Retro is in, with the distinctive JBL L100 Classics
FOR
• Impressive dynamics • Taut and powerful low frequencies
• Good detail
• Exciting presentation
AGAINST
• They’re hardly subtle, particularly if you opt for the orange grille
VERDICT
The L100 Classics may lean heavily on retro appeal, but their unusual blend of sonic strengths makes them a viable alternative to the very best of their modern rivals
“Though the Classics are designed to emulate their predecessors appearance and size, they are an all-new design”
Retro is in, and that’s a fact not lost on JBL. Established in 1946, the company is one of the oldest hi-fi manufacturers around. Over the years, it has made some mightily impressive speakers for use in recording studios, concert venues, cinemas and, of course, the home. But the original L100 remains the most iconic product the company has ever made.
The L100 came out in 1970 and sold by the truckload, becoming the best-selling model in the brand’s history. It also entered into pop culture as the speaker shown in the famous Maxell ad – the one with a seated man experiencing a tornado-like force of sound coming from the JBLS.
Fortunately, JBL understands that retro appeal and romance gets you only so far. Though the Classics are carefully designed to emulate their predecessor’s appearance and size, they are an all-new design using the best current technology and engineering the company can deliver at the price.
These are true three-way standmounters that JBL, rather laughably, still refers to as bookshelf models. They measure a generous 64cm tall and have about the frontal area of a small fridge. We’d like to see the bookshelf that these fit in and still sound good.
The company recognises this and makes a pair of low, welded metal frame stands that lift the speakers around 20cm off the ground and tilt them back to fire towards the listener. At £325, these stands (called the JS-120) aren’t cheap either, but we suspect most owners will end up buying them, or at least using them as a bargaining chip with the dealer.
The Classic’s overall build is good, though not overly luxurious. The front and back of the L100s is painted black, but other panels are walnut-veneered – surprisingly, there is no other choice of finish. The veneer is neatly applied and the cabinet itself feels solid, no doubt helped by the hefty V brace on the inside. The original version didn’t have such things and its cabinet was a more resonant affair as a result. A weight of almost 27kg helps with the impression of quality too.
SAME LOOK, DIFFERENT COMPOSITION
Grilles have never been much of a consideration for us, but with these speakers they matter. The original L100s were known for their distinctive orange foam grille, and JBL has provided this option again. The new grille looks striking, as does the blue version, though we suspect most people will end up choosing the black. The original’s foam grilles deteriorated quite noticeably over time, turning to dust in fairly short order, thanks in part to the paint used on them. Needless to say, JBL has sorted this problem with the new versions.
While the grille colour and retro design are talking points, we’re more interested in that chunky 30cm bass driver. This may be styled to look like the original’s drive unit, but it’s a modern, massively built unit with a cast chassis, powerful motor system and a ribbed paper-pulp cone. Together with that gaping front-firing port – and let’s not forget the large cabinet – the promise is of high volume capability and lots of bass.
This bass driver hands over to the 13cm midrange unit at 450Hz. The midrange also uses a paper-pulp cone, but in this case it’s coated with a polymer for improved resonance control. A titanium-dome tweeter deals with the rest of the frequency range from 3.5khz up to around 40khz (that upper figure is within -6db limits).
While paper cones were part of the equation for the original version of the L100, though admittedly far less evolved in composition, you wouldn’t have found a titanium tweeter back then. The one now fitted to the Classic has a soft surround to damp dome resonances and a shallow, dished waveguide plus an acoustic lens to control dispersion. It’s all thoroughly modern in execution, with only the visuals left to reflect any link back to that first JBL model.