Old school JBL 2397 horn repros
Printed From: Speakerplans.com
Category: Plans
Forum Name: New Projects Forum
Forum Description: Forum for new speakerplans projects, in memory of Tony Wilkes, 1953 - 2014
URL: https://forum.speakerplans.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=53892
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 7:10pm
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Topic: Old school JBL 2397 horn repros
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Subject: Old school JBL 2397 horn repros
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 2:32am
I have been working at producing that kit for the past couple of months. Requirements were that all the parts were to be CNC machined for exact repeatability. Wood stuff is High Density Fiberboard and fins are... aluminum. Horns are to be used with a 2" compression driver. Diffusion is 132° which makes them great for home use as well as PA. A lot of exploration was made finding ways to properly CNC the wood parts.          Bottom shots. Fins can be unbolted for the horn to be repainted if necessary.  |
Replies:
Posted By: odc04r
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 10:02am
| Tidy! |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 11:39am
Wow,what a beautiful job.
------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 12:47pm
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Looks great, well thought out. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 2:19pm
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That was a great exercise in production technique and assembly. The basic assembly of one horn takes about one hour: 10 minutes to fit the stainless steel inserts, 10 minutes for first coating with a lacquer to harden wood, 10 minutes for first sanding, and 30 minutes for final assembly and gluing. The rest of the finition depends on each individual. Basically, it's a one hour process max. I pretty much enjoyed the challenge and it was a change from designing brake systems and parts for race cars, which is my day job ;-) |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 2:50pm
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Lee, these would really find a place in the high end Hi-Fi market. Probably with a good financial return too. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: _djk_
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 2:53pm
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What about a throat? 2328s are getting very scarce, very pricey. ------------- djk |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 3:01pm
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Yup,i saw that,it looks like Lee has used a genuine original JBL adaptor to mount them. I guess someone could make a sand-casting type mould from an original for the alluminium adapter? ------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: biotec
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 3:31pm
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They look great! could you not just tap the aluminium fins and go easy when you tighten them up? You'd get galvanic corrosion with the bolts unless you used alumium bolts or used a suitable loctite product though. ------------- me so horny, me love you long throw. |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 3:57pm
Ditto that Chris,i would love a pair of those,the originals are just so expensive and rare now in the UK. ------------- Be seeing you. |
Nachural wrote:Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 3:58pm
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The fins are anodized. Therefore there should be no reaction with the steel bolts. And let's no forget that the bolts can still be coated with dielecric grease. And yes, the 2328 adapters are becoming scarce and sell on a very wide range of prices. From cheap to "What The  !" ;-) But for that reason, I have started studying them to make CNCd aluminum copies. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 4:06pm
Actually, I wanted to buy a pair a year ago. Beaten ones sell for around $400... and sadly, people do buy them in sorry conditions... Nice ones fetch twice more (when you can find them), sadly you cannot change the color if grey is not what you like and several hifi nuts like to match the horns to their bass cabinets. I guess that if people are still after these 2397 horns is because it was a good design. I will soon install mine with a pair of 2441 compression drivers and JBL diaphragms. ;-) |
Posted By: AUDIO HABIT
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 7:10pm
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wow nice work dude....you could make a fortune from them
------------- https://www.facebook.com/fxstageproductions |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 27 June 2011 at 7:19pm
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I made a small batch and started selling them for cheap on a JBL forum. If there's a demand, then I will perhaps start promoting them. But for now, I prefer to let keep it low key. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 08 July 2011 at 3:37pm
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Little follow-up of a temporary installation. New self standing stands coming in next week. Driver is JBL 2441 with original diaphragm. Tweeter is 2405 also with original diaphragm. Thorat adapter is JBL's 2328 but I will soon have some 1" thick CNC machined adapters. 
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Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 08 July 2011 at 3:52pm
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Lovely job.
------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: mykey-
Date Posted: 09 July 2011 at 5:01am
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nice work CNC machine
------------- BbbBBRAAAAPppBBBBbgushhhhhhhhssshhhhhGrAbRAAAAAAPPPPPp = Dubstep |
Posted By: TONY.A.S.S.
Date Posted: 09 July 2011 at 8:57am
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Very good work. I've also seen them in ply. Cutting through the laminations made then look quite colourful, especially after the lacquer is applied. ------------- http://www.facebook.com/tony.rossell.3" rel="nofollow - http://www.facebook.com/tony.rossell.3 |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 10 July 2011 at 2:23pm
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Hi Tony. Yes, 13 ply quality plywood finished on both sides would indeed look very nice. It should be the same high density as HDF. Wether I put a sheet of HDF or Russian plywood, it will work the same ;-) The process is unchanged. The same CNC machine. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 14 July 2011 at 6:48pm
Following the theme of the aluminum fins, I have also produced a small batch of stands that work with all drivers woth a 4x4" bolt pattern. Look's like Captain Kirk's Enterprise on top of my 4520s ;-)  |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 9:22am
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I have to take my hat off to you, your design work is second to none! ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: burningbush
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 11:14am
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Like your stand, very elegant and a lot better than everything just plonked on top of the biggest speaker.
