Has anyone here compared JBL L100T with Polk SDA's or monitors?

Mystery

I have a pair of JBL L100T's waiting for re-foam.
In my limited space and joint living scenario, I can never test big speakers properly to figure out what they can do at higher volumes or in bigger rooms.
I'll be holding on few pairs for future when I can use them properly and your experience will help sort out few of them.
So the question is, how L100T's compare with SDA-2B's, CRS+, 3.1TL, RTA-12C or any other similar sized Polk towers?
Thanks for comments.

ZLTFUL

My personal preference, and bear in mind that I am just as big of a JBL fanboy as a Polk Audio one...but the SDA-2Bs, SDA-CRS+, 3.1TLs and RTA-12Cs are all going to obliterate those JBLs.

That isn't to say the L100Ts are bad at all. They are very similar to my 4800s. I like them a lot. But they require a LOT more volume on the exact same 2 channel system to obtain similar output levels. They sound at 60 volume on my Rotel RSP-1068 what the RTA-15TLs (Sorry don't have other to compare atm) sound like at 45.

Mystery

ZLTFUL wrote: »

My personal preference, and bear in mind that I am just as big of a JBL fanboy as a Polk Audio one...but the SDA-2Bs, SDA-CRS+, 3.1TLs and RTA-12Cs are all going to obliterate those JBLs.
...They sound at 60 volume on my Rotel RSP-1068 what the RTA-15TLs (Sorry don't have other to compare atm) sound like at 45.

Thanks for comment.
I'm not concerned about their efficiency. I can turn volume higher/lower when needed.
How similar/different do they sound at same sound level (not volume)?

If Polk's obliterate L100T's, it should be on their sound not how loud they get at same watts.

ZLTFUL

The titanium tweeters and the comparatively small mid of the JBLs sort of overly pronounces the upper midrange and high range.
If definitely puts a more IN YOUR FACE sound out. They become harsh a lot quicker than the Polks do.

Comparatively, the polks have a much more well rounded sound to them. The sound seems equal across the spectrum while the JBLs tend to sound like someone pushed all the sliders on the EQ up from about 3k on up.

Bass reproduction tends to be weaker on the JBLs. They aren't bad (and the L100Ts have a 12 instead of the 10 my 4800s have) but I like to feel the kick drum. The Polks have a definitive punch while the JBLs come across as more of a "whump".

To my ears, the overall sound quality of the Polks comes across as more refined and complete while the JBLs seem to always be lacking in one place or another.

(Sorry...should have continued my thoughts before posting.)

michael1947

The JBL L100's are first cousins to my JBL 4311's and at one time I thought my 4311's were the best speaker in the world. One of us changed: the world, me, the speakers, I think me. I just pulled them out last summer and set them up on a mobile cart in the garage with a very nice Yamaha ca1010, a gtp 600 Adcom for the fm radio. There was just no love I think each of them was just too warm and not crisp enough. I later ran a cd into the adcom and still no joy. Compared to my lsi 9's which are nice and tight the JBL's just seem like your grandmother, no offense. I have some RTA 9's and 3's, SDA's and some other rt stuff that sounds much tighter and more accurate and equally as warm. I think the vintage stuff belongs with our old girlfriends, in our memories.:redface:

seabeerob213

michael1947 wrote: »

I think the vintage stuff belongs with our old girlfriends, in our memories.:redface:

thats sig material right there, IMHO, although i have no problem with vintage

Mystery

ZLTFUL wrote: »

...Comparatively, the polks have a much more well rounded sound to them. The sound seems equal across the spectrum while the JBLs tend to sound like someone pushed all the sliders on the EQ up from about 3k on up.

Bass reproduction tends to be weaker on the JBLs. They aren't bad (and the L100Ts have a 12 instead of the 10 my 4800s have) but I like to feel the kick drum. The Polks have a definitive punch while the JBLs come across as more of a "whump".

To my ears, the overall sound quality of the Polks comes across as more refined and complete while the JBLs seem to always be lacking in one place or another.

Interesting. A lot of people mention the L100T's have amazing bass.
Actually it's a good thing that they don't sound as good as Polks as I can sell these quickly.
Lot of JBL fans around here.

michael1947 wrote: »

...I think the vintage stuff belongs with our old girlfriends, in our memories.:redface:

You ruled out all SDA's, blue front JBL's and thousands of other quality vintage speakers then.

