JBL 4550 Cinema Horn Speaker System

The surviving record on the JBL 4550 is thinner than the speaker itself. It was a horn-loaded design built for cinema use. Period listings call it the "Cinema Horn Speaker System." It also found its way into recording studios and live PA rigs.

The driver complement is where the documentation gets murky. Some sources describe a single 15-inch woofer paired with a horn. Others read as a two-15-inch configuration. The fact sheet flags this as an unresolved conflict, so no guess is made here. Every mention agrees it's a big, horn-loaded box. One builder paired two 4550s with two 4560s for a 4x15" subwoofer setup and described them simply as "huge."

The most concrete documented use is in the studio world. Guitarist Nicky Skopelitis credited a "JBL 4550 Studio Monitor" in his equipment list, which suggests these cinema horns were pressed into service for critical listening. A classified ad from an undated period listed a 4550 system at $439, though it isn't clear whether that covered one cabinet or a pair. A 1985 classified ad in Mix Magazine (April 1985, p.190) listed a JBL 4550 with a 2220 driver.

Beyond that, the record goes quiet. No production years, no frequency response figures, and no impedance or power handling data have surfaced. Collectors know it mostly through word of mouth and its association with the 4560.

Type: Horn-loaded cinema speaker / studio monitor
Design: Horn-loaded enclosure
Driver complement: 15" woofer(s) with horn — count unconfirmed (sources conflict)
Known use: Studio monitoring (Nicky Skopelitis), PA subwoofer duty
Undated classified price: $439