My understanding is that the new L-100 has improvements over the original. In any event, according to the government's inflation calculator, $550 in 1971 is the equivalent to about $3,400 today. JBLs are often discounted, so today's price would be pretty close to the original.
New versus old top of the line speakers.
In 1967 I began my career as an audiophile. I bought Fisher XP9 speakers and two years later upgraded to the then top speaker in the McIntosh line McIntosh, ML-1C, just released April 67. The McIntosh Ml-2C and 4C came out 2 months later in the market place. Within a year JBL came out with their own top bookshelf speaker L-100. Unfortunately McIntosh no longer produces the old ML-1C product. But, JBL has now brought back the old line JBL-100. Speaker. The price has risen from approximately 550 a pair in 1971 to $4,000.00 per pair this month, 2019. I would love to hear the vintage L-100 compared to the new version of the L-100. Granted prices have risen greatly over time. But! For that increase in price has there been a huge or significant improvement in sound? Those of us that have been around for 40 years, or even 30 often wonder over these impressive increases in prices to justify whatever improvement in sound we actually hear. Would it be possible to get the big reviewing companies like Stereophole or TAS to actually do a comparison of these speakers and show us, the stereo community, the improvements in sound we are getting for our money? I still have my receipt for my ml-1C’s at $315.00 each or $630.00 per pair April 1967. My latest speaker, Coincident Pure Reference 4 years ago with a MFR cost of over 20K. A challenge to everone’s Ears and wallet!
All audiophiles want to know that any speaker upgrade actually provides the improvement in sound they are looking and actually is worth to their ears the costs involved. This true for all pieces of componentry we purchase. But speakers represent the single largest immediate improvement in sound our ears will ever know.
All audiophiles want to know that any speaker upgrade actually provides the improvement in sound they are looking and actually is worth to their ears the costs involved. This true for all pieces of componentry we purchase. But speakers represent the single largest immediate improvement in sound our ears will ever know.
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The box and grill are the same. I think the big attraction is how people remember they liked the sound of the original -- punchy West Coast sound with some emphasis on mid bass and treble. I'm not sure how they would measure up against today's competition. But they are sure to make the music sound good to listeners of a particular taste. |
I heard the originals many times. They had a VERY forward, brash character, the polar opposite of the Acoustic Research rather recessed/laid back "East Coast" sound. Around the time of the L-100, Infinity came out with their Model 2000A, which had the great RTR ESL tweeters, and was priced almost identically ($600/pr). The L-100 didn't stand a chance! |
@rkmoyle, good point! Confirming that buying top of the line used speakers is the biggest bargain in audio. Heck, some of these models actually start increasing in price with time. The brilliant L100's (originals) had a hear through clarity with acoustic recordings that I've never heard surpassed. If the new models retain that 'you are there' clarity and can combine a hint more bass with a touch smoother treble then they are worth every penny. As you say a direct comparison would be mist welcome. Perhaps Steve Guttenberg could arrange it. He did look at the new ones here, https://youtu.be/f4s_fSFA1pE but a comparison would tell us a lot more. As for magazines, hopefully their time is up. They've been virtually useless for decades peddling audio porn with next to no scientific or literary merit. Things weren't always so bad, once upon a time... https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Studio-Sound.htm |