JBL L120 (1979–1981)

The JBL L120 is a 3-way, bass-reflex bookshelf loudspeaker made from 1979 to 1981. It used a 12″ LE10A-1 woofer, a 5″ cone midrange and a 1″ dome tweeter, with crossover points at 1.2 kHz and 4.5 kHz. It was the smaller sibling of the floor-standing L220. Several owners describe it as essentially the bookshelf version of that model, sharing its drivers and crossover. The original list price was $590.00 each.

Specs are reasonably well corroborated across reference sources: impedance is 8 ohms, frequency response is rated at 47 Hz–21 kHz (±3 dB), and recommended amplifier power runs 10–200 watts. Sensitivity is most commonly cited at 90 dB (1W/1m), though one source lists 88 dB. Dimensions are 14.5″ W × 24.25″ H × 11.75″ D, and each speaker weighs 45 lbs. The enclosure is ported (bass reflex).

Owners describe a well-regarded all-around performer. It doesn't dig quite as deep as the L220, but the bass stays clean and tight, and the imaging is good. The most common complaints are a somewhat forward upper midrange and a tweeter that can sound harsh on some material. The L120 is also often compared favorably to the similar-era L112. One former JBL dealer who worked in the early 1980s said he preferred the L120s.

The usual vintage JBL caveats apply. The foam surrounds on the midrange may need replacing, the tweeter ferrofluid can dry out, the crossover caps may drift, and the grille pegs are known to break. The L120 with the LE10A-1 woofer is considered desirable. Prices have been rising for the L-series JBLs in recent years, with good-condition pairs commonly listed around $400-600.