Need help with a new 2 channel "stereo" system

naturallight

I have an old friend of mine i'm trying to put together a "decent" stereo system for him. Or at least guide him as to what to buy. He's retired now, has been using an old Onkyo TX 4500 Mark 2 Receiver for years. Don't even ask me what speakers he's been using..a mishmash of junk. Now he understands it's junk, wants something good. Pretty much the last thing he will buy. He has a max of 2K to spend..if he spends that much..pretty much breaking his bank at that price.



Now he remembers JBL's from 20+ years ago. Now i have tried to tell him...what JBL was 20 years ago...not what they are now. But, he says..i get 30 days to try them. So..nothing i can do except recommend the "better" JBL's.



Now also keep in mind, he has no place to go and listen to anything, except Best buy. He also will NOT buy anything used..he doesn't get that a used amp is not junk...so forget that.



The only JBL i can see might be the L890's. From what i've read about them..to push them with a receiver..the only one the works well is the Harman/Kardon HK- 3490 which puts out 120Watts, and is "supposedly" a high current amp.



Does anybody know anything about these speakers?? Will they put out bass and not make your ears bleed with this amp???



If he dose not like the JBL's can the HK receiver power a set of LSi 15's??? Those were my first choice for him..but he's bound and determined to try out the JBLs.



Any info on these speakers and power amp would be help full.

Thanks

cnh

Firstly, that old Onkyo is "not" junk. It may need a recap but the 2500 and the 4500 literally "saved" Onkyo from going out of business. However it is still just a receiver. A lot of those vintage receivers actually sound "better" than an HK 3490, I know; I own that HK plus a lot of older pieces that have a MUCH "warmer" sound, MUCH!

A good set of new JBLs will probably take up his ENTIRE budget. The lower models aren't worth it. Again. He'd be better off with something "vintage" like a pair of JBL L100T3s? Recone the woofer and you have the innards of JBLs "best" 12" 3 way monitor system of the '80s! Anyone who likes JBLs will love these. And if you hate JBL. If you think they all sound too loud, then I respect your opinion, and respectfully "disagree"!

I have a set of Lsi-7s sitting on top of some JBL L80Ts. Do you think that the tech in the 7s outdoes what's in the late '80s JBLs? Those titanium domes in the JBLs cede "nothing" to the Vifas!

Get an old NAD integrated and some '80s JBLs and have him listen to that. I bet he loves it! You might "hate" it. But hey, you are not he?

Another combo he might like is the HK 3490 and some Polk Monitor 10As. Should have plenty of punch and bass for a JBL head!

Your friend sounds like a "vintage" guy to me. And you are not one! That is something to consider here?

cnh

naturallight

cnh..I'm not saying the old Onkyo is bad..but i tend to doudt it can run the new JBL L890's, with out them sounding way bad, or have the bass that he is looking for. He's not going to fix his Onkyo...(or lets say recap it)


Let me put it this way...he's old, has medical problems....does not get that you can fix old stuff, nore wants too. Hell..I have old SDA's, Old Advents...I like old...LOL

He is at the point, he just wants new. I have tried to tell him...NEW JBL does not mean Old JBL.

The only JBL that he can afford, that may be ok ..I think is the L890...which i don't think he can run on his Onkyo. So the HK receiver (as he can't deal with seperate stuff)..Is about what will run them.


To be blunt..he may love these JBL's with the HK.....thats about the only stuff i can find that may fill the bill.

If they don't and are ear bleed stuff....then I'm back to the LSi15's.....but don't know if the HK receiver can run them right.

EndersShadow

naturallight wrote: »

cnh..I'm not saying the old Onkyo is bad..but i tend to doudt it can run the new JBL L890's, with out them sounding way bad, or have the bass that he is looking for. He's not going to fix his Onkyo...(or lets say recap it)


Let me put it this way...he's old, has medical problems....does not get that you can fix old stuff, nore wants too. Hell..I have old SDA's, Old Advents...I like old...LOL

He is at the point, he just wants new. I have tried to tell him...NEW JBL does not mean Old JBL.

The only JBL that he can afford, that may be ok ..I think is the L890...which i don't think he can run on his Onkyo. So the HK receiver (as he can't deal with seperate stuff)..Is about what will run them.


To be blunt..he may love these JBL's with the HK.....thats about the only stuff i can find that may fill the bill.

If they don't and are ear bleed stuff....then I'm back to the LSi15's.....but don't know if the HK receiver can run them right.

I ran my LSi 15's with the HK 3490 at decent volumes and it was ok, not nearly as good as my Carver though.

Given his want for LOUD probably not a good mix. Look at some of the NAD stuff, their integrateds wattage NEVER tells the true story. They punch MUCH HIGHER than advertized. Ran a set of Maggie MMG's off a NAD amp and the same MMG's off my Carver, Carver was going crazy telling me it couldnt give the Maggies any more power while the NAD just kept getting louder and louder. NAD was only rated for 90 wpc, my Carver was rated for min of 125.

cnh

naturallight wrote: »

cnh..I'm not saying the old Onkyo is bad..but i tend to doudt it can run the new JBL L890's, with out them sounding way bad, or have the bass that he is looking for. He's not going to fix his Onkyo...(or lets say recap it)


Let me put it this way...he's old, has medical problems....does not get that you can fix old stuff, nore wants too. Hell..I have old SDA's, Old Advents...I like old...LOL

He is at the point, he just wants new. I have tried to tell him...NEW JBL does not mean Old JBL.

The only JBL that he can afford, that may be ok ..I think is the L890...which i don't think he can run on his Onkyo. So the HK receiver (as he can't deal with seperate stuff)..Is about what will run them.


To be blunt..he may love these JBL's with the HK.....thats about the only stuff i can find that may fill the bill.

If they don't and are ear bleed stuff....then I'm back to the LSi15's.....but don't know if the HK receiver can run them right.

Ok, Got you! You're right, those Onkyos will probably go up in smoke if you try to blast those towers, especially if they're not 'redone'. With Ender...I love NADs, they certainly have the power to do what he needs. Now, as far as NEW speakers like JBLs...hmmm

I can't think of anything off hand. How is he with Klipsch, efficient, will play loud and probably not too bright with a NAD driving them? Something like RF-82s

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_714RF82IIB/Klipsch-Reference-RF-82-II-Black-Ash.html?tp=185&kw=&org=pla&nw=g&crv=6453714625

And a NAD C356 or higher:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_745C356DAC/NAD-C-356DAC.html

Even at MSRP that's 1200 + 900 = 2100. You could probably find some sales that could bring this right into his 2000 range?

See if you can audition something like that for him. He might like it and it will certainly play LOUD at a sensitivity of 98 db! The NAD should give it a good bottom punch, too!

If he needs a phono section there is a plug in available for the NAD above for 200?

cnh

naturallight

He's my old keyboard player..he can play music..he can't EQ stuff for crap. I had to EQ the PA and everything else in the band. Pretty much he's old, he's cranky....i asked about Klipsh...NOPE.
So either the JBls work or they don't.



Can he really tell the difference between, the new JBL L890 and my old SDA 1C's...maybe..but probably not..at least to the point of spending alot of money to get to that.



Pretty much, as long as he can get some volume..some good bass....not ear splitting treble..he's probably happy. Not alot more. If the JBL's work for him with the HK amp...he's a happy camper. If they don't...well then i have to find him something else.