***************
Hopefully, I'll have time to re-foam L100T's this week and test what I can.
Thanks

cnh

ZLTFUL wrote: »

The titanium tweeters and the comparatively small mid of the JBLs sort of overly pronounces the upper midrange and high range.
If definitely puts a more IN YOUR FACE sound out. They become harsh a lot quicker than the Polks do.

Comparatively, the polks have a much more well rounded sound to them. The sound seems equal across the spectrum while the JBLs tend to sound like someone pushed all the sliders on the EQ up from about 3k on up.

Bass reproduction tends to be weaker on the JBLs. They aren't bad (and the L100Ts have a 12 instead of the 10 my 4800s have) but I like to feel the kick drum. The Polks have a definitive punch while the JBLs come across as more of a "whump".

To my ears, the overall sound quality of the Polks comes across as more refined and complete while the JBLs seem to always be lacking in one place or another.

(Sorry...should have continued my thoughts before posting.)

DO you guys have any idea just HOW HEAVY the magnet assembly on the 12" woofer on the JBL L100Ts is? I have some L80Ts and the magnet structure is almost 6 1/2 lbs. which is heaver than some SUB units. The 12" in the L100T is probably twice that weight! No LOWS?

They have real bass weight to 40 hz, no problem and don't really start to roll of until 35 hz. The JBL 4800 is a LESSER model, the crossovers, drivers and cabinet are of lower quality than my comparable L80T so the comparison is not warranted.

The LXXT series was modeled on JBL studio Monitors. The drivers were almost exact matches for the studio drivers refigured for home use. This series of Monitors was among the best JBL produced. Their efficiency is not that far off from SDAs so I don't see where some of the comments are coming from above.

Of course a speaker the size of a JBL L100T is not going to reach as LOW as a monolithic 1.2 but it does have high handling capacity.

I've run my L80Ts and SDA-2Bs on the same amp. They do "different" things equally well! It depends on what you are listening to. Those titanium domes do have an edge in detail on the highs and once you put them both on tube amps there really is NO harshness with the JBLs, they might just surprise you. Of course, there is NO SDA effect so you have to give those the edge there. Oh, and that "tiny" less than 5" midrange is considered one of the best drivers of its sort JBL ever fabricated! The titanium domes on the L..T series are a significant step above from what was used in the 2XXX, 3XXX, and 4800 series.

But unless you really hate the JBL sound, and some do! These deserve a listen. There are also crossover mods over at AK for T3ing the T series.

cnh

ZLTFUL

I made it a point to point out that I had the 4800s and NOT the L100Ts. I only said they were similar and not identical.
I have however heard the L100Ts extensively as my Uncle uses a set in his bedroom system.
But I have never listened to them back to back with my Polks. The 4800s I have. I know they are a lesser speaker. But they are cut from the same cloth.
And maybe it was the gear he had them hooked up to (funny you should mention tubes because the amp he uses to drive them is a McIntosh 225.) but I still stand by *my* impressions.

If you notice, I use phrases like "to me" and "to my ears". Everyone hears things differently.
I prefer the Polks. I also prefer my uncle's Klipschorns, La Scalas and his Cornwalls to the JBLs which I have listened to back to back to back.

And before you brand me as hating the "JBL sound" as you put it, I would give up every piece of audio gear I own for a pair of original Everests or a Paragon. I just have lost a lot of love for those JBLs that fall in the mid 80s to mid 90s range. They seem to lack a lot *to my ears*.

cnh

ZLTFUL wrote: »

I made it a point to point out that I had the 4800s and NOT the L100Ts. I only said they were similar and not identical.
I have however heard the L100Ts extensively as my Uncle uses a set in his bedroom system.
But I have never listened to them back to back with my Polks. The 4800s I have. I know they are a lesser speaker. But they are cut from the same cloth.
And maybe it was the gear he had them hooked up to (funny you should mention tubes because the amp he uses to drive them is a McIntosh 225.) but I still stand by *my* impressions.

If you notice, I use phrases like "to me" and "to my ears". Everyone hears things differently.
I prefer the Polks. I also prefer my uncle's Klipschorns, La Scalas and his Cornwalls to the JBLs which I have listened to back to back to back.

And before you brand me as hating the "JBL sound" as you put it, I would give up every piece of audio gear I own for a pair of original Everests or a Paragon. I just have lost a lot of love for those JBLs that fall in the mid 80s to mid 90s range. They seem to lack a lot *to my ears*.

