JBL L Series (1990s)

[Titanium Dome]

Do Not forget the Studio Series S412 - very nice 4 way speaker

You're right. I remembered it as a three-way for some reason, but there it is right in the model name, 4-way, 12 inch.

[JBLnsince1959]

I remembered it as a three-way for some reason, but there it is right in the model name, 4-way, 12 inch.

there was the S312 ( 3 way, 12" woofer - I have a set) and the
S412 ( 4 way, 12" powered woofer - I want a set)

ahhhh..the "Good Old Days" when they made speakers with woofers bigger than 8"

http://www.audioheritage.org/images/...racts/S412.jpg

Rusnzha ( Russ) has a pair that I've listened too, nice, very nice....

[CHagen7]

Okay, I'm new here - which you might find odd, but it is what it is. Are you all sitting down? I'm the guy that designed your L-7's....and 5's, and 3's, 1's, LX-300's, LX-44's, Synthesis 3, HT-1................etc. etc. The full list is too large to post. I picked a few highlights.

I'd be more than happy to answer questions/enter discussions, but bear in mind, there will be a torrent.

A little history - I started at Rogersound Labs in 1985, and designed a few including the wildly popular (for them) RSL 2600. Then I went to JBL in 1988, and started with the L100T3 series. I worked there until '97 when the Japanese stock market crash forced a layoff, and even though I was a senior development engineer, was low man on the seniority totem pole. From there I went to Event Electronics for two years, designing a powered 12" subwoofer. In January of 2000, I started at M&K, becoming manager of engineering and director of quality with time. I was with them until they closed in February. Still looking for work.

Okay....................not ALL AT ONCE!!!!

[CHagen7]

And my name is Chris Hagen. There's a picture of me in the Stereo Review article on American speaker manufacture in 1988 or 89. I'm dropping a 2214H-1 into the ground plane pit for measurement for the L100T3. And another line I'm proud of designing was the Citation speakers - 7.2,7.3,7.4 and 5.2, 3 and 4.

[Storm]

I do not personally own a pair of those, but I give you a HUGE welcome.

Did you by chance have any part in the 250TI speakers?



-Storm.

And my name is Chris Hagen. There's a picture of me in the Stereo Review article on American speaker manufacture in 1988 or 89. I'm dropping a 2214H-1 into the ground plane pit for measurement for the L100T3. And another line I'm proud of designing was the Citation speakers - 7.2,7.3,7.4 and 5.2, 3 and 4.

[clmrt]

And my name is Chris Hagen. There's a picture of me in the Stereo Review article on American speaker manufacture in 1988 or 89. I'm dropping a 2214H-1 into the ground plane pit for measurement for the L100T3. And another line I'm proud of designing was the Citation speakers - 7.2,7.3,7.4 and 5.2, 3 and 4.

Doucanoe has that issue of SR...

Welcome!

I like my L5's aplenty, thanks much. Was there a compromise made in any of these? Or were they allowed every whim from start to finish...I ask because the drivers (save the tweeter) seem dedicated to this short-lived line, and that seems to me it would have been a very expensive thing to do - design 4 different new transducers for one product line, that lived for only three years.

They seem to be unique in a way, all black and intimidating-looking.

[CHagen7]

No, I didn’t have anything to do with the 250Ti. That model was Greg Timbers’ baby. He does most of the high-end models at JBL, particularly for Japan, showing up sometimes in their magazines.
L series was always a no-compromise line from the performance side. But to keep the price down, L series did use less expensive fittings, cabinetry, and finishes. I always felt the L-5 should have had a bigger woofer. I liked the prototype sidefire 10" 3-way the best. But it was designed as a dual 6" by the industrial designer and initial pictures taken (these show in the earlier ads/lit sheets). Then we played with dual 8" woofers, but the president of JBL Consumer decided to tie it in to the 4-way L-7 by making it an 8" 4-way. When said and done though, it works, the drivers blended nicely (even with the uphill climb), and it certainly made a place for itself.
As for longevity, actually this L-series lasted as long as 6 years (designed in ’90 -’91, released in the fall of ’91, L-7 produced until ’97 or ’98). And at the time of line release, the VP of JBL Consumer told us all speakers would have no more than a two-year lifespan.So this L series definitely showed it had merits.
As for drivers, JBL usually makes a new line of drivers for a major line release, whether it has existing prestige, like L series, or they wanted to make a big splash, like with SoundEffects.

