JBL 2461 (1976–1978)

The JBL 2461 is one of the rarer models in the company's L-series, produced for a short run from 1976 to 1978. It sat above the L110 and below the L220 in the lineup, and at $498 each it was a serious investment at the time. Unlike the bookshelf-oriented L-series models around it, the 2461 was a larger floorstanding design — a 3-way, bass-reflex system with a 10-inch JBL 2214 woofer, a pair of 2105 cone midranges, and the 2405 slot radiator tweeter up top.

The specs are respectable for the era: 27 Hz to 21 kHz (±3 dB), 89 dB sensitivity, 8 ohms nominal impedance, and 75W/150W nominal/maximum power handling, with crossover points at 900 Hz and 3 kHz. Recommended amplifier power was 15–150W per channel. Owners describe it as a powerful, capable speaker with strong bass and good imaging, though it needs a fairly large room, and some note the midrange sits slightly recessed compared to other JBL models.

One thing worth flagging: the record on this model is thin. All of the specifications above trace back to a single source, and no independent documentation has surfaced to corroborate them. There are no dimension or weight figures recorded anywhere in the sources reviewed, and no period magazine reviews of this specific model have been found — the mentions that do appear in the trade press from the late 1970s reference the 2461 only in passing as part of a horn/compression-driver combination in system diagrams, not as a reviewed product. Modern Recording (November 1979, p.36) touched on a 2345/2461 horn-compression driver combination in a reader question, but that's a different context than a full review of the home loudspeaker.

If you're looking at a pair today, expect to pay $500–$900 depending on condition. The usual vintage JBL ailments apply: foam surrounds on the 2214 woofers and 2105 midranges rot with age, and crossover capacitors drift out of spec after decades. Third-party foam kits and replacement diaphragms for the 2405 are available; original JBL parts are not. Also note — a semantic oddity — "2461" is also the designation for a hormone-related compound in FDA documentation. Entirely unrelated to the speaker, but worth knowing if your search results look strange.