JBL 4301WX (1977)

Name: JBL 4301WX
Brand: JBL

The JBL 4301WX is a compact two-way monitor speaker released in 1977. It was developed for tight spaces like broadcasting stations, editing rooms and coordination rooms. It's a bass reflex design in a bookshelf format. It shares its drivers with the home-oriented L16 Decade, and the main difference between the two is the crossover.

The woofer is a 20 cm cone driver (model 116A) with an aluminum die-cast frame and an Alnico V magnet. The tweeter is a 3.6 cm cone unit (LE25-2) with a 15,000 Gauss magnetic circuit and foam damping around the diaphragm. A continuously variable level control adjusts the high-frequency output, and the crossover sits at 2.5 kHz. The enclosure is 19 mm particle board put together with JBL's wood-welding process, finished in walnut with a blue front grille.

The spec sheet gives a frequency response of 45 Hz to 15 kHz ± 3 dB (on-axis), with 90° horizontal and vertical dispersion up to 10 kHz. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms, sensitivity is 88 dB/W/m, and maximum allowable input is 15W RMS. That's a modest figure, so pair these with a gentle amplifier. Internal volume is 28 liters. Dimensions are 291 × 483 × 306 mm and each speaker weighs 12 kg. The original price in Japan was ¥65,000 per unit.

Drivers: 20 cm cone woofer (116A), 3.6 cm cone tweeter (LE25-2)
Crossover: 2.5 kHz
Frequency response: 45 Hz – 15 kHz ± 3 dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 88 dB/W/m
Max input: 15W RMS
Dimensions: 291 × 483 × 306 mm
Weight: 12 kg

Outside Japanese audio databases, the record on the 4301WX is thin. No period reviews or reception data have surfaced. A single eBay listing shows a pair offered at £1,842.70, which at least confirms collector interest. It was a purpose-built studio tool from JBL's late-1970s monitor line, aimed at professionals who needed accurate sound in a small room.