JBL B380 (from 1989)
The JBL B380 is a powered subwoofer from JBL's Professional Series, introduced in 1989. It was the top of that lineup, built for home theater and high-end stereo, and often paired with JBL's Control series or L-Series monitors. In the "B" series it sat above the B120 and below the B460.
At its heart is a built-in solid-state amplifier rated at 150W RMS into 8Ω (20–20kHz, <0.01% THD), driving a single 380mm (15") cone woofer in a tuned-port (bass reflex) enclosure of 90 liters. The crossover is adjustable from 50Hz to 100Hz with a 24dB/octave low-pass filter, and the system crossover frequency is cited at 100Hz. Inputs are line-level, both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA), with a 12kΩ input impedance. The amplifier's signal-to-noise ratio is rated at ≥105dB (A-weighted). The cabinet measures 680mm × 530mm × 440mm (27" × 21" × 17.5") and weighs 34kg (75 lbs), available in walnut or oak finishes.
Period dealer advertising in Audio (December 1984, p.127) pushed the B380 alongside the larger B460 as the way to "restore the bottom octave" missing from most stereo systems. That suggests the model was on the market by late 1984, though the fact sheet puts production start at 1989. The record is a bit inconsistent on that. Either way, the B380 was marketed as a serious deep-bass fix for systems that couldn't reach the lowest octave on their own.
Collectors today call the B380 heavy, well-built and great sounding, with "clean and deep" bass. The known issues come with age. Amplifier boards can fail as capacitors dry out, and SMD components make repair harder. Original drivers are hard to find, and spare parts are scarce. It's also a bit large for small rooms.
- Type: Powered subwoofer, bass-reflex (tuned-port) enclosure
- Driver: 380mm (15") cone
- Amplifier: 150W RMS into 8Ω, <0.01% THD
- Frequency response: 25Hz–1kHz (subwoofer section, −10dB ref. to rated output)
- Crossover: 50–100Hz variable, 24dB/octave; system crossover 100Hz
- Inputs: Line level, balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA); 12kΩ impedance
- Dimensions: 27" × 21" × 17.5" (680 × 530 × 440mm)
- Weight: 75 lbs (34kg)
- Finishes: Walnut, Oak
Current market pricing for a pair runs around $650. Exact production years beyond the 1989 introduction are not well documented.
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