JBL 6211
The JBL 6211 is a 2-way bookshelf loudspeaker from the late 1970s or early 1980s, though exact production years aren't documented in any official source we've found. What the record does show is a compact, bass-reflex design with a 20cm cone woofer and a 2.5cm dome tweeter, rated at 40W continuous and 60W maximum into 8 ohms. Audio-Database lists the frequency characteristic as 55Hz to 30kHz, with dimensions of 245mm wide, 388mm high, and 207mm deep, weighing 6.2kg (about 13.7 lbs) in a 10.7-liter enclosure.
The crossover point is where the sources diverge. Audio-Database lists 3800Hz, while Troels Gravesen's blog mentions a first-order crossover at 2.2kHz — but that figure appears in the context of his own analysis or a modified design, not necessarily the factory spec. Given the conflict, I've omitted the crossover frequency rather than guess. Sensitivity is listed at 89dB in Gravesen's spec table, though a customer measurement cited on the same blog came in at 83dB at 1m for 2.83Vrms, which Gravesen called "quite normal for a small box."
One owner on Gravesen's blog reported having a pair in the family since 1978, serving as TV speakers for 25 years before he replaced the tweeters with Morel MDT-T33 units — which at least confirms the tweeters are replaceable and that the design invites modification.
Beyond that, the record is thin. No original retail price, no official JBL documentation, no production dates, and no market price data from the listings we found. It's a modest, well-regarded bookshelf speaker that has clearly survived in the hands of enthusiasts, but the paper trail is mostly anecdotal. A period product brief in Recording Engineer (May 1988, p.92) describes UREI 6210 and 6211 amplifiers designed to convert JBL's series 4400 or any 8S1 speaker into a self-powered system.
Known Specs
- Type: 2-way, 2-speaker bookshelf, bass-reflex
- Woofer: 20cm cone
- Tweeter: 2.5cm dome
- Rated input: 40W / Max input: 60W
- Impedance: 8Ω
- Frequency characteristic: 55Hz – 30kHz
- Dimensions: 245 × 388 × 207mm (W×H×D)
- Weight: 6.2kg
- Internal volume: 10.7 liters
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