Speaker Asylum

General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

Return to Speaker Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II

72.53.194.237
Posted on January 1, 2011 at 09:37:34
bascapital@hotmail.com


 
how do these speakers compare with each other? How do JBL 100s stack up to 2010 state of the art speakers? What would you need to spend to get a NEW comparable speaker?

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
The 100's are GREAT rock speakers, posted on January 5, 2011 at 18:18:19
JeffH
Audiophile

Posts: 4574
Location: Orange County, So Cal
Joined: April 5, 2000
 Takes little wpc to drive them to very loud volumes. They will put you in the front row of a Sabbath/Deep Purple/etc concert with a small twist of the volume knob. Do they have finesse or just about any other "audiophile" quality? Hell no, but they are killer fun to listen to. What do this mean to you, you ask? It depends what music you listen to. Use the jbl stands that tilt them back a bit and keep them away from the back wall. Rock on.

 

What angle of tiltback?, posted on January 8, 2011 at 11:11:39
geo770
Audiophile

Posts: 253
Joined: January 9, 2004
 The angle will be of some importance to get the drivers aligned vertically. I can DIY speaker stands without a lot of problem.

Then there's the question of woofer on top or bottom. IMO a woofer's place is on the bottom! Of course, in the home, one usually has them on the floor or on short stands, unlike having them perched on a shelf or on a wall, etc.

In some ways, I'm glad that there's a lot of dissing of L100's. Keeps the price down. Replacement drivers are pretty expensive, though; hey, it *is* JBL. When I got a pair, I expected shriekers, but they turned out to be not very different from a typical hi fi speaker.

One knock on them I've seen is that the bass is overstated. So what? Most recordings of rock feature bass that's anemic compared to live. I'd even place L100's low and right next to a wall to, if anything, enhance the bass.

 

RE: JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II, posted on January 3, 2011 at 21:58:21
IEaudiodude
Audiophile

Posts: 2814
Location: So Cal
Joined: February 11, 2010
 I'm partial to the Maggies myself , with a little time and DIY effort they don't have to die, I'm refurbishing a pair of MGIII's that from what I gather should sound quite nice when complete, Then I get to shop for the extra watts I will probably need , It just never ends in this hobby !
Photobucket

 

For you I recommend plasma discharge, posted on January 3, 2011 at 20:15:47
keith_d
Audiophile

Posts: 9057
Joined: June 15, 2002
 And I will return to the subject of speakers anon.

 

RE: JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II, posted on January 3, 2011 at 14:23:58
Dman
Audiophile

Posts: 7211
Location: Kansas
Joined: January 28, 2001
 IIRC, Frank Zappa actually mixed one of his albums (Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch) with the "pro" version of the L-100, the 4311.

From Zappa's liner notes-

"This album has been engineered to sound correct on JBL 4311 speaker or an equivalent. Best results will be achieved if you set your pre-amp tone controls to the flat position with the loudness control in the off position. Before adding any treble or bass to the sound of the album, it would be advisable to check it out this way first.
F.Z."



Dman
Analog Junkie

 

I had the 4313's., posted on January 4, 2011 at 21:53:03
jimbill
Audiophile

Posts: 3140
Location: Texas
Joined: May 31, 2004
 My first good speakers.

I had longed for the L100's as a young teen but when it came time to buy my brother-in-law talked me into the 4313's. I really liked them but still had fond memories of the L100's he had a couple of years before.

I ran into one of my old high school friends a few years later. He couldn't wait to show me the speakers he had, L100's. He probably bought them after all the adoration I had placed on them.

When he fired them up the memory died. They were nothing like I remembered them. I was mostly disappointed with the tubby bass. I don't remember what he had them powered by. That might have been the problem.

My daughter now has my 4313's and is quite happy. Until she comes home and listens to my ML Ascent i's.

 

RE: JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II, posted on January 3, 2011 at 13:24:47
bobwood
Audiophile

Posts: 156
Location: Austin, Texas
Joined: June 16, 2001
 The JBLS are realy sensitive to placement and amps - ie: glorious on McIntosh, not so on CROWN DC-300A.

