new 4312s
 

Visited Japan for the holidays and managed to score brand new 4312E's as a souvenir. I've always drooled on the extensive JBL releases from Japan so I plotted to bring home a pair with me as my souvenir. I got it from a sweet little shop in Akihabara in one of the small store dealers of JBL Japan. The guy in the store was nice enough to wrap the box in foam paper so that it won't scream JBL at the airport. I was so excited that I got the biggest JBL I can take in the plane with me as accompanied baggage. My wife could only shake her head, and probably thought to herself "you and your bright ideas".

Store where I auditioned the speakers. You could choose which one to listen to and adjust the volume as you please. You can go as loud as you want, no one will stop you and only shame tempered the temptation to crank it up.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1536/...dd6a13d7_z.jpgDSC_2563 by sandbites, on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1716/...2d7d32a8_z.jpgDSC_2561 by sandbites, on Flickr

The S4700 and 3900 which I shamelessly tried with reckless abandon
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1532/...c12cabf1_c.jpgIMG_4801 by sandbites, on Flickr

My speakers separated from the herd and ready to be sold
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1484/...0a033ece_c.jpgUntitled by sandbites, on Flickr

In the airport shuttle
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1586/...b4f6d1f8_c.jpgUntitled by sandbites, on Flickr

The white woofer King
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1508/...cc8f2c08_c.jpgJBL 4312E by sandbites, on Flickr

Safely in the house
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1693/...8aa163a2_c.jpgJBL 4312E by sandbites, on Flickr

Testing mode using the Yamaha DSPA1
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1704/...aa1cbdfc_c.jpgUntitled by sandbites, on Flickr

Nice.

Just surfed the JBL website and could find none of the speakers shown in your pic's. Are they "Asia only" speakers these days?

Japan only JBL speakers
 

They're exclusive to Harman/JBL Japan not even ASIA-Pacific. Search for Harman or JBL Japan and you'll see the goodies there.

The wide array of JBL choices in the picture above is typical of most Japanese big box electrical stores carrying JBL. Plus they have all of these in stock, the really big ones are order only. It can be delivered to the store in 2 days tops

very nice, I've always had a soft spot for 'Mr Lansing' ......

My oh my these 4312e's are power hungry. The original plan was to use the JBL's in a second system powering them with my Yamaha DSPA-1. Power was kinda short with the DSPA1 so I tried them with the Mc 275 vi running stereo. The JBL's are begging for more so now I'm surfing the web for a new power amp... Bryston, Macs... choices... choices....

Don't know where you are located but there is a very nice MC352 at a great price in our marketplace. That would have plenty of power. You could also pick up a second MC275VI and run them in mono. 150+wpc of McTube goodness

The MC-275 stays with the Sonus for now so I'm looking at the US$1,500 and below power amps :) used or new

An MC2125 or MC7150 should work well and are considered to be somewhat 'tube like' in their sonic presentation.

How about something from ATI? They make/made amplifiers for many Harman divisions (including JBL) for years. Is there a less expensive route to a balanced amp than ATI? 2000 series should do the job.

I've owned countless JBL monitors over the years and for most of them, 200 honest watts/ch is more than enough.

Thanks for the inputs but I'm feeling guilty over the purchase so I'm scrimping on the amp for know.
I'm toying with the pro Crown xls 1500 or 2000, it's really cheap compared to a used Mac and what not. I'm just having misgivings on the quality of sound I'll get at this price point.

Hallo!

My brother is driving his 4312E with Crown XLS1500 with great result. I would go for the newer XLS1502, more than enough to drive the 4312E:thumbsup:

Like the pictures, I see the 4319, had it before I got the 4429.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the price. I feel remiss for not suggesting it myself. The XLS series is fan cooled but I doubt you'll hear the fan in normal use and it is a variable speed unit so I would bet that for most applications it may never even turn on. I is a Class D (switching supply) amplifier but that brings efficiency benefits in trade. Direct coupled balanced inputs on XLRs as well.

It's appropriate as Crown is a sister company to JBL but if you were willing to spend more, the ATIs are highly regarded and well built and would probably be more akin to your Mc gear in philosophy and topology, minus many Mc features like the autoformers and glorious cosmetics.

The XLS Crowns will certainly drive the JBLs though.

Thanks!
The other reason the Crowns look appealing now is that in a year or so i intend to upgrade to bigger JBL's. Im so happy with the 4312E that i think i'll enjoy the higher models. As I'm not inclined to spend for another set of Mcintosh for the JBL's i can get another Crown, down the road, and run each of them in mono when i do decide to get higher JBLs.

As an update.

The 4312's woofers have loosened up a bit. Initially i had to dial down the mid and high attenuators as they were overpowering the woofers at low to mid volume levels. Now it seems that the woofers have loosened a bit, i know the woofers will have more play in due time. The Mc275's are terrific in pushing the JBL's. I always had the mistaken notion that the tube amps were for detailed, jazzy music. I don't think so now.

I just played Hall & Oates, McHammer, Queen, dePeche, Vanilla Ice and some of my kids' Zedd music on the 4312 and Macs and they really do rock. Maybe its a placebo effect but seemingly the JBLs rock more than the Sonus Grand Pianos.

This changes my perspective, i was supposed to keep the JBL's and Grand Pianos in different areas of the house. But now I'm thinking of selling them both and getting higher model JBLs using the combined funds. Oh well we soldier on.

I just got a pair of 4312E's. Essentially brand new, with very little use and very little break in. I'm having to do the same thing regarding dialing down the mid/high controls for now. Still sound great. Driving them with a McIntosh MC2300.

How did you find placement and directionality? I find that they are a little more touchy then my 4412's, but that could be symptom of break in. Once placed correctly for my room though, imaging is quite good.

I find that they sound better when spaced more than 6 feet apart elevated a foot or so from the floor. I played them recently with speakers directly on the floor and they sound good too, just a different flavor