The Trick to Getting Ultimate Sound Quality with JBL L100 Classic MkII!

[@cryon8515]

Even though you make speaker reviews so often, ive almost forgot how you explain the off axis, distance from wall, and all the other little detailed descriptions you use for newbies starting off in the hobbie figuring out why their speaker sounds the way it does. I appreciate you going the distance to be so inclusive to every new person to the channel or hobbie. Keep up the good work!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for the feedback. I know I’ve had others mention that maybe I don’t need to keep doing this, but I try to run the balance between giving helpful information to a newcomer but not saying all the same stuff and eating up too much time for each video. So I appreciate your comment. It helps me feel like I’m on the right track.

[@jamesmansion2572]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I do wonder whether front to wall is the measurement that matters. That's where the diffraction / baffle step is taking place, so any out of phase reflection should IMO be related to front to wall distance.

[@edg7972]

Thank you for the awesome review. I've been waiting for this for years.

[@forty5cal1911]

I absolutely love the vintage big cabinet front firing looks of these speakers.

[@carlosarques]

Great speaker. I've got them with a little bit of EQ on both the 2k and 5k regions just to tame that bumps and make the speaker not 'so forward'

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yeah, I actually did the same through my WIIM ultra. Help tame some of those areas a little bit for that same reason. 👍

[@OlaJustin]

I would LOVE these. My ears hate the 1 - 2 kHz band and LOVE a kickdrum that feels in the chest. Also, dynamic range is king since I play at concert levels. 🤘🤘🤘

[@avnut5517]

Thank you for testing these. Glad to see what I was told turned out to be true.

[@josematurana-ohgee]

An outstanding review of a divisive speaker. Subjective takes supported by measurements and a satisfying conclusion. You’re doing the Lord’s work, Erin!

[@mikrophonie5633]

Those kinds of box speakers with 12 inch woofers used to cost a couple hundred dollars back in the 80s. I know prices rise over the years, but $4800 seems ridiculous to me. Also, other reviewers have mentioned the build quality is not good, and the veneer started to peel after a relatively short amount of time.

[@chrislj2890]

Yeah I had a pair like that back in the '80s. In the '90s when I started buying higher quality electronics I realized they were pure garbage and ended up getting Magnepans. I was never impressed by JBL and I can't imagine why anyone would spend that kind of money on such an archaic design when there are so many awesome speakers available.

[@bonzer2u]

@@chrislj2890 I still have my circa 82’ $500 a pair Boston A150’s that I wouldn’t trade or sell for any new design. I tickle them with a 76’ Yamaha CA-800 and have a very barely used 80’ Sansui AU-417 for backup.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

. Lol..... Have you seen the JBL driver? Here's the part number. JBL 2262HPL 338312-004X 12" Neo Woofer. That's a whole different universe than Grandpappy's stamped steel Realistics.

[@gg.6967]

@@TriAmpHiFi,These are commercial transducers,not what’s OEM in the L100 3way Loudspeakers. The driver part may be listed incorrectly on your parts list.😮😮😮 ,Also check the manufacturer model year before you purchase parts.

[@mcmolony]

FWIW a pair of L100 Century speakers was about $550 in 1971. That’s about $4200 in 2024. Given the parts quality and performance improvements made by the time we get to this generation of the L100, the price difference seems about right. I don’t know what speakers you’re citing were a couple hundred dollars in the 80s, but they were probably not very good.

[@ISOwav]

I have a set of original L100A's that I believe were purchased in 1989, I'm glad to see the new model isn't just a vintage gimmick and performs great, when I'm ready to part with mine I'd love to send them for measurements

[@bobtowncarguy82]

To back up what Erin said, they can play very loud effortlessly as long as you feed them enough juice. 👍

[@JasonBraswelljrb]

They love a couple of amps!

[@StefanoLindiri]

Thank you Erin for your wonderful work!

[@jamesjames5715]

bot?

[@ropeburn6684]

For the price of these, you can line your whole wall with some Magnat Transpuls or something, if you really want the "vintage style". 😂

[@LessTalkMoreDelicious]

[Klipsch has left the chat]

[@shankararora8117]

Great video and an excellent blend of data and subjective views 👍

[@scrappy7571]

I have the little brother L-82 classics. Hope you get to review a pair of those. I'm very pleased with them, even after 2 years of listening.

