JBL 4310

rhythm ranch · Post by **rhythm ranch** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 4:04 pm

Does anybody have any experience with JBL 4310 monitors? If so, what can you share? What amp did you use with them? Likes? Dislikes?

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:09 am

I really like old JBLs though there are so many damn models I cant remember which is which. I do recall that some had kind of screwy midrange, some have a weird treble. They all sound very nice for hifi speakers, which of course doesnt mean you can mix on them.
I DO like the paper cone for midrange and treble that the model in question has. I have always liked how that sounded better than the metal dome JBLs.

lancebug · Post by **lancebug** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:45 am

I have a pair of 4315's, which are a size larger than those, which means they have 4 speaker elements instead of three. The biggest surprise is that they really need to be used with a sub (I use a jbl sub and older crown amps for both)! I use them for monitoring during recording and for general casual listening, but they are way too big for mixing in the size space I have. I think that you would need a big well treated room and some careful calibration for them to really work as mix monitors.

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:59 am

oh yeah I was going to mention that as well. Most of the old JBLS I have heard are kinda bass shy given that they have 8-10-12" woofers!
But that is true of old tannoys and altecs too IIRC. They hadnt yet discovered hip hop or reggae when these were designed!
I gotta mention, the same basic design is in a million JBL boxes. Like my control 10's. Right down to the two front panel knobs for the crossover.

mstar · Post by **mstar** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:03 am

I have had 4311s since they were new in 1978. very good speakers. They were studio standards in the 70s and early 80s in studios all over the world. Eventually they were superseded by the 44 series. i had some 4412s and they were killer. I still mix on the 4311s (sometimes). They are a bit pushy in the upper mids but that is one of the characteristics that was designed into them. So to answer your question, if they are in good shape, they are good speakers.

GREGL · Post by **GREGL** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:01 am

I had a pair of 4310's for a long time (wish I still had them). They have excellent mid range transparency (some of the best I have heard). There is a mid bass bump if memory serves correctly that you need to be careful of when mixing. And the tweeters can get a little on the harsh side but using a good amp to drive them makes a big difference there. These mate well certain tube amps (ones that don't have bloated bass) or solid state amps with very smooth highs.
Compared to what most people are using today (NS10's, Adams, etc) these have much more low bass. If you use them in a project studio (or any acoustically sub par space) you gotta really get to know the speakers or your mix will be bass shy.
Side note-apparently these were a favorite of Bruce Swedien at one time.

JohnnyDemonic · Post by **JohnnyDemonic** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:46 pm

I have a pair of 4408's that sound awesome, but the foam around the cone needs to be replaced. anyone know how hard it is to do that?

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:22 pm

they sell generic foam surround kits at several places, parts express comes to mind. If you want a genuine JBL kit it may cost a bit more.
Double that if you have one of those JBLs with a weird size speaker (14", 11" etc)

FBH · Post by **FBH** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:28 am

JohnnyDemonic wrote:I have a pair of 4408's that sound awesome, but the foam around the cone needs to be replaced. anyone know how hard it is to do that?

I did a pair of L110s, which have a 10" woofer. It can be more or less hard dep[ending on whether you want the foam surrounds mounted on the front or back of your cones. Back is preferred by collectors, but it is more difficult to get it right without being messy.

I have a pair of Advents that I sent off to a speaker guy, and he mounted the foam on the front. The sound is just fine to my ears.

cdixon6 · Post by **cdixon6** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:43 pm

I've got a pair. I replaced the crossover in mine and it was like a veil being lifted. Although I still need to replace the L-pads once I gather the funds. But mine sound good. Not boomy at all. I've got mine sitting on my dresser and they are way too close for comfort. I mainly listen to them from about 8 feet away. Any closer and the sound will really depend on what plane your head is in compared to the different speakers.

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 1:15 am

I think that whole family of speakers was designed before near fields existed as a concept. So cdixon6's comments make sense. They were likely intended to be heard from the perspective of 8 or more feet away, off the ground, even soffit mounted heck.

casey campbell · Post by **casey campbell** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:17 pm

i love my 4301b's.

toddpipes · Post by **toddpipes** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:59 am

Over the years, we've had lots of monitors in our studio--Genelec, Tannoy, Yamaha, Event, Mackie. . . I was lamenting to our tech guy that I couldn't seem to find 'the sound.' He's an old-timer that used to work for Ampex, and he suggested JBL 4311's. I tracked some down--cheaply. I did a bit of research on a 'period-correct' amp, (an old Urei that weighs close to 100lbs)--found one of those super cheap.

They are amazing. Positioning is crucial--they're obviously not near fields. Making sure that the electronics are sorted is important, they're old. . . Of course it's all a matter of taste, but I can't stand NS10's, and I don't have to guess with these.

JohnnyDemonic · Post by **JohnnyDemonic** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:48 pm

BTW, these are not mine, but thought I'd pass along the info:

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/ele/1520716702.html

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:11 am

4310's are great, they were my first mix speakers in a real studio. We suspended them from the ceiling and powered them with a Knight tube amp, sounded awesome.
Recently, I've gotten to mix on some 4311's same signature sound. The biggest thing with these is what you power them with.
JBL's are powerhungry and these were made when that reputation was made, so, you'll need power.
Bang for buck and quality sound are paramount today, so get a Crown XTi 1000, a 400watt per channel amp, and you'll be a happy man. Your listening experience will pretty much match your mix experience.
PS NS10's are power-mad too, use the same amp on them.
As far as re-coning them, get a JBL authorized guy to do it for you, they send people to school to learn how to recone their speakers.

Message Board

JBL 4310

JBL 4310

Who is online