Brian Hot Rods his JBL JRX-115 Top Cabs (Horn Driver)

[@EddietheHouserocker]

Don't know why the algorithm suggested this for me but whoa, I still do this to this day! lol! I'm a fairly new subscriber and it's good to see you've always put up good content, greetings from Chicago!

[@TimpBizkit]

That's what EQ is for. If you don't like the overly sparkly hot treble, you can turn it back and your newer more efficient drivers run cooler. Better to have power and not need it than the other way round!

[@groovindj]

I know how they work, James. I've got one in my studio. They work by synthesizing extra frequencies from the existing signal. They add stuff that wasn't there in the original signal. If your speakers do not reproduce good highs or lows already, then using an enhancer WILL add extra lows and high to the signal at a higher level than they originally were. This WILL put extra load on your system.

[@grudainc]

I was given a set of the 2x15s with nuntin inthem so I pull crossover out put a plate over hole now I can bi amp them. I put 2 eminent kappa 15s in each speaker along with a generic 1 1/4 bolt on lens with eminent drivers. Couldn't be happier. I strongly recommend the bigger bolt on driver and removing crossover and use biamp. I would never settle for less. I am even doing them to my other two I bought (to make a set of 4)

[@TimpBizkit]

Good driver. I like having a lot of acoustical headroom in the very top end, even if it means pulling the EQ down a bit to make it match the woofer. Sleeperawaken36 seemed to find that the Behringer cabs used a beefier looking HF driver than the JBL cabs!

[@dedepc]

Puxa, Sr. Homero Sette ficaria feliz com esse video gringo! Substituindo o drive JBL pelo Selenium, que felicidade! Porém apesar do D210ti ter muito mais capacidade e qualidade, ele manteve o divisor original, certamente dimensionado para o driver de bobina menor. Mesmo assim a troca fez uma grande diferença. Valeu!!

[@briansredd]

Hey James. Thanks for that info. Just so you know, both groovindj and sleeperawaken are VERY good with this kind of stuff and know thier stuff. Basically, you are getting free EXPERT advice here :) (both of them blow me away when it comes to such things)

[@sleeperawaken36]

You should notice that Brian says, IN A PINCH. This solution will work, provided you do not go below the impedance spec of the amp, but this solution should really only be used in an emergency, when you are at a gig, and a channel fails. If one channel is dead already, and you put all the weight of the impedance load that was being handled by both channels on one channel, well, think about it. Hence, this should option should only be used when you have no other choice, not for extended use.

[@Mediocrebassist]

Hi, I found your video to be very helpful. With only stock computer speakers, it's hard to tell the difference in sound quality but I got what I needed! Thanks for your efforts!

[@DJ_Renn]

@nickacil I still dont see how it would change the woofers crossover point.....If you remove all the high pass filter components, the xover point of the woofer remains the same cause they are independent of each other.

[@kroekerta]

The 115 JRX cabinet has a 50 to 12.5 rating ( not the horn as stated ) the selenium horn driver does not go down to 50hz just to clarify. JBL bought Selenium in Brazil and now uses their drivers in several models new out of the box. Horn and woofer. JBL puts their stamp of approval on them.

[@johnpmclaughlin]

I did a similar upgrade to my Tapco dual 15" speakers. They had the little stock driver and after blowing a pair of them, I went to the local speaker parts store and picked up a pair of the big Selenium 1" throat drivers similar to what Brian installed in his JBLs. The difference in sound was incredible and I havent blown any drivers nor does the speaker go into shutdown mode after having too much high end going to the horns. All you guys who poopoo changing drivers should use your ears.

[@sleeperawaken36]

HA! You did it! I wasn't sure I had convinced you! I've got my new drivers installed now too, even have a video about it that should be up hopefully by this weekend or maybe Monday. Selenium makes some good stuff :)

[@sleeperawaken36]

If you use a sonic maximizer, tune it a certain way, and crack it hard, it may effectively raise the signal for those frequencies out of range, but at the cost of potentially overdriving the component being effected. A sonic maximizer can be used as a good tool, but should not be used to compensate for out of range frequency response, and that is the message.

