In the heydays of 70s hi-fi, few speakers were as famous as JBLs L100.
At least, thats the lore surrounding the L100.
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The L100 Classic are one of my favorite pairs of speakers to grace my home.
Retro classics
As with any speaker purchase, you oughta first get along with the L100s aesthetic.
The big boxy shape is a rarity in a 2019 full of tall, slim towers.
The speakers feel like quality pieces, with sturdy, 27kg (60lb) frames.
I normally prefer my speakers with the grille off, but the L100 is a special case.
There are some caveats.
Still, those are relatively small complaints.
L100s design is a win in my book.
But if JBL made any meaningful compromises, I cannot hear them.
In that time, I rarely wanted to listen through anything else.
My initial impression of the L100s was defined by their spatial presentation.
The soundstage seemed to come from well beyond the boundaries of the L100s wide baffles.
Vocals are a particular highlight, manifesting into mid-air sources seemingly made of flesh and bone.
The basslines in Janelle MonaesMake me Feelor LizzosJuiceare addictive without being bloated.
I preferred the latter in my own listening.
you could also see how the grille affects sound relative to the default setting.
Its an overall flat response for a passive design, and research suggests most listeners prefer a flat sound.
The above graph shows peaks around 2k and 4.5khz that likely help give the L100 it forward character.
That said, that 2Khz peak is not as audible as you might think.
I find a slight boost here helps make voices sound more natural.
Its basically enough variation to become a completely different speaker.
This likely helps give the L100 Classic that expansive soundstage.
Also note how the treble peak at 4.5Khz is tamed by the time you reach 30 degrees off-axis.
Ive found many speakers sound best slightly off-axis, and the L100 is no exception.
All the better, as this is the more aesthetically pleasing setup in my book.
Here it shows a slightly cleaner response than the on-axis one.
A modern classic?
I cant help but feel that the company could have attracted more young audiophiles with some modern design choices.
This could help even out kinks with the frequency response and allow the bass to reach even lower.
They excel in soundstage breadth and imaging.
