Actually this review is for the JBL4312 Control Monitors.
I have owned these speakers since 1982 and they were a direct replacement to the Bose 901 series II's that I bought at the PX in Korea after a BOSE rep was allowed to demo these things in the camp's auditorium
At the time I was powering these with a Pioneer SA-9800 Integrated amplifier. I was conned.

I was only dabbling but learned much especially after deciding that the BOSE 901s were junk.
I even had to rent an extra "hooch' in the ville just so I could listen to those horrible speakers in the "recommended" environment when I hosted parties with my fellow GI's They still sounded like crap No matter how I placed them.
Even my "non-audio savvy" friends noticed the difference after listening to the JBLs

After my discharge from service, I eventually became a "sound engineer" after lengthy tutelage from various friends and acquaintances..

I kept these speakers in storage for over 10 years and when I finally decided to invest in a home studio, I went ahead (again allowing myself to be conned) into a set of yamaha NS-10Ms (Still pretty good monitors if you can find them.) After one of the NS-10's blew up (oops! analog synthesizer) I dug out my old 4312's and placed them in my "control room" OMG!!! WTF???

I will NEVER use another reference monitor.. I agree with most of the other posts.
These things DO NOT LIE! You must have adequate power, and you can ecpect the "shrillness" described in this forum, but I have had much better mixes using these than any other speakers I have tried, PERIOD!
They will reveal EVERY glitch, mistake, dissonant tone, whatever. I agree that certain types of music do not sound very good with these and require some adjustments to tone and EQ. If you wanna know how crappy MP3's really sound play them through these. Sounds like 40 grit eardrum sandpaper.

Recently I found another pair at a local yard sale for $50. One of the midrange drivers had been boffed up by the seller's inqusitve and mischevious boy, but that was easily replaced with an OEM driver via an excellent vendor on eBay. The walnut (the 4312s were never covered in oak) veneer was in good to excellent shape and all drivers worked perfect after replacing the one mid.

I have used these for both studio monitoring and everyday listening and I LOVE THEM!.
Again I stress that the previous posts are abolutely correct about underpowering the 4312.
You MUST have CLEAN old school solid-state rated at least 100watts TRUE RMS preferrably with a high slew rate, and low THD, or at least 30 watts of tube amplification (pay attention to the load {OHM} rating on a tube amp as some may not like 4 or even 8 ohm loads, and never power up a tube amp without the recommended load connected.) The previous posters who complained of problems with the mid to high end response may actually be hearing the 4312s ability to point up the flaws in solid state (transistor) amplification circuitry???
Please correct me if you think I am off base here.

Any percieved inconsistencies can be corrected using a parametric or paragraphic EQ.With these you can isolate offensive frequencies and use a narrower band "notch" frequency to get rid of unwanted harshness.
Personally I do not like graphic EQ's because they detract from tone and can "color" the sound.
Also if you have one, a BBE Sonic Maximizer can greatly enhance the listening experience of any system if you carefully monitor your gain structure and properly adjust the BBE (lower settings on the "process" and "lo contour" work best, and you may want to roll off the sub freqs.)

I use an old Kenwood KA-9100 set totally flat in my studio with NO EQ OR PROCESSING when moitoring tracks and mixes.
I also use an SAE 4200 speaker swicthing system to go between the 4312s, the (repaired) NS-10s and a pair of the crappiest 6X9 POS speakers I coud find at the junkyard with beer flats as baffles. This helps me with mastering as nobody out there really has the same ears or systems or listening environment.

Also, if anyone has ever heard of or tried the "ZEN Triode" monblock tube power amps, you would simply not believe the warm, rich sound of the JBL 4312 on an "all-tube" system. The aforementioned shrillness and "mid-honk" completely disappears when powering these things with vacum tube amplification. I recommend listening to a MFSL half speed LP like The Beatles Abbey Road or Steely Dan's Aja on a good turntable with a good cartridge. HEAVEN!!

Just a note............

I HATE CDs. I understand the Nyquist Theory and all, but 16/44 is just barely enough to pass as a suitable format to listen to anything on true high fidelity audiophile gear. This alone renders most people's opinions of what's good and what's not as mearly opinions (not everyone's ears are ecactly alike) and also nearly moot. The newer 24/96 is a much better digital format, but it is still digital, and the better your gear, the more "digital" it will sound.

I would recommend the JBL 4312 to anyone who can find them. They have a character all their own and for those of us who can't afford the really high end stuff, they are a great bargain (again if you can find them)

Best regards to all, and happy listening!!


