Loudspeakers

When the JBL L100 was launched at CES 1970 in Chicago, few realised how popular it would be. A consumer version of the 4310/4311 professional monitors, it shared the same driver lineup, with potent 'Alnico V' magnets. A simple crossover was used for the midrange and treble drivers (with L-pad attenuators for user-adjustment), with the bass unit bypassing it altogether. Its quintessentially 'West Coast sound' was dry, detailed and punchy – as American as the BBC LS3/5a was British.

Reputedly styled by JBL president Arnold Wolf, it looked strikingly modern at the time. There were various offshoots, including the L100A and L100 Century evolutions, the latter running until the speaker was discontinued in 1978. This was big in Japan, remaining on sale in 4312E guise for many years with cult appeal. Different mid and treble drivers were tried over the years, with varying front baffle placements. The L-series soldiered on through the '80s, but shared little with the original, so this new 'Classic' version is the closest we've seen for decades.