Meet the JBL SG520, a preamp that looks like it crash-landed from a '70s spaceship—and somehow still sounds ahead of its time. Launched during JBL’s golden age of audio experimentation, this bad boy was their bold response to the question: “What if high fidelity could also look cool?”. First thing you’ll notice? No knobs. That’s right—JBL ditched the twisty bits and went all-in on sleek slider controls. It gives the SG520 a clean, linear look that screams retro-future in the best possible way. Pair that with a brushed aluminum faceplate, glowing sliders, and chunky walnut side panels, and you’ve got a piece of gear that turns heads even when it’s turned off.
*Includes rare top and back cover.
- Production
- 1965-68
- Condition
- 9/10
- Serial No.
- 1730
- Restoration
- Heavy dose of contact cleaner on all switches/sliders/buttons/connectors
- Took extra time to get the stereo output button working without distortion
- Replaced one capacitor that looked damaged
- Installed 4 new bulbs for button illumination
- Verified test tone circuit
- Headphone output sounds best with higher impedance headphones (100 ohm+)
- Factory Specs
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.15%
Gain: 54dB