[@sleeperawaken36]

I can confirm that groovindj is correct on this. We are not against the use of this unit, both Groovindj & I own one after all, but it's important you understand what it does, so you can get good use out of it, while not overdriving anything. We also want you to understand that it is not a alternative to replacing a mid/tweeter driver, it is a different thing.

[@TimpBizkit]

Some people are complaining about the highs being too loud, hey you can always turn down on the EQ, and using EQ to turn stuff down is better than using it to boost. The frequency response and sensitivity of the new highs is definitely better, although louder relative to the woofer.

[@Zanthxs]

I've gone through 3 stock JBL horn drivers in 2 years.I like the clarity of the Seleniums but I still prefer the deeper lows on the 15 inch woofer. To get more out of the high end I've been pushing them well into the yellow LEDS but but not to to the red limits LEDS. If you set up an arpeggiated sequence on a Microkorg and start sweeping to almost beyond hearing range those horn drivers will heat up and die because JBL uses a ferrofluid coating to seal the unit if you inspect it closely and they literally fry to silence just when you're into it, but only one at a time it sems. Electribe MX! is also mortal to the horn even with just a few seconds of Valve Tube Gain during a Trance mix. Still, these speakers rock and I'm already saving up to replace the fourth to burn. Another idea would be to run another third JBL cabinet 6 feet behind you and centered with a Selenium to fill in that razor sharpness that the stock JBL lacks and not have to keep burning driver horns every 9 months and I'm not even gigging. This is maxing out on a Behringer PMP4000 800+800 watts (maybe too much power for those little JBL drivers - Seleniums look brutal magnets). Any louder and it's deafening in the attic loft with this setup cranked. I recommend them but be warned, they're addiciting. Seriously. Thanks for the vid. The JBL stock cabinet 2 x 15 + horn driver with the Selenium?

[@james8660]

Even on my laptop I can hear the difference! nice!

[@sleeperawaken36]

When you look at a frequency range for a speaker cab, it is not an absolute. You have to notice the +/- 3dB or +/- 10dB spec. What that part of the spec means, is that the speaker cab will produce that range within those tolerances. A speaker cab with a range of 50 Hz - 12.5KHz, for example, will produce a 20 Hz tone as well, but it might be at -30dB from the average efficiency of the cab, making it rather useless. (cont, p1)

[@DjCuddly]

@jigibao This is very true. You shouldn't switch drivers unless you are completely sure that the maginitude response, impedance curve and the phase response are identical to the old drivers. But if something miraculous has happened and all these line up, you are still dealing with sensitivity mismatching causing the speaker to shift the crossover point and trowing the sound off balance. This all can be avoided by modifying the xo accordingly. I don't know how this can blow your amp though..?

[@briansredd]

No, you don't have to change the crossovers because the new horn drivers match up with what's going on with the crossover already

[@alexgreen121]

HI are there any new drivers that you recommend, since selenium was purchased by JBL, other brands? Thanks

[@briansredd]

Yeah it was pretty upset about all that gear piled on it. Some of the feet on my speakers are broken off, so that didn't help correct the slant effect of the table much

[@MikeSteinSeaTac]

I think the stock JBL driver sounded more balanced. OK when you played to 2 speakers together comparing before and after the Seleniums did sound better. Keep in mind that they seem more efficient so they're a bit louder. Louder always fools the brain into thinking it sounds better. In the end... I think it was a worthwhile investment.

[@sleeperawaken36]

You need to be careful about mixing horns with cabs. This particular driver will work well with the JRX115 or JRX dual cab because one of the recommended crossover points is the same, and it just happens to be a good match overall. Hence, it would depend on the model of ABS cab, where the crossover point is, the cutoff rate, and so forth.

[@chickenfizz]

This video has a slight mistake, JBL drivers are positive voltage at red terminal for rearward cone movement, this is opposite to most manufacturers (including selenium). Therefore you should wire the seleniums the opposite way round so it looks as if they'd be out of phase.