Brett


PS.
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JBL 4312= Had these for time> First used a modified Hafler D200 and pre-amp 915. Nice sound,small soundstage. Was going to trade for Energy C6. Just got Sunfire amp 300. Wow, Wow Soundstage Alot fuller and deeper.Tried Deep Purple.Stones,Then curiostity Micheal Jackson Thriller. All at High High volumes( sorry upstairs).The door creeping sound was so life like.But Vincent's Prices vocals and laughing was D--, right eerie.Didn't want to push my luck with neighbors. But during the week will be throwing more 70s,80s, and up to current.That Sunfire 300 surprises me with every cd.What it did with the 4312 was jaw dropping and Fun!

bass

i would have to say verry verry high trebel and low bass.... ( thats after 15 years of no activity though )

definitly worth the money back then... i used to dj for 12 years and i used these.. with the correct amp any jbl will sound incredible...... after djing they sat in atics and basements, and where moved across the country twice...and i decided after about 15 years of sitting and not being used i plugged them in.... i didnt expect much but when some rap song came on the bass kicked and the first note they played in 15 years knocked down a mirror in another room..... ( and broke it unfortunitly ) theses speakers are quite powerfull, but when i hooked them up to a cheesey amp they blew finally, but one of them didnt.... you almost have to TRY to blow them, i enjoyed these.... and now i have two gem sound 600watt speakers.

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Anything musical! PERIOD! Sure, they weigh a bit much, but hey, it could be a lot worse. The way i see it, they weigh just about enough at about 45 lbs.

At the time that I bought these, the only speakers that I would have even considered were the Klipsch Herseys. But stayed with the 4312s because I believed that they offered truer music reproduction.

As A/V speakers, I would probably say that they are extremely well suited. So I really don't believe that there are any weaknesses with them.

A long, long time ago, in galazy far, far away... Ok, maybe it's not quite that dramatic. I purchased my 4312 Control Monitors brand new when i was in the military and stationed in the Phillippines from the Navy Exchange or NAVEX at Subic Bay (early 1986). Actually, I bought all of my "real" stereo equipment at either the Subic Bay NAVEX or at the Clark Air Base Base Exchange or BX.

At the time I was simply looking to build a decent stereo system for my eventual home use. Currently I'm using them as A/V speakers for my home entertainment system. I love them and always have and always will. Even though voices from the regular TV stations don't really seem to be all that astounding, whenever a little music comes up, they really go into action. Lovely sounds abound!

In a phase, there are the truest sounding speakers that I have ever heard! Not to much base and not to much on the highs. Very, VERY acurate reproduction of whatever you pump into them. You just have to watch what you're pumping into them because anything in the input (amp, speaker cables, CD/DVD player, tape deck, VHS deck, etc) is capable of altering the coloring of the sound.

Customer Service

They've never been called into customer service, so I'm afraid that I'll have nothing to report. Sorry!

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I've compared these with various other speakers and to date, have found nothing similar that offers the bang for the buck... to my ear!

Klipsch Herseys
various Infinity speakers
Polk Audio CRS-SDA+
Bose 901 Mk IV

Just effortless sound for those not too fickle, just perfect

Only my amp and possible power source

These speakers were a welcome surprise walking to the back isle of Value village, those of you that know in canada it's a large dept.store type thrift store chain..it's called Savers in the states...anywyas each was labled at $19.99..so $40.00 for both..canadian funds. I was trembling. I looked at the speakers under the grill, and in perfect shape. The only problem is one bottom corner of a speaker cabinet..the vaneer is a little dogeard..smushed in. No biggie at all. Truthfully, they look like new. Amazing build, heavy as heck. I plugged them into my mediocre Kenwood solidstate amp from the 70's and they sound just fabulous. I drive them up to about 50W as this amp chokes around 60W and it's rated at 80W. Full sound in the room, and what they say is true..very revealing, a few records have sounded pretty bad..but they were budget exploito type rock records..no dynamics. Now i have a complete studio monitor setup, but I would not hesitate to use them in a home theatre, casual listening environment. Get good power though, but my crappy amp seems to push some life into them, so all is good for now..next stop a good tube pre amp! Peace

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cerwin vega, rca, yamaha

Accurate and detailed speaker- not like your usual "store bought" shelf brands. Rugged cabinets and good looking when finished out. Plays "loud" music effortlessly.

The wire clips were replaced with decent binding posts.

I rebuild and retrofit vintage speaker systems as a 20+ year hobby. I found my JBL 4311 WX-A's Control Monitors all over ebay, the actual factory spec parts that is. After final assembly (woofers were reconed)these sounded just incredibly great. Like many have said already- use a decent quality amp! These are dead on accurate when balanced correctly, deep bass maybe a bit shy, but for a 27+ year old monitor speaker these are excellent. FWIW the JBL 4311A's and 4310's have the LE5-2 Alinco magnet mids-considered more smooth, accurate and easier to listen to. The LE25 cone tweeter is still unmatched in its class even today. Overall a very revealing audio monitor system-no dissapointments here!

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McIntosh, ADM, Advents, Paridiums, etc.

The cabnet build and driver quality are top of the line. They are 25+ years old, and the drivers are in perfect working order. With the right equipment, they have such a wonderful sound to listen to. The low end is so well balanced. While it will not shake the foundation of your house, it is strong, with perfect balance. The 4311b's ability to handle transients leaves me in awe (This is where the quality of your equipment come in). These speakers, even with a sensitivity of 91db, like higher power amps. While one could argue the sound of a Hafler amp, you can't argue their ability push honest, high current from 10 Hz to 50 Khz. This older JBL really shines with quality power.

