Harman Luxury Audio Group has announced the latest addition to their JBL Classic Series, the JBL L42ms Classic integrated music system. The single cabinet design seeks to deliver style, performance, and convenience all into one audio setup.
The Senior Director of Product Strategy and planning for Harman said in a press release that the L42ms will expand on previous designs in a way that is innovative but familiar.
"Following on the heels and success of the award-winning JBL L75ms, the new L42ms offers music lovers a choice of a more compact solution and a black wood finish option while retaining most of the same features and signature JBL sound found in the larger L75ms,” he said.
The L42ms features different JBL technology to ensure high quality, high performance sound, including a pair of JBL loudspeakers. The speakers are built using JBL’s signature sleek design, with a Quadrex curved grille, tapered side edges, and a black or natural walnut real-wood veneer finish.
Internally, the cabinet features a pair of dual 4-inch woofers and dual 0.75-inch aluminum dome tweeters with waveguides positioned to the left and right, ensuring a wide and even sound field. Additionally, the L42ms has a total system power of 200Wrms built-in and a 24-bit/96-kHz DAC.
There are two sets of analog stereo inputs in the L42ms, a RCA and 3.5mm, as well as an HDMI-ARC for the option to connect to televisions. There is also plenty of streaming compatibility, with the L42ms featuring support for both wired or wireless network connection via Ethernet, Apple Airplay2, and Google Chromecast. Users can also connect their devices directly via Bluetooth. The L42ms routes all its audio signals through an advanced DSP engine, which delicately contours and outputs the sound to the speakers via a four-channel amplifier.
The L42ms offers customizability to its sound via its bass contour switch on the rear panel, which allows users to tailor the bass response of the system to their preference. The strong bass output of the L42ms is further amplified by its signal-sensing subwoofer output, which implements an internal 80Hx high-pass filter to enhance its bass quality.
Users can also access a Sound-Field Expansion (SFX) mode from the remote control, which creates a wider soundstage and an increased sense of space. When connected to a TV through its HDMI-ARC support, this feature elevates your movie and gaming experience.
Coupled with its strong acoustic performance, the L42ms is designed to integrate seamlessly into any home, utilizing technologies such as Roon Ready and Works with Smart Things Certifications. Its Roon compatibility gives users access to their entire music library at the highest possible resolution, while Works with Smart Things allows the user to integrate the L42ms into the Smart Things ecosystem, which includes Samsung televisions, Galaxy devices, and more.
Its built-in access to Spotify Connect and Tidal connect ensures convenient access to a huge library of music. The L42ms also utilizes its free JBL Premium Audio app setup to provide a fast and easy first-time connection to a Wi-Fi network, allowing you to jump into streaming right away. The companion app to the L42ms allows for additional audio streaming services, including Amazon Music and Qobuz. It also provides access to internet radio and podcasts.
The app gives you the ability to save favorites as presets for instant recall and can access music on compatible UPnP network storage devices on their network or USB drive. Beyond the app, users will be able to control the L42ms via its Bluetooth remote, which is included in the packaging of the cabinet.
Harman stated in a press release that the JBL L42ms will be available for purchase in the holiday selling season in the fourth quarter of 2023 at a price of $999.
