Professional two way loudspeaker components:

15” long-excursion low frequency driver and

horn-loaded high frequency assembly with
acoustic lens.

Smooth response, uniform spatial distribution,

and high power-handling capacity.

Computer designed crossover network with

12 dS per octave attenuation and adjustable
high frequency intensity.

Rigidly constructed enclosure provides opti-

mum acoustic loading for the loudspeaker
components, yet is modest in size.

120 watt power capability.

This JBL loudspeaker system was designed to meet the need for
a professional monitor capable of reproducing the full frequency
and dynamic range of master recordings. It is equally well suited
to the demands of medium sized auditoriums, theaters, and
other installations requiring sound reproduction or reinforce-
ment of the highest quality. In sound reinforcement applications,
the absence of response peaks or directional lobes means that
greater intensity can be obtained without acoustic feedback.
JBL Model 4320 studio monitor

Enclosure
The acoustical enclosure of the JBL 4320 system is made of
?&inch plywood for maximum rigidity with minimum weight. Joints
are lock-mitered and wood-welded. Interior surfaces are heavily
braced and padded to prevent unwanted resonance. For maxi-
mum structural integrity, there are no demountable panels;
loudspeaker components mount directly from the front of the
baffle board. A pair of ducted ports give added acoustic loading
and increased efficiency in the 30-50 Hz frequency range.

2215 Bass Driver

Low frequencies are reproduced by this massive 15-inch loud-
speaker having a 4-inch edgewound copper ribbon voice coil
operating in a magnetic field of 11,000 Gauss. Total magnetic
flux in the voice coil gap is 450,000 Maxwells. Because of the
sophisticated magnetic circuit and voice coil configuration, the
coupling coefficient of the 2215 is extremely high: 10 watts of Loudspeaker components of Model 4320
DC into the voice coil produces approximately 5.5 pounds of
force acting on the cone. The cone itself is terminated in a ring
of molded internally-damped foam developed by JBL. This ex-
clusive termination allows cone excursions greater than %-inch
while at the same time acting as a non-reflective acoustic termi-
nation for sound waves travelling through the cone. Model 2215
has a magnetic circuit weighing 19% pounds, a free-air cone
-,
resonance of 20 Hz, and a BI factor of 2.2 x 1O’dynes
per abampere.

3110 Frequency Dividing Network

Imperceptible transition between low and high frequency trans-
ducers is made by a dividing network whose circuit was deter-
mined by computer design and refined through extended
acoustic tests with the components of the 4320 system. The net-
work includes special reactive components to compensate for
the complex impedance characteristics of the transducers and
to maintain the desired 12 dB per octave slope in terms of actual
acoustic output. A 3.position switch allows the intensity of the
high frequency driver to be balanced to the liveness of the listen-
ing environment. The attenuation circuit uses a tapped auto-
transformer rather than resistive pads so that coupling between
amplifier and transducer is not adversely affected by the setting
of the control.
2420 High Frequency Driver
Above a crossover frequency of 800 Hz, the 2420 high fre-
quency driver operates smoothly through a range greater than
4 octaves. The diaphragm of the 2420 is hydropneumatically
drawn to shape from 0.002~inch dural alloy and is driven by a
1 J/4” edgewound aluminum ribbon voice coil operating in a field
of 19,000 Gauss. A pure silver impedance-controlling ring count-
eracts thevoice coil inductive component, resulting in greatly
improved efficiency through the highest octave of audible fre-
quencies. Energy from the diaphragm is conducted to the horn
throat through concentric channels of a mathematically deter-
mined phasing plug; sound waves are conducted to the horn
throat in constant phase relationship.

2307 Horn-Lens Assembly

The2420 is coupled to a heavy cast aluminum exponential horn
with slant-plate acoustic lens. The 2307 lens is designed accord-
ing to advanced wave propagation theory and acts exactly as a
divergent optical lens. The formula for hyperbolic cylindrical
lenses is used to determine the basic parameters of the 2307. It
employs 11 plates set at an angle of 38”, spaced 0.25 inches center
to center. Because of the precisely calculated hyperbolic curva-
ture of the front of the lens, sound is spread evenly through a
120” lateral angle, but restricted to approximately40” in the
vertical direction.

