JBL MR815
The JBL MR815 is a compact bass-reflex cabinet from JBL's MR series, a line of speaker systems aimed at musical instrument use. It's a 1-way, 1-speaker design built around a single 38 cm (15") cone driver, JBL's MR151-8. It was priced at ¥78,000 per unit in Japan around 1992. The Japanese catalog copy called it a system designed for electric bass, with "prodigious" bass output for its size and portability. It also pitched the cabinet as a complementary bass cabinet for general sound reinforcement and DJ playback.
Specs are straightforward. Frequency band is 55 Hz to 4 kHz (-10 dB), impedance is 8 ohms, and it handles 300W continuous pink noise. Sensitivity is 100 dB/W/m. The enclosure is bass-reflex with corner protectors, and the input panel carries two standard 6.3 mm jacks, as was typical across the MR series. It weighs 23.6 kg and measures 527 x 578 x 311 mm (W x H x D).
Surviving information on this model is thin. There are no production years beyond the circa-1992 price reference, no period reviews, and no detailed history in the available documentation. What the record does show comes largely from classified listings and forum chatter. Used examples have appeared at prices from $150 to $550. At least one owner noted the MR815 works well as a small PA main or monitor but is "pretty anemic on the low end" as a bass cab, which is a fair caveat given the compact enclosure. Queen's Roger Taylor used four MR815s during the 1994 Happiness Tour, presumably as part of his drum setup rather than for bass guitar.
There is one minor conflict in the record. The Japanese spec sheet lists the driver as the MR151-8, while some English-language resale listings call it an "M151-8." The manufacturer's own documentation is the more reliable source, so MR151-8 is the name to use.
- Type: 1-way, 1-speaker, bass-reflex, floor-standing
- Driver: 38 cm (15") cone, model MR151-8
- Frequency band: 55 Hz – 4 kHz (-10 dB)
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Input: 300W continuous pink noise
- Sensitivity: 100 dB/W/m
- Dimensions: 527 × 578 × 311 mm (W × H × D)
- Weight: 23.6 kg
- Original price: ¥78,000 (1 unit, circa 1992)
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