JBL 5308 (1992)
The JBL 5308 is a compact two-way studio monitor from 1992, built for near-field listening. It's a sealed-cabinet design with a 17 cm woofer and a 2.5 cm tweeter, crossed over at 2.4 kHz. Sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and nominal impedance is 8 ohms. It's specified to handle amplifier power up to 150 watts. Frequency response is listed as 50 Hz to 20 kHz. The box is small - 213 x 288 x 173 mm - and weighs just 5.2 kg.
The owner's manual describes the input panel as a recessed barrier strip that accepts banana plugs, bare wire, or dual-prong plugs. The manual also confirms the 5308's role as a near-field monitor. That means a speaker you place close on a console or meter bridge for critical listening in a studio.
Documentation on this model is thin. The 5308 appears in the EIA's annual industry statistics sheets for 1992, which track U.S. sales figures, but little else is recorded about its market positioning or reception. No period reviews have surfaced in the archive, and no production-end date or common failure points are documented. One period source, Audio (December 1986, p.163), notes that high-quality diamond styli were available for cartridge upgrades, though it does not reference the 5308 directly. The 5308 was a no-frills studio tool from JBL's early-'90s professional lineup, and it still circulates on the used market.
Known specs, as documented:
- 2-way, sealed (closed) cabinet
- 17 cm LF driver, 2.5 cm HF driver
- Crossover: 2.4 kHz
- Sensitivity: 89 dB
- Nominal impedance: 8 Ω
- Frequency response: 50 Hz – 20 kHz
- Amplifier power: up to 150 W
- Dimensions: 213 x 288 x 173 mm (W x H x D)
- Weight: 5.2 kg
- Input: recessed barrier strip (banana plugs, bare wire, dual-prong)
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