Fair enough. I didn't mean to come of sounding so harsh (forgive the pun). I should also note here, that this series of JBLs is among the MOST difficult to place correctly. They interact with the room so MUCH that they really have to be kept very far away from corners and walls. And the room should neither be too live nor too dull. But once you find the right room and the correct place, they "really" open up and sound very very different, surprisingly so.

Those Klipsch are also fine speakers, on "tubes" of course.

cnh

ZLTFUL

I definitely have love for the JBLs. But they suffered a bad (and in most cases undeserved) reputation in the mid 80s to mid 90s.
And for what they are, those L100Ts sound good. *I* just prefer how much smoother everything sounds with my 15TLs (Nobody wants to hear how ugly their kid is right? hehe)

It's just one of those questions that will always bring out both sides of the coin. I personally have a hard time loving the full metal tweeters. I have incredibly sensitive ears (my wife swears that I hear things before our dog does) and to me, the metal dome tweeters have a harshness because of how much higher they can play.

I wa smistake on the mid. It isn't even remotely close to the sealed back design of the ironically same sized driver in my 4800s. I think that is what causes the biggest issue for the 4800s. I had always speculated that the 4800 would sound better with an open backed midrange driver.

Msabot1

JBL 120 ti's very good product in its day,a studio standard monitor,had a pair,replaced em though....sadly!

halo71

I'd love to have some JBL's someday! Like L220 and many other models. I am interested in a comparison as well. SDA 1C's and my Infinity RSIIIa's. Hopefully within the next few months I will find that out. :cheesygrin:

PolkieMan

They can't do SDA. If it wasn't for SDA I would probably still have my Pioneer HPM-100's.
Regular speakers suffer from inter-aural cross talk distortion.
Everyone has seen this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVkYNUbuSLY

Dabutcher

If they sound anything like the L88 models I had for a while they are very refined and smooth to listen to. Work well w vintage analog receivers. Great resale value . Good luck. D

naturallight

The problem of comparing other speakers to SDA's, it ends up like comparing apples to oranges..just doesn't work.



If you have become an SDA "addict" then nothing really comes close. The SDA's are either a love them or hate them thing. If you love them, then your kind of sunk, nothing sounds like them.

I fall into the love them pile. I have had my 1C's for over 25 years. I tried other speakers..sent to the house thing..I end up sending them back.



I even went so far as to have a set of RTi12's sent to me, There is nothing at all wrong with these towers. With the right amp, some tubes thrown into the mix, there is nothing bright about them, they will throw a nice sound stage, if you want, they will get LOUD enough to have your own disco party in you basement...LOL



I switch between the SDA's and the 12's, but that has become less and less. I went down yesterday, put the 12's back in play...I sat there for 2 hours or so. There really good speakers, and you would be hard pressed to find better at the price. But again..all i could say was there really nice but not SDA's..and will be unplug-ed again, and the SDA's put back in place.

Conradicles

Hard to beat SDA's for the cost. I have tried many other speakers and keep coming back to them. In my budget, maybe the $300 to $1,000 range, I just cant find anything better. Now if that budget ever grows higher, I'm sure I could find something to best them. But I am very happy with the SDA 2.3TL and SDA-2B. Keepers.:cool:

naturallight

Let me point out that being an "SDA Addict" may NOT be such a good thing. After having these speakers for 25 years....and well attuned to the SDA "EFFECT" When i listen to other speakers, my brain seems to discount allot of the good things the speakers are doing. Which is NOT a good thing.



I was hooked when i walked into a NYC Audio Expo back in 1980's...I walked into the Polk room and they had the massive SRS in there. I was pretty much done, toast at that point. I went into plenty of other room's but came back to the Polk room...there was nothing that could beat it.

After that all i wanted was a set of SDA's....LOL It took me a while but finally managed to afford a set of 1C's. Which i have had for 25 years..i can't get rid of them.



So my listening is tainted, which i will be the first to admit, is not a good thing.

Mystery

Dabutcher wrote: »

If they sound anything like the L88 models I had for a while they are very refined and smooth to listen to. Work well w vintage analog receivers. Great resale value . Good luck. D

From what I read, L100T's have stronger bass and can handle more power than L88's.
Only flaw mentioned was extreme high frequencies sometimes sound very bright but some prefer that.

naturallight wrote: »

The problem of comparing other speakers to SDA's, it ends up like comparing apples to oranges..just doesn't work.
If you have become an SDA "addict" then nothing really comes close. The SDA's are either a love them or hate them thing. If you love them, then your kind of sunk, nothing sounds like them.

