JBL Model S119 (1988)
The JBL Model S119 is a sound-field type speaker system from 1988, originally priced at ¥128,000 per unit. It came in three finishes: the S119WX in walnut, the S119BK in black lacquer, and the S119WH in white lacquer. Instead of firing at the listener, the S119 was built to reproduce sound through indirect radiation, spreading it across a full 360 degrees around the enclosure.
To get that omnidirectional spread, JBL mounted a 20 cm cone woofer vertically upward inside the tall, columnar cabinet. Four 2.5 cm dome tweeters sit at each corner of an upper slit, aimed horizontally. The crossover is unusual too - a 3 kHz, -12 dB/octave high-pass filter on the woofer only, which leaves the tweeters as an all-band-pass design similar to a full-range driver. The woofer supports the low band with a 3 kHz high-pass filter, and the bass reflex duct tuning completes the balance. The speaker jacks sit at the bottom of the cabinet.
Specs as documented: frequency response of 40 Hz to 20 kHz, 86 dB/W/m output, 8 ohms impedance, and allowable input of 100W (400W peak). The cabinet measures 254 x 1016 x 254 mm and weighs 20.0 kg. It's a 2-way, 5-speaker, bass-reflex floor-standing system with an anti-magnetic design.
The S119 also appears in the Aquarius line - one forum post refers to it as the "JBL aqua serie s119" - and it shows up in period system descriptions. HomeTechnologyReview noted the S119 being used alongside the Audio Research SP-14 preamp and sources including the Monitor Audio Studio 10 and Sonus Faber Electa Amator. Owner reports are generally positive - "amazing sound," "beautiful pair of classic JBL which can fit into modern lifestyle" - with one common caveat: blown tweeters. At least one owner reported losing several tweeters, so check those carefully if you're looking at a pair today. The high-gloss lacquer finish on the black version is described by one seller as having a "mirror shine."
Beyond that, the record is thin. No formal JBL spec sheet has surfaced, no production numbers, and no period reviews have been located. What's known comes from classified listings, forum posts, and the occasional system description.
- Type: 2-way, 5-speaker, bass reflex, floor-standing, anti-magnetic
- Woofer: 20 cm cone, mounted upward
- Tweeters: 2.5 cm dome x4, mounted horizontally at upper corners
- Frequency response: 40 Hz – 20 kHz
- Output: 86 dB/W/m
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Power handling: 100W (400W peak)
- Crossover: 3 kHz, 12 dB/oct (woofer high-pass only)
- Dimensions: 254 x 1016 x 254 mm
- Weight: 20.0 kg
- Finishes: S119WX (walnut), S119BK (black lacquer), S119WH (white lacquer)
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