[@TrueLies23]

"Measurements don't matter" -guy with poopy speakers and tiny Peepee

[@thehighcontemplator2200]

Great review. I really want to see your review of the Audio First Fidelia. That looks mightily impressive.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

It’s coming! It’s a great speaker. Definitely recommended.

[@Norman-bone13]

Your credibility is 100% w/me Erin. I look for your review if I’m considering an audio purchase. I’m 71 and need to be extra careful with how I spend my money on a fixed income. I never make a decision based on measurements alone, but I like to see them as a starting point. These JBL L100’s measured better than I thought they would. I’ve always felt JBL gear was a little overpriced. I learn from your videos. I’m a music lover first and foremost. I’m not that analytical about every minute detail when listening to music. But I like above entry-level gear that fits my budget. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how this JBL model compares to the Super Denton. That’s a speaker I could consider if it sounds good to me. Different price points, but similar three-way offset driver array. The L100 Classic seems to be capitalizing on the “Nostalgia” angle.

[@LessTalkMoreDelicious]

I’d love to see you measure and review the very common Yamaha HS8. Always wondered the pros & cons of my speakers. 🤔

[@bobtowncarguy82]

I have these speakers and for the cost I dont think they are the best. But the nostalgic look is what sells it for me and everyone else(IMO). Having said that, they do sound amazing to my ear, and I have it paired with two powered subs to complete the full range experience. JBL4Life.

[@Laundry_Hamper]

1:33 this diagram looks like a dollar-store version of that famous Maxell tape ad. Which is appropriate, because the speaker in that ad is an L100!

[@Laundry_Hamper]

AH! It shows up at around 5:00, I should have waited to have watched the whole vid before commenting 😅

[@SylviaVanderlay]

thank you so much, this one was great!

[@kobush18]

Great review 💯👍

[@MichaelStrick9]

A good test for viewer's listening environment: If you can hear the "voice isolation" plug-in Erin is using, then you have a decent set up. I personally think these "voice isolation" tools are counterproductive when applying them to dialogue that's recorded in a relatively isolated and controlled environment without much noise pollution. It cuts off just enough of the start and end of sentences to be annoying, especially as someone's natural inflections move up and down. I can hear that garble in the high frequencies, and when it kicks in too hard it just gets muffled, and the whole thing starts to sound unnatural. These plug ins are great if you're recording outdoors with lots of other noises going on around you and you don't have a good shotgun mic to really get good isolation. But please, if you're indoors with a good microphone, no need to use these plug-ins. Save yourself some time and headache.

[@mikejames-drummerreginacan1386]

Great review.....thanks.

[@shipsahoy1793]

A person's listening impressions are inherently subjective, whereas data is inherently objective !! .?! enough said ?!😉

[@BobHodas]

Maxing it out isn't actually maxing it out. Max just makes zero attenuation. Im sure you know this Erin, but theres no passive croosover parts that can make a driver louder. Only quieter. So the 0 db setting on these speakers is somewhat arbitrary.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I don’t know if that’s true. Look at the average sensitivity. It increases when you max out those tonal balance controls. If what you’re saying is true, then the sensitivity would just lower a couple DB rather than increase.

[@BobHodas]

@ErinsAudioCorner honestly, I'm confused. It seems like your reply is just supporting my comment. I'm assuming that Max takes resistors out of the circuit and everything below it adds them in. I'm not sure you can make a driver louder by adding a part to it. Typically the more parts you throw at a crossover, the more sensitivity takes a hit. This is kind of reminding me of a friendly argument I had with a guy on a home theater channel once where he was recommending that people set their surround speakers to really long distances so they seemed "further away." I told him that all the distance settings on a processor can do is delay the sound. It can't speed it up. So when you set distances really far for one channel, you're just delaying the others by that much. I might be wrong here, but I think the Max setting on these is just the crossover with no extra attenuation. It's kind of 6 of one half dozen of the other either way.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Agree.

[@reybalderas1367]

Excellent and informative review!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you kindly!

[@MFKitten]

Honestly, the sensitivity of the human ear to minute changes to the frequency response is astounding. Make a tiny change, and you hear it.

