Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: JBL 8330 Speaker Grille Replacement Help Needed

This is topic JBL 8330 Speaker Grille Replacement Help Needed in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 06-02-2006, 11:13 AM:

I bought four 8330 speakers off of ebay and was disappointed (getting very used to this feeling with ebay) with the condition of the speakers. They look like they had been dragged all over the floor and the mesh fabric is totally shot.

Even after my new attitude towards ebay of expecting to be let down when I get an item, I was still let down. I cannot believe how some people can have a clean conscience selling the crap they do on ebay. Especially the ones who are too frickin lazy to even wipe the dust off of the item before they ship it. I have learned to look at the pictures very closely but pictures can hide a multitude of sins. I even ask the sellers for more pictures and for the condition of the items. I still am left disappointed almost everytime. Most sellers are not too truthful in their assessment of the condition of their items or very forthcoming with the info. [Roll Eyes]

Okay, back to my point. I called JBL and I was told they do not have anymore replacement grilles for these and are not making anymore. The fabric is melted into the plastic frame and the last time I tried replacing the fabric myself on home speakers with the same set-up, it didn't turn out too pretty. So my question is, how do I replace the screen material? Surely JBL doesn't expect that people are going to just throw the whole speaker away because of the mesh being messed up. What do you guys do?

[ 06-02-2006, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: Joshua Waaland ]

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-02-2006, 07:51 PM:

Joshua,

The 8330 grille is still listed in my resources...it is part number 68249. The list price is a little over $30.00 for the thing. Now what has me a tad concerned is that they also list a part for the grille cloth (68259) and that part number doesn't click on the current parts list.

To make things odder...the Grille Assy for the 8333, which should be nearly identical, if not identical, is listed as part number 68249-01. None of these are what I would consider as pricey items (under $30).

I tried both the 8330 grille (again this may just be the frame for the grille since it does not list it as an assembly and I see that grille cloth number with it) as well as the 8333 grille assembly and the JBL computer was ready to take my order and gave me a price (I am a JBL authorized reconer).

Steve

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 06-02-2006, 08:10 PM:

I did get the feeling that the lady on the other end of the line didn't know what she was talking about. She kept asking me if these were home speakers but I told her no and that is why I called the JBL PRO line.

I did find a page with the same numbers listed as you were talking about Steve and I was also puzzled. The part number for the 8330 speaker grille did not list it as an assembly and speaker grilles for other models did say "assembly" next to them.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 06-03-2006, 04:28 AM:

That's pretty bad when the JBL Pro rep has to ask if the 8330, the most widely used cinema surround speaker that I can think of, is a home product.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-03-2006, 07:01 AM:

The number alone should have been the tip off...8000 series speakers have always been "utility" speakers.

The 8330 was nothing more than a revamped 8325 that was used a pro utility speaker...I believe they are the same components just arranged differently...the 8325 was a "bookshelf" type speaker. The 8330 then had the ISO2969 switch added as well as a slope front.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-03-2006, 08:31 AM:

The 8330 has been out of production for many years with the 8330A as the replacement. Internal components generally the same. Harmon Group who owns JBL, has thousands of products; a few years ago they had several series of speakers for the home market which have been discontinued....so give the JBL contact person some slack [Wink]