JBL BASS8 (2000)
The JBL BASS8 is an active subwoofer released in Japan in 2000 at ¥55,000. It was meant as a companion for JBL's compact speakers. Period marketing specifically called it an optimal match for the company's own 4312M monitor. Japan was the clear target, and the model is often listed with its catalog number written as "BASS 8" or "Bass-8."
The design is straightforward. It's a bass reflex floor-standing cabinet with a 20 cm white cone woofer in a direct-radiator arrangement, driven by a built-in 100W discrete power amplifier. The crossover is continuously variable from 50 Hz to 180 Hz. The rear panel carries both line-level and speaker-level inputs, and a protection circuit is built in. Frequency response is rated at 30 Hz up to the crossover point (fc). The cabinet measures 270 × 437 × 387 mm (W×H×D) and weighs 15.8 kg.
Documentation on the BASS8 is thin. No THD, S/N ratio, or sensitivity figures appear in the surviving record, and no production end year is confirmed. Used-market listings suggest it has held up reasonably well. One Japanese dealer noted only small scratches from use, with no cracks or missing pieces on the woofer surround. Another outlet marks it as "希少です" (rare). Current price information is largely absent, and at least one comparison site shows no registered listings.
Known Specifications
- Type: Active subwoofer, bass reflex, floor-standing
- Driver: 20 cm cone woofer (white cone)
- Built-in amplifier: 100W discrete
- Crossover: 50 Hz – 180 Hz, continuously variable
- Frequency response: 30 Hz – fc
- Inputs: Two line-level, two speaker-level
- Dimensions: 270 × 437 × 387 mm (W×H×D)
- Weight: 15.8 kg
- Original price: ¥55,000 (2000)
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