[@GoggleAX]

But if we can’t (aren’t able to currently) measure it and therefore quantify it, it doesn’t matter!!! 😏😎😇

[@MFKitten]

@GoggleAX honestly I just do it by ear if it's not my studio monitors or something.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

It is. But you have to make that change. If you don’t have a reference then these changes are harder to hear. Whether that reference be a real time change or an A/B comparison. (Hopefully at least level matched)

[@GoggleAX]

Agree, with both of the above, in my opinion what doesn’t get enough attention, at least in what I read and watch, is the importance of the room and just how much impact the listening area makes, in addition to the the speakers physical setup / locations, which of course ALSO matter a great deal.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@GoggleAX maybe another reviews. But I always take the time to make recommendations regarding distance from wall and aiming positions. 👍

[@johnnewcomb5162]

These speakers are going to haunt me forever i guess. I could have gotten a original set for $25 bucks at goodwill a few years ago but had no idea they are worth 💰.

[@x-techgaming]

How does such a thick grill make sense..? Ooo, that Fidelia looks like direct competition to Sierra-1 V2, with a tiny bit smaller woofer, and a lot more DIY work. And likely no refund option.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

But … waveguide.

[@bonzer2u]

I bought a pair of these speakers and took them back, way prefer my Boston A150’s… which still kick arse.

[@eddietours3728]

thank you sir

[@nukmuk]

i would like to see reviews of speakers with HDMI ARC and CEC volume control like the Argon Audio FORTE A5 MK2🥺

[@shipsahoy1793]

well Erin I don't think they're that bad, but at the same time, the price of $2400 EACH is a little steep, but, that said, if they're typically going to go for 20% or more discounted off of MSRP, then I guess it's OK

[@wendellgayheart9228]

Erin, I have the klipsch rf711 and wanna ask would it be worth the expense and difference in sound quality to purchase these and sell my klipsch? I rarely make a comment or ask a question so from one wildcat fan to another ..what’s your opinion 😂

[@chrishernandez2490]

Im sure they sound great but there's no way I'd spend that much for essentially just some woofers and tweeters in a box. It looks like you can easily DIY a similar sounding speaker for a fraction of the cost

[@MrMersh-ts7jl]

Brothers in Arms is my go to album to test any piece or changes made to my system!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

It’s easily in my top 5.

[@ericjohnson829]

A clean quality recording such as Brothers in Arms is likely to sound fairly good on most any stereo system, I'm not sure it tests much to show weaknesses in a speaker, just more of a familiar recording to listen and hear other equipment through. I owned the original mk1 JBL L100 Classics for a while, play some poor indie recordings through those JBL's or even some AC/DC or similar and that midrange and treble will probably be painful.

[@shipsahoy1793]

Erin, the sound that you described that stood out to you with these speakers is, as far as I know, that's the classic JBL sound .. anyway, that's the JBL sound I remember..(and yes, the controls get cranked lol)😂

[@GoggleAX]

5:12 maybe somewhat interestingly, the ad shows the speaker NOT pushed back against a wall. 😏🤔🤭

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

When marketing clashes with engineering. 😂

[@CashGravel]

@@ErinsAudioCorner let’s not forget they were actually selling cassette tape

[@cbrunhaver]

That 12” woofer has good performance

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Indeed!

[@27b-6Buttle]

Would you say someone who chooses this vintage design would miss the imaging performance as something like the Mofi 888 ? I love the vintage, but my hunch is, since staging is my favorite attribute of 2-channel, I should stick to modern designs ?? Your thoughts ?

[@rrd1975]

Some audiophiles make fun of JBL, but that company has some serious engineering chops. Thank you for reviewing this classic speaker.

[@Pok-001]

Yeah about always never heard them either. lol. Not talking about these but S line, M2, studio or Everest. Or even their cinema speakers if you have a huge room.

[@anzhuliu]

Would you pair these with 'musical' subwoofers like the Rel t5x or just big output, an SVS. (Is the 'musical' subwoofer a myth). Another tangent, from watching many of your videos, I believe the Blade 2 metas are your favorite; do you believe the focal utopias compete? Meanwhile I'm a poor peasant here who bought a kef q concerto meta because of your review (new $1720 CAD, $1225 USD), with a KEF Kc62 subwoofer (also from your reviews). Am I missing a lot for a small room (400 sq ft)? When I went to hear the Blade 1 metas in store, it doesn't sound that different to me. But obviously super different if in my room. OH well (I listen to vocal music, pop, rap) Any thoughts on tube amps vs Wiim amp (bought wiim amp because of you too!)❤❤Haha, thanks a bunch Erin. I've spent tens of hours watching you

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

Music subs are a myth. Look at frequency response, resonances, and group delay. I have owned a number of subs and use two 18” JTR subs for music. They have more detail and texture than any sub I have owned in the pass. The crazy output is just a bonus.