Chris

[clmrt]

Thanks - as usual, I think I know more than I do.

Any ideas on number of units sold?

What took you so long to find this site?

[CHagen7]

That’s okay – we humans do that a lot….I think it’s why doctor’s call their workplace a "practice".
Engineers at JBL weren’t really in the monetary loop. You could find out numbers sold, and the like if you asked enough people, but I tended to keep my nose in design.
Actually, I’d seen the site a long time ago….I think while I was at Event, and then early on at M&K. But I tend to use the internet for downloads, product info, and purchasing things. Otherwise, I tend to stay in the present (not tracking old models that I designed), so I didn’t really latch onto the site. Recently, my best friend (and product manager at JBL) told me about the demands to "meet the guy that designed our speakers!", so I thought I should register and pipe up.
I haven’t found anything since M&K (other than some contract work), so I have some time now to answer emails, and – who knows? – maybe a new job will come of it. But it’s good enough for me how I felt about a design – I don’t spend a lot of time reading forums about my past designs, and not really in it for any level of fame or whatever. (actually, my friend has enough trouble getting me to stay up with the Jackson guitars forum!)
Anyway – the L-7 was one of my favorite designs of all time (I did somewhere around 150 for JBL, maybe 10 or so for Rogersound, 1 for Event, and 5 or 10 for M&K), and to coin a phrase truthfully – " I have a pair at home!" (actually three, soon to be five, but we’ll see where that goes…)
Chris

PS And yes, I was a little perturbed about how the L-7 was introduced in this thread…

[clmrt]

Any comments on the (lack of) center channel, the CL505?

[Storm]

Is Greg Timbers a member of audioheritage? I would LOVE to pm him and strike up a conversation about the 250TI.

Thanks.



-Storm.

[clmrt]

He goes by the code name "xxxxxxx"...

[opimax]

I am in charge of my brother 's system of 2 L7 , 2 l5 and the infamous cl505 and a no name sub. Pretty good system, especially for someone who doesn't care that much (him, not me ). the system does high volume well (not ridiculous levels and he only has 100x5). The L series has become quite a bargain these days maybe 800 at most for all including sub. In his system the 505 works well enough. I am trying to compare it to a single l3, haven't yet.


Welcome to the site!!! and good luck looking

Mark

[Storm]

WOW!

I am very amazed!
All this time knowing Giskard, that is really Timbers?

Incredible!



This site is so F*&king awesome!

-Storm.

He goes by the code name "Giskard"...

[Titanium Dome]

If this is what got you perturbed, don't sweat it and read it again.

Here is the statement speaker of the L Series, but it is also the problem child, the black sheep, the mystery, the enigma, the disappointment. It is usually though not universally criticized as being too bright, too strident, too shrill, too weak in the bass, etc.

So did JBL drop the ball on this one? After making three pretty good models at their price point, did they totally screw up the top model? Did they just not know what they were doing? Did they gamble on a design that just wasn't any good? Did they think that they could just do a half-assed job with "new" ideas and people would buy it at a premium price anyway?

Well, those questions only matter if one agrees that the speaker is a disappointment or a disaster. If one believes that the speaker is one of the better contemporary designs in the JBL portfolio, as I firmly do, then those questions are for people who just don't get it.

More on the L7 later.

When I started the L Series (1990s) thread, there was precious little about it on the site, and there was a general disdain for most things from JBL consumer in that era. I knew that was a misperception and set out to bring this wonderful series to light.

The L7 is a vastly underrated speaker, and I've gone to extensive lengths to promote its excellence to those who are willing to work with it. Lots of folks just don't appreciate it and dismiss it out of hand, though I think we've changed that perception by persistent praise.

If you search "L7" you'll see support for the speaker in almost every thread and encouragement to buy it in every marketplace posting.

Thanks for designing such a great speaker series and welcome to the forums.