JBL L26 (1972)
A 2-way bookshelf speaker system released in 1972, featuring a 25.5 cm woofer and 3.6 cm dome tweeter in a bass reflex enclosure.
Overview
The JBL L26, also known as the L26 Decade, is a 2-way bookshelf speaker system introduced in 1972. Designed for high-fidelity audio reproduction, it uses a bass reflex enclosure with a natural oak finish and a distinctive 4-color grille pattern in orange, brown, blue, and white. The system was built around JBL’s 125A woofer and LE25 series dome tweeter, with a dedicated 2-way crossover network.
Specifications
| Product type | 2-way bookshelf speaker system |
| Production years | Released in 1972 |
| Low band unit | 25.5 cm cone type (125A) |
| High pass unit | 3.6 cm dome type (LE25-1 early; LE25-4 later) |
| Network | Dedicated 2-way network |
| Impedance | 8 Ω |
| Output sound pressure level | 89 dB (New JIS) |
| Allowable input | 35 W (continuous program) |
| Crossover frequency | 2 kHz |
| External dimensions | 324 mm (W) × 610 mm (H) × 337 mm (D) |
| Weight | 19 kg |
| Original price | ¥68,900 per unit (around 1973), ¥78,000 (1978) |
Design
The L26 features a 25.5 cm cone-type woofer (125A) with a 5 cm voice coil made of edgewise wound copper ribbon wire and an Alnico V magnet weighing 1.1 kg. The 3.6 cm dome-type tweeter uses a 1.6 cm voice coil and a 15,000 gauss magnetic circuit, with early models using the LE25-1 and later versions the LE25-4. The enclosure is a bass reflex design finished in natural oak, and the grille displays a four-color pattern of orange, brown, blue, and white.
Context
The JBL L26 was released in 1972 as part of JBL’s speaker lineup, offering a bookshelf-formatted 2-way system with performance-oriented driver technology for its time.
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