I think I understand what you trying to say.
I know SDA's are known for the SDA effect but even without IC cable, they are speakers and expected to sound as normal speakers. It's not that dimensional drivers makes any speaker sound good and solves issues like a silver bullet.
Many tracks don't even have SDA effect at all.

Also, love is a very strange thing.
We have a proverb back home.
It translates to something like this, "If you fall in love with a donkey, you won't even notice an angel".
That is in the context when someone marries ugly spouse when pretty ones were available.

I am not applying that here (I love Polks :cheesygrin:) but love brings a huge bias.

Would you listen to bad speakers just because they have SDA effect?
I guess not.

erniejade

I had a set of 100T 100 century, and L150. The 100T is definately a decent speaker. I liked the L150 best of that bunch. That VS sda. I had the 1.2 and still have a set of 2.3. The SDA efffect is something you either love or hate. The sda throws a wider soundstage. The 100T has a completely different sound vs the sda. I will not say one is better vs the other. They are just different sounding. In my eyes neither the 100T or the sda are a bad speaker just different sounding.

See what one you can live with. I don;t think there is a wrong or right answer. One thing, the JBL will need a refoam after a certain amount of time were the sda won't!

naturallight

I had a set of L88's I liked them alot. Had then for a long time. When they went to the titanium tweeters...not so much, so i stayed away from them.



The SDA's...again it's a love hate thing. Altho you say alot of music is not geared to the "SDA EFFECT" I can tell the difference in almost any music.



The SDA's with the interconnect cable plugged in..just present the music to you in a different way.

I'm not sure i can tell you how or why...things are just more open, alive. I don't have the right words for it. If you NOT using the cable...you don't know what your missing....LOL



The other problem with SDA's is the room size..and what SDA's your running. If your not running them in a big enough room..to let them "breath" sort of speak. They just don't work all that well. There also not that easy to place. If you have the room, and the power to push them right..they are almost unbeatable.

The SDA "effect" in that case becomes a problem , as you can't look past that when listening to other speakers.

cnh

You must ALREADY have some opinion, Mystery. Because you own a number of JBLs and SDAs? Have you not compared them?

Let's take ONE example. The LX 500s have a tweeter that is very similar, though not an exact match, to what is in the L100Ts. How do the highs on that sound to you? (The real question would be "how can you NOT know"? You're "obviously" very familiar with the JBL house sound!).

And I agree with most of the posts above concerning the SDA effect. I say as much myself, earlier! You have to factor your take it or leave it on the SDA effect when you compare them to almost "any other" tower!

Let's put it this way. You'll KNOW soon enough!

cnh

Mystery

cnh wrote: »

You must ALREADY have some opinion, Mystery. Because you own a number of JBLs and SDAs? Have you not compared them?

Yes, I like Polks overall and they are the ones mostly in use except the fact that BA 400's give all of them run for money.

I have not directly compared JBL's yet. I'm in process of getting rid of few speakers first so I have some space to do A/B on them.
Also, I can never test these in my current small space properly thus the question/opinion of others who can.

cnh wrote: »

Let's take ONE example. The LX 500s have a tweeter that is very similar, though not an exact match, to what is in the L100Ts. How do the highs on that sound to you?

LX 500's sound decent but man that tweeter was ear bleeding at high levels. Needed to turn down the tweeter.
But I did give them full watts from Yamaha M-50 and it was a house party at my friend's place.
Also, that 8" driver gave amazing amount of bass.
They are my party speakers. Enough for house parties and small enough to carry around.

I also have L166 which is not as bright as LX500 tweeter but the bass was in another level.
It was like being in a movie theater that I like but neighbors don't so it's in a closet for now.
I didn't even have to make L166's very loud to shake everything in my room.

L100T is huge, way bigger than LX500's and L166's.
From threads I read, JBL models sound more different than Polks from one model to another.

Thanks.

A picture for reference:

cnh

That makes sense. Let me tell you, I've heard the L100Ts and the L80Ts that I own. The only difference is in the more authoritative bass in the 100s, otherwise they sound almost exactly the same. And even the bass is not radically different in a smaller room. You need some space to air the L100Ts which is why I did NOT buy them when I auditioned the entire series back in 1990.

