JBL 2426 Compression Driver

Name: JBL 2426
Brand: JBL

The JBL 2426 is a professional compression driver with a 2-inch voice coil, aimed at the upper-midrange and high-frequency band. It's best known as the driver in JBL's 4410 and 4411 studio monitors. It's a ferrofluid-cooled design with a thick-weave titanium diaphragm, rated at 110 dB SPL (1W/1m) and covering 500 Hz to 20 kHz. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms (5.0 ohms minimum). Power rating is 50 watts AES, with a recommended crossover of 1 kHz or higher.

Physically, it's a compact unit — about 111 mm in overall diameter, 60 mm mounting depth, and 2.1 kg net weight. The magnetic flux density is a healthy 13,000 gauss. Period advertising from Sound & Communication (1988, p.32) listed the 2402H ring radiator at $165.00, suggesting the era's pricing context for JBL professional drivers. JBL specified a replacement diaphragm for it, the D16R2426, which is the kind of part number that suggests the driver was meant to be serviced rather than replaced wholesale — typical of JBL's professional line of the era.

The record is a little muddy on the magnet. Some sources describe the 2426 as having a ferrite magnet, others say alnico. JBL's own archive documentation and most of the spec listings point to ferrite, so ferrite is the working answer here. The production years and original price aren't documented in the available sources. There are also no measured response curves or subjective reviews of its sound character. It appears to have been a workhorse studio component rather than a headliner.

Known specs, as documented: