JBL N38 (2000)

Overview

The JBL N38 is a bookshelf speaker from JBL's North Ridge series, released in 2000. JBL built it to bring professional JBL sound into the home. It is a 3-way, 3-speaker design with magnetic protection and a bass reflex enclosure. The drivers are a 20 cm cone-type woofer, a 10 cm dome-type midrange and a 1.9 cm dome-shaped tweeter with a titanium-laminated diaphragm. Heat was on the designers' minds. The magnetic circuit has a heatscape structure that releases voice coil heat efficiently and improves input resistance. The bass reflex port is a free flow design that optimizes airflow and eliminates port breathing. The tweeter sits on a unique elliptical curved surface (EOS) shorthorn baffle, which gives wider dispersion and precise stereo imaging.

Specifications

Model Rating Method	3-way, 3-speaker, bass reflex system, bookshelf type, magnetic protection design
Low-frequency driver	20 cm cone type
Mid-frequency driver	10 cm Dome Type
High-frequency driver	1.9 cm dome-shaped tweeter with titanium-laminated diaphragm mounted on a unique elliptical curved surface (EOS) shorthorn baffle
Diaphragm material for woofer	Polyplus (polymer-coated fiber cellulose diaphragm)
Diaphragm material for mid-range	Polyplascone
Diaphragm material for tweeter	titanium-laminated diaphragm
Enclosure type	bass reflex system with free flow bass reflex port
Frequency characteristic	45 Hz to 20 kHz
Output sound pressure level	90dB/2.83V/m
Input impedance	8 Ω
Allowable input	175W(IEC)
Crossover frequency	1 kHz, 5 kHz
External dimensions	Width 305x Height 800x Depth 267 mm
Weight	15.9kg
Original price	¥ 38,000 (1 unit, released in 2000)

Design

The heatscape structure in the N38's magnetic circuit improves thermal dissipation from the voice coil, which helps power handling and reliability. The cone's split vibration is suppressed to expand piston motion, and that tightens up the bass. The free flow port optimizes air movement to eliminate port breathing. The EOS shorthorn baffle under the tweeter improves stereo imaging and widens the listening area.