Repair Or Replace Sub


My JL F112 v1 blew it’s cone out the other day. I called my dealer and they said JL would replace it and the caps (since they were getting to that point too) for ~$900. While I love this sub it did get me thinking if it would be better to take the opportunity to spend say $1500 on a new sub from someone like rythmik rather than pour more money into the old one. Can anything compare to the JL in that price range or am I just going to be disappointed.  
Ag insider logo xs@2xmattlathrop
I sent one of those (F112 v1) to JL for repair in March of this year. The fee was $400 + one-way freight. They have, or at least had, a flat-fee repair service.

If you are in the US, it seems odd that you are being quoted $900. You may want to check the JL Audio Web site or email them and ask for a quote. It’s possible prices have gone up. It’s also possible your dealer is asking for a large commission.
I think that may have been the price for just replacing the cone. But updating the caps was extra? I sent a note to JL to verify. 
Sorry, with my bad eyes, I missed that you had blown the cone! The $400 I paid was for fixing electronics only.
Only if you concluded the F series ARO didn’t provide your room any worthwhile improvement.

Regarding driver size I found a v1 F-113 every bit as potent as the Velodyne DD-18 I compared it to in my room.
The ARO’s auto only calibration gave a slight edge to the flexibility of Velodyne’s manual adjustability.

Considering Mike’s positive repair experience I'd go for the repair and keep an eye out for a used e-110 to slave off your F-112 or the JL Audio CR-1.
I don’t use the ARO because my Anthem STR does the same thing but for all speakers. In that case would you recommend trying something else?
I use an Anthem STR also. In my system, it tends to roll off the sub slowly, which smooths FR of the mains in the octave above the crossover frequency. One reason that works is that the JL Audio Fathom is cleaner than most subs above the usual sub range. That for me is a reason to stick with JL Audio -- though I admit I have not researched performance of competitive subs.
@mike_in_nc Thanks for the advice! I think I’m leaning to repair. It seems like they haven’t changed even the new versions much so it is worthwhile to invest more in making this one like new!