JBL L100 Century Vintage Speakers

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General:
The JBL L100 Century is one of the most iconic loudspeakers of all time, easily ranking among the top five most recognizable speaker designs ever made.

Originally introduced in the early 1970s as the consumer version of JBL's legendary studio monitors the 4310, the L100 became a favorite among music lovers and audiophiles around the world. They also gained legendary status as the speakers featured in the famous Maxell "Blown Away" advertisement.

Each speaker features JBL's classic 3-way design, consisting of a 12-inch white-cone woofer, a 5-inch midrange driver, and a 1.4-inch tweeter. This combination delivers the dynamic, lively sound that these speakers were famous for including deep bass. Their high sensitivity also means they pair beautifully with both vintage solid-state amplifiers and classic tube gear.

This particular pair of JBL L100 Century speakers are in great condition for their age. They even include the original grills that are often lost or damaged!

With 24xxx serial numbers this dates this pair to approximately 1971–1972, making them early examples of the legendary L100 Century. These desirable early-production models feature the original vertically aligned driver configuration, predating the later L100A Century.

As with all pre-owned speakers that leave our shop, this pair has been thoroughly tested and carefully auditioned by our staff. They sound fantastic and are ready to be enjoyed for many years to come.

With a new pair of JBL L100 Classics currently retailing for $5,280, this vintage pair offers a significant savings, along with the charm and character of the original design.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
The cabinets have minor wear but present very well overall. Each speaker needed corner repair on one rear corner on the bottom panel. Light imperfections, scuffs, and scratches are visible on all surfaces. Light white paint specks are visible on one side of each cabinet. The cabinets have been treated with Howard's products. They look great.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
We opted to leave the original push pin terminals in place as this set is complete and original.

Ownership:
Second Owner

Connections:
Pin style speaker connections.

General Sound:
Accurate to the recording

Cosmetic Condition:
7/10 = Good. One or two minor scratches. Well Maintained. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Speakers, grills, and boxes.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Specs:
- Model: JBL L100 Century
- Type: 3-way bass-reflex bookshelf speaker
- Woofer: 12 in (300 mm) 123A / 123A-1
- Midrange: 5 in (130 mm) LE5-2 / LE5-3
- Tweeter: 1.4–1.6 in (40 mm) LE25 / LE25-1
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Sensitivity: 91 dB (1 W / 1 m)
- Power handling: 50 W continuous program
- Recommended amplifier: 10–150 W
- Frequency response: 45 Hz – 20 kHz
- Crossover frequencies: 1.5 kHz and 6 kHz
- Controls: Front-panel midrange and high-frequency level controls
- Cabinet: Bass-reflex, walnut veneer

Dimensions:
14.3" x 23.5" x 13.6"

Weight:
55 lbs.

Approximate Age:
1972

Testing Process:
Our speaker evaluation process starts with a visual inspection of all drivers. We are looking for damaged or deteriorating woofer surrounds, dented tweeter domes, and cone damage. We also inspect the speaker connection points for loose or broken connectors.

After the initial visual inspection we connect the speakers to a reference amplifier with our preferred test tracks. With the speakers placed with proper distance we listen to each driver to make sure that they are producing the intended frequencies with no signs of distortion or rattle.

During listening tests with test tracks we check for proper stereo imaging and bass response at various listening levels. If there are any audible signs of issues, the speakers are taken to the bench where we perform a frequency sweep to isolate the issue so that it can be resolved by component repair or replacement.

Our subwoofer evaluation process starts with a visual inspection of all drivers. We are looking for damaged or deteriorating woofer surrounds, cone damage, or rubbing voice coils. We also inspect the input connections for damage.

After the initial visual inspection we connect the sub at our bench and perform a sine wave sweep from about 200 Hz down to around 10 Hz. During this sweep we are listening for excessive rattle or other signs of improper function.

If the sweep passes we then increase the input level to evaluate how the woofer performs at high output levels. If the woofer has built-in crossover adjustments or multiple connection options these features are tested at this time.

We complete the subwoofer evaluation by feeding the unit with an audio signal in conjunction with our house music system to see how it responds to low frequency content in real world conditions while paired with a full range system.