Test Parameters
The accompanying graphs and specifications were compiled
from measurements made under standard laboratory test condi-
tions. The loudspseakersystem was mounted flush in the center
of a large flat baffle in an anechoic environment. A calibrated
condenser microphone was suspended at a known distance
from the sound source, sufficiently far to be safely out of the
near field. All associated electronic equipment was checked and Polar response of 4320 in the horizontal plane. The above curves
calibrated before tests were run. were traced by an automatic recorder with the high frequency as-
sembly located in a free-field environment. Power fed to the high fre-
quencydriverwasadjusted togivethesameDdB reference inall cases.
Note that even without help from the adjacent reflecting surfaces
which are present when the assembly is installed in a cabinet, the
distribution pattern is extremely smooth over a wide horizontal angle.
There are no prominent lobes. and all three curves follow each other
closely ewn tho”gh they cover a frequency range of almost 4 octaves.
In free space a listener sitting 45” off axis would hear almost ex-
actly the same overall response as someone directly on axis. The re-
flected sound present in any normal listening environmenteffectively
swamps out even these minor differences, so that coverage is uni-
form through a lateral angle of approximately 1204
Architectural specifications

The loudspeaker system shall consist of a 15” low fre-

quency loudspeaker, horn-loaded high frequency driver,
and frequency dividing network installed in a tube-
ported enclosure. Loudspeakers, network and enclosure
are to be manufactured and assembled by a single
manufacturer. Components shall be removable from the
front of the enclosure.
The low frequency loudspeaker shall have a 4-inch
edgewound copper ribbon voice coil operating in a
magnetic field of at least 11,000 Gauss, with 450,000
Maxwells total flux. The magnetic assembly shall weigh
at least 19 pounds.
The frequency dividing network shall have a cross-
over frequency of 800 Hz and shall be of the parallel L-C
type, with additional components to compensate for the
complex impedance characteristics of the transducers.
High frequency attenuation shall be accomplished with
a tapped autotransformer.
High frequencies shall be reproduced by a horn-
loaded compression driver with a duraluminum dia-
phragm and 1%” edgewound aluminum ribbon voice
coil operating in a magnetic field of at least 19,000
Gauss. A pure silver impedance-controlling ring shall
be included to increase efficiency at high frequencies. Model 4320 specifications
The horn shall be made of heavy cast aluminum and Power capacity: 60 watts RMS, 120 watts program
shall be coupled to a slant-plate acoustic lens which
Crossover frequency: 800 Hz
distributes sound evenly through a horizontal angle of
Nominal impedance: Designed to operate from 6 to 16 ohms
120” and a vertical angle of 40”.
(Minimum impedance is approx.12.5
With the high frequency attenuation control set for
flattest response, the on-axis frequency response of the ohms at 175 Hz.)
COmplete system shall be i3 dB from 40 to 15,000 Hz. Dispersion: 45”x120”
Power capacity shall be no less than 120 watts program Frequency response: 30 Hz to beyond audibility;
material and 60 watts continuous sine wave. The EIA i3 dB 40 to 15,000 Hz
sensitivity of the system (30 feet on-axis with one milli- EIA sensitivity: 48 di3 (30 feet with 1 milliwatt input)
watt input) shall be approximately 46 dB. These specifi-
cations include the effects of the dividing network and NOTE: Unlike many “theatre type” loudspeaker whose sensitivity
peaks in the mid-range. the JBL studio monitor exhibits substan-
any interaction between transducers. Performance
tially the same sensitivity through the full range of audible
claims which are extrapolated from characteristics of
frequencies. Measured sensitivity below 500 Hz or above 2000 Hz
individual loudspeakers are not acceptable.
may be considerably greater than that of other systems with
The enclosure shall be solidly constructed of S-inch higher EEA sensitivity ratings.
stock with all joints tightly fitted and glued. Overall
Finish: Textured grey with charcoal grille fabric
dimensions shall be no greater than 30 inches high by
24 inches wide by 20 inches deep. Finish shall be tex- Dimensions: 30” x 23%” wide x 20” deep
tured gray with charcoal grille fabric, Weight: 86 Ibs.
The system shall be JBL Model 4320.

James B. Lansing Sound, Inc. 3249 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90039