They really sound like hell with cheap, low powered equipment or bad recording. The sound can be very harsh and abrasive. If you have a cheap receiver, keep clear of them. They do not sound that great with my Nakamichi AV-10, but they are brilliant with the far more antiquated Haflers. Don't know why, dont's care.

I have owned the 4311b for twelve years. I have used them on and off, with a broad range of equipment. I have reviewed them before with a luke warm feeling. I have been reducing my audio toys lately, which put them back out front. With extended listening, I have discovered qualities that I was not aware of prior. I have them running on a Hafler XL-280 amp and a Hafler SE100 pre-amp. My CD player is a Kyocera. I have been using Kimber 4tc speaker wire and PBJ RCA's (I have no opnions on cable, I did not buy the Kimber cable, another trade). Using a broad range of recordings, I have been amazed by the ability of the speaker to deliver a "life like" sonic performance. I am also amazed at how bad they sound with cheap equipment or a poor recording. I have been doing an A/B comparison between two CD's, one TELARC label with Erik Kunzel and one with modern Hip Hop. The difference between the two cd's can only be described as "violent". With a quality recording, they are magic. With a poor recording, it can be a very miserable expereince. Are there better speakers? Of course there are. This model is not the "Holy Grail". But to hear how good they are, given the extream age of the drivers and the design, make them even more amazing... at least to me anyway. They did not use rare, exotic cone materials to acheive stunning results. The printed specs for the speaker does not tend to make one excited. Power 75 W continuous program Frequency response 45Hz-15 Khz I feel silly for having them stored for the last six years when they were one of the most revealing pair of speakers in my lab.

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All out pure sound. The music comes at you the way it was recorded.

Have yet to find one.

This review is for the original JBL 4311 control monitors. If you can find a pair I would encourage you to buy them. To put it simply , the 4311''s offer straight forward sound and the louder they get the better the sound is.

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JBL 4301 , JBL 4315.

Very wide dispersion of sound - you can sit as close as 1 metre. I don''t notice any colouration - female vocalists are very clear. Amazing dynamics - 70 WRMS is loud, 200 W RMS is max. Indestructable drivers, with tight and fast sound. Excellent source material sounds excellent - anything else burns your ears.

The bass rolloff is obvious and steep - unsuitable for organ music. The extended treble is unlistenable - needs a dead room to kill the reverberant sound. Very Poor imaging - the 077 tweeter exaggarates recording artefacts, hiss, and noise. The two treble adjustment pots are useless and have peaks and nulls as they are turned. The foam speaker surrounds disintegrate every 10 years.

This review is for the 4315 (the next model up from 4312). The 4315 differs from 4312 in being a 4-way with the 077 slot radiator for highest treble. The 4315 has extended bass, extended treble, and a smoother mid-range (although still not flat) than the 4312. The 4315 was the biggest monitor without a mid-range horn so absolutely no honkyness. However, the extended treble is not balanced because woofer is only 12 inch. JBL kept moving the port(s) around to improve the bass. Mine has two ports at the bottom. Suitable for anyone who wants to hear any and every change to their system, and source material. Guaranteed to create years of wasted time trying to get rid of the harsh transistor sound. Classical music, except for Wagner, is unlistenable. The flaws however add life and vitality to Popular rock n''roll music. I still listen to my 4315 daily after 25 years. I had hoped that when my hearing deterioriated with age the speakers would sound better but it hasn''t happened.

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The JBL L250 (also owned 10 years) is superior. I sold my ML2 amps after 15 years because they weren''t loud enough. Have tried a variety of 200W plus amps and pre-amps. The best sound came from all v

Classic JBL 3-way large bookshelf speaker that truly kicks out the jams. Awesome bass, incredible mids and highs.

High frequency dispersion could be a tad better, but all that really means is you might have to move your chair over a skooch. Not really a fault in any way unless one is extremely anal-retentive.

NOTE: This review is for the model 4311B. These are simply outstanding speakers. It''''s a classic example of a design that was so perfect at its inception that there''''s been virtually no need to change it over the years and it''''s been a lot of years...... These speakers have appeared in slightly different guise in the JBL lineup as the 4310, L100, L100A, 4311, 4311B, 4312, and 4312B. They are all large, 3-way bookshelf speakers with a 12" bass driver. The later models 4312 and 4312B replaced the paper cone tweeter with a titanium tweeter and forsook the classic "white woofer" for a black one. The sound from the 4311B''''s is a "you are there" type of sound. The bass is forceful and tight. The mids and highs are crisp and "right there." Distortion is nonexistent. Transient response is impeccable. These babies can handle whatever clean power you throw at them, too. I have my 4311B''''s driven by a Pioneer SX1050 receiver @ 120 real RMS watts per channel, and that set up cooks, let me tell ya...... I have not in my life heard a better rock ''''n'''' roll speaker system than the 4311B''''s. They will also turn in an extremely high-quality performance regardless of what type of music they are called upon to reproduce. I will say, though, that these are studio monitor speakers -- if you have a crappy sound source or a crappy amp, don;t expect the 4311B''''s to be forgiving. They will not be. The bottom line here is as I said in the beginning of this review: the 4311B is one of a long line of speakers made by JBL of a classic design that got everything right. It''''s difficult to imagine how they culd be improved upon.

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