JBL L26 (1972)

A 2-way bookshelf speaker system released in 1972, featuring a 25.5 cm woofer and 3.6 cm dome tweeter in a bass reflex enclosure.

Overview

The JBL L26, also known as the L26 Decade, is a 2-way bookshelf speaker system introduced in 1972. Designed for high-fidelity audio reproduction, it uses a bass reflex enclosure with a natural oak finish and a distinctive 4-color grille pattern in orange, brown, blue, and white. The system was built around JBL’s 125A woofer and LE25 series dome tweeter, with a dedicated 2-way crossover network.

Specifications

Product type	2-way bookshelf speaker system
Production years	Released in 1972
Low band unit	25.5 cm cone type (125A)
High pass unit	3.6 cm dome type (LE25-1 early; LE25-4 later)
Network	Dedicated 2-way network
Impedance	8 Ω
Output sound pressure level	89 dB (New JIS)
Allowable input	35 W (continuous program)
Crossover frequency	2 kHz
External dimensions	324 mm (W) × 610 mm (H) × 337 mm (D)
Weight	19 kg
Original price	¥68,900 per unit (around 1973), ¥78,000 (1978)

Design

The L26 features a 25.5 cm cone-type woofer (125A) with a 5 cm voice coil made of edgewise wound copper ribbon wire and an Alnico V magnet weighing 1.1 kg. The 3.6 cm dome-type tweeter uses a 1.6 cm voice coil and a 15,000 gauss magnetic circuit, with early models using the LE25-1 and later versions the LE25-4. The enclosure is a bass reflex design finished in natural oak, and the grille displays a four-color pattern of orange, brown, blue, and white.

Context

The JBL L26 was released in 1972 as part of JBL’s speaker lineup, offering a bookshelf-formatted 2-way system with performance-oriented driver technology for its time.