For audiophiles and general listeners alike, JBL carries some of the most iconic pieces of audio equipment in circulation today. While more moderate listeners consistently find JBL’s collection of wireless speakers to be both durable in product design and vibrant in sound quality, technical listeners can appreciate JBL’s fine-tuned commitment to producing commercial amps with detail-oriented, studio-grade standards at an unsurprising market value. For instance, JBL might have been one of the first audio equipment companies to have manufactured a commercial amplifier to confront TIM/SID and LSN problems with the SA600 Amplifier’s debut in 1966. Fast forward to 2021 and, in celebration of their 75th anniversary and tribute to their coveted equipment from the 60s and 70s, JBL plans to launch the new SA750 Integrated Amplifier, along with a limited stock of anniversary-edition L100 Classic 75 loudspeakers.
The new JBL SA750 takes me back to my childhood home’s downstairs audio system, coated in aluminum with teak wood veneer side paneling and stainless steel, sheathed control knobs for sensitive tuning. JBL’s SA750 offers a mellowed upgrade from the audio giant’s amplifiers of the 60s and 70s. With most of the front panel on the SA750 maintaining the original interface of dials and knobs from the late 20th century 600 and 660 SA models, some key differences were made, however, in order to accommodate modern-day technology. Doubling the SA600’s single audio jack for two, one for headphones and one for an aux cord, the new JBL SA750 offers options for both solo and group listening. The new hi-fi amp is also geared for Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, or UPnP connectivity and can transition between MC and MM to generate the signal for users hoping to plug in their pre-amp.
Just like in the 60s and 70s, JBL designed the SA750 wireless amplifier to deliver studio-quality audio and attempts to achieve this through integrated features like a DAC converter, which converts a digital signal into an analog one, delivering crisper sound from your speakers. Through compression, an MQA decoder also helps deliver the fuller, more robust audio quality listeners expect with hi-fi amplifiers. JBL SA750 is also ‘Roon-ready,’ equipping your music collection with a digital front-end that allows you to source your input from different home-devices, connected together by the installed Roon software. Finally, the new JBL SA750 comes with Dirac Live Room Correction, which removes sound coloration produced by interior rooms’ acoustics. The accompanying L100 Classic 75 loudspeakers are designed to match the amplifier’s teak wood veneer finish and offer bi-wiring with a rear network suited for today, along with improved woofer suspension to mask those low frequencies. Officially launching in May of 2021, JBL SA750 will go for $3,000.
Designer: JBL by Harman
