For years the JBL Classic series has been the answer for people who want their hi-fi to look like a 1970s recording studio. The catch was size: the L100 and L82 are bookshelf style boxes that still need stands. The new JBL L150 Classic fixes that. It is the first floorstanding model in the range and now its flagship, and it made its world premiere at the Audio Video Show in Warsaw from October 23 to 25.
What it is
The L150 Classic is a passive three way, bass reflex floorstander. The headline is a 15 inch Pure Pulp Differential Drive woofer, the 2229Nd, with dual voice coils and a cast basket. Above it sits a 6.5 inch polymer coated pure pulp midrange, also on a cast basket, and a 28mm titanium dome tweeter mated to a waveguide and phase plug. The crossover hands off at 310 Hz and 1.8 kHz.
The cabinet is where the heritage shows. A sloped front baffle tilts the drivers toward your ears, the cabinet is wrapped in natural walnut veneer, and the black Quadrex foam grille, the waffle pattern anyone who has seen an L100 will recognise, finishes it off. Each speaker stands 935mm tall, 470mm wide and 539mm deep, and weighs 52 kg.
The clever part is the tone controls
Old JBLs often had midrange and treble level pots on the front. According to the official L150 Classic white paper, this speaker swaps that idea for independent low frequency and high frequency adjustments designed to suit different rooms and placements without wrecking the speaker's overall dispersion. The bass control uses what JBL calls a capacitor assisted bass reflex alignment, so bass extension changes entirely inside the passive crossover. JBL also says the new waveguide and phase plug were developed with finite element simulation for wide, even coverage, quoted at more than 110 degrees horizontally.
Key specs
- Frequency response: 33 Hz to 22.5 kHz with the LF control at 0 dB
- Sensitivity: 88 dB (2.83V/1m)
- Impedance: 4 ohm nominal
- Recommended amplifier power: 25 to 250 W RMS
- Dual gold plated terminals for bi wiring or bi amping
Who it is for
This is not a speaker for a small apartment or a weak amp. A 4 ohm load and 88 dB sensitivity mean you want a solid integrated amplifier or separates with real current. In return you get big scale, the kind of effortless bass that only a 15 inch driver moves, and furniture that looks good with the grille on. It suits a living room with space to pull the speakers out from the wall, and a listener who plays records loud.
If you love the look but not the size, the bookshelf L100 Classic is still the entry point to the series. Spinning vinyl through it? Our take on the Technics SL-1210MK X is a natural partner, and for another big floorstander with a different personality, see the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP III.
Availability
JBL has not given a US retail date on its official pages yet. Check JBL and parent company HARMAN for dealer details as they land.
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