JBL C68 Sovereign III (1967)

The JBL C68 Sovereign III is an equipment cabinet - a large, furniture-grade console built to house a complete stereo system. It came out in 1967 at ¥340,000. It was still listed around 1973 at ¥241,500. The C68 was meant to be combined with the Subline I or Subline II speakers (the sources romanize the names as "サブリンI" and "サブリンII") to make a full stereo setup.

Structurally, the C68 is identical to the C58 Delphi. Inside there is space for a record player and a JBL SG 520, among other components. The exterior came in two finishes: country oak and golden oak. A surviving auction listing calls it a "C60 SOVEREIGN exclusive use center console," but the documentation doesn't spell out the exact relationship between the C68 Sovereign III and the C60 Sovereign.

This is a big cabinet. The 1967 catalog lists external dimensions of 1,650 × 670 × 510 mm (width × height × depth). The 1973 catalog gives a slightly narrower width of 1,590 mm. One auction listing put the mass at approximately 65 kg. A unit with serial number 10041 appeared on Yahoo Auctions, where bidding reached ¥298,000 between February and September 2021.

• Type: Equipment cabinet / console
• Release year: 1967
• Original price: ¥340,000 (1967); ¥241,500 (c. 1973)
• External dimensions: 1,650 × 670 × 510 mm (1967 catalog); 1,590 × 670 × 510 mm (1973 catalog)
• Mass: approximately 65 kg (auction listing)
• Finishes: Country oak, golden oak

No reception, reviews, or owner opinions have surfaced in the research. Beyond its catalog listings and the occasional auction appearance, almost nothing else is documented about the C68 Sovereign III — but as a piece of JBL's 1960s furniture-grade audio cabinetry, it represents a side of the company rarely seen today.

eBay Listings

VTG JBL C68 Sovereign III Stereo Cabinet Marantz 2225 Fisher

$4,500

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