The JBL L100 Classic is one of the most iconic bookshelf speakers ever designed, it has that retro visual appeal but made with modern components and the latest technology, giving you incredible sonic performance. It is a worthy successor of the legendary L100, a very popular JBL speaker of its time. For such an amazing bookshelf speaker like the JBL L100 Classic, you will need the very best amplifier to match them.
The amplifier needs to be well-match and has the power to drive the JBL L100 Classic effortlessly. It also must sound right to you, this is why it’s necessary to find out more about this premium bookshelf speaker. We need to learn more about the L100 Classic sonic characteristics, the strengths that it possesses, and how it sounds. Once we have such data in our hands, we will then find and list out the best amplifiers which you can choose to partner with your coveted JBL L100 Classic loudspeakers.
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Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of JBL L100 Classic
The JBL L100 Classic with its dedicated classic speaker stand and exquisitely designed speaker grilles looks absolutely awesome. The vintage Quadrex foam grille really brings out the character of the L100 Classic and will look absolutely nice in most modern homes and perfect in a retro-themed interior. If I were you, I will leave the foam grille on all the time. As you take down the beautiful speaker grille, the first thing you’ll notice will be the massive 12″ (300mm) JW300PW-8 pure pulp cone woofer which got us excited about how powerful will the bass reproduction be. At the top, you will see a 1″ (25mm) JT025Ti1 titanium dome tweeter, followed by a 5.25″ (130mm) 105H-1 polymer-coated pure pulp cone midrange driver.
There is also a front-firing bass port just beside the midrange driver. The JBL L100 Classic will be fantastic in a large listening room. It will be great for a medium-sized room as long you have ample space for them to breathe. Even though is a front-firing bass port, we will recommend roughly about half a meter away from the rear wall. The frequency response is 40Hz-40kHz (-6dB), the bass extension is not as deep as we expect. The speaker sensitivity of 90dB is great, but the nominal impedance is 4 Ohms. The recommended amplifier power is between 25-200 Watts. These specs show that the JBL L100 Classic speakers are not easy to drive and will require high-powered amplifiers that are capable of driving 4 Ohms speakers. This also reduces the number of potential amps that we can partner with these large bookshelf speakers.
Deer Creek Audio Steel Speaker Stands for JBL L100 L112 L166
These bookshelf speakers are capable of producing powerful bass with richness and texture. It is taut and agile which blends in flawlessly with the rest of the frequency, producing a natural and large-scale sound with plenty of details. The low frequencies are highly defined and the only thing that it lacks is the production of the deepest of bass with prominence which only high quality and powerful active subwoofers like JL Audio Fathom and higher can provide. The midbass is impactful and fast as well, which is amazing for music playbacks.
The highs are crisp with crystal clear quality, revealing much of the musical details without sounding clinical. The midrange reproduction is very detailed and dynamic as well. The way the JBL L100 Classic delivers the music is flamboyant and never loses its control even when the passage gets really busy. The L100 Classic simply engages you, giving you the satisfying impact of each crescendo, and handles each music transient with impeccable timing. Every music is handled with finesse and class-leading control, very incredible for such a large bookshelf speaker. If we were to nitpick, the soundstage is accurate and the imaging is precise but is not on a grand scale.
The JBL L100 Classic is more than capable of handling all sorts of music genres and deliver them in an energetic and entertaining presentation, without compromising the sound quality but probably lack a little refinement. Generally, the frequency response is enough for most music and instruments but if you really want the full-range sound then you would need a high-quality subwoofer that could handle bass from 40Hz downwards to 20/15Hz. Even at loud volumes, the JBL L100 Classic still remains smooth and warm sounding. Now what it needs is an equally incredible amplifier to power them, we will be sharing with you the best amplifiers that are powerful and matches well with the JBL L100 Classic speakers.