 

I will say this about L100s..., posted on January 3, 2011 at 06:33:58
bshapiro


 
I have a clear memory of listening to a live recording in-process of Pharoah Saunders with drummer Idris Mohammed. I listened in the club (Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz), then out to the parking lot to the remote truck. I was totally struck by the sound of the drums from the L100s mounted inside: really captured the dynamic, full body quality of his drums--and it did sound strikingly like the drums live in the club.

No, I wouldn't want them home, but I've never forgotten the excitement of that sonic moment.

 

Friend had some JBL 100's...., posted on January 1, 2011 at 21:58:08
Atver
Audiophile

Posts: 1117
Location: Arizona
Joined: October 5, 2004
 they certainly had their niche, we'd go to his house after softball games and drink a lot of beer, I remember the 100's sitting up in the corners being played loudly, reminded me of a dance club sound. They were great for that, but not really a great sit down and immerse yourself in the music.

 

RE: JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II, posted on January 1, 2011 at 16:04:17
henrybasstardo
Audiophile

Posts: 1690
Joined: June 25, 2003
 I hear from people I respect that the new $200 Sony speakers kick ass.

Probably kick those JBL's ass but I Never heard a JBL I liked so it's an easy task for me.

Made good money selling all the JBL's I picked

 

RE: JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II, posted on January 1, 2011 at 14:38:28
Tom Brennan
Audiophile

Posts: 5881
Joined: January 2, 2000
 Most L-100s are still working but many if not most old Maggies have fallen apart; the "voice coil" wires become seperated from the diaphragm and the wires also break. The first gives you a flapping speaker and the second a dead one. I reckon a working L-100 sounds better than a busted Maggie. The MG IIs I had lasted about 10 years before the wires broke and they went to the curb where they looked quite nice on garbage day.

The Maggies were shoddy Rube Goldberg devices made from fiberboard, kazoo membranes and refrigerator magnets.

 

Get the flame suit on for ripping Maggy... :-) NT, posted on January 1, 2011 at 17:18:59
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 NT

 

RE: Get the flame suit on for ripping Maggy... :-) NT, posted on January 1, 2011 at 17:25:38
Tom Brennan
Audiophile

Posts: 5881
Joined: January 2, 2000
 If they hadn't been shoddily built there wouldn't be as much talk as there is on the planar forum about fixing and modifying the things.

 

Than any vintage speaker using Dynaudios, AR, etc. drivers are junk., posted on January 2, 2011 at 13:05:12
Stale
Audiophile

Posts: 3267
Location: So. California
Joined: August 3, 2001
 They all need repair since foam surrounds disintegrate over time.

Not to mention that many of them do not work as designed as paper cones changed over time, spider material stiffened, fill pulverized...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."

 

RE: Than any vintage speaker using Dynaudios, AR, etc. drivers are junk., posted on January 2, 2011 at 13:47:04
Tom Brennan
Audiophile

Posts: 5881
Joined: January 2, 2000
 "They all need repair since foam surrounds disintegrate over time."

Yes; that's a problem too. Though one much easier and cheaper to fix than delaminated Maggies. And a woofer with bum foam still functions, a Maggie with broken wires doesn't.

"Not to mention that many of them do not work as designed as paper cones changed over time, spider material stiffened, fill pulverized..."

A 1956 Altec woofer may not work as originally designed but it still works and sounds nice. A Maggie with broken wires is as dead as a doorknob. And a delaminated one sounds like Hell. There's a difference between something that has wear and works and something that's broken.

 

Pleeeeease, posted on January 2, 2011 at 14:32:32
Stale
Audiophile

Posts: 3267
Location: So. California
Joined: August 3, 2001
 "bum foam still functions"
It would be better that it doesn't, as tuning is way off in such case.

"easier and cheaper"

Beg to differ. I did both and it was bigger pain to redo dynaudio-s 24W54 than SMGa-s.

As much as paying for repair, they are comparable however, with MG you have practically new driver while in other case it still old driver with new surround.

"not work as originally designed but it still works"
Thanks, but I prefer one that works as good as new, not one that just works.

"There's a difference between something that has wear and works and something that's broken."

I can tell you that broken 1956 Altec sounds as good as broken Magnepan. Or should have I said does not sound at all.

