JBL 2142H
The JBL 2142H is a genuinely confusing model — the name appears in two entirely different contexts, and no source reconciles them. What the record shows is a vintage 15″ low-frequency driver from a late-1950s cinema/theatre system, and separately, a modern replacement woofer for JBL's EON, JRX, and MP series PA speakers. Whether these share any engineering lineage is undocumented; the similarity in model number may be coincidence or a repurposing by JBL's parts division.
The vintage 2142H surfaced in a single seller's listing for a "1959 Altec/JBL hybrid system" — an Altec horn-loaded cabinet housing the JBL driver, paired with a JBL 2440 compression driver and a JBL 2397 Smith Horn on top. The system crossed over passively at 1200 Hz, with the 2142H handling everything below. The photographed unit had an Alnico magnet, a cast frame, and an aluminum dust cap. It was sold non-working, with the cone disintegrating, the voice coil rubbing, and the original surround missing — a recone candidate, not a working driver. No frequency response, impedance, or power handling figures were documented for this version.
The modern 2142H is a different animal: an 8-ohm, 15″ replacement woofer with a cast aluminum octagonal frame, sold as a genuine JBL spare for the EON, JRX, and MP series. Again, the record is thin — no wattage, cone material, or voice coil diameter is stated anywhere in the sources. Sound and Communication (March 1991, p.43) touched on the broader pro-sound landscape of the era, but nothing in the period press specifically reviewed or measured the 2142H as a standalone transducer.
Known specs, such as they are:
- Vintage (circa 1959): 15″ low-frequency driver, Alnico magnet, cast frame, aluminum dust cap; used below 1200 Hz in a 2-way horn system with JBL 2440 + 2397
- Modern: 8 ohms, 15″, cast aluminum octagonal frame; replacement woofer for JBL EON / JRX / MP series
Production years, original pricing, sensitivity, and virtually every conventional spec remain undocumented for both versions. If you own one, the serial number sticker on the magnet is likely your best clue to its age.
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