Members charlie13 Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 I own a pair of these redheaded step child JBL cabs and I'm afraid I'm stuck with them for now. So, I was wondering can I replace the horn driver with something different like a Renkus-Heinz, etc. I am aware the horn design and selected driver comprise the total sound, but I was looking for a cheaper way out right now...and just replace the driver with a smoother...less irritating sound. I don't know if that would solve the problem, so I'm just asking for opinions. I'm not trying to resurrect any old threads that bashed the JBL's and get everybody all stirred up....just asking about swapping out drivers. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Some have claimed success, but honestly, it's a crapshoot. And to take advantage of a better driver will require modification to the passive crossover or a move to biamping. A strategy guaranteed to get good results would be to sell the boxes and add whatever extra cash you were going to put into the project into an upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomis17 Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 You're in luck qowMG3fowR0 [/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 You're in luck Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Generally speaking you can just swap drivers without modifying crossovers too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Generally speaking you can just swap drivers without modifying crossovers too I was more speaking to the crossover point and pad in that box being all wrong to really reap the advantages of a better driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomis17 Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Or not. Why not? Is the guy in the video full of {censored}? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 I think this might come under the YMMV heading. One man's garbage is another man's treasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Why not? Is the guy in the video full of {censored}? Lots of folks have swapped out speaker drivers, and ICs, and filter caps, and power cords, and their car's stock air filter, and drank wondertonic or slept with magnets on their body -- and are pretty happy with the results. I really don't think they're full of {censored}. On the other hand, I do think there is a reason why you see packaging labeled: "results may vary". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Why not? Is the guy in the video full of {censored}? I'm saying the results might not be as peachy as the video might suggest, especially when you factor in the cost. Optimistic is the best description, but my idea of a real improvement may not be the same as yours. Sometimes folks are happy with results that are WORSE than stock too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Have you tried just trimming back the harsh areas with your system EQ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VanR Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Lots of folks have had good results replacing the JBL JRX drivers with the $40 Selenium driver from parts express. Try it and see if it works for you. I think the driver D210 in the video is now discontinued so you will have to buy the D220 or something like that.http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-270 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Lots of folks have had good results replacing the JBL JRX drivers with the $40 Selenium driver from parts express. Try it and see if it works for you. I think the driver D210 in the video is now discontinued so you will have to buy the D220 or something like that.http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-270 Another crapshoot. How about a 230 or a 240 or even a 2xxx? Every driver is a tradeoff between different specifications and how they work on a given family of horn flairs. Anybody know what geometry of horn the JRX uses, or the flair rate or compression ratio or the throat pressure, or the crossover frequency and slope? What make anybody here think that a crapshoot driver (NOT saying the driver is crap) is going to perform better than the driver the system was designed around. You know, JBL could have altered the performance parameters of the driver if it suited them, they do have that capability. It was the best choice and tradeoff that made sense. The cost is similar to those in the same class, it's not just a cost thing. There are better drivers (IMO), but to determine WHICH ones are better and what the tradeoff differences are is tougher than a wild assed guess IME. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted September 30, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Your time and money are better spent working with a bit of EQ to tame the harshness. Relying on some anonymous guy's opinion of what driver sounds good is for other people...not me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VanR Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 Another crapshoot. How about a 230 or a 240 or even a 2xxx? Every driver is a tradeoff between different specifications and how they work on a given family of horn flairs. Anybody know what geometry of horn the JRX uses, or the flair rate or compression ratio or the throat pressure, or the crossover frequency and slope? What make anybody here think that a crapshoot driver (NOT saying the driver is crap) is going to perform better than the driver the system was designed around. You know, JBL could have altered the performance parameters of the driver if it suited them, they do have that capability. It was the best choice and tradeoff that made sense. The cost is similar to those in the same class, it's not just a cost thing.There are better drivers (IMO), but to determine WHICH ones are better and what the tradeoff differences are is tougher than a wild assed guess IME. I was only relaying what I knew. But I did say "try it and see if it works for you". I didn't say it was the optimum driver for anything. I'll bet a dollar to a donut though that the Selenium D220 will wipe the floor with the stock JBL driver. Yes JBL could have put any driver in those cabs, but they chose to put the ones in they did I expect to meet a price point. After hearing my singer's JRX112's I wish I could get him to try the Seleniums. I'm sure the Seleniums sound better. Couldn't sound much worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coaster Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 the cabs also have serious issues below 1500hz, its not just the horn/driver that is garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VanR Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 Well we all know this forums feelings about the JRX series. But that is neither here or there at this point. Some people buy these cabs because that is all they can afford. It says JBL it must be good. Or like me they have inherited them by them belonging to a fellow band member. