New to Me JBL Decade L-16

[montrecott]

Couldn't resist these JBL Decade L-16, which I saw on CL. They were in beautiful cosmetic shape but suffering from severe foam rot. Clearly, someone had to help them. They've been refoamed and are making music. Very different in character from my JBL L-96. These are much brighter, so I've got the tweeter control turned way down. (Not really fair to compare to the L-96 though, as they were made several years apart and the L-96 were much more expensive.) Nice bass for a relatively small speaker, and very efficient: the little Kenwood KA-4006 integrated powers them to deafening levels in a small room. Nice looking, too, and the fact that they are in fantastic shape helps. All I've done to the cabinets is rub them down with Howard's Feed 'n Wax.

Anyone know when these were made? They are not listed here with the Decade L-26 and L-36 from the 1976 home catalog, or in the '75 catalog with the other Decades. The next JBL home catalog on that site is from '79 and they are not in that, either. Therefore, I would assume '77-'78 for the Decade L-16?

Impressions from other L-16 owners?

Some pictures are attached.

 

[Zonker92]

Nice! I've never heard the L16s, but I dig my L26s! No idea when they were made.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=395255

I like how there were three different Decade models (L16, L26 and L36). I've had the L26 and L36.

 

[montrecott]

Thanks, Zonker! Mighty nice office system you've got there.

 

[jblmar]

I bought my pair of JBL L100 on November 1, 1975. The L26 was available then Not certain about the L16. Did you try Lansingheritage.org? They have an extensive Library of everything JBL.

 

[montrecott]

I bought my pair of JBL L100 on November 1, 1975. The L26 was available then Not certain about the L16. Did you try Lansingheritage.org? They have an extensive Library of everything JBL.

I found the home catalogs there and the L-16 owner's manual elsewhere, but it isn't dated. They don't have every year's JBL home catalog at Lansing Heritage, though. It's a great reference site but it's not comprehensive.... I'm thinking JBL added the L-16 as their entry level speaker after the L-26 and 36 were so successful? Don't know for sure though.

On November 1, 1975 I was still saving up for a pair of Advent 3's, which were my first real hi-fi speakers. You're way ahead of me!

These L-16's are really well made for entry level speakers.

 

[montrecott]

I bought my pair of JBL L100 on November 1, 1975. The L26 was available then Not certain about the L16. Did you try Lansingheritage.org? They have an extensive Library of everything JBL.

Ah, I stand corrected! I just went back to the Lansing Heritage site and found this ad from '74. Interesting though that the L-16 isn't there with the other two Decades in those two home catalogs (from '75 and '76).

 

[GD70]

Isn't the L-16 the consumer version of the 4301 studio monitor and was sold around 1980?
I have the 4301b's and I love them. Very good base and crystal clear highs. Frankly, amazing for their size.

Yours are in great shape. Great find.

Cheers!

 

[70salesguy]

The L-16 shows up first in the price list for 1974 and was last seen in the list for 1975.

 

[Zonker92]

I think the 4301 home model was the L19. Not sure how the L16 and L19 differed, in terms of sound. I guess the tweeter and crossover were tweaked a bit for the later model L19 / 4301?

 

[mech986]

I think the 4301 home model was the L19. Not sure how the L16 and L19 differed, in terms of sound. I guess the tweeter and crossover were tweaked a bit for the later model L19 / 4301?

The 4301/4301B were similar except for the tweeter. The L19 had a slightly different crossover, similar driver complement, and L19A = 4301B with the ferrite based woofer. The L16 was also very similar in an oak cabinet and was JBL's "economy" model.

Still, all of these speakers really play well above their cost structure, the 4301B's particularly today.

 

[montrecott]

Isn't the L-16 the consumer version of the 4301 studio monitor and was sold around 1980?
I have the 4301b's and I love them. Very good base and crystal clear highs. Frankly, amazing for their size.

Yours are in great shape. Great find.

Cheers!

Thanks! These are indeed pretty amazing for their size, with really good bass. You could run these with 15wpc in a small room and get lots of volume. I may try them with my 22wpc Fisher tube amp just for the heck of it. It might also tame the bright high end just a bit.

