Clear crisp highs, powerful tight bass.

If anything, the grills.

A question for the JBL experts...

Were there two versions of the l-100's? I noticed on 2 separate Ebay auctions that there were two different versions, one with the midrange set off center of the cabinets and one that are centered. Which one's were better if there were two different versions?

I won an auction for a pair of these magnificent speakers with the midrange set off center.

I couldn't afford these 30 years ago when I first heard them and I'm sure there are better speakers out there for the money I paid but I can never forget the day I heard them at a friends house and just had to have a pair.

Well my day has come and I can't wait till I hook em up to relive the memories of my teen years.

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JBL L56

Clear crisp highs, powerful tight bass.

If anything, the grills.

A question for the JBL experts...

Were there two versions of the l-100's? I noticed on 2 separate Ebay auctions that there were two different versions, one with the midrange set off center of the cabinets and one that are centered. Which one's were better if there were two different versions?

I won an auction for a pair of these magnificent speakers with the midrange set off center.

I couldn't afford these 30 years ago when I first heard them and I'm sure there are better speakers out there for the money I paid but I can never forget the day I heard them at a friends house and just had to have a pair.

Well my day has come and I can't wait till I hook em up to relive the memeories of my teen years.

Similar Products Used:

JBL L56

Horn enclosure

dull at low volume

I bought a pair of HLS-6s in Dec 99 as a second pair of speakers to go in the bedroom. I found them at Best Buy for around $69.00 each. They sounded so good in the show room, but when I got home and did A-B comparisons with the Advent 1s I've had for the last 20 years, I was a little disappointed. The Advents were so much brighter and more accurate, and they made the JBLs sound dull. I like to listen to classical guitar and lute music at home, and I admit that's probably the wrong mission for these speakers.
Like Polk, KLH, DCM, and similar brands, these are rock speakers. You have to turn them up a little to make them sing. Put them with a powered subwoofer, and it's amazing how full and effortless they sound at volume. I guess I've just gotten old and crabby, because volume doesn't wind my clock anymore.

In spite of all that, I like these little speakers. I learned to roll up a sock and stuff it in the port in the back. This cuts down on the resonance. Resonance is good for heavy rock and loud bass, but not so good for delicate solo guitar. I keep the treble at 3 o'clock on the receiver and they sound good enough for me (I favor bright speakers). I like the horn enclosure for the tweeter. It gives the speaker an old-school appearance, but I can't say how much effect it has on the sound. The tweeter behind the horn isn't an old-school, bullet-proof compression driver, but a 10mm polycarbonate dome. I understand that it tends to burn out. (At the volume most people play music and movies these days, why wouldn't it?) Maybe that's why JBL discontinued the HLS series. I give the HLS-6 four stars because I've learned to like mine, and because they sound as good or better than Polk, DCM, Infinity, and other common brands. JBL is a great old name, and they're made in the USA.

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polk, klh

Nice balanced sound,bass,mid range

Highs(Not a fan of Horn tweeters )

I purchased these speakers for my bedroom stereo system. I am very happy with them so far but I do have to tame highs slightly. Bass response is very good; I was worried because I did not want to spend another $300 for subwoofer. Receiver Denon Dra775rds
Pioneer cd player
Jbl HlS 610
24 inch stands
12 gauge wire

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Energy

Lovely sound, nothing like the other JBLs.

It looks a bit cheap

The sound is unbelievable. I was thinking about buying a Aegis One or a Super Zero but after looking at the HLS610
reviews, it changed my mind. I am using it with a Van de Hul Goldwater Cable and it's just amazing. It's fantastic with pop, rock, jazz and even classical! If you have a nice amp, unlike the others have said on the reviews below, it's not sharp at all. In fact, it's so warm and soft. And of course with decent bass! A MUST BUY !

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none at this range

good bass for such a small speaker

none that i can tell

I just love this speaker. i saw it for sale at hifi.com for 99.oo and i checked the reviews at this site and figured i couldnt go wrong. That was an understatement..... The only thing I did wronw was not buying 2-3 more pairs!!!

Sorry, last time I checked they had sold out

I don't understand Home Theater magazine... They made excellent comments about this speaker in an under $300 comparison. I bought them (strictly for movie listening) without listening, because somebody had returned them, and I got the pair for $100, and I trusted Home Theater magazine's reviewers. I'm wary of trusting them again, because, while I've been a JBL fan for years, these speakers SUCK! I was thoroughly disappointed. The horns don't help any with the imaging and dispersing of mids and highs. The sound is just plain DEAD!You'd do better to spend this amount of money (or more) on NHTs, Paradigm Atoms, or PSB Alphas.

I bought these speakers without listening to them based on Corey Greenberg's review in Audio magazine. I didn't listem to them first because the listening conditions at the chain I bought them from were dreadful. I have enjoyed Corey's reviews for years and have bought based on his suggestions successfully before.
I have to say I am thrilled with these speakers. They are a bit on the dry side, and maybe a bit bright, but their imaging and resolution of detail is great for the price. The furthest thing from being "dead".

Having heard all the usual suspects in the price range from NHT, Paradigm, Platinum, PSB, etc., these speakers seem the most detailed and layered. Maybe not as warm as some of the others, but I will trade that for increased resolution and soundstage depth any day.

As a bonus, bass response is strong and defined for a small speaker, and they get nicely loud before distorting.

I read the same review, and bought the 610’s blindly. I have to say that I have not been as impressed with a small speaker since I bought my CDM1s. The 610’s are balanced, smooth, powerful, and have that excellent mid-bass I have grown fond of in my CDM1s. The resolution is not near as high as my CDM1s, but much higher than the PSB Alphas I replaced. Overall I am very pleased with them. For a street price of $170, I feel like I’ve robbed someone.

For overall Listening these are some of the best speakers I have Listened to. I did a side by side comparision with some Acoustic Research speakers in the same price rang and the sound quality was 100 fold better. For putting together a first time home theater thes work great, affordable, great sound, and small enought to fit about any where. The speakers are awsome, I applaud JBL for their efforts.