------------- music is the message |
Posted By: Preacher
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 2:19pm
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Top marks, the stand does indeed make it look a bit 'enterprise' like. Nice job.
------------- It's all about the music & the vibe, so enjoy it while you can. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 2:33pm
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Could be Starship Enterprise or some of the vehicles from Star War. ;-) The stands also work with the bigger JBL 2350/2445 combination. But these are heavyyyy...   
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Posted By: JR.junior
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 2:50pm
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------------- Support the scoop technology, larger mouth plays louder! |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 3:05pm
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Those stands are lovely,i wonder if they will work on a 2395 lense/2445 combination.......
------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 15 July 2011 at 3:12pm
People think that the 2350 lense is big. But it is nothing compared to the 2395. That thing is a monster at almost 40" wide. Big and heavy. Therefore the stand will attach, but will not hold the whole combo by itself. There is a limit to what 1/4" aluminum can take before it starts flexing. Basically, a piece of wood will be required near the lenses to hold all that overhung weight. The 2395/2445 assemblies I have seen often use a JBL H stand at the rear and some angled aluminum pieces at the front. BTW if only I could find some nice 2395... ;-) |
Posted By: twb
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 9:52pm
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Hey Lee, I am interested in your horn. I have access to CNC machine and am curious if you are willing to share file/ information. I am also curios about the throat adaptor fabrication and the aluminum fin fabrication.
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Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 11:21pm
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Considering that I am already loosing a bit of money on the first batch of 10 sets (testings, prototyping and gigs are expensive) and that I will have worked about 80 hours for free, you are more than welcome to purchase a set and reverse engineer them... Otherwise, I have three sets of horns left as a complete kit for $450.00cad while the stand can be yours for $190.00 cad a pair. ;-) |
Posted By: twb
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 11:48pm
| Is a set a pair of horns? Is the $450 cad for all 3 sets. I am assuming I would still need to aquire the throat adaptors or have you fabricated them also? |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 11:53pm
| Priced per set. Including 10 aluminum fins/dividers and and all fasteners and stainless steel inserts. |
Posted By: mykey-
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 2:00am
------------- BbbBBRAAAAPppBBBBbgushhhhhhhhssshhhhhGrAbRAAAAAAPPPPPp = Dubstep |
Posted By: mykey-
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 2:01am
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don't do it Lee
------------- BbbBBRAAAAPppBBBBbgushhhhhhhhssshhhhhGrAbRAAAAAAPPPPPp = Dubstep |
Posted By: twb
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 4:19am
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Posted By: mykey-
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 4:33am
 ------------- BbbBBRAAAAPppBBBBbgushhhhhhhhssshhhhhGrAbRAAAAAAPPPPPp = Dubstep |
Posted By: twb
Date Posted: 18 July 2011 at 4:52am
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Posted By: twb
Date Posted: 19 July 2011 at 3:24am
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Hey Lee, Where
have you gotten with the throat adaptor? I have seen some of your posts on other
forums. It would appear that the "balloon" and the transition to
rectangular pattern is a critical design element. The JBL 2328s are crazy
overpriced. It looks like the back of the top and bottom planes could be
extended back along with filler side sections to duplicate the throat adaptor
and be done in such a manner as to accommodate secure driver mounting. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 19 July 2011 at 3:35am
| The adapters in the picture are original JBL 2328. I do have the drawings to replicate them, including the "balloon". I may have to wait a few years until original 2328s are out of price and I can convince myself to risk money on making a production. A pair of 2328s now sell between $200.00 to $400.00 |
Posted By: twb
Date Posted: 19 July 2011 at 5:39am
Casting them out of aluminum would be expensive. Incorporating them into the particle board would probably be not that much labor beyond the basic design. I did a drawing of something that might work with an aluminum plate and flat head bolts. If done right, it would be plenty strong and could duplicate the dimentions of the 2328 throat adaptor. |
Posted By: nycone
Date Posted: 23 July 2011 at 8:40pm
| Lee, Are you still offering JBL 2397 repros? I'd love a pair. |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 23 July 2011 at 9:07pm
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Yes. I do have two or three sets. One set with raw aluminum fins. The others with clear anodized fins. If you want to polish the fins to a mirrolike finish, then get the raw aluminum fins. ;-) PM me for details. |
Posted By: cooky1257
Date Posted: 24 July 2011 at 3:05pm
Is it just me or does your front lip profile looks too narrow?  Some response plots comparing the JBL Smith horn with the Westlake version(with the much thicker lips.    I used to have a pair in some Westlake TM1 clones with 2441' comps-very sweet sound.  Finally someone on pfm is selling a set with 2328 adapters; http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=102946" rel="nofollow - [FS] JBL 2397 horns and metal adaptors - pink fish media