[@TimpBizkit]

On the camera, the sound is easier on the ears with the stock drivers, but I can tell that the stock drivers are much more muffled sounding and the new drivers are hitting proper highs. If I could hear the speakers in real life, it would be like adding the &fmt=18 extension code to a music video, or the difference between good horn loaded and direct tweeters. I have some horn tweeters on my stereo speakers and they are sounding much crisper and I have to set the treble eq lower.

[@groovindj]

OK, so with the frequency knob in the middle, you're boosting everything from 3.3KHz upwards by turning the 'high mix' clockwise. You're adding high frequencies that were not present in the original signal. Therefore, your amp is having to work harder at the HF end, and your tweeters are also working harder, outputting higher frequencies than they were designed to reproduce. Just be VERY careful with your boosting (turn it up until you JUST hear the boost, then back it off a notch).

[@oddh4322]

i just came across this and those drivers do sound much better,the only thing i would strongly suggest is to brace the driver with some 3/4" plywood all the way around it ,ive seen them snap the threaded part of the lens just by setting the cabinet down on the ground and transporting them to a gig with them face up as well

[@WestCoastFront]

Sounded louder and crisp with new driver. Thanks for video, I'm making that same up grade.

[@sleeperawaken36]

To add in here, I think most likely, and JBL cabs using the same JBL 2412 compression driver seen in Brian's video, could most likely, and this is not gospel, be replaced with the Selenium D210Ti driver successfully. This includes the JRX115, JRX125, and I think this also includes the Eon first gen cabs, and possibly the Eon G2 10" cab. I think the Eon G2 12" and larger cabs have a 2" exit JBL horn, which is a step up. Don't mess with that. I have not tried any of these, but may work well.

[@jamesduty92]

hey brian, i did something a bit easyier then buying a new horn drivers, i bought a behringer dualfex, old model, all it does is process the mixed audio from the mixer to the amp, and enhancer or does what ever you want, i hope ill be making a video of all my gear tomorrow at a gig ill be doing. jamed

[@RedRavenRuler]

@kyle2284 im pretty sure you got that mixed up, the new drivers are that have better high frequency response, maybe you misunderstood which side was the new drivers

[@jamesduty92]

lol, i can tell ya this, it don't strain anything, it is an enhancer, but the way it does it is that it seperates the high and lows, and cleans the signal being sent, giving/producing a clearer audio quality. Eg, when i have it turned off/bypass, i hear faint highs there not that clear, i turn it on, i can here the slightest tap of a cymbol on a drum kit.

[@Trpmanne]

Big difference. Not sure why people saying stick with the old ones. They're crap I installed some much bigger Jbl tweeters in my jrx125 huge difference and can handle the power!!!

[@briansredd]

Oh you had convenced me, but I got that email on the same day I found out that I had a slight oversight in my checking account and aquired over $200 in late fees... so I was a little sore in the wallet. HA! Thanks man! They sound great. Julie and I did an Elementry school tonight with them and they really sounded crisp and clean

[@TimpBizkit]

You could also try gluing some art foam to the back of the horn to stop it ringing as much. I also use art foam for speaker gaskets

[@badderthanyou]

You have to make sure the SPL of both drivers are identical, otherwise you need to rebuild/adjust the crossover.

[@sleeperawaken36]

Yes, those are the new versions of the same driver.

[@mrdj5150]

They sound brighter. Nice upgrade.

[@DJ_Renn]

@nickacil The video instructs to simply swap out the JBL driver for the Selinium....Thats exactly what i did....Yes the crossover frequency will change due to different driver specs, but i fail to see how that would effect the woofer. Anyways, i did a side by side wit both drivers but i used an electronic crossover set to 2.5k 12db/octave and yes the Selenium sounded warmer and had extended highs but for all out loudness.....the JBL demolished the Selinium.....You really do get what you pay for.

[@groovindj]

It's easier to use an enhancer but not as good. All that does is force your kit to produce frequencies it's not designed to handle. Hence it can put a strain on your amp and speakers.