And as for the highs! TUBES! JBL L100Ts on tubes, you're probably going to "like" that, but maybe not better than SDAs if you've acquired a taste for them!

cnh

PolkieMan

Yea I agree, not much else I can say, once you get them right I can't see (hear) beyond them.

naturallight wrote: »

I had a set of L88's I liked them alot. Had then for a long time. When they went to the titanium tweeters...not so much, so i stayed away from them.



The SDA's...again it's a love hate thing. Altho you say alot of music is not geared to the "SDA EFFECT" I can tell the difference in almost any music.



The SDA's with the interconnect cable plugged in..just present the music to you in a different way.

I'm not sure i can tell you how or why...things are just more open, alive. I don't have the right words for it. If you NOT using the cable...you don't know what your missing....LOL



The other problem with SDA's is the room size..and what SDA's your running. If your not running them in a big enough room..to let them "breath" sort of speak. They just don't work all that well. There also not that easy to place. If you have the room, and the power to push them right..they are almost unbeatable.

The SDA "effect" in that case becomes a problem , as you can't look past that when listening to other speakers.

naturallight

The sad part about being an SDA "addict" What speakers would really make you happy?

If you have the upgrade bug..were do you really go. I've try-ed other speakers in my basement room. i don't like them and send them back. I've heard a really nice set of good size ML's with the pretty much mandatory big sub. Very nice speakers, and i can sit there and say, yes i'm getting more accurate mids, and this and that. Then the guy throws on Pink Floyd, or Electric Ladyland, so the speakers have just lost...LOL Plus the 4K price he hands you, i'm sure didn't help.



I can sit and pick out all the good points of speakers..at least one side of my brain can...LOL

The the other side is going..were is the dam SDA "effect" The speakers of course just don't sound the same. Really no "normal" speakers can sound like SDA's...I guess i'm to old and stubborn, maybe just to stupid to boot, that i can't look past the SDA thing. The only thing my brain can come up with is..gee you need bigger SDA's.....LOL



The other insane thing is my SDA's keep sounding better and better. Which of course is nuts..they can't, But since I've been pulling them and swapping around speakers, as soon as i put the SDA's back in play..they (or my brain thinks) they keep sounding better.....LOL So i'm just faking my ears and brain out by doing that....

ROHfan

naturallight wrote: »

The only thing my brain can come up with is..gee you need bigger SDA's.

Quote of the year nomination! And it couldn't be more true.

PolkieMan

Build them and they will come :biggrin:


The only thing my brain can come up with is..gee you need bigger SDA's.

ROHfan wrote: »

Quote of the year nomination! And it couldn't be more true.

Mystery

Refoamed L100T's, put the woofers in, put them on stands and played favorite CD.
To my disappointment, one speaker has no low end at all.
Then I remembered, I forgot to hook up that woofer in the excitement.
Took the woofer out and hooked the cables and put back in.

Very nice sound, very smooth and balanced sound.
I was thinking L100T's have punchier and tight bass as L166's but L100T's have that soft but plenty of smooth bass.
Bass is even more pronounced away from speakers. As it is, much more than SDA's but will further test.

Also, the tweeter is not harsh but I didn't play them at high volume.

Me likey. :loneranger:

cnh

They look great. And I don't want to say "I told you so about that tweeter". But I couldn't help it. I agree about the Bass. My L80Ts have a very similar bass except that yours can FILL up a lot more space with that bass. Smooth and powerful is a pretty good description and you get "more" of it as you step away from the speakers. When I first had mine hooked up for HT, years ago, I had a 40 hz sub that was all but useless next to the speakers. You need to dip below that to add to this speaker!

You're lucky because you also have the ORIGINAL risers with those. I've never had mine at the proper height (no risers)!

Enjoy!

cnh

westmassguy

I rebuilt a pair of those for a cutomer last year. The new surrounds will need a good break-in period before the woofers reach their full potential. Those are quality JBL Woofers and nothing to sneeze at. I also rebuilt his crossovers, as they were mostly NP Electrolytics. I used Sonicaps and Daytons. Compared with my 2As, the bass and mids were good, although my 2As now go lower, but that Titanium Dome was excruciating to listen to. I even suggested replacing it with a some Vifa Textile Domes, but he was happy with them they way they were. The customer's always right.
BTW, I have the schematics for them if you're interested.