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I've got a pair of JBL L96 speakers and the foam around the woofer of both speakers is practically gone. A couple of questions. Are they worth having repaired? Does anyone know a good repair shop? Is this a DIY project and if so where is a good place to buy a repair kit of some type.
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Thanks for the different viewpoints.I bought these back in 1982 for more money than I had sense at the time. I always loved the way they sounded. The cabinets are in excellent shape by the way. To show what a pack rat I am, I still have the original sale receipt and instruction manual. Can you suggest an authorized JBL repair shop?
sound fine. Then I loaned them to my Brother-in-law as rear channel units, then my sister turned B@#ch and the rest is history.Go for it, as it is quite easy. Just remember to check for free movement of the voice coil as the glue sets. If it's not right, the scraping sound is easily heard. Then pulled to one side or the other until it moves freely. Done in a quiet room should do. I've done several pair of speakers over the years, average speakers I must admit, not hi-end by no stretch of the imagination.
I have refoamed several speakers. They all turned out fine. The repair kits are reasonable - go for it.
Yes, they are probably worth repairing. I have a pair of older L36 which a similar predecessor (cone tweeter) and use them for movie-watching duties. Very nice, punchy and clean.I recomend an authorized JBL repair shop, and specifically using genuine replacement parts. Yes, I know it will cost at least twice as much as generic parts! But I have seen instances where the generic replacement surround - sold as an "exact replacement" for the particular speaker model - doubled the speaker's resonance frequency because it was four times as stiff as the original. "Exact" apparently meant it was exactly the same size, not that it would work properly. That's really bad, and will seriously mess up (kill) the bass. A properly trained technician will also check for linearity of the spider and uniformity of the gap. Gaps on JBL woofers are tighter and more precise than most, so this is important. You may be forced to re-cone just to get a new surround, but I would still recommend it.
Repair kits for older JBL drivers are sometimes only sporadically available, so if you are told the parts are out of production, you don't necessarily need to believe it. Note that JBL has separate pro and consumer web sites, but often the same drivers were used under different model numbers. Lots of information there, and at the Lansing Heritage site and forums. A pro repair shop might have more resources than the neighborhood JBL dealer ... :^)
I agree with Pauls comments regarding getting your speakers repaired.I always advise my customers to properly evaluate the condition of the enclosures before any repair.
I would not put the money into cabinets that are in poor condition and need a lot of attention.
However,there is absolutly NO authorised repair procedure for the surround replacement of any JBL speaker.
All replacements of any foam surrounds is done using GENERIC parts.
JBL does not condone replacement of just the surrounds.
JBL"s view is once the surround has lived its lifespan the entire reciprocating mass should be replaced.A recone job is prescribed.
I make this statement in the capacity as an authorised JBL trained technician in an authorised service center capacity for both pro and consumer JBL speaker divisions.
Now that I have stated JBL"s policy,as long as the spyder is not fatigued or torn and the voice coil has not been banged around from playing the speakers at levels too much for the failed surround cone,those worn surrounds can be properly replaced.
Paul is right that it takes a quality technician to get the right durometer foam for original preformance.
But its not rocket science.
If you live in the mid Atlantic/Philly area there is a speaker repairman who is nationally known. His knowledge of speakers of all types including of course JBL is unsurpassed. He is a master at his craft and as compulsive a perfectionist I have ever known. I am referring to Bill Legall of Millerspkr@aol.com If you want perfectly repaired speakers he is the man.
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