[@RockStarMichael]

Hey Brian. Great Vid, man. I've been looking to replace the drivers in my Yamaha S115v's for a while now... will those new ones you put in the JBL's be compatible with my speakers as well? If so, I'll do it immediately. Thank you for making informative videos... I'll start posting mine soon! Practice & N Joy!

[@tsltyler]

The song is: Song: Hot House Music - Artist: Jordan Rivera

[@MrCoolman1223]

Funny, am I right, that the mod kills the lower mids? Cheers from Germany

[@TimpBizkit]

Probably the extra tweeter sensitivity is causing the gain level in the camera to lower itself, which lowers the perceived level of the woofer section. It's sort of the opposite effect of those car stereo videos where the bass kicking in appears to mute the high frequencies.

[@Khoiser]

Congratulations! I am very grateful for this video. I have some speakers JRX115 same as yours. The compression driver is broken. Thanks to your video, I will fix my speakers. Thanks a million PD. Excuse my English, I'm Spanish and helped me to Google Translator.

[@SpiiderOK]

This helped me do the same.

[@hanksteelbranch]

High end sounds alot clearer. I'm getting ready to do this to a set of my JRX's and I stumbled upon this. Serendipity. Best price I found as of 12/2010 was $40 a pop from VIP audio.

[@Oilpanicmusic]

A basic swap with one low end driver to another. As long as the sensitivity is there it will be reasonably close. Put a EQ on them speakers and you will get better sound, rather then buying new drivers if the old ones are not broken.

[@carlover961]

Wow, those speakers sound a lot better with the new drivers!

[@briansredd]

Yeah I like the JRX series from JBL. The reason I bought them is because I liked the sound of them and the price point as well. I don't know how these speakers are priced in Europe compaired to EV, RCF, etc. Thoes brands may be a better choice depending on the price difference.

[@mattmoreira210]

Selenium was a brazilian speaker manufacturer. They have recently been acquired by JBL. :(

[@DJ_Renn]

@nickacil I see how in a series crossover, changing 1 driver will effect the other...

[@danielgriffith3633]

I have a Sound Factor SF12m monitor/pa speaker...my Yamaha BR12 absolutely kicks its ass ?!. The horn/driver "appears" to be working, but man a difference between the two- the yammy BR seems to have so much more highs n mids, the jbl sounds more muddy n muted...do they just suck?..I mean the BRs aint even all that, but..Any suggestions ?

[@briansredd]

Not sure. I've been asking about getting ahold of them for over a month now. I'll see what I can do next week

[@eriknoobie]

Nice upgrade Brian. Im maybe getting these JBLs, im going to start DJing soon. Do you recommend them? Are they easy to move to a gig? I could clarely hear a difference, even on the cam :) Sry for the bad english. (im Norwegian) Erik

[@RockTheHouse4]

that table looks pretty bent with all that heavy gear on it, or maybe it is the angle of the camera? nice upgrade,

[@briansredd]

hmm well, when only one side is working, it's probably important to figure out WHY it isn't working. Now, in a PINCH, you could run just the one side and, if your amp is stable enough at the impedence load you would be putting on it, daisy chain your speakers together (and make your signal going to the one channel on your amp MONO on your mixer)

[@yvesmdjgryphon]

nice vid and upgrade congrats on number 400 :)

[@DJ_Renn]

@nickacil EICO?????? Wow, my dad use to work for EICO like 30 years ago and i use to build the Eico kits as a kid.....PS what part of the world are you located? A lot of the brands you are mentioning dont really exist it the US.....

[@sleeperawaken36]

(cont) Hence, a little improvement at low cost can be a good thing, but don't get carried away :)

[@jgmusic_pro]

Hola soy de Argentina y hice la prueba cambiando mis drivers por los 220-TI y suenan mas potentes pero noto que pierde el equilibrio natural entre graves y agudos. Como los uso al maximo de su rendimiento me beneficio ya que se me rompen menos los drivers y los repuestos del 220-TI son mas baratos.

[@groovindj]

It's tough to hear the difference with the music through KZbin, but your voice has more top end bite with the new drivers.

