JBL L100 Century Vintage Loudspeakers - Survivors

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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 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 is not in perfect cosmetic condition but present well considering its age. As an upgrade, we have fitted high-quality banana binding posts to the rear, making speaker connections quick and easy while providing a significant improvement over the original terminals.

As with all pre-owned speakers that leave our shop, this pair has been thoroughly tested and carefully listened to. They sound fantastic and are ready to be enjoyed for many years to come. A new pair of L100's will cost $5,280 for the pair, This is a $2000 savings for this pair.

Please note: this pair does not include grills but we think they look best showing off the recognizable white woofers. 

More from JBL:
When it was found that musicians, engineers and other discriminating professionals in increasing numbers were purchasing the JBL studio monitor for home use, JBL introduced the L100 - acoustically identical to the studio monitor, yet offering provocative styling appropriate to the home environment.

Truncated pyramids of the Quadrex 2 grille dramatize unique lineage and advanced engineering of the L100.

New methods of sculpting semi-rigid foam material gave JBL the freedom to explore texture, color and shape. This reticulated (open-pore) foam - substantially the same material used for quality microphone windscreens - has been proven to transmit sound as well as even the most acoustically transparent grille cloths.


SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
These speakers came arrived in slightly rough shape cosmetically. We filled a handful of gouges, applied Howard's products, and touch ups as needed. The cabinets are not going to win any beauty contests but the drivers are in excellent condition.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
This pair is very close in serial number: 23471 / 23462.

The original push pin terminals were damaged. We opted to replace them with low profile banana test jacks which makes connections to banana terminated wires a breeze.

Ownership:
Second Owner

Connections:
Bannana speaker input jacks

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
5/10 = Average. Multiple scratches, including some on the front faceplate. See our detailed rating description here.

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

Included:
Just the Unit

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:
1971

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Good

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

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.