JBL Horizon L166 (c. 1976)
Little is documented about the JBL Horizon L166 beyond its 1976 appearance in the hi-fi press. What survives shows a big, accurate-sounding loudspeaker priced at $318, and JBL was plainly proud of it.
High Fidelity (June 1976, p.42) measured the L166 and found the impedance curve smooth above bass resonance - 7.3 ohms at the rating point around 130 Hz, and above that value throughout the midrange. The magazine noted that the midrange behavior mattered for the current demands on solid-state amplifiers when two pairs of speakers are paralleled. A High Fidelity product listing (1976, p.96) gave the rated impedance as 8 ohms, power handling as 10 watts minimum and 150 watts maximum, a choice of grille colors, dimensions of 14¼ x 23½ x 13½ inches, and a weight of 55 lbs.
JBL's own advertising in High Fidelity (November 1976, p.18) put accuracy front and center. The L166 added nothing to the music and took nothing away, which fit a company whose business was with recording studios and professional musicians. The ad also pushed a new, one-of-a-kind dome tweeter, said to handle all the highs an amplifier could throw at it while dispersing them to any corner of a room.
Known specs from the period listing:
- Rated impedance: 8 ohms (measured 7.3 ohms at ~130 Hz)
- Power: 10 W min, 150 W max
- Dimensions: 14¼" H × 23½" D × 13½" W
- Weight: 55 lbs
- Price: $318 (1976)
- Finish: choice of grille colors
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