[@SianaGearz]

Extension doesn't matter beyond 12-15k, so i believe the JBL is well designed originally, and replacing a driver isn't gonna improve it, especially since moving the top end half an octave up usually means that the bottom end will also travel half an octave up, so the midrange can end up a bit lumpier and more distorted, there's simply only so much range you can get from a driver before the compromises occur. Though it was probably a bit on the lumpy side to begin with, because baffle step and radiation patterns are both bitches, and -3db range specified doesn't mean the whole speaker is within 3db, it's only a range figure projected from the roll-off slopes. But for a repair, it's gonna be OK, especially often necessary since the tweeter had low power handling originally, and i suspect the frequency response changes aren't gonna be so bad as to murder the sound. Ideally, the XO should be fully redesigned for the new driver combination. [edit]: now at the end it seems like you got yourself a midrange response hole. Not so good.

[@djrickysmith]

Siana Gearz what i know about these speakers is that the paasive cross over has a frequency split at 1.6 hz. with that being said, it was sending to much of the mid range tones to the horn giving the speakers a mega phone type sound on the vocals. jbl fixed the problem by putting in new cross overs that split the signal at 2.3 hz . no need to change the tweeter driver like he did here. just change out the cross over for 20.00

[@Trpmanne]

Siana Gearz bigger driver made it sound warmer I've done it myself. It was a vast improvement!

[@roger2078]

The SRX line is much nicer because they are much more in price, like around $1700 a piece for the 725's and $1300 for the 715's v/s about $250- $300 a piece for JRX. I love my JRX series and use them all the time. One day I will own a pair of the SRX725's, and its lookin to be this year. I will use the JRX115's more often though.

[@cfmonline]

ive just bought a pair of these BUT...one is very trebble-y and one almost has no top end at all. Any ideas if theres any way I can change the X-over freq in these cabs. Just to try and get this soted without paying for return postage. Not Cheap :( BTW what should they sound like - not much/too much top end. So i know which one isnt right. Thanks - keep the vids coming John

[@eriknoobie]

Thx for the reply:) They are priced as 3.208 NOK (Norwegian kroner) wich is 455,04 USD (for one speaker, i need two) Well thanks for the fast reply, i think im getting a pair soon :) Btw, ur vids are great ;) Erik

[@sleeperawaken36]

You have to look at everything as an investment. Once you start modifying a commercial speaker cab you will generally never increase it's resale value. At best you might maintain the same value, even with better components. Once you start looking into getting a better woofer, then you will need a beefier crossover to handle the increased power which is costly as well, and once you look at putting that much money in, you should probably just sell it instead & buy a better speaker cab instead.

[@tolley1466]

You can. The human hearing range is from arout 20 Hz to 20 KHz. This can obviously differ from person to person.

[@MrElchalo]

the selenium d210ti are discontinued, you'll have to buy the d220ti. the price is about $46.00. I replaced my jbl mrx515 hf driver with the selenium d220ti and couldn't believe that they actually sound better the original jbl drivers. It's was hard for me to believe this was possible but it's true. spend the $46.00 and see for yourself. Don't let some idiot tell you different. also make sure you buy the 8ohm driver not the 16 ohm.

[@briansredd]

I can't remember. Some house track of a comp CD

[@mgjuss]

sorry, I don't understand much English, so I did understand the name and the model of the new driver you use for your jbl, I only understand "selenium" but not wich model... Do you think this could be ok also for the jrx-112 (the difference should be 12" woofer instead of 15" like yours). Thanks.

[@Jubal24]

Listening to the video, I could not tell a difference. That may have more to do with the frequency response of the video camera, and the limits placed on streaming. Honestly, if I heard any difference, it was in the snare, and the JBL was a tad hotter and cleaner. But the only valid test for me would be an in-person blind comparison.

[@jamesduty92]

yeah but the way mines set out is that theres a Bass nob soft/tight, fequency nob, enhancer/exciter nob, and a high mix nob, so i don't even have the enhancer on, all i use is the high mix, none of the bass, and the fequency just stays in the middle, and i never touch the enhancer/exciter. so it doesn't always enhance, so it doesn't actually change the sound level coming back out much at all.

