Today, most people know JBL as makers of some of the best affordable audio tech in the business. But before they transitioned to a mass-market consumer brand, the USA-based firm was a seriously renowned audio specialist. The ’70s saw the debut of their L100, an impossibly compact speaker that packed hi-fi sound quality that was perfect for the album rock era.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, JBL has revived the L100 as a special-edition release, and it’s never looked better.
A Heritage Worth Celebrating
The original L100 wasn’t just another speaker, but was the consumer adaptation of JBL’s 4310 studio monitor, the same gear used in legendary studios like Capitol and EMI. Bringing that professional-grade sound into living rooms across America, it became one of the best-selling speakers of the decade, moving somewhere between 250,000 to 500,000 pairs before being discontinued in 1978. Its orange foam grille and three-way design became synonymous with the era’s home stereo culture.
Fast forward to 2018, and JBL brought back the L100 as the L100 Classic, blending the vintage aesthetics with modern acoustics. The Classic MKII followed in 2023 with some upgrades. Now, the L100 Classic 80 levels up the exterior with an exclusive oak veneer finish and a vintage-inspired brown Quadrex foam grille accented with gold-and-black badging.
What You’re Getting
Acoustically, the L100 Classic 80 mirrors the MKII, which isn’t a bad thing. You’re looking at a three-way, front-ported design featuring a 12-inch pure pulp cone woofer, a 5.25-inch polymer-coated midrange driver, and a 1-inch titanium dome tweeter with JBL’s acoustic lens waveguide. Crossover points hit at 450Hz and 3.5kHz, with front-panel attenuators letting you dial in the mid and high frequencies to match your room’s acoustics.
The 4-ohm impedance keeps things amp-friendly, while dual gold-plated binding posts support bi-wire and bi-amp configurations for those who want to push their setup further. At 90dB sensitivity, these speakers deliver JBL’s characteristically lively sound without demanding crazy amplification — 25 to 200 watts RMS will do the job just fine.
Spec Sheet
Model: JBL L100 Classic 80
Drivers: 12-inch pure pulp cone woofer, 5.25-inch pure pulp cone midrange, 1-inch titanium dome tweeter
Frequency Response: 40Hz – 40kHz (-6dB)
Finish: Natural oak veneer with brown Quadrex foam grille
Includes: JS-150 speaker stands, wooden crate packaging
Limited Edition: 800 numbered pairs worldwide
Price: $7,499/pair
Pricing & Availability
Priced at $7,499, the L100 Classic 80 is limited to 800 pairs globally, each numbered and signed by principal system engineer Chris Hagen. Shipping starts in February and each pair arrives in a custom wooden crate alongside JS-150 floor stands.
Recap
JBL L100 Classic 80 Speakers
JBL’s celebrating 80 years by releasing a limited-edition version of their legendary L100 speaker — only 800 pairs of the oak-finished Classic 80 will be made, priced at $7,499 and shipping in February. It’s basically the same great speaker as the MKII but dressed up in exclusive oak veneer with a brown grille, plus it comes with stands and a wooden crate.
