JBL L100 Century
Documentation on the JBL L100 Century is thinner than its reputation suggests. No manufacturer spec sheet survives in our archive. What the period record preserves is JBL's own launch advertising and a pair of magazine test reports from the early Seventies. That's enough to place the speaker, but not much more.
JBL's advertising in High Fidelity (June 1971, p.37) introduced the Century L100 at $273. The ad billed it as a professional-grade compact studio monitor for home buyers, with the catch that it was not sold to studios. If it reminded readers of the JBL 4310, the ad explained, that was because the two were twins. The L100 came in bold color choices - Ultra Blue, Russet Brown, or Burnt Orange. It also had individual mid- and high-frequency level controls hidden under a removable foam grille, so the sound could be matched to the room.
The reviewers found the claims credible. HiFI-Stereo (June 1974, p.42) published tone-burst oscilloscope photos at 8 kHz and 200 Hz, praised the speaker's transient performance, and described the overall sound as open and airy - bright, to some ears. High Fidelity (August 1971, p.42) contributed harmonic distortion measurements at 80 and 300 Hz. Driver details, crossover points, and cabinet dimensions for the L100 are not documented in the sources we hold.
What's actually known, in short:
- Advertised as new in spring 1971; still on review in mid-1974.
- 1971 list price: $273.
- Consumer twin of the JBL 4310 studio monitor; not sold to studios.
- Removable foam grille with mid- and high-frequency level controls beneath.
- Finishes included Ultra Blue, Russet Brown, and Burnt Orange.
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