JBL MR826 (circa 1992)
The JBL MR826 is a large, floor-standing, 2-way all-horn speaker system from JBL's MR series, aimed at sound reinforcement use. It was priced at ¥190,000 per unit in Japan around 1992. The record on this model is thin - no production dates, market positioning, or formal reviews have surfaced - but the hardware itself is well documented.
The low end comes from a newly developed 38 cm cone woofer, model 2032H. The highs come from a compression driver with a pure titanium diaphragm (2416H-1), mated to a flat-front biradial horn (2373). The enclosure uses a short horn structure and has protective corner caps. Input is through two standard 6.3 mm jacks on the rear, and a toggle switch selects Far-Field response. One owner on a JBL forum noted the crossover corner frequency is set rather high, with the main components being a 3.3uF capacitor and a 0.5mH inductor.
Specifications as documented:
- 2-way, 2-speaker, all-horn system, floor type
- Frequency band: 38 Hz – 20 kHz (-10 dB)
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Allowable input: 250W (continuous pink noise)
- Output sound pressure level: 101 dB/W/m
- Directional characteristics: H100° x V80°
- Crossover frequency: 1.3 kHz
- Dimensions: 714 W x 1,035 H x 457 D mm
- Weight: 50.8 kg
Collector chatter on audioheritage.org suggests these were solid pro cabinets. One member reported grabbing a pair for $60 at a Craigslist score, and noted that replacement diaphragms for the 2416H driver were pricey from JBL (around $200 each), which prompted aftermarket substitutes. A heavily used pair was listed on Carousell Malaysia for RM2,999. A period listing called the system "unbeatable for all-around sound reinforcement applications," which reads as promotional copy rather than a measured review.
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