL best speaker and certainly not their best 8 inch speaker.
JBL fame came from drivers and 15 inch speakers. The D130 , D150-4C , D130A .
JBL also made some excellent 12 inch. speakers. JBL used drivers for mid range , 8 inch speakers was a compromise.

After the 1970's JBL speakers declined in overall quality as the company was sold.
The big west coast sound that made JBL famous was gone. The big horns such as the Hartsfields, and Paragon etc, was a thing of the past.

Did you score ? well it all depends on what your taste are.

[O'Shag]

JBL know how to build speakers. I'd say you got a great deal! I think their only hiccup was in some of their lower priced early 1990s speakers. Other than that, some of the best speakers I've heard have been JBLs. You should hear the Hartsfields or the 4350 studio monitors, bloody awesome.

[clh1997]

Just a comment on when JBL speakers began to decline:

Up until mid eighties, JBL still made very good speakers in at price range, which many people could afford them and fit them into a normal living room.

Good examples are JBL L96 (and it’s sisters L86 and L112).

These are truly GREAT speakers still today:
Units are genuine JBL quality and X-over networks had been improved radically (compared to those of e.g. L100 Century).

However – if you look closer (and inside) at these speaker, you are able to detect traces of what was to come: X-over networks are no longer “hard wired” (but made on a fiber circuit), internal wires are very – VERY – thin/bad (shame on you JBL for saving a few cents here!). And the veneer on the cabinets are thinner and certainly not like what was found up until the late seventies.

But – as stated – all and all still great speakers.
And some of the setbacks (no hard-wire and bad internal wiring) can be fixed for small money, thus improving the sound.

These speakers (together with models like JBL L110, L150, L166, L65, the Decade series (L16, L26 and L36) and others (e.g. the later L19, L40 and L50) are still worth restoring – NOT only for the “Nostalgia Factor”, but because the still sound good.