JBL 4850 (1984–1988)

The JBL 4850 is a three-way professional studio monitor from JBL's Professional Series, produced from 1984 to 1988. The design is straightforward and workmanlike: a 380 mm (15") woofer, a 200 mm (8") midrange and a 25 mm (1") tweeter, crossed over at 1.2 kHz and 5 kHz. The cabinet has 85 liters of internal volume. Input goes through dual Neutrik Speakon connectors, the professional standard of the era. Sensitivity is rated at 92 dB (1 W @ 1 m), nominal impedance is 8 ohms, and maximum power input is listed at 300 W.

JBL intended the 4850 to be listened to from about 3 meters away. That puts it in control-room or larger near-field duty, not close-up desk monitoring. One source gives the frequency response as 55 Hz - 20 kHz and another gives 48 Hz - 20 kHz. The gap is small and likely comes from measurement conditions, not a design change.

Past those specifications, the record is thin. No original price, dimensions or weight have surfaced, and the specific driver model numbers aren't documented. It appears to have been a solid, unglamorous professional tool from the mid-1980s, the kind of speaker a working studio would buy on JBL's reputation rather than on magazine reviews. Period press did note the company's years of experience in equipment design in the touring industry (Mix, June 1988, p.155).

System type: 3-way studio monitor
Drivers: 380 mm woofer, 200 mm midrange, 25 mm tweeter
Crossover: 1.2 kHz & 5 kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 92 dB (1 W @ 1 m)
Maximum power input: 300 W
Internal volume: 85 L
Inputs: 2 × Neutrik Speakon
Suggested listening distance: 3 m