JBL HB5000 (2004)
The JBL HB5000 is an active subwoofer introduced in 2004, priced at ¥567,000 for a single unit. JBL designed it to sit alongside its largest systems - the Project K2 S5800 and S4800, and the studio monitors 4348 and 4338. It is not a lifestyle subwoofer. It is meant for full-range reference listening.
The woofer is the newly developed 38 cm (15") W1500H, built around a dual magnet assembly. JBL claimed it was the largest ever used in a 38 cm driver in the company's history. The cone is a Kevlar/Kapoc composite pulp, the surround is compression-molded nitrile butylene rubber, and the damper is a Nomex-polycotton hybrid roll. It handles over 1,000W of drive, and JBL's bent-gap cooling system keeps the voice coil temperature in check during sustained high-output passages. The amplifier is a Class D bridge design rated at 680W RMS and 1,600W peak. The cabinet is heavily braced 25 mm MDF and weighs 59.9 kg.
The front baffle and top get a dark gray textured finish to cut reflections. The sides are wrapped in an Italian natural wood veneer. All the controls sit at the bottom of the front panel: level, crossover (continuously variable from 30-120 Hz, -24 dB/oct), phase (0°/180°), input mode (LFE/Normal), and power. Inputs are XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced. Protection circuits cover overdrive, DC offset, and temperature/overcurrent. Frequency response is rated at 16 Hz to 400 Hz in the LFE position, with low-frequency extension quoted at 16 Hz (-3 dB) and 14 Hz (-6 dB). Sensitivity is 90 dB SPL @ 88 mV/1m on the unbalanced input.
Documentation on this model is thin. There is no production run information beyond the September 2004 sale date, and no period reviews have surfaced. What exists is mostly owner reports and secondhand listings. Sean Olive of Harman wrote on his blog that among the 15-inch consumer subs Harman made, the HB5000 had the highest undistorted output down to 20 Hz. Owners have used them in pairs with DD66000 mains, with one system described as very satisfying. Used prices have ranged from $1,200 each in the Los Angeles area to ¥35,000 - ¥80,000 in Japanese auctions.
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