JBL 4625

The JBL 4625 is a cinema surround speaker, an 8-ohm design. According to the little documentation that survives, it was built for movie theater surround duty but apparently worked just as well in a living room. A period Reverb listing describes the pair as "very dynamic, also great as stereo bookshelf or main speakers." That suggests capable little boxes, not mere effects channels.

The few sources that mention the model at all agree with each other. The 4625 is rated at 96 dB sensitivity, which makes it an easy load for modest amplifiers. Frequency response is listed at 80 Hz to 17 kHz. Power handling is cited at 150 watts. HiFiEngine frames this as a recommended amplifier range of 50-150 W, while hifi-wikia lists a flat 150 W figure. All three sources agree on the 8-ohm impedance.

Beyond those numbers, the documentation runs thin. No production years, no original retail price, no driver complement, no cabinet details and no crossover information have surfaced. The 4625 appears to have been part of JBL's professional cinema line rather than the consumer L-series, but its exact position in the catalog isn't documented. The JBL Cabaret Series, which shared the era's modular design philosophy, was marketed for its versatility and ability to mate with other systems as performance requirements increase (Modern Recording, April 1981, p.18).

What's known, in brief:

- **Type:** Cinema surround speaker (also used as a bookshelf/main speaker)

- **Impedance:** 8 ohms

- **Sensitivity:** 96 dB

- **Frequency response:** 80 Hz - 17 kHz

- **Power:** 150 W (recommended amplifier: 50-150 W)

- **Current market price:** $275 for a pair (used, in excellent condition)

A used pair recently sold at $275, and the seller noted they were fully tested and working. The model's history is mostly unrecorded.