JBL 2344 Bi-Radial Horn

Name: JBL 2344
Brand: JBL

The JBL 2344 is a constant-directivity Bi-Radial horn made for professional studio monitor and sound reinforcement use. It sits in the shadow of JBL's more famous big-format horns. Among people who know it, it has a loyal following, particularly in DIY and vintage system building.

The record shows a 100° x 100° coverage pattern, a usable frequency range of 500 Hz to 16 kHz, and a recommended crossover point of 1200 Hz. It's an 8-ohm nominal load, built to pair with 1-inch exit compression drivers. That's all the official datasheet information that has survived. No production years, no original price, no dimensional drawings, and no official JBL literature on its intended application have surfaced in the research. A 1982 issue of Recording Engineer documented a studio monitor cabinet system that used JBL 2225H low-frequency drivers alongside a 2397 Smith horn with a 2441 driver, which shows the JBL professional monitor setups of the era (Recording Engineer, December 1982, p.90). In the same period, Mix Magazine covered the opening of the Toronto Skydome and its large-scale sound reinforcement system (Mix Magazine, September 1989, p.133).

What exists beyond that is word of mouth. On the ProSoundWeb forums, owners have called the 2344 "a great replacement for the 2342 in place of the 2360A on the 12" systems" and one user flatly stated it's "been my favorite horn." The 2344 shows up repeatedly in discussions of DIY builds paired with 12-inch woofers, and it's often cited as a strong performer in its range. One user felt the 2344 "is a bit beamed," but another countered that it "is not beamed in its range." That's the whole reception record: a handful of forum posts from people who've used the thing.

Used 2344s surface regularly on the resale market. Recent asking prices have included $699 for a pair on Reverb and $399 for a single unit on eBay. Those are listing prices, not confirmed sales. Diaphragm replacement on the compression drivers is the routine maintenance item discussed. No specific failure modes for the horn body itself appear in the record.

If you own one of these or have documentation the archive hasn't seen, the archive would like to hear from you. The 2344 is a well-regarded part of JBL's professional lineup, and the record on it is thin.