JBL CL45 Flair (circa 1973)

The CL45 Flair is the enclosure portion of JBL's L45 Flair system. It was a modular, high-end speaker setup from the early 1970s, and some owners have dubbed it the "Super L100." The Japanese-market documentation is the most complete record we have. It lists the cabinet at ¥87,100 (one unit, circa 1973) and describes it simply as the "L45 Flair enclosure," noting that the drivers could be combined in multiple variations.

The modularity is the defining feature of the system. The CL45 Flair was not a fixed three-way design. It was offered with several factory-listed driver configurations, each given a model number:

• Model 001: 130A (low), LE175DLH (mid), N1200 (network)
• Model 030: D130 (low), 075 (mid), N2400 (network)
• Model S1: LE14A (low), LE175DLH (mid), LX10 (network)
• Model S4: 130A (low), LE175+HL91 (mid), N1200 (network)
• Model S7: LE15A (low), LE85+HL91 (mid), LX5 (network)
• Model S8: LE15A (low), 375+HL93 (mid), 075 (high), LX5 and N7000 (networks)
• Model S12: LE14A (low), LE20 (mid), LX8 (network)

Most of these configurations list no dedicated high-frequency driver. The "mid" driver in each case appears to carry the upper range, and only the S8 adds a separate 075 tweeter.

The cabinet is big. The main body measures 750 mm wide by 550 mm high by 450 mm deep, with an additional 80 mm base section. It is a floor-standing enclosure that needs floor space, not a shelf.

What little collector chatter exists on the CL45 Flair tends to center on its drivers rather than the cabinet. Forum discussion of the 130A woofer, the low-frequency driver in the 001 and S4 configurations, is enthusiastic. One owner on the Audio Heritage forums called it "one of JBL's highest sensitivity 15" non SR drivers they made, 101 db/1 watt," while cautioning not to expect authoritative output in the 20-40 Hz octave. The same thread, from June 2007, documents a pair of CL45/Flair cabinets being parted out, with crossover serial numbers 5103 and 5058 and cabinet serial number 10878. A Craigslist listing from the San Francisco Bay Area described a pair as "early 70's" with 130A woofers, 175 drivers, HL91 lenses, and N1200 crossovers, in "excellent working condition and fair cosmetic condition." A JLA Forums listing showed a restored pair in walnut at $2,450.

Beyond the modular configuration table and the scattered owner reports, the documentary record is thin. No frequency response, impedance, sensitivity (for the complete system), or crossover frequency figures have surfaced. No weight is documented. The production window is generally placed in the early 1970s, with circa 1973 the most specific date available.

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