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have. I can see maybe investing a small amount of money to try and improve them. Actually my singer's 112's don't sound so bad for a vocals only PA. But not great by any stretch. We have a rag tag assortment of PA cabs. 2-JRX112's, 2-Peavey 115TF's, 2-EV S152's and 2-Peavey PR12's. Of these I think the JRX112's sound the best for vocals. Now if they were mine I would buy a pair of the Selenium drivers and try them. Nothing to lose but $80. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coaster Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 my point is even improving the HF doesnt fix these boxes. there are significant oddities around 250 and 500 and other issues as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 After hearing my singer's JRX112's I wish I could get him to try the Seleniums. I'm sure the Seleniums sound better. Couldn't sound much worse. Sure they could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Chinese Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 The Video shows a JRX-115, nota JRX-125. I've owned both (no I didn't pay for them, hehe). THe 115 sounds MUCH MUCH better then the 125. The 125 is a really lousy sounding box. So improvenment on a 115 might be in the realm of reality, but the 125 is a total crapshoot. Sell them and get a better 1x15. You don't need that 2x15 config. And that's a tough speaker to have unless you're in the SRX, Qrx, EAW area. Todd A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cappttenron Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 my suggestion is use what you have save up and get better speakers then sell those JBLs. Have you ever heard the expression throwing good money after bad? Or if you can JBLs first and then put the rest on your credit card and make the band pitch in on difference? or use gig proceeds to pay it off. I have heard really nice things about the MRX series but they do cost twice as much. I like my yorkville Elites 12s because they dont take much power to drive them and they have a great warranty program. Heard two musicians in the last month both using the qsc k series and they sound great to me and makes for a simple set up and tear down. I think you will have spend 500-700 per speaker to get good speakers. You can spend a whole lot more but that should get you a speaker that you should be happy with. Another option is see if someone is willing to trade you because they need some cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Real MC Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 I have to use EQ to get rid of the harsh mids and highs in my JRX125s. For the $$$ to spend on a good graphic EQ you can step up to the MRX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 The beamy-ness on the JRX 125 occurs where the dual 15's try to reproduce the 1-2.5K range. Things get wierd when large drivers try to make sounds waaay up in their range, they also get more directional (the beemy part) and not near as smooth. Yes a 15 can do 3K but why would you want it too. Even with a 12dB crossover on those 15's @ 2K that means those 15's are still puting out -12 @ 4K, -24 @ 8k! The natural dropoff of the those 15's may mean a sharper roll off but at 4K there is still a lot going on, and we haven't even addressed the horn. I realy don't think the horn is the issue. You'd have to do 2 things with that box: better 15's that are more flat thruout their response, cross them lower (1K, 1.5K). Then to keep up use a quality 2" driver with a NEW LENS (big $$) and bi-amp only. Sell the boxes, buy something that sounds good. JBL's with aftermarket parts are worth MUCH less than stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 15's CAN do 3kHz well IF they are designed for that purpose. JBL has had some very nice drivers that have done this well, the D-130 and 2220 are some that comes to mind. Beaming, or a reduction of dispersion, as frequency increases is not always a bad thing, since matching up to a horn with a suitable polar response may in fact make for a more seamless integration with controlled beaming provided everything is designed AS A SYSTEM. It's what's happening to all the parameters together that makes a speaker function as a system. I recall the EVM-15B had a very nice response up into the 3khz range too, the softer and heavier paper sounded smoother when driven high. The 15L was a little more bitey, but that was also part of the design intent. It was also quite tameable with eq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 The M115-8 in the JRX box is basically an Eminence Beta15, or at least similar. I don't know how it was designed but seems like they'd want something to cover that 2-3K range since the 2412 is so small and can't handle 1-2k real well. OP: The other factor is the horn lens has to be able to take LF if the HF device is putting it out. The horn design may unload at 1K with a small 1" exit and changing any kind of crossover point may not sound good at all. Or shorten the life of the newer driver. If I had a pair of these boxes right now... drum fill. stock parts, but drum fill... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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