[@sleeperawaken36]

I've been shopping with Parts Express literally about as long as I've been a DJ, which is a bit more than 18 years. They have some of the worst prices on lighting gear...LOL, but best place to shop for DIY or repair audio components, and other electronic stuff :)

[@briansredd]

You should probably debate this with sleeperawaken. Reply to one of his comments

[@PlanSoundGbR]

(sorry for my bad english, i'm coming from germany)Did you changed anything with the crossover in the box? I think you have to do it... or?

[@whenyourout]

Hi at work hence no video.......now it it a STANDARD screw fitting what im trying to ascertain could i stick these into my ABS speakers....???

[@briansredd]

Hi Michael It is my understanding (from what Brady has told me) that these particular drivers are a great frequency match for my particular speaker and are NOT going to work for every speaker config. Your question would probably be best answered in a good Audio forum because I'm a complete idiot when it comes to such things. HA!

[@mthorpe96]

i did this after your video thanks for the suggestion works great!! much cleaner sound! thanks again

[@GiggleSquidd]

i can hear the volume clearly!!! BUT... How Many Watts is the JBL speaker???

[@tolley1466]

What's the point of buying drivers with a "better" frequency response if it's not going to be used properly due to your crossover.

[@DJ_Renn]

@nickacil I have a Crown Xti 6000 2 Xti 4000's and an Xti 1000.....Everything is electronically crossovered VIA the on board DSP on each amp.....Passive crossovers simply cant compare, and besides ive pulled them out of the JBL's JRX 125 and wired the box bi amped....I have much more control of the drivers and it sounds waaaaaaaayyyyyy better....

[@crf150rfan]

i thought that the straight yellow would be negative and the striped yellow would be possitive? Time: 4:00

[@jpnoll]

What is the music you are playing in this video? Cool

[@bog1e]

I love parts express man they have everything. Great DIY place great job Brian.

[@briansredd]

I wouldn't go THAT far. JBL makes great products. The only reason these speakers sounded like they did is because there is a demand for "Budget" speakers for DJs like me. They still sound better than any of the other brands I've heard at the same price.

[@playernumber36]

Just the video i needed. Great dude. Great!

[@DJ_Renn]

@nickacil High pass low pass band pass but a series crossover??? Cant say that ive heard of that...

[@RAJKOify]

what amp is perfect for those 2 boxes? can a xti 2000 can be turned max on those and making on mixer not to clip? couse manufacture said 250-500w at 8 ohm and 2000xti got 475wats at 8 ohms, but friend of mine getting them 4 on same amp... :D confused, didn't asked him did he test 2 of them at same amp..

[@rongrantga]

Brian, I have a pair of JBL SF15 speakers and want to hotrod them. I think they have the same horn as the JRX-115. Since these are 8ohm speaker cabs, do I need a 16ohm driver? I think I saw 8ohm on the driver you installed. Does that drop your ohm load to 4? Please help.. Thanks!

[@DjCalifero]

hey do the horn drivers shut off when they get hot or do they burn out

[@DarnellHood]

@Drake3498 What about if I'm using them as PA mains with the matching subs? Could they handle a small outdoor event?

[@victorprudeaux500]

just ordered four of the D220's for our jrx 115 s at my school.

[@luiz-figueiredo-72]

does anyone know to fix a dented speaker cone? both of my KRKs are dented thanks to my 2 y/o :D

[@iceman977th]

Hey Brian. I've been thinking about replacing the drivers in my Yamaha S12e speakers...if I get the right sized horn, would the D210Ti's work well in them? I might get a new low driver.

[@precisiondrive]

it is hard to make the frequency response flat by simply changing the driver

[@briansredd]

Very intiresting, man! I may give this a go

[@MightySaturn5]

seems the Radian drivers are as loud yet flatter

[@RRollergod]

The highs definitely sound much clearer.

[@briansredd]

Oh really? Wow so glad you told me. Never heard that one