I have owned these since new, bought them from Sensouse Sound Systems in Tampa, Fl over the years I have needed to replace foam surrounds which is a normal thing when needed. Every aspect of this system perform better then the vast majority of todays speakers with price tags many, many times the original price of these in the 70's. ($3,000) that was 1970'S money!

The sub is not a boomer like most listeners expect, so that is a weakness. However this sub was not meant to be that type of performer. It is very tight can go way low and you feel it in your chest from it's front firing speaker. They can be bumped up a bit in power but this sub was not meant to be an over powering sub that over colors when they are too powerful and also floor firing.

The L212 is one of the best speaker systems built. I bought mine in 1977 and still have them. My friend Phil owned a store called Audio Associates in Poughkeepsie, NY. I had a choice of ESS,JBL,BOSE,AR,ADVENT, at the time. These were the exciting years of audio, with JVC,Marantz,Luxman,Nacha.,Denon,ect. I got these as a friend cost at $2700. Had them reconed once. This system was out of sight for its time, the sound repro.would blow you away. With bands like Supertramp, Rick Wakeman, London Symphony Orch. The response of the sound is unequalled today by the things they call speakers. That's it, I'm glad I lived in a time when sound and equipment was something. Happy listening. By the way Pre-amp Mitsu.D20, amp. Nikko 400, TT JVC QL-7,JVC KD-35,JVC SEA-10,Teac 2-25, Ortofon VMS-20E. Rock on. to the good old dazes.

Soundstage, linear frequency response, absolutely smooth and seamless sound integration of the drivers.

Powered Subwoofer does not have enough power for large rooms. My den is 19' by 22' with 12' ceiling and the built in sub amp is just not big enough. But is is great in my smaller rec room.

WOW!!! This is one of the finest sounding speakers I have heard, particularly given that it is 25+ years old. Absolutely flat response, phenomenal sound stage, detail, delicacy, impact; it's all there. I have owned many speakers and owned some very expensive ones, these JBL L-212's are truely extraordinary. They are the first conventional technology speakers I have heard that come very close to the seamless sound of my Infinity Kappa 9's or Magnepan's that I previously owned.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity Kappa 9's; Yamaha NS-1000's; Acoustic Research AR-9's; JBL L-166's; Magnepan Tympani IV's

Extraordinary image, depth of soundstage. Over all presentation very neutral. Midrange liquid. A totally engrossing listening experience. The Maltese Falcon of vintage JBL.

Connectors very inhospitable. No biamping option on subwoofer system. Output from sub generally weak.

After searching for over a decade, a mint pair finally showed on ebay; did Buy It Now w/shipping included. All three pieces in beatiful condition. Walnut cabinets gorgeous. Units built like a brick outhouse.

Similar Products Used:

JBL L-65 Jubals, L-112s.

fabulous build, sound, stylish in 70's way

sub woofer

So solidly built that it makes it difficult to buy speakers today which seem flimsy. The drivers are incredible with first rate magnets (Alnico) and cast frames. Tweeter is the best ever made by JBL and incredibly expensive. Sub will not reach the netherworld, but mids are liquid and transparent. If you can find a pair, do!

Similar Products Used:

wilson watt puppies, martin logan

Overall superior sound, no compression, tight powerful bass. High resolution, and you can listen for hours and never get tired.

I miss a pair of rca input connectors (low level)

Well built, will last a lifetime.First class components.
The best speaker I've ever heard.
I will never buy another pair of speakers, but I'm planning to extend my hifi to 5.1 cinema sound. So I have to find more JBL speakers with similar sound. JBL are expensive, but it´s worth every dollar in the end. My hifi system consists of:
Preamp: Sony TA-1000 ES, poweramp: Hitachi HMA 8500 mosfet, and a Sony 200 CD-changer.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 801, Infinity Modulus

I have had these since 1982. 12" sub has been reconed once, 8" satellite woofers have been reconed twice. Midranges not changed. Tweeters ("vapor deposited aluminum metal domes") redomed once. (all at fairly substantial expense since JBL repair stations insist on voice coil replacement).The 12" woofer features an 18-1/2 lb. magnet assembly with a 4" voice coil.
The 8" satellite woofers feature a 10-1/2 lb. magnet assembly with 3" voice coils.

This system was far ahead of its time, leading the way in 3-pc systems with powered subs, as well as vertically aligned drivers.

Even today, sonic performance is equal to the best conventional driver systems available. Even in my ordinary living room, I am able to achieve +/-1db from under 100 hz to over 10,000 hz.

I have added a 12" Velodyne subwoofer to complement the 12" supplied by JBL. I have disconnected the built in JBL amp and hooked the sub to a Hafler SE240. The satellites are driven by an Adcom GFA555/II.

Not too bad all in all......

I have used these since 1982, and dragged them from California to New York to South Carolina and back to California.
From a design standpoint:
12" subwoofer with a 4" voice coil, 18.5# magnet assembly
3-way satellites with 8" woofer with 3" voice coil and 10.5# magnet assembly.
5" midrange (cone) and 1" "vapor-deposited" aluminum dome tweeter.

This system was incredibly revolutionary for its time. It was really the first sub-sat system, and vertically aligned drivers. The satellite woofer and midranges feature their own individual enclosures.

The original system had a built in 70-watt amp in the subwoofer module (I have sinced wired it directly to a Hafler SE-240 amp. I am using an ADCOM GFA-555 to drive the satellites. I have supplement bass output with a Velodyne FR-1200 sub. I have reconed and redomed twice since the early 80's.

I am able to achieve a response + or - 2 db from 200 Hz to 15 KHz in my home! Not many people can match that. Overall, response is about + or - 4 db from 25 Hz to 20 KHz. (Measured with a test CD and RadioShack decibel meter).

These speakers continue to serve me well. There has been no radical change in technology that renders them inferior to current product. I will put them up against anything under $2500, even today.