Jbl lx44

HASWELL
HASWELL Posts: 36
edited May 2014 in Vintage Speakers
Spotted a pair of JBL LX44 at our local Habitat ReStore for $175 each! Popped the grills and they looked really good. They weren't connected and I didn't have time to listen anyway, but looks alone 8/10. After a quick search and I'm finding they are much older than they appeared. The tag says they've been on the shelf 3 weeks. Any suggestions on a reasonable offer? Thanks.
Post edited by HASWELL on
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,441
    edited May 2014
    Check for foam rot on the drivers then go from there. Some like the titanium tweeters others not so much only you can decide if they are for you. 175.00 is way too much if you ask me maybe 100.00 for the pair. If there is any foam rot tell them it will cost 50.00ea. to have them redone. You can get foam repair kits for them for less than 50.00 and it is tedious work but it is not hard.
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited May 2014
    LX-44? Late '80s early '90s?

    JBL mid-line 3 way.

    8 inch polymer laminate
    5 inch polymer laminate
    1 inch pure titanium dome

    crossovers: 800 Hz and 4 Khz

    10-150 watts handling power

    FR. Response 45 Hz-20 Khz

    33 lbs each

    One model down from the TOTL LX-55 with the 10" woofer.

    My guess is that those sold for $500-$600 a pair new or less on discount? Decent JBLs but not worth much more than $100 today. Foams are probably shot or very near to fading.

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited May 2014
    $175 each?
    Okay for less than $100 for the pair.

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • HASWELL
    HASWELL Posts: 36
    edited May 2014
    Thanks for the advice all - exactly the info I was looking for...I'll take another look at them.
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  • HASWELL
    HASWELL Posts: 36
    edited May 2014
    While not speakers, I did grab this today...maybe for the nostalgia, maybe for the VU meters. But for $10 I had to have it. Sounds decent with just a touch of drag on the tapes.
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited May 2014
    Gotta love those big VU meters Haswell. Maybe after more hours of playing tapes on it, the drag you're hearing will lessen. Is the recording function operable?
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  • OldSchoolPolk
    OldSchoolPolk Posts: 159
    edited May 2014
    Yeah, $175 each seems to be way out of the norm for H4H. A post from 2008 on the Lansing Heritage forum said they went for $600/pr in 1990.

    Don't know the speaker but those on the LH forum said they were sleepers. Maybe a good deal, but you got options for $350/pr....
    HT: Marantz NR-1603, Oppo 981, Def Tech SM55, SVS PB-1000
    BR: iPad Mini, Audio Engine A5+
    2C: Parasound ZDAC V.2, Sony DA80ES, Sony XDR-F1HD, SVS Prime Tower, JSE .6 Infinite Slope
    Office: MBAir, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, JBL LSR-308
    Projects: Polk RTA12, Polk Monitor 7, Revox B225CD, BIC 3-TM
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  • HASWELL
    HASWELL Posts: 36
    edited May 2014
    yes, the record function is working, but the drag seems to be getting worse. The "take-up spindle?" doesn't seem to turn with the same enthusiasm. Is this repairable? Or worth repairing?
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,101
    edited May 2014
    HASWELL wrote: »
    While not speakers, I did grab this today...maybe for the nostalgia, maybe for the VU meters. But for $10 I had to have it. Sounds decent with just a touch of drag on the tapes.
    attachment.php?attachmentid=97191&stc=1&d=1399065175
    Sharp RT-3388A. There's one in my basement right now.

    I have the service and owner's manuals posted on my web site, although there's been trouble getting them to download.

    You can pretty much expect the record/play head to be wiped out. I replaced mine with a generic tape head, worked just as well as the original. The Dolby tracking on mine was TERRIBLE when I bought it, but a quickie re-alignment had it working pretty well. Dolby B is not supposed to sound like a high-filter!

    I used the timer function to activate an AC power relay (because the on-board switched outlet wouldn't handle the current draw) which turned on my receiver. That was my alarm clock through College. My roommate was out-of-bed and turning the stereo off at the click of the relay, I hardly ever heard music first thing in the morning. Effective, though.
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    edited May 2014
    Sweet looking deck. Might need a belt by this time ?,
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • HASWELL
    HASWELL Posts: 36
    edited May 2014
    Schurkey - I'd like to get a look at those manuals. Haha, your alarm clock setup reminds me of a Doc Brown creation.

    erniejade - yeah, she purdy. Gonna try and resurrect her for sh!ts & grins...because you just never know if/when aged tech may make a comeback! ;-)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFuSZ05Rck
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,101
    edited May 2014
    Operator's manual in three downloads
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Operation_1.doc
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Operation_2.doc
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Operation_3.doc

    I seem to be having problems with the service manual. Here's sections 3 and 4 in .doc format.
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Service_3.doc
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Service_4.doc

    Sections 1 and 2 are in .odt format, unless Microsoft can convert them, you'd have to have Open Office to view the .odt file.
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Service_01.odt
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Service_02.odt

    I'll dick with it some, and see if I can produce and upload .doc files of the first two parts. No promises. I couldn't make it work a year ago, and I have no idea why.
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,101
    edited May 2014
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Service_1.doc
    http://hbassociates.us/Sharp_RT3388A_Service_2.doc

    This doesn't download on my computer. The files are good, I can open them from the originals on my hard-drive; but after uploading to my web site I can't download and open them. I have no idea what's going on.

    Maybe this works on YOUR computer.
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  • HASWELL
    HASWELL Posts: 36
    edited May 2014
    Thanks, the first 7 .doc's and .odt's opened flawlessly in Libre Office. Unfortunately, the last 2 you posted opened as gibberish. Good info - much appreciated!
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