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JBL L100 Classic vs JBL L52 Classic Comparison

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JBL L100 Classic

Passive Bookshelf | 40-40k Hz

JBL L100 Classic
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JBL L52 Classic

Passive Bookshelf | 47-24k Hz

JBL L52 Classic
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JBL L100 Classic JBL L100 Classic
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JBL L52 Classic JBL L52 Classic
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JBL L100 Classic
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JBL L52 Classic
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JBL L100 Classic vs JBL L52 Classic Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing L100 Classic and L52 Classic, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by JBL

Let's have a brief look at the main features of JBL L100 Classic and JBL L52 Classic first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

JBL L100 Classic Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Dome Tweeter
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 12" Pulp Woofer
  • 40-40k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:25-200watts
  • Weight:26.70kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 636.5" x 15.3" x 14.6"( 636.5 x 389.6 x 371.5mm )

JBL L52 Classic Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 0.75" Dome Tweeter
  • 5.25" Pulp Woofer
  • 47-24k Hz Frequency Response
  • 85 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:10-75watts
  • Weight:5.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 332.0" x 7-13/16" x 8-11/16"( 332.0 x 199.0 x 221.0mm )

L100 Classic and L52 Classic are members of JBL's L Classic series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

JBL L Classic Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
JBL L100 Classic MKII
  
Bookshelf 40-40k Hz 90 dB4Ω 1 x 12"
JBL L100 Classic
Bookshelf 40-40k Hz 90 dB4Ω 1 x 12"
JBL L82 Classic MKII
  
Bookshelf 44-40k Hz 88 dB8Ω 1 x 8"
JBL L82 Classic
  
Bookshelf 44-40k Hz 88 dB8Ω 1 x 8"
JBL L52 Classic
Bookshelf 47-24k Hz 85 dB4Ω 1 x 5.25"

What size room are the JBL L100 Classic and JBL L52 Classic speakers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:

Listening Environment* JBL L100 Classic JBL L52 Classic
Near-field Poor Good
Small Room Average Good
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Average Poor
Very Large Room Poor No way

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2, Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m2. Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL L100 Classic and JBL L52 Classic compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that L100 Classic is a 3-way design whereas the L52 Classic is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

Driver JBL L100 Classic JBL L52 Classic
Driver Setup 3-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 0.75-inch
Midrange 1 x 5.25-inch -
Woofer 1 x 12-inch 1 x 5.25-inch

L100 Classic features a 1" Titanium Dome Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 12" Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 3500Hz. On the other hand, the L52 Classic features a 0.75" Titanium Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz.

Frequency Response

L100 Classic has a frequency range of 40-40k Hz whereas L52 Classic has a frequency range of 47-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the L100 Classic can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the L52 Classic's min frequency of 47Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

L100 Classic
L52 Classic
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

JBL L100 Classic
JBL L52 Classic
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

L100 Classic and L52 Classic have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. L100 Classic sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the L52 Classic's is at 85 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the JBL L100 Classic a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL L52 Classic, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the L100 Classic and the L100 Classic can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

L100 Classic
L52 Classic
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

L100 Classic can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas L52 Classic has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 125 watts less than the L100 Classic.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

L100 Classic features Five-way gold-plated binding posts type posts and L52 Classic has a Five-way gold-plated binding posts type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

JBL L100 Classic Terminals
JBL L100 Classic's Five-way gold-plated binding posts terminals

JBL L52 Classic Terminals
JBL L52 Classic's Five-way gold-plated binding posts terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both L100 Classic and L52 Classic have front firing ports. front ported speakers offers more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls&surfaces compared to rear ported speakers.

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare JBL L100 Classic's and JBL L52 Classic's external dimensions. JBL L100 Classic has external dimensions of 636.5 x 389.6 x 371.5mm ( 25.0 x 15.3 x 14.6inch) whereas JBL L52 Classic has external dimensions of 332.0 x 199.0 x 221.0mm ( 13-1/16 x 7-13/16 x 8-11/16inch) .

JBL L100 Classic is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 190.6mm wider, 304.5mm taller and 150.5mm deeper than JBL L52 Classic.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL L100 Classic and JBL L52 Classic in scale.

JBL L100 Classic vs JBL L52 Classic Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of JBL L100 Classic and JBL L52 Classic Size and External Dimensions

Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited. The base surface area of the JBL L100 Classic is approximately 1447.4cm2 / 224.3inch2 and base area of the JBL L52 Classic is approximately 439.8cm2 / 68.2inch2. The L100 Classic requires 229% more surface area than the L52 Classic which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

Weight Comparison

The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The JBL L100 Classic weighs 26.70kg / 58.7lbs and the JBL L52 Classic weighs 5.00kg / 11lbs. This makes the L100 Classic 434% heavier than the L52 Classic.

Here is a comparison of how L100 Classic and L52 Classic's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.

Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
JBL L100 Classic
JBL L52 Classic
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of JBL L100 Classic?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of L100 Classic:
  • Bookshelf loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • Owner's Manual
  • What's in the Box of JBL L52 Classic?

    Here are the items that come with the L52 Classic:
  • 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
  • 2 Grilles
  • Owners Manual

  • Reasons to choose JBL L100 Classic over JBL L52 Classic
    Max Input Power 200 watts vs 75 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 90 dB vs 85 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 12 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 40 Hz vs 47 Hz Generates deeper bass
    High Frequency Response 40k Hz vs 24k Hz Generates higher frequency

    Reasons to choose JBL L52 Classic over JBL L100 Classic

    Height 332mm vs 636mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 439cm2 vs 1447cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 1000USD vs 4400USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    JBL L100 Classic vs JBL L52 Classic Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General JBL L100 Classic JBL L52 Classic
    Brand JBL JBL
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Bookshelf speakers
    Power Range 25-200 watts 10-75 watts
    Sensitivity 90 dB 85 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 40-40k Hz 47-24k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 1
    Woofer Size 12" 5.25"
    Woofer Composition Pulp Pulp
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 0.75"
    Tweeter Type Dome Dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver 5.25" No
    Crossover Frequency 450Hz and 3500Hz 2800Hz
    Firing Direction front front
    Physical Specs
    Height 636.5mm (25.1") 332.0mm (13.1")
    Width 389.6mm (15.3") 199.0mm (7.8")
    Depth 371.5mm (14.6") 221.0mm (8.7")
    Weight 26.70kg (58.7lbs) 5.00kg (11lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish Genuine walnut veneer MDF/Wood veneer
    Available Colors Walnut Walnut
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height 18" 22-26"
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs No No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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