JBL launched the Decade line in the mid-1970s to sell into the lower-priced market, and it promoted it with a boxing theme. The two-way L16 was The Welterweight, the two-way L26 The Middleweight, and the L36 The Heavy Weight, billed as the first JBL three-way designed to sell at a moderate price. JBL claimed more than 100,000 L26s were bought in their first year. The L36 adds a 5-inch midrange with a thin aluminum center dome to a 10-inch Alnico V woofer, and its tweeter is the same 1.4-inch unit as the L100 Century and the 4311. Unlike JBL's walnut speakers of the time, it came in oiled natural oak, with a stretch-fabric grille in orange, blue or brown, in a ported box that weighs 38 pounds. Count the drivers when you shop, since the L16 and L26 are two-ways.
With the grille off
Ask for a photo of every driver with the grilles off, on both speakers. They should match each other and this list.
Ask about the level control and the woofer surrounds, which age on any speaker this old. Stretch-fabric grilles can sag or tear, and replacement cloth rarely matches the original color.
New to old speakers? How to check a used pair walks through every driver, the crossover and the cabinet.
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for photos of both speakers with the grilles off and the serial labels on the back, and pass on any seller who won’t send them.
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BookshelfSpecs and what to check →
JBL · 3-way
BookshelfSpecs and what to check →
JBL · 3-way
BookshelfSpecs and what to check →
JBL · 3-way
FloorstanderSpecs and what to check →