A Classic, Improved: JBL L100 Classic MkII Bookshelf Loudspeaker Plays with Dynamic Authority and Vivid Presence, Features Wholesale Acoustic Upgrades

How do you improve upon a revered loudspeaker that not only won acclaim from audio experts around the world, but topped the performance of its iconic predecessor that featured in a famous Maxell ad? If you’re JBL, you make significant enhancements to the woofer, midrange, and tweeter and revise the crossover network to include bi-wire/bi-amp capabilities via a premium terminal cup with dual sets of gold-plated binding posts. Get ready to get blown away — all over again — with L100 Classic MkII.

The latest version of L100, the best-selling speaker in JBL's storied history, L100 Classic MkII honors its ancestor’s legacy and penchant for lively, studio-quality performance all the while taking listeners deeper into the music with new technology. Retaining vintage styling that extends to the hallmark Quadrex foam grille in a choice of three vibrant colors, L100 Classic MkII rocks a satin wood walnut veneer enclosure with a black painted front and rear panels for aesthetics that stand out as much as this three-way model's ravishing sound. 

About that. Many audiophiles remember the unforgettable sonics of the L100. Even for those that don't recall it, fans and scholars of advertising will likely recognize the long-running Maxell ad, "The Blown-away Man," in which the listener sitting in his chair literally gets blown away by his speakers. JBL's L100s were chosen for that ad because listeners who cared about full-frequency response, tremendous dynamic swings, and studio accuracy were playing the day's records on their own JBL speakers. Built to exacting standards and graced with irresistible retro appeal, L100 Classic MkII continues that tradition — and is the rare speaker that can please classical music lovers and high-energy rockers with equal unanimity. 

How? By merging the strengths of a 12-inch cast-frame pure-pulp cone woofer with dual spider (JW300SW-8); a 5.25-inch polymer-coated pure-pulp cone (JM125PC-8) midrange driver; and a one-inch titanium dome tweeter mated to acoustic lens and waveguide (JT025Ti2-4). L100 Classic MkII plays with refinement and authority, finesse and impact, liveliness and trueness, and a coherent naturalism that tells you you're in the presence of something special. 

Each 63-pound speaker handles every style of music with aplomb, making it a terrific choice for listeners with diverse tastes and record collections. Its ability to be positioned horizontally or vertically adds to its exceptional versatility. Keeping some of the fundamental elements of the original L100 — and subsequent L100 Classic evolution — L100 Classic MkII touts a vertical high- and mid-frequency transducer arrangement slightly offset to the right of the woofer below, with high- and mid-frequency attenuators located on the upper left of the front baffle. Deep, taut bass comes by way of that massive woofer operating in a bass-reflex enclosure system tuned via a single, front-firing port tube with flared exit.

Now, ask yourself: When was the last time you heard the bottom-end solidity of a 12-inch woofer? We're not talking about multiple 6.5-inch drivers. Rather, we’re talking about the ability to move air with concert-like low-end responsiveness that produces the realism associated with live shows. Any speaker's midrange driver is critical to getting everything right, and again, the 5.25-inch driver here delivers accurate tonality and lifelike dynamics, be they from a human voice, tone of a guitar, piano, snare drum, or any other instrument. And the tweeter features incredible extension, providing an ultra-natural portrayal of upper octaves that give music its valued breath of life.

We highly encourage an in-home audition. But if you take us up on it, do yourself a favor and hold on to your drink: We are not responsible for anything that gets blown away! All you need to do is connect your system to the pair of gold-plated binding post terminals on the speaker’s rear panel. They round out an ear-opening instrument that measures 25.3 x 15.4 x 14.4 inches (HWD) and touts a very amplifier-friendly, easy-to-drive 90dB sensitivity rating. Behold, another classic is at hand.