Catching Up & Looking Ahead

I think the JBL L36s are leaving today. This pair are as great as the first, and I've been really enjoying them. I'm sure they're not my last (a pair in need of foaming went for only $60 in Hamilton last week! - I couldn't make it out there.)The new black grill cloth looks really good (I don't know many people, retro hip or not, who would choose that blue. The binding posts are new. They allow easy connection of better cables than were conceived of when the speakers were manufactured. I now have a small bag of vintage JBL speaker connectors, both the twist lock (bad) and push-in (way worse) type.
The L36s have been a constant for me for a while now. So have the Pioneer HPM-60s. I have argued that Bart Locanthi, when at Pioneer revisited some of JBLs (and his- like the L100) classic seventies designs using newer technologies (carbon composite driver cones, the HPM supertweeter). The HPM-60 is exactly the same size and internal volume as the L36. It makes sense to me that Mr. Locanthi would have revisited the efficiency of the design, and here is where I think the Pioneers are a great opportunity (and value). The L36s produce 76 db at I meter with 1 watt, the HPM-60s produce 92.5db with the same watt! Where I've most enjoyed the JBLs with amps like the Marantz 1150 and 1180 DC, the Pioneers can make a 30 watt receiver sound like that kind of powerhouse. Please e-mail me to hear them.
I'm excited as I write this because I expect to have a new JBL project to hear and restore later this morning. I'll post as soon as they're in my hands.
Have a great weekend!