davebrooks

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Milam Audio Pekin IL

Summary:
I bought my 4412's new in 1986. Other than the foam surrounds deteriorating at about the 15 year mile marker, they've been incredible. I use them in a home studio and hear imaging beyond any other speaker I've used.

Strengths:
The 4412's open up the sound field in a way that even non-audiophiles will notice and appreciate. They are articulate and musical, bringing out microscopic detail. I feel confident I'll be able to listen more closely to the mix than almost anyone who will ever hear the finished product.

Weaknesses:
They make everything sound so good I have to check my work on other lesser speakers for reference. The foam surrounds have to be replaced periodically, which can cost $100 per driver or so. The cabinets are heavy, but it goes with the territory for a well-made 3-way with a 12" driver. The highs sound hyped in my room when set for flat response. Fortunately, JBL provides mid-range and high frequency attenuators which make it easy to adjust for room acoustics. Use an amp with good damping factor specs or the low end will be exaggerated around 100hz.

Similar Products Used:
I also have a pair of powered Fostex PM-1 studio monitors, which I like. They fall short of the stature of the 4412's though. I've also worked with JBL 4412A's extensively. They use a different cabinet design and different drivers. They are much less exciting than the 4412's and are not worthy of the similarity in name.

Art S

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 6.00 votes

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Boynton Pro Audio-Mo

Summary:
(Review for model 4412, not 4412A. The 4412 differs from the later 4412A version in that the 4412 has the 035TI or 035TIa tweeter & midrange/tweeter level adjustment pots. The 4412A has the 052TIA tweeter and no pots. Also, 4412 has walnut veneer/blue grill; 4412A black cabinet/black grill.) Many consider the 035 tweeter a better sounding driver. YMMV. These are very good sounding speakers, especially considering the era when they first came onto the market, (mid '80's). Except for their moderate tubbiness in the bass, they'd be one of the classic "greats". Best listening position is fairly narrow, within about 30 degrees horiz. & vert., but is intended to be in order to reduce late arrivals of reflected sound. Also, I think they sound more coherent mounted horizontally rather than the typical vertical orientation, but horizontal requires a fairly high mounting position. Very realistic sound, and non-fatiguing except for rather pronounced bass boominess. What I do to cure it is stuff about 100 drinking straws into each port, cut to the same length as the port. This adds resistance to the port and changes the resonance frequency to a more benign range. However, you lose a dB or two of efficiency. I'll give them 5 Stars for value, since they're usually priced well on the used market. 4 Stars: "Very good product" overall. Worth a listen if you can find a pair in good condition.

Strengths:
~ Generally accurate response from mid-30Hz range to +20kHz. ~ Easy to drive, with very reasonable impedance/phase angle curves; fairly efficient. ~ Low distortion for a "bookshelf" 3-way. ~ High power-handling, will go LOUD if you want 'em to with very little compression.

Weaknesses:
~ Lows from about 100 Hz and lower are a bit woolly or boomy - typical "JBL sound". Perhaps some cabinet resonances that may have been addressed with the newer LSR6332? ~ Binding posts are basically crap. ~ No ferrofluid cooling or overload protection for the tweeters. Be careful that you don't clip your amp, or you'll be buying new diaphrams - ie, use a BIG amp if you want to go very loud. ~ Re-foaming/re-coning the woofers every 10 years or so is not fun, nor cheap.

Similar Products Used:
a/d/s, Martin-Logan, B&W Nautilus series, Magnepan, REL, Entec, Apogee, KEF, Mission, Boston Acoustics, JM Labs, many others.

Price Paid:  $800.00 from bought used

Summary:
Best speakers i've ever heard. surpasses everything i've heard. ever. well almost. there were those 4000$ monitors at a store once.. but.. 4x the price. and the difference was microscopic. i'll never sell mine, if they break, i'll replace whatever got broken (already did once :).

Strengths:
nomatter high or low amplitudes, they seem to deliver strikingly acurate sound.

Weaknesses:
None. Size is a bit too big, but then they aren't nearfields. more like midfield or mainmonitors. 2 meters from each ear in a triangle.

Similar Products Used:
m-audio BX8, Mackie HR824

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Tacoma WA.

Summary:
I bought these in 91. I used them as part of a keyboard amp setup in a band for several years. I drove them with a 200wpc Peavy comercial stereo amp, often at max volumn. Now I use them in my home stereo. No matter how loud or how soft, they always sound the same. Flat frequency response goes below 40Hz (which is lower than most people can hear).

They were a bit expensive but then, nothing else on the market would do what these speakers do for the same price.

Strengths:
Can handle anything. Sound great whether whisper quite or shaking the walls, next door. Sound always reproduced accurately.

Weaknesses:
More than I wanted to spend. Big and heavy.

Summary:
This is the replacement for the old 4312's "still great". The new 4412's don't dissapoint. Like their predessor they will last forever. They contain new componants like a different cross over network and new woofer design with a huge professional use driver motor. They are versatile monitors. You'll need to buy stands or mount them up. I use them as the mains in my DD/DTS set up for movies. I go source direct for cd's to bypass the other four speakers. Sometimes I will use the JBL sub-woofer with them for cd music, but it isn't necessary. These are absolutely accurate and tight in sound production. If the base is there, they produce it. If it is not there, they won't artificially exagerate base like some retail speakers. They do sound better or should I say more "contemporary" than the 4312's. These are pro monitors so I had to go to a pro shop and order them. Or you could call JBL for info.

Strengths:
Heavy duty professional monitors that that can be used as high end home speakers contained in relatively compact enclosures.

Weaknesses:
What???

Similar Products Used:
ElectroVoice, Infinity