Jbl L 36 Owners Manual

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L36
INSTRUCTION
u A k A

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Excellence is an elusive quality. Its so easy to
recognize yet so difficult to attain.

JBL craftsmen have been involved in the art of sound
for more than a generation-signal and source, wood
and fabric, transducers and acoustics-all of it.

Today these craftsmen continue to perform to the
most rigid standards any craftsmen can submit to: those
they impose upon themselves.

JBL loudspeakers are carefully engineered
instruments, painstakingly crafted and assembled to
watchmakers standards. IBL enclosures express the
excitement of creative design; they are elegant, solid
and flawlessly finished. JBL transducers and electronics
offer what has been characterized by devoted music
listeners as the incomparable JBL sound.

By following the few simple suggestions contained in
this booklet, you can look forward to superb high
fidelity reproduction that will retain its clarity and
realism year after year.

Concept

Performance Characteristics
Specifications

Connecting The L36
Listening Room Acoustics
Placement

Adjusting The System
Power Capacity

System Components
Component Removal
Enclosure

In Case Of Trouble

Service

Summary

For Additional Information

JBI. continually engages in research related to product improvement New
lllJlLllJlS. production methods and design refinements are lnllOdUCLd into existing
products Without IIOIIL'L as a routine expression of that plulowphy For this reason.
any current 151. product may ditler III some respect lrom its published description
but is always warranted to equal or exceed the original demgn spmiticalmns unless
titherWIso slated

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3. Once the Presence control has been adjusted to
provide the most pleasing balance between the l0w
frequency and midrange transducers, set the Brilliance
control at "0," If high frequency material-such as
cymbals, bells, triangles, violin overtones or vocal
sibilants -seem too prominent, lower the setting of
the Brilliance control. If greater high frequency output
is desired, increase the setting of the control.

After each set of adjustments, again listen to a variety
of program material until the ear has become attuned
to the new characteristics and can compare them to the
previous performance of the system. Once the Presence
and Brilliance controls have been set for the most
pleasing overall results, and the exact placement of
each loudspeaker has been determined, compensation
for differences in individual recordings should be
made with the tone controls on the amplifier or receiver.

POWER CAPACITY

The specified power capacity indicates the continuous
program power level that can be accepted by a )BL
loudspeaker system without damage. lts peak power
capacity is considerably greater than the continuous
rated value, as indicated by the remarkable transient
response of JBL loudspeaker system components. The
L36 will reproduce clean sound at comfortable listening
levels when driven by an amplifier having an output of
as little as 10 Watts RMS per channel? However, for
reproduction of the full dynamic range of contemporary
recordings at high volume, a quality amplifier delivering
up to 100 Watts RMS per channel will provide optimum
performance. Such an amplifier has the reserve power
necessary for accurate reproduction of transients, which
can reach momentary peaks equivalent to ten times the
average power level. Of course, an amplifier intended
for normal high fidelity applications, regardless of its
power output, should never be operated with its volume
control at the maximum position; even an amplifier of
the highest quality can produce severe distortion under
such extreme conditions.

If distortion is heard, one or more of the sound system
components is operating beyond its capacity (assuming
each component is properly adjusted) and the overall
volume level of the sound system should be reduced
In almost all cases, the acoustic level generated by a
JBL loudspeaker will become noticeably discomforting
to the ear before the loudspeaker can be damaged by
excessive power from the amplifier. There is virtually

4. The RMS (root mean square) rating of amplifier power

is the most stringent method currently used In the audio
industry. An amplifier rated at 60 Watts RMS per channel,
for example, is generally considered to be a high-powered
unit. The same output expressed in terms of "Music Power"
would be 160 Watts.

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12

without applying pressure that might dislodge the
T-nuts. When the mounting screws have been removed,
gently lift the edge of the loudspeaker frame from the
baffle panel, disconnect the wires at the tab connectors
on the loudspeaker frame and remove the unit from the
enclosure. The sealing gasket should be reused when
the unit is replaced.

MIDRANGE AND HIGH FREQUENCY-The midrange
and high frequency units are each held in place by
four self-tapping screws at each corner of the frame.
Carefully remove the screws, lift the unit from the
enclosure and disconnect the wires at the tab connectors.
The fiber gasket beneath the high frequency direct
radiator should be reused when the unit is replaced.

DIVIDING NETWORK -The dividing network is
installed behind the baffle panel and is held in place by
four machine screws. To gain access to the network,
remove the transducers as previously described,
carefully pull the wire leads from the midrange
sub-chamber, disconnect the input leads from the tab
connectors at the back of the enclosure, remove the four
mounting screws and lift the network out through the
low frequency loudspeaker opening.

WIRING - When reconnecting the wires between the
dividing network and the component loudspeakers,
proper polarity is assured by the connectors. The wires
are color coded as shown below.