JBL LX5 (1985–1987)
The JBL LX5 is a compact 2-way bookshelf speaker produced from 1985 to 1987. Documentation is thin. Nearly everything recorded about it comes from a single Japanese database listing, so where it sat in JBL's lineup and how it was received remains unclear. The record does show a small, sensible design: a 20cm flat-cone woofer and a 2.5cm dome tweeter, crossed over at 2500Hz. Period advertisements in HiFI-Stereo (August 1992, p.86) promote similar JBL LX-series models with titanium dome tweeters and substantial power handling.
The LX5 was rated at 6 ohms impedance with 90dB/W/m sensitivity. JBL specified a rated input of 60W with 120W maximum. Frequency response was listed at 60Hz - 22kHz. The cabinet is compact at 230mm wide, 385mm high and 208mm deep, and it weighs 6.3kg. The suggested retail price in Japan was ¥42,000 per unit.
One oddity in the source: the terminal section is described as "2-way," which may simply be the database's phrasing for a pair of input terminals rather than bi-wiring capability. Without corroborating documentation, there's no way to say more. Given its size and specs, the LX5 appears to have been an entry-level or mid-range bookshelf offering from JBL's mid-1980s period, but no period reviews or market context have surfaced to confirm that.
Known Specifications
- Type: 2-way bookshelf speaker
- Woofer: 20cm flat cone
- Tweeter: 2.5cm dome
- Crossover: 2500Hz
- Frequency response: 60Hz–22kHz
- Impedance: 6Ω
- Sensitivity: 90dB/W/m
- Input: 60W rated, 120W max
- Dimensions: 230 × 385 × 208mm (W×H×D)
- Weight: 6.3kg
- Production: 1985–1987
- Price (Japan): ¥42,000 per unit
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