How many JBL owners?

[Masterlu]

JustKyle... Welcome to AA!

[jdandy]

JustKyle.......Welcome to Audio Aficionado.

I remember the JBL SA-660. A friend who lived in Berkeley, California owned one back in 1971 and drove his JBL L-100's with it. It was manufactured in the late 1960's as a replacement to the JBL SA-600. The JBL SA-600 was rated at 40 watts per channel. The JBL SA-660 is a 60 watt per channel integrated amplifier. JBL also manufactured a receiver during this same time period but I can't recall the model number. These JBL amplifiers were very well made with excellent specification for that era, particularly in signal to noise ratios. The SA-660 can drive 4Ω to 16Ω loads. I don't remember the original retail price of the SA-660 but I believe it was less than $500.00.

If I were you, I would have the power supply capacitors and any coupling capacitors replace before trying to use the SA-660 integrated amplifier. It is approaching 50 years old. The caps are certainly dried out and are not operating in their original value or may even be shorted. Take it to a good electronic tech for service. You will be impressed with its performance once properly restored. The SA-660 easily drove my friend's JBL L-100's to room filling volume and sounded great. I wouldn't mind owning a JBL SA-660 myself.

[JustKyle]

@Masterlu thanks so much!

@Jdandy thanks for the info! Couldn't find anything really on it online. I did find the original manual pdf though which I showed my audio expert friend. He was pretty stoked at what he read from the manual. Gonna get him to inspect the actual amp tomorrow. He knows his stuff for sure. Appreciate the help btw!

[JustKyle]

Does anyone know what the current monetary value of the JBL sa-660 is? Not trying to sell the item on this forum. I'm just curious.

[Pampero]

I don't know the exact value Kyle, but I suspect it does not exceed its original purchase price. JBL was and remains better known for its speakers. At that time, Harman Kardon's Citation series would have been the top line electronics available from the group. The JBL integrated products were likely a derivative of the same design group (in other words, well done) and manufactured to supply JBL franchisees with an electronics product of good quality that didn't require opening a second franchise. Notice that the control knobs Dan posted in his photo are identical to those used on a contemporary HK preamp, the Citation 11. This suggests that the same engineers designed these products and sourced common parts for the JBL amplifiers. But I suspect the Citation products carry a premium over the JBL amps mainly because, as I mentioned, JBL was never heavily in the consumer electronics game. What you have is a rarity that will remind you of your grandfather every time you look at it. Congrats!

Check the knobs on this preamp; same bits!



Comment: If one played the preamp in this photo with the eq pots in the position shown, the noise would have been intolerable! How do I know? I owned one back then.

[moebuster]

Currently I have 2 pair of L-96 and a single(orphan) L-1
'I've owned-
L-100's-4 or 5 pair
4312
4311- 2 pair
L7
L112
L20T3
L20
L100T
L80T
L60T
L40
L50

several of the forgettable models from the early through mid 90's

soon to borrow from a close hi-fi bud- L-200

[Masterlu]

I owned the matching Citation Sixteen too.

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

I owned the matching Citation Sixteen too.

I always liked this amp back in the day. Very high cool factor. Good sounding too, as I recall.

[GTorres]

Another JBL fan from Chile!
I love my JBL 250 Ti.
Best Regards

[rosco1]

I have a mint pair of L300's, but i'm fixing to get a pair of the big Mac Daddy 4350's. That should work for me as those are killer speakers.