JBL S143mkII (2005)
The JBL S143mkII is a three-way, three-speaker bass-reflex bookshelf system. JBL released it in May 2005 at ¥295,000 per unit, revised to ¥310,000 in 2007. It was positioned as a refinement of the earlier S143 - the fact sheet describes it as "a speaker system that refined all units of the S143" - and sat at the upper end of JBL's S Series, even if it was the more accessible member of that family. A dedicated stand, the S143mkII STAND, was sold separately for ¥32,000. With the stand attached, the system stood 1,001 mm tall and weighed 55.2 kg.
The drivers are the interesting part. The low end is a 35.5 cm woofer with a white cone made from natural pulp and a high-rigidity aluminum die-cast frame. The midrange is a horn-loaded 5.0 cm compression driver (designated 186Nd) with a pure titanium diaphragm and neodymium magnetic circuit. It is paired with an MDF horn, which is a notable choice, since JBL traditionally used SonoGlass for its horns. The super-tweeter is another horn type, a 1.9 cm driver with a pure titanium diaphragm and neodymium magnet, mated to an aluminum alloy casting horn. Crossover points are 1.3 kHz and 11 kHz, and the rated frequency response runs from 35 Hz to 40 kHz.
The cabinet is a bass-reflex design built from MDF, with round side panels that give it a slim profile. A top panel of natural Greek marble adds mass to suppress enclosure vibration and reduce coloration. JBL also used this trick on other models of the era. The exterior is a high-gloss walnut-style natural wood veneer with satin brown accents. One source notes the speakers were manufactured individually to order in Japan.
The record on this model is thin in places. There's no confirmed production end date, no measured review data, and the few owner impressions that surface are fragmentary. One Japanese enthusiast noted the S143mkII's sound is "not the speaker in which a low region with the thickness of 43** series… is assumed to be the main but all land" - that is, it doesn't chase the low-end weight of the older 4300-series studio monitors. The same source felt the MDF horn made some brass instruments sound "unassuming," a trade-off of the material choice, while praising the cabinet finish as "very beautiful." The marble top drew curiosity from listeners, though one noted its effect on the sound was less pronounced than expected.
The S143mkII remains a sought-after model among JBL collectors. Recent listings show pairs trading in the range of 405,000-500,000 rubles, and at least one Japanese dealer has noted that displayed prices are per pair, with the genuine stand adding ¥10,000.
- Type: 3-way, 3-speaker, bass-reflex, bookshelf
- Woofer: 35.5 cm cone (natural pulp, aluminum die-cast frame)
- Midrange: 5.0 cm compression driver (186Nd, titanium diaphragm, neodymium) with MDF horn
- Super tweeter: 1.9 cm driver (titanium diaphragm, neodymium) with aluminum alloy horn
- Frequency response: 35 Hz – 40 kHz
- Sensitivity: 93 dB / 2.83 V / m
- Impedance: 6 Ω
- Power handling: 250 W (music)
- Crossover: 1.3 kHz, 11 kHz
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 422 x 659 x 403 mm
- Weight: 41.0 kg
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