Technical Notes Volume 1, Number 12C

Polarity Conventions of JBL Professional Transducers and Systems

Introduction: try, since there has always been considerable mix-

ing and matching of systems from different manu-
When Jim Lansing founded JBL in 1946, he facturers in the field.
brought with him a number of traditions devel-
oped during his previous years at Lansing As time has gone on, there have been many pres-
Manufacturing Company and at Altec-Lansing sures, both internal and external, for JBL to convert
Corporation. One of these dealt with polarity to the “positive-to-red” standard. Such a prospect
conventions different from those eventually has never been taken lightly, simply because no
adopted by the burgeoning loudspeaker manu- company has more transducers in active use in the
facturing community. The majority of JBL trans- professional field than JBL.
ducers at that time exhibited inward motion of
the cone when a positive-going signal was Beginning in the early 1990s, JBL began an orderly
applied to the red input terminal, and this con- transition to the positive-to-red standard in accor-
vention was, in many cases, carried over into dance with practices recommended by the AES,
loudspeaker systems as well. As we can best EIA, IEC, and other standards organizations. This
determine, the original polarity decision had process has been underway since that time, with
been made by Lansing on an arbitrary basis. changes being applied to new transducer models
As industry standardization began during the and loudspeaker systems. The firm decision was
1950s, JBL took note of the fact that the com- made that no “legacy” transducers in existence at
pany already had a large base of users in the that time would be changed during their remaining
field and that the productive “lifetime” of JBL's catalog lifetime. In most cases, JBL loudspeaker
transducers was indeed a long one. Any sub- systems, even if they make use of negative polarity
stantial change in product operating standards transducers, have been internally wired so that they
for existing models would have caused chaos “behave” as positive systems. That is, a positive sig-
in the field. nal at the red or positive terminal of the system will
cause the low frequency cone to move outward.
The situation began to change when JBL first
introduced systems intended primarily for For the transition to be orderly, it is essential that all
musical instrument (MI) applications. Since users of JBL Professional products have access to a
these systems traditionally used 1/4" phone complete listing of polarity conventions of current
plugs for signal input, there was no easy way and past products, and that all new and updated
for the user to invert the input signal polarity. specification sheets carry a clear indication of polari-
However, there was a need for JBL's MI prod- ty. In addition, all new cone transducers, which will
ucts to be consistent with the rest of the indus- be of positive polarity, will carry a small sticker
placed next to the terminals indicating the new mer and current JBL Professional systems and
convention. transducers by product category. Within each
category models are indicated as positive or
Bi- and triamplified systems are very common- negative. The obsolete models included here
place today, and these have all been config- are those that are still supported by company
ured at the input connector to produce a posi- repair service and spare parts.
tive low frequency output signal when a posi-
tive-going signal is presented at pin 2 of the Musical instrument transducers:
XLR input or tip of a tip-ring-sleeve input con-
nector. The assumption is made that all con- The following models are negative:
nections in the system have been locked in E110-8 E120-8, 16
place internally by JBL and that all pertinent E130-8 E140-8
field assembly documents have been carefully E155-4, 8
followed. A further assumption is that systems
The following models are positive:
using quarter-inch or Speakon connectors
M121-8
have been wired according to industry polarity
M151-8
standards.
Control Monitors: all models are positive:
This new version of Technical Notes Volume 1
Control 1 Control 1 Plus
Number 12 spells out the polarity conventions
Control Micro Control 1AW/70
of all current products, along with those of ear-
Control SB Micro Control 5
lier products and product groups that have
Control 10L, R
been discontinued but which may still be used
Control SB-1
in the field and that are supported by repair
Control SB-5
activities and spare parts. This new publication
Control 12SR
is current as of the second quarter of 2005.
Control Contractor Series
Terminology:
Studio Monitors:
Positive systems: A system or transducer is
All 4300-Series models (except models 4311
said to be positive if a positive-going voltage
and 4312L, R) are negative
applied to its red (or non-black) input terminal
causes a positive pressure at the acoustical The following models are negative:
output of the device. For cone transducers, the 4406 4408L, R
cone will move outward and can be easily 4410L, R 4412L, R
seen. For compression drivers, a positive- 4425L, R 4430L, R
going pressure can be measured at the driver's 4435L, R
exit.
The following models are positive:
Many systems and transducers do not have 4206 4208
color-coded input terminals, and in these cases 4311 4312L, R
one terminal is usually labeled with a + sign. 4408A-L, R 4410A-L, R
Consistent with the positive standard, a posi- 4412A-L, R 6208
tive-going signal at the positive terminal will DMS-1 LSR4300-Series
result in outward motion of the cone. LSR-Series LSR6300-Series
Negative systems: A system or transducer is Compression Drivers: the following models are
said to be negative if a positive-going voltage negative:
applied to its red (non-black) terminal causes a 2402H 2404H
negative pressure at the output of the device. 2405H 2426H, J
2427H, J 2446H, J
Polarity of JBL Professional systems and
2447H, J 2450H, J
transducers:
2451H, J
The following is a comprehensive listing of for-
Cone Transducers: the following models are Cinema surround systems: the following
negative: models are positive:
3310 8325
LE8T-H 2105H 8330A* 8340A*
2118H, J 2123H, J (*Note change from previous model numbers)
2202H 2206H
2220H, J 2226H, J Enclosed utility systems:
2235H 2240G, H
2241G, H 2245H The following models are positive:
SLT-1 4612OK
The following models are positive: 8216A 8216AT
2012H 2020H
2242H The following models are negative:
4660A 4671OK
Coaxial transducers: the following models are 4652
positive:
2142H 2152H Application Engineered Series (Prefixes AM, AC,
2155H AL, ASB, SH): all models are positive