|
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 24 July 2011 at 3:36pm
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The tip of the lip is indeed thinner and it makes the mouth taller. Taller mouth was the purpose. This was intended and JBL would probably have done the same if they had the technology to mass produce this shape. Which they didn't have. Therefore, instead of reproducing what I felt was a non-optimal application of a good idea, I decided to make a graph of the progression from throat to mouth of the original. The graph clearly showed something was wrong and I corrected the best I could within the total height I had to work with. And actually, the mouth could well be twice as tall and it would still work better. Oups. Westlake did it... ;-) |
Posted By: cooky1257
Date Posted: 24 July 2011 at 4:32pm
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They do look very nice. Here is an overlay of the 2397 and the Westlake horn, it would appear the profile of the Westlake is actually a transition similar to the 'baffle lips' recommended to improve vertical dispersion of the 2397 ;  |
Posted By: laplung
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 10:13pm
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Hi Lee, Are the horns still available? I need two pairs. please let me know. Thanks! Lap  |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 10:28pm
Yes. Three sets left. PM me for the Paypal addy and shipping costs. I ship within 24 hours after payment. Box is around 25lbs (11.5kg). Every component is packaged separately to avoid any damage. Basically, if you are used to Ikea furnitures, you'll be familar... ;-)  |
Posted By: pfly
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 10:50pm
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Ikea horn! It is quite nice piece of furniture. We have a pair of 2397 with 1" adaptors and 2441 drivers lying around at our theatre... I have been wondering for a long time what to do with them... |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 10:55pm
| The 2441 would be a 2" driver and a great one at that. The adapter is most likely the coveted 2328. 2441 driver and 2397 horn make for a very neutral mid section with a superb dispersion. |
Posted By: pfly
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 12:21am
| sorry it wasn't 2441 but the 1" thing that looks the same as 2441, being only smalle. |
Posted By: laplung
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 10:35am
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Hi Lee,
I tried to PM you but I couldn't. I tried five times. I clicked PM under your user name, I was led to a page ask for my user name and PIN. After I iput the info, the home page appeared. I selected the topic but the PM selection disappeared. Can tell me why?
Thanks
Lap
|
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 1:34pm
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I love technology...Then just email me massivebrakes@gmail.com Thanks Lap Lee |
Posted By: badasssounds
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 3:21pm
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Posted By: LEFTYGIBSON
Date Posted: 05 April 2014 at 10:02pm
| Did you ever bring this kit to fruition?? i wonderful idea!! |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 05 April 2014 at 10:11pm
You bet. I made a good batch of them and they all sold around the world. Sadly, it took a couple of years to sell, so, I don't want to use my shelves to store more of them for another few years. Meaning, I did them, the production process worked, but I won't make more. ;-) Unless somebody wants 10 sets and I will make a production for that order.  |
Posted By: jamieb
Date Posted: 07 April 2014 at 9:29am
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I'd love a set of these, group buy anybody? Are the drawings for sale?
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Posted By: b grade
Date Posted: 07 April 2014 at 9:56am
| You can find the plans http://hornplans.free.fr/2397_jbl.html" rel="nofollow - here . Subtly Tricky build though. I doubt if I could make them as clean as the ones pictured above. Very nice job. |
Posted By: LEFTYGIBSON
Date Posted: 07 October 2014 at 2:16am
| just checking to see if you have had orders to make JBL 2397 horns?? I'' take a set thanks |
Posted By: Lee In Montreal
Date Posted: 07 October 2014 at 2:25am
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Hi Lefty I produced a batch (10 pairs) and they all got sold. I only have left my own personal set. Which are keepers. ;-) Lee |
Posted By: diyparadiso
Date Posted: 29 August 2015 at 10:39am
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Hello, read the whole thread , also wanted a pair :-) so going to build my own and will post pictures when ready . Think indeed that the idea behind these horns are great , i already had WE1505 horns and many others and the only way to go is multicell which is the way i view the Smith horn ;-) If anyone has very detailed plans in autocad dxf or dwg i'd appreciate , if not will draw my own . part of the fun offcourse..... cheers all Benny |
Posted By: Battered
Date Posted: 29 August 2015 at 5:51pm
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First time I've seen this thread, great looking project seen to the end. Top work!! ------------- Touching cloth at 200 mph |
Posted By: vinaymoturi
Date Posted: 17 August 2024 at 5:46am
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Hi, I am Vinay from India. i like the stands designed by you. Can you please share the drawing of stands. Thank you....
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Posted By: VECTORDJ
Date Posted: 20 August 2024 at 10:46pm
| JBL COPY HORN.....A+ |
Posted By: bob4
Date Posted: 21 August 2024 at 11:29am
Lee hasn't visited the forum since 2016....... at least not logged in......
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