New JBL SA750 Integrated Amplifier for US $3000.00

[MakeMineVinyl]

In the mid '60s. the JBL catalog showed concepts that are routine today, but back then were rather novel. Powered speakers (amp in the speaker enclosure) using their 'Energizer' technology, with EQ adapted to the individual drivers being powered. From their 1967 catalog.

View attachment 105333

By this time, JBL had eclipsed ALtec Lansing in the home market. Altec had largely left this market, focusing on pro audio instead. However, having worked as an engineer at both companies, Altec Lansing was a far, far better company to work for.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

https://news.harman.com/releases/releases-20210105

Very nice looking to be honest XD

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

View attachment 105477

Very nice looking to be honest XD

No doubt about that. JBLs were always extremely good looking, and have stood the test of time. Exhibit A - the JBL Paragon:

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

No doubt about that. JBLs were always extremely good looking, and have stood the test of time.

I never like this looking

but this uff

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I never like this looking
View attachment 105478


but this uff
View attachment 105483

You mean the orange grille?

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

You mean the orange grille?

Nope, that's fine
I mean the wood and the black front look weird or doesn't match to ME

But the second one use a full wood looking, to me look much better
Just my opinion, not important at all xD

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Nope, that's fine
I mean the wood and the black front look weird or doesn't match to ME

But the second one use a full wood looking, to me look much better
Just my opinion, not important at all xD

The one with the black baffle is basically a copy of their studio monitor. This was standard in all their monitors.

 

[mhardy6647]

???

I was referring to JBL electronics, not Yamaha.

Oh, interesting -- since the retro-ness of the JBL (amplifier, at least, in this thread) is -- umm -- pretty self-evident.
And, in terms of loudspeakers...

is it live, or is it Memorex?

http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1973-l100.htm

JBL dates back to the 1940s (in terms of hifi) and its roots, back, to Western Electric and the dawn of "talkies".
Yamaha's old, all righty (much more than a century old, now) -- but their hifi dates to ca. the early 1970s.

 

[Wes]

View attachment 105490

.

needs more cowbell

 

[watchnerd]

Oh, interesting -- since the retro-ness of the JBL (amplifier, at least, in this thread) is -- umm -- pretty self-evident.

It wasn't a comment on them looking retro, it was a comment on their brand heritage....or lack thereof...in consumer electronics in my lifetime.

I'm 50, but I never, ever saw a JBL integrated amplifier in my entire youth.

Nor had I ever even read about them.

 

[mhardy6647]

It wasn't a comment on them looking retro, it was a comment on their brand heritage....or lack thereof...in consumer electronics in my lifetime.

I'm 50, but I never, ever saw a JBL integrated amplifier in my entire youth.

Nor had I ever even read about them.

ahh, I see -- didn't get out much. Oh, well, these things happen.



Altec (e.g.,) made electronics too -- some of their electronics were for the ages...

and they made some consumer hifi, too -- much of it unremarkable.

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I.../HiFi-Stereo-Review-1965-12-OCR-Page-0077.pdf

 

[watchnerd]

ahh, I see -- didn't get out much. Oh, well, these things happen.



Altec (e.g.,) made electronics too -- some of their electronics were for the ages...

View attachment 105501
View attachment 105500
and they made some consumer hifi, too -- much of it unremarkable.


View attachment 105499
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I.../HiFi-Stereo-Review-1965-12-OCR-Page-0077.pdf

Sweet Christmas!

Audio by John Deere tractor.

 

[anmpr1]

I never like this looking

The JBL 'blue' baffles were much nicer IMO. But the 4311/L100 series had the painted black. When I refurbed mine (now in a box in a closet--LOL) I went with the blue. No accounting for taste as they say!

 

[anmpr1]

You could also get a 4311 in a utility grey. The blue baffles were seen on their larger monitors.

 

[mhardy6647]

The big ones also made appearances in grey...

See, e.g., Warehouse Sound Company's "Randy" posin' with one (and a cheap Kenwood integrated amp, ca. 1977)

313%20and%20it%20cooks by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
31320and20it20cooks20text_zps4993d408 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

 

[mhardy6647]

Full (egocentric) disclosure -- and all y'all probably know this (i.e., if any of all y'all care about such things), the current "serious" loudspeakers here contain both Altec & JBL components -- and B&C "supertweeters".

DSC_0938 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

DSC_0144 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Of course, I am listening to a pair of Altec Santiagos as I type this

 

[anmpr1]

The story I heard was that JBL's sales policy was not helpful for dealers. Their consumer line speakers (often the same as the pro, but with nicer cabinets) were 'fair traded' which essentially meant price controlled, sans discount. However, the pro line was marketed differently, and could be discounted. So an outfit like Warehouse Sound could sell you an equivalent pro speaker at a discount (usually the 4311 because everyone wanted an L100). Of course Warehouse Sound really wanted to sell 'package' deals, which allowed them to set an 'overall' price much lower than the individual components would have been if bought a la carte. Allowing them to discount any individual part of the package without expressly doing so in their ads.

PS: I don't recall Creative speakers. Was that a throw-away house brand for Warehouse? A lot of dealers sold house brands which were garbage, but even at a low price to the consumer were a money maker.

 

[GXAlan]

Were those JBL amps from the 60s and 70s any good?

Since this new SA750 has physical toggle switches, does it mean no remote control? I guess retro means retro.

They are excellent. At the time, they were at the threshold of test equipment in that era BEFORE applying negative feedback. It was the Benchmark of its era.

The 60s and 70s JBLs were made before being acquired by Harman. The amplifiers were discontinued once Harman acquired them.

From high level inputs :
±0.75 dB (20 - 20,000 cps); ±1.5 dB (10 - 130,000 cps)

Power amplifier only (measured at test point provided) :
±0.25 dB (20 - 20,000 cps); ±1.5 dB (3 - 200,000 cps)

The pre amp is noisy by today’s standards but if you use the internal test point with even a Topping D50s, it is very quiet. The amp doesn’t have a lot of power by today’s standards either. On ebay, the SA600 goes for 3k or higher depending on the condition.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The JBL 'blue' baffles were much nicer IMO. But the 4311/L100 series had the painted black. When I refurbed mine (now in a box in a closet--LOL) I went with the blue. No accounting for taste as they say!

View attachment 105574

I think the blue baffles were a bit before my time, but I do remember seeing that now. My favorite designer color of all, and for all time, is "African Green", which was the teal-like green Altec used on most of their electronics.

 

[mhardy6647]

I like the classic color Electrovoice used for their driver baskets -- mostly because I honestly, literally do not know what to call it, or even how to describe it.

It's kinda brown -- but not really brown per se.

EV15TRXBflipside by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

15TRXBrear by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

mid SP12B rear by Mark Hardy, on Flickr