 

[montrecott]

The L-16 shows up first in the price list for 1974 and was last seen in the list for 1975.

Thank you for the info, 70salesguy! That was about the time I was getting into audio and dreaming of owning JBLs, which wouldn't happen until much later. I did however spend a lot of time listening to JBLs (and other assorted speakers I couldn't afford) in audio showrooms during the mid/late seventies while I was in high school. People in our culture like to make fun of salesmen but I remember all those stereo sales guys (and at that time every stereo sales person I saw was a guy) being very nice to me. Plus they dressed so cool: flared polyester slacks, shirts with hang glider lapels, white belts.... But we all dressed so cool in the seventies, didn't we?

 

[GD70]

Thanks! These are indeed pretty amazing for their size, with really good bass. You could run these with 15wpc in a small room and get lots of volume. I may try them with my 22wpc Fisher tube amp just for the heck of it. It might also tame the bright high end just a bit.

I have mine hooked up to my JVC R-S77 @ 60 wpc, and have also had them hooked up to my JVC A-X5 @73 wpc and they have no problem with the power.
Mine have the walnut veneer.

 

[BMWCCA]

Odd but they're one of the few JBLs that went DOWN in price from '74 to '75 while everything else was increasing. They're listed at $135 each in '74 and $99 in '75! Most others went UP 6% or more.

http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/jbl/Products/ProductRelatedDocuments/en-US/technicalsheet/L16%20Decade%20ts.pdf

http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/jbl/Products/ProductRelatedDocuments/en-US/technicalsheet/L19%20ts.pdf

Tweeters are different and the woofer runs open in the 16 but not the 19. The 19 has a slightly larger cabinet.

 

[montrecott]

Odd but they're one of the few JBLs that went DOWN in price from '74 to '75 while everything else was increasing. They're listed at $135 each in '74 and $99 in '75! Most others went UP 6% or more.

http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/jbl/Products/ProductRelatedDocuments/en-US/technicalsheet/L16%20Decade%20ts.pdf

http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/jbl/Products/ProductRelatedDocuments/en-US/technicalsheet/L19%20ts.pdf

Tweeters are different and the woofer runs open in the 16 but not the 19. The 19 has a slightly larger cabinet.

Interesting, thank you for the info!

 

[70salesguy]

Thank you for the info, 70salesguy! People in our culture like to make fun of salesmen but I remember all those stereo sales guys (and at that time every stereo sales person I saw was a guy) being very nice to me. Plus they dressed so cool: flared polyester slacks, shirts with hang glider lapels, white belts.... But we all dressed so cool in the seventies, didn't we?

Did the ones you remember dress like this?

 

[Cactus Bob]

Nice speakers! Congrats! I love Classic JBL's big or small. Excellent build quality. I have a pair of L56 10" 2 ways in my office connected to a Lafayette LR5555 receiver and they sound great.

Cheers! :thmbsp:

 

[montrecott]

Did the ones you remember dress like this?

That's it! All of the seventies stereo salesmen rolled into one glorious image!!!!

That guy's threads were probably highly flammable, too. Hope he stayed away from the Zippo lighters!

 

[montrecott]

Nice speakers! Congrats! I love Classic JBL's big or small. Excellent build quality. I have a pair of L56 10" 2 ways in my office connected to a Lafayette LR5555 receiver and they sound great.

Cheers! :thmbsp:

Thanks, CB! Indeed, these baby JBLs don't compare to my JBL L-96s of KEF 103.2, but they're still fun to have, and along with great sound, that's what this hobby is all about, at least to me. I'm not sure how much bigger I need to go than the L-96s, given the size of the rooms in our place. I'm sure you know all too well how spacious most 100 year old Chicago apartments are. For now I'm enjoying the L-16s in the second system. Having opened them up for the refoam, I agree that the build quality was really good. They are rock solid.

I'll bet those L-56s of yours sound great. Love that line of JBLs.

 

[70salesguy]

More info.

Here's the info. you're looking for.

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1974-decade/page2.jpg