[@carlosarques]

I've got the L100 paired with a SVS SB-1000 Pro (sealed) and they mix together beautifully.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I don’t think there’s anything “musical” about certain subwoofers. most of the time it just has to do with how low they get or if they are resident. Most of the time people attribute “musical“ to not having a lot of low frequency base that would otherwise make the room sound boom or peaky in certain frequencies. From what I’ve seen of REL subwoofers, they tend to not have much low frequency extension. this is most likely why some described them as musical. I’m more a fan of using a subwoofer that has good extension and pairing it with proper equalization to attenuate any room modes that are distracting. The above user mentioned SVS. That’s a good brand who has an app that will allow you to equalize the speakers response for your room. in my opinion, that’s the best way to go for a simple set up unless you use external equalization.

[@shawor89]

your noise gate / expander / whatever you use for noise suppression is set too aggressively and sometimes cuts off the first/last bit of your words

[@Roddy451]

I am certain that it was the one arm man.

[@goncalocarvalho4917]

i heard them a couple of times, it was a fun speaker but i can instantly notice the wood box sound and it distracts me, i can ear it´s lack of resolution also, but then again i have Magico S3 and so 99% of wood cabinets are instantly noticed by me. If i had a pair of this jbl i would find a way to dampen that box and maybe insert some bracing

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I need those S3’s. What’s your address? I promise I won’t steal them. 🤞 😂🤷‍♂️

[@goncalocarvalho4917]

@ErinsAudioCorner I am in Lisbon, Portugal 😅 are you close enough? I have a rew measurements in my room if you want I can send them to you

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@ hmmmm. I can make that drive. 😂

[@goncalocarvalho4917]

@@ErinsAudioCorner i dont have socials except linkdin but you can find me there under Goncalo Santos Carvalho then i can send some fotos of the magicos and also i can send you the rew file, best i can do :) without shipping 350lb of speakers across the world hehehe

[@woody5109]

My sub woofer doesn’t make a peep anymore, maybe 15 years old, do they just die?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

They definitely can.

[@tothemax324]

How does someone arrive at a precise 10-30 degree toe in? do you need a protractor in your eyeballs?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

They actually have apps for that sort of thing

[@tothemax324]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Cool man of course there is I should of known 👍

[@MrMersh-ts7jl]

Also, is it wrong to use speakers like the Forte 1 in a 250 sq ft room?

[@haydendoan7691]

Cool shirt logo. Is that your own design? Available for purchase? Thanks!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

It’s a friend of mine. He own a tuning company (car and home audio EQ work). waveformtuning.com/?

[@Prometheus1979]

I’m just not a fan of vintage speakers especially big square boxy looking ones.JBL has never peaked my interest and still don’t. Thank God we have choices. Keep up the good work.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I hear you. Some of them I like and some of them I don’t. There are definitely a lot of people who love them, but there are plenty of others who don’t. Like you said, it’s a good thing we have options. It’s a good time to be an audio geek for sure.

[@jamesjames5715]

too pricey!! great review!

[@kwatogsatx]

My only problem with this speaker, $2,400 a piece.

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

Hmm another sad showing from JBL IMO. JBL has the capability to make amazing speakers and why they don’t hold that high standard for all their speakers, I will never understand.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Normally, I’m pretty tough on all manufacturers when the response isn’t linear. If you look back at my recent JBL stage two speaker review, you’ll see I went *really* hard on them for that. But with these I feel like they are intentionally designed to give off a “classic” sound and then they’ve provided a way for the user to make it more linear via the knobs.

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

@ I get and respect that. I like a smooth response based on my ownership history. Everything that was not smooth got sold off sooner than later.

[@CashGravel]

@@ErinsAudioCorner that’s a good point because back in the day the West Coast sound that JBL was famous for had that carved out mid range but now at least they let you adjust that dip. Just way too overpriced.

