JBL 3152 (1982–1984)
The JBL 3152 is a 3-way bookshelf loudspeaker built for a short stretch in the early 1980s. Both hifi-wiki.com and hifiengine.com give a production run of 1982 to 1984, and both agree on the basic design: a 3-way bass reflex system in a bookshelf cabinet. After that the record gets thin, and a little contradictory.
The fullest specs come from hifi-wiki.com. It lists a frequency response of 45 to 22,000 Hz, 100 watts maximum power handling, and 8 ohm impedance. The cabinet measures 345 × 255 × 197 mm (H × W × D). The same source gives a single cutoff frequency of 2,500 Hz, which is odd for a 3-way design, since three drivers normally need two crossover points. The sources don't explain this, and no driver sizes or types are recorded anywhere. The 3152 could be a 2-way mislabeled as 3-way, or the single figure could be only one of two crossover points. Without documentation, there's no way to say which.
No original price, weight, sensitivity rating, or country of manufacture has turned up in any source. No period reviews, owner impressions, or market context have been found either. The 3152 looks like a short-lived model that slipped past the mainstream audio press. A review in HiFI-Stereo (March 1992, p.92) covers an OHM Cam 32 speaker with 250-watt handling and a 10" woofer, but it doesn't mention the 3152. That suggests the 3152 was off the market well before those issues went to press.
What's genuinely known about the 3152:
- 3-way bookshelf speaker, bass reflex enclosure
- Produced 1982–1984
- Frequency response: 45–22,000 Hz
- Power handling: 100 W max
- Impedance: 8 ohms
- Dimensions: 345 × 255 × 197 mm (H × W × D)
The 3152 is still a lightly documented model. Anyone with a pair who can confirm the driver complement or the crossover arrangement would be adding to the record.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.