The British version of the test results. FYI
https://www.hifinews.com/content/jbl-l100-classic-loudspeaker-lab-report
No axe to grind.
That's more like what I would have expected.
I wonder how that compares to a similarly priced, high sensitivity "retro" speaker like the Klipsch Cornwall III (102 dB, 34 Hz -4 dB, $4k-ish)?
I can share the lates Klipsch La Scala review by Hifi News.
https://www.hifinews.com/content/klipsch-la-scala-al5-loudspeaker
Sensitivity of the original [L100], as measured by Julian Hirsch @ Stereo Review (June '74), was 96dB @ one meter/watt. Back then, JBL measured sensitivity at 15 feet, so it was listed as 78dB with one watt.That's more like what I would have expected.
I wonder how that compares to a similarly priced, high sensitivity "retro" speaker like the Klipsch Cornwall III (102 dB, 34 Hz -4 dB, $4k-ish)?
Sensitivity of the original, as measured by Julian Hirsch @ Stereo Review (June '74), was 96dB @ one meter/watt. Back then, JBL measured sensitivity at 15 feet, so it was listed as 78dB with one watt.
"It's the aural equivalent of a bright, fresh autumn morning with an azure-blue sky and a chill in the air, through which the sunshine blazes a path."
Sorry. I made the edit. This was the L100 Hirsch measured at 96dB.The original Cornwall was 96 dB or the L100?
Ok one more JBL 4429 again by Hifi NewsView attachment 32053View attachment 32054View attachment 32055
TOf course the accuracy of the speaker as a monitor has to be judged in the context of the early 1970s. The Maxell thing was possible with the speaker on the floor against the wall or a corner.
The original is likely not the kind of loudspeaker folks would buy, today.
Especially ironic given they are impossible to buy in the UK.I find it somewhat amusing that the British / Aussie press seem to review more JBL products at this price point than the American high end press.
They actually look very ordinary IMO- cheap in fact.
[...]
This is interesting I think:
"Many audiophiles doubtlessly remember the unforgettable sound of the L100. And even for those that don't recall it, fans of classic advertising design will recognize the iconic Maxell ad, "The Blown-away Man," in which the listener sitting in his chair literally gets blown away by his speakers – L100s. JBL's L100s were chosen because listeners who cared about full-frequency response, tremendous dynamic swings, and studio accuracy were playing the day's best records on their own JBL speakers."
[...]
And this one:[...]
The second ad uses a completely different speaker with a sculpted foam grille- very reminiscent of some Marantz models I remember, but certainly not a JBL-L100. The second speaker is much shallower too.
Once you find a speaker that has no flaws, let me know. Not being a crank. Just serious.I don't particularly find flawed speakers to be funny...
In the second ad, evidently. On the other hand (and from some Internet slumming I found that ), Peter Levathes, from the agency Scali McCabe Sloves, one of the creators of the ad claimed it was, "...just some guy who worked in a hair salon..." That speaker is definitely not an L100.Is that Peter Murphy??!!