[@Carl-bd1rf]

Worst speaker I’ve heard has been the one with the flattest in room response. Lifeless, dull, just plane not nice. Our hearing isn’t linear. At the average listening level of say 70db ish we need a bass and treble boost to hear a linear response. Which is why all my preamps have tone and or loudness compensation circuits. If speaker response automatically basically compensates for our non linear hearing it’s already a plus.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

⁠oh laaaaaaawwwwd. Of COURSE it sounded terrible. Because flat in-room sounds like garbage. That’s different than flat *anechoic*. Check out the video I made on this topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laXRiHVuh9Fjg9U

[@Plextortion]

In a few years that foam grill will get brittle and crumble just like the foam woofer surrounds from yesteryear.

[@brandoncabusas9343]

I'm 4 years into ownership of the L100 Classics and the grills feel like they did when I bought them. JBL says they changed the foam and it will not go brittle like the original L100.

[@jamesmansion2572]

So old-skool the midrange is surface mount. WTF?

[@ConorHanley]

Did I hear that right $4,800? Unless they've changed a great deal since I've heard a pair I wouldn't want to listen to them even if they gave them away for free. Maybe that's just me but I didn't like them at all.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

That’s correct. Current MSRP is $4800.

[@CashGravel]

@@ErinsAudioCorner😂

[@grumpy9478]

an excellent, concise analysis of a newly revisited classic. if you've had time w/ the originals, do have you any opinion in comparison? "sounds" like JBL intended to revisit not only the look & features, but the acoustic, yet enable one to flatten them out on-the-fly if so desired. my experience (w/ L88Ps upgraded to L100 bitd) is that they sound best playing the music of the era (rock, baby!) when their older sister design was common in the studios. a sorta acoustical time machine for us ancient ones.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Unfortunately, I do not. It would be cool to do a comparison.

[@madcrabber1113]

If these cost around $1200/pr I would buy them just for the looks and nostalgia. How is it when using with subs?

[@scottbernard8824]

Underwhelming sound, extremely overpriced.

[@renatomorais8136]

I heard these before and loved them. Then I went to look at the price tag and cried a little.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

😂

[@De132an]

Between these and the new Bose , 🔥. Sorry bro!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I have some cool Bose stuff coming in soon. 😎😂

[@legomandk9964]

Why measure loudspeakers? Use your ears. Waste of money. Made in Indonesia. Give me a pair of California made Jbl L112 and I am happy 🤗

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Those L112’s were designed via measurement. I’ve had the designer on this channel. Greg Timbers. Look for it. 😎

[@legomandk9964]

@ErinsAudioCorner I understand that the producers use measurements when designing loudspeakers. But theres is no use for it on a daily basis. Thats why I say your ears are the best instrument. 🤓 I dont like the L100. I have heard them a lot of times in different setups. To expensive for what you get. Go vintage if you want good rock speakers. I have a small pair of L15 and they kick a.. 🎸🤗

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@legomandk9964 it's wild to me that you'd say all that while putting your trust into the designer but disregarding that he was on my channel for an interview (and I spoke with him last week) to discuss his designs and measurements' importance in evaluating the accuracy of the speaker. But you do you. ;)

[@legomandk9964]

@@ErinsAudioCorner You miss my point.🤗 No matter how many messurements you make. I dos not change the fact that its your perception of sound thats important. What the designer says is not important to me. I live in Denmark where there are so many high end loudspeaker producers. So we are kind of spoiled regarding good sounding speakers.😉 Jbl have never been the speakers I go to for an audiofile experience. But when wanting to listen to my 1970-90 rock albums I use vintage Jbl speakers for maximum enjoyment.👍🏻🎸🤗

[@wendellgayheart9228]

Erin, I have the klipsch rf711 and wanna ask would it be worth the expense and difference in sound quality to purchase these and sell my klipsch? I rarely make a comment or ask a question so from one wildcat fan to another ..what’s your opinion 😂

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Honestly, I don't know. I wish I had a better answer for you but I just don't have any experience with that particular model.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Also, GO BIG BLUE!

[@wendellgayheart9228]

@@ErinsAudioCorner thanks for your honesty…love your channel and em wildcats too 😜👍🫡