"And a delaminated one"
Delaminated but not broken magies are very easy fix. Few dabs of glue do the job.
Bass wires rarely go bad and usually because of abuse. Tweeter wires go bad, if moisture gets to them. I had SMG-a that only needed tweeter wire, everything else was OK. Cost of the repair 10$ for wire, glue and acetone. Friend still has original SMG (not a) working fine.

To summarize, your position is not based on reality but purely on your bias.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."

 

RE: Pleeeeease, posted on January 2, 2011 at 15:42:18
Tom Brennan
Audiophile

Posts: 5881
Joined: January 2, 2000

Go to AudioKarma and read the various tales of how easy it is to refoam woofers and how difficult and time consuming it is to fix delaminated Maggies and how even more difficult to fix delaminated AND broken wires. But if you think rotted Dynaudios are junk that's aces with me. Next time buy woofers with corrugated surrounds. Or rubber.

My position is based on my experience; I owned the goddam things afterall. (Are you trying to tell me they didn't break?) And the experiences of those on a website where many Maggie fans exchange information.

Maggies were built like crap and you seek to defend them by saying some other speakers are just as crappy. Swell.

 

Read my lips - I did both Maggies and Surrounds, posted on January 3, 2011 at 10:43:47
Stale
Audiophile

Posts: 3267
Location: So. California
Joined: August 3, 2001
 People forget that just "refoaming" does not mean "refoaming it right".

Many available foam kits are not proper fit, or stiffness. Some people install them improperly pretensioning them one way or the other, or off center or skewed.

"Maggies were built like crap and you seek to defend them by saying some other speakers are just as crappy." They are built for the price as anything else on the market, like it or not.

I had both 4311 and SMGa-s and if having choice between the two, I would choose SMGa-s. (I was very very happy when I got rid of JBL-s and took Monitor Audio-s that I still own)

You are entitled to your opinion, I am on my own.
I do not want to waste more time on this.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."

 

You're not paying attention, are you?, posted on January 2, 2011 at 17:57:43
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 41134
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 ...and how difficult and time consuming it is to fix delaminated Maggies

Apparently, you ignored the part where he has done both and commented accordingly. One doesn't need to consult an audio board when you already have the experience. Blown out surrounds on anything are next to useless. That happened to one pair of my Advents recently.

As for me, L-100s were always too colored with the built in mid bass peak and elevated upper mid range. If that is your cup of tea, perhaps that explains why you like honky sounding horn loaded Altecs. The L110, however, was a a completely different story.

rw

 

RE: You're not paying attention, are you?, posted on January 2, 2011 at 18:34:00
Tom Brennan
Audiophile

Posts: 5881
Joined: January 2, 2000
 You seem to be one of those people who think when people disregard someone (or with you no doubt) they're not listening. A common thing today.

I've talked to many more people who've had big trouble with Maggies than those who've had a little trouble. AK has threads with photos showing Maggie problems and how to fix them and it can run into a great deal of work.

And then there's my own experience which I always go by if it contradicts the claimed experiences of others.

That you don't like L-100s has nothing to do with this. You seem to have some kind of odd attraction to my posts. Kind of creepy, like Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female.

In any event my taste in speakers has nothing to do with delaminated Maggies.

 

By all means, posted on January 2, 2011 at 18:57:44
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 41134
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 just tell the poster to whom you responded that his experience is irrelevant to the question posted.

Why is it that you even responded to a question regarding "saving" L100s given their highly colored sound?

rw

 

RE: JBL 100... , posted on January 1, 2011 at 13:35:47
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 ...it didn't stack up well to other speakers in the mid 1970s, 35 years ago.

Large Advents, Dalquist DQ-10, LS3/5sa and many others, much less Maggies.

 

RE: JBL 100 vs. MAGNAPAN MG II, posted on January 1, 2011 at 09:50:21
esande
Audiophile

Posts: 1663
Location: Washington, DC
Joined: December 27, 2008
 They don't really compare. The JBL L100 worked better for rock and the MGII spanked it on imaging, which would be consistent with the relative advantages of boxes versus planars. Both of them are relatively obsolete in terms of the similar speakers of today, uh 2011 I mean.

You might want to post on Vintage, some of those guys would love to argue this one.

:-)

 

Agreed - you're comparing apples with oranges - nt., posted on January 1, 2011 at 12:28:29
mls-stl
 nt.

 

Page processed in 0.041 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]