Cinema systems: Architectural Series (Prefix AS): all models are

positive
3000-Series systems; the following models
are positive: Array Series (Models 4890A, 4892, 4893, 4894):
3622N 3677 all models are positive
3678 3632
Cabaret Series (Models 4602, 4612, 4622,
3632T 3678-LF
4623, 4625, 4627, 4680, 4690, 4695): all models
3639
are positive
4000-Series systems; the following models
Concert Series (Models 4825, 4828, 4842, 4845,
are positive:
4847, 4850, 4851, 4852, 4853, 4860, 4861,
4622 4622N
4862, 4863, 3866, 4870, 4871, 4872, 4873): all
4632 4632T
models are positive
4000-Series systems; the following models
Control contractor Series: all models are
are negative:
positive
4670D 4675C
4675C-4LF 4765C-8LF EON Systems (Prefix EON): all models are
positive
5000-Series systems; the following models
are negative HLA Series (Prefix HLA): all models are positive
5671 5672
5672Bi 5674 JRX Series (Prefix JRX): all models are positive
Cinema subwoofers; the following models MPro Series (Prefix MP): all models are positive
are negative:
4642 4645 Marquis Series (Prefix MS): all models are
positive
Cinema subwoofers; the following models
are positive: MR Series (Prefix MR): all models are positive
3635 4641
Precision Directivity Series (Prefix PD): all
4642A 4642A-GS
models are positive
4645B 4645C
Soundfactor Series (Prefix SF): all models are
Cinema surround systems: the following
positive
models are negative:
8330 8333
8340
Sound Power Series (Prefix SP): all models
are positive
SR Series (Prefix SR): all models are positive
SR Series X (Prefix SR): all models are
positive
SR Series II (Prefix SR): all models are
positive
SRX Series (Prefix SRX): all models are
positive
TR Series (Prefix TR): all models are positive
Venue Series (Prefix VS): all models are
positive
Vertec Series (Prefix VT): all models are posi-
tive
VRX Series (Prefix VRX): all models are
positive
General Note on Applications:
JBL Professional has always recommended
that absolute polarity standards be maintained
throughout an audio system, from microphone
input to loudspeaker output. Since most micro-
phone and electronics manufacturers adhere to
the “pin-2 hot” convention, this ensures that a
positive-going signal at the input of a micro-
phone will produce a positive-going signal at
the non-ground output of a power amplifier at
the end of the chain. If JBL negative conven-
tion loudspeaker systems or transducers are
used, the required polarity inversion should be
made at the system or transducer input termi-
nals themselves. Note carefully: making the
polarity inversion anywhere else in the audio
chain is an invitation to confusion.

JBL Professional
8500 Balboa Boulevard
Northridge, California 91329 U.S.A. TN VOL 1 NO 12C
A Harman International Company CRP
06/05
© Copyright 2004 JBL Professional