JBL 216
Little is documented about the JBL 216. No factory literature appears to have survived in the archive, and the record rests almost entirely on a single period review. HiFI-Stereo (August 1983, p.38) presented the 216 - listed there as the J216 - as the smallest and least expensive speaker system then carrying the JBL name. It was a two-way design, and its recessed rear terminals allowed flush mounting against a wall.
The same review's measurements (p.41) suggest the little JBL punched above its price. Low-frequency distortion measured about 1.8 percent at 100 Hz, rising to 5.5 percent at 70 Hz and 10 percent at 56 Hz. The high-frequency output held within about 15 dB between the on-axis and 30-degree off-axis responses all the way to 20-23 kHz. The writer called this highly creditable performance for a $99 speaker. Production dates, exact driver complement, and enclosure details are, as far as the record shows, undocumented.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- JBL 075
- JBL 077
- JBL 120Ti
- JBL 124A
- JBL 124H
- Braun AUDIO-1 (1965)
- Braun AUDIO-250 (1965)
- Magnavox Component Systems (1972)
- Acoustic Research AR (1967-1976)
- Acoustic Research 11