JBL 4311B / 4311BWX (1979)
The 4311B is the third generation of JBL's 4311 Control Monitor, the speaker that sat in studios and broadcast stations around the world through the 1970s. Released in 1979, it kept the formula that made the 4311 a studio standard - a 3-way, 3-speaker, bass-reflex bookshelf design with a 30 cm (2213H) white-cone woofer, a 13 cm (LE5-10) midrange, and a 3.6 cm (LE25-2) cone tweeter. The "B" revision is where JBL switched the mid and low-frequency drivers from alnico to ferrite magnets. That improved long-term stability, and it cost some of the alnico mystique.
The drivers are familiar JBL parts for the era. The 2213H woofer uses white cone paper coated with JBL's original damping agent, a 7.5 cm copper ribbon voice coil, and a 4.7 kg low-distortion magnetic circuit with a resonance frequency of 22 Hz. The LE5-10 midrange drives a hard cone with a 15,000 Gauss magnetic circuit and a 2.2 cm voice coil, which gives smooth, wide dispersion. Mid and high frequencies each have a separate level control. You can adjust them with the grille in place, which is handy in a studio.
The front baffle was laid out for small studios and control rooms. The mid and tweeter sit lower on the baffle so the speaker can be hung or placed on its side. The enclosure is 40 liters, tuned for 45 Hz to 15 kHz ± 3 dB, with 91 dB/W/m sensitivity and 40W RMS power handling. Two finishes were offered: the gray studio version (4311B) and the walnut home version (4311BWX). Japanese pricing at release was ¥154,000 per unit for the 4311B and ¥159,000 for the 4311BWX, dropping slightly by 1981.
The 4311B is one of the most sought-after JBL studio monitors of its generation. Examples in good condition go for €800-€1,150 in Europe and ¥270,000 at Japanese auction, and gray-cabinet versions are particularly prized. Aging crossover components and deteriorated internal damping are common problems on units that haven't been serviced. Many restored pairs on the market have been recapped and reconditioned.
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