JBL 2440 (Late 1970s)

Name: JBL 2440
Brand: JBL

The JBL 2440 is a professional compression driver from the late 1970s. It uses a 4-inch (100mm) edgewound aluminum ribbon voice coil and an Alnico magnet. It was JBL's top-of-the-line professional driver of its era, built to go head-to-head with the Altec 291 and EV DH1012. It has a 2-inch throat and 16-ohm impedance, and it was rated at 75 watts and 112 dB SPL (1W/1m), covering 500 Hz to 15 kHz. JBL recommended a minimum crossover of 800 Hz to 1.2 kHz.

The 2440 is perhaps best remembered as a staple of the JBL 4350 studio monitor. It also saw heavy use in cinema and tour sound. It belongs to the 2440/2441/2445/2446 family of 2-inch throat drivers - the 2441 is the ferrite-magnet version of the same basic design, and the 2445/2446 are later neodymium successors. Recording Engineer (June 1980, p.119) noted that JBL's new Bi-Radial constant coverage horns of the period - the 2360, 2365, and 3266 - were designed to accept the 2440, 2441, or 2482 drivers. That puts the 2440 in JBL's professional fixed-installation lineup.

Owner reception is strong but not uncritical. Fans describe it as the standard by which other drivers are judged, and praise its clarity, smoothness, and dynamics. The common complaints are a slight upper-midrange honk at very high levels, a sharp roll-off above 10 kHz (a good supertweeter is recommended), and Alnico magnets that can lose charge over time. Some users swap in the 2441's titanium diaphragm for less beaming and a stronger top end.

Original 16-ohm aluminum diaphragms are discontinued and sought after. Aftermarket reproductions exist but vary in quality. Used pairs in good condition typically fetch $500 - $900. Exact production years, original pricing, and detailed frequency response curves are not documented in the available record.