JBL L100 Classic Specifications
- Speaker Type: 3-Way Bass Reflex (front-firing port)
- Drive Units: 1″ (25mm) JT025Ti1 titanium dome tweeter, 5.25″ (130mm) 105H-1 polymer-coated pure pulp cone midrange driver, 12″ (300mm) JW300PW-8 pure pulp cone woofer
- Frequency Response (-6dB): 40Hz-40kHz
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 25-200 Watts
- Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohms
- Sensitivity (2.83V/1m): 90dB
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 637mm x 390mm x 372mm | 25.1″ x 15.3″ x 14.6″
- Weight: 26.7kg (58.5lbs)
Best Amplifiers to match with JBL L100 Classic
The Luxman L-505uXII will be an amazing amplifier to partner with the JBL L100 Classic speakers, it is an integrated amp with a power rating of 150 Watts (4 Ohms) which means it could easily make your L100 Classic sing. Luxman L-505uXII is capable of producing a wide and deep soundstage that complements the JBL L100 Classic speakers really well. The low-frequency performance of the Luxman L-505uXII is exceptional, further enhancing the already incredible bass performance of the L100 Classic. The transparency and overall sound reproduction of the amplifier match really well and it is highly recommended to have a listen. It is well worth your time and effort to audition them.
More Information at Amazon – Luxman L-505uXII Integrated Amplifier
Hegel H190 is one the best amplifiers that you can go with and match with your JBL L100 Classic speakers, as it has both the muscles and grace. With 250 Watts into 4 Ohms, you will be assured that the H190 can drive your L100 speakers with ease. The Hegel H190 is capable of creating a large and spacious soundstage, which complements the JBL L100 Classic speakers. The neutrality of this wonderful amplifier also matches really well with these bookshelf speakers. There are many other sonic characteristics of the Hegel H190 such as great bass performance, superb timing, refinement, and more, which leads to delivering a beautiful music presentation.
NAD amplifiers are some of the finest in the world and will be a suitable match for the JBL L100 Classic, their preamps, and power amps combination will be an ideal choice. For the preamplifier section, you can go for NAD M12 which is a preamp that uses DirectDigital amplification to provide you with super high-resolution music playback without truncation. The fully balanced Class-A buffer stage further enhances your music listening experience. Coupled with a matching power amplifier, NAD M22, you got a sound system that can effortlessly drive JBL L100 Classic speakers, giving you a transparent, highly accurate, and high-res music listening experience.
More Details at Amazon – NAD Masters Series M22 V2 Stereo power amplifier
The Rega Osiris is a flagship integrated amplifier that is both revealing and delivers a powerful music presentation. The timing and pacing are immaculate, it punches hard when it needs to. The class-leading control of the Rega Osiris will complement your JBL L100 Classic and the energetic nature of this amp suits the speakers as well. It is a very powerful amplifier that drives your L100 Classic speakers and pushes them to high volumes with ease. It is a very engaging amplifier that pulls you in, and you’ll just want to keep listening to it. Definitely worth your time to have an audition with them.
The Parasound HINT 6 is a high-performance integrated amplifier from the Halo series, it is one of the best amps in their price range, and with 270 Watts per channel (4 Ohms), it is more than powerful enough to really drive your JBL L100 Classic speakers. There are two dedicated subwoofer outputs that allow you to set the crossover settings. You might want to set the crossover to either 60Hz or 40Hz. Other than the plethora of features and plenty of power, the Parasound HINT 6 is capable of delivering your favorite tunes with refinement and grace. The sound characteristics of this integrated amp are suitable for JBL L100 Classic as well.
More Info at Amazon – Parasound HINT 6 Halo Integrated Amplifier
To match the JBL L100 Classic speakers, you will need very high-quality subwoofers such as the JL Audio Fathom f113v2. It is an incredibly powerful subwoofer that is very accurate and agile to keep up with the JBL L100 Classics. With 3,000W of peak power, the JL Audio Fathom f113v2 can easily produce the subterranean level of bass. It is not just raw power that this active sub has, it is a sealed cabinet that can reproduce all the low-frequency nuance and texture of your favorite tunes. For a more affordable option, you can check out SVS subwoofers such as their SVS SB-4000 which is also a powered sealed cabinet sub.
More Details at Amazon – SVS SB-4000 Subwoofer – 13.5-inch Driver, 1,200-Watts RMS
To Sum It Up
Getting the best amplifier for JBL L100 Classics is definitely worth the investment and the listed amps are some of the finest you can go for. You should arrange a time to audition these amplifiers and hear them out, along with your speakers and also the potential subwoofer you are going to get. It will be even better if you could do a side-by-side comparison of the shortlisted amplifiers. Take your time to consider and listen to their sound quality for at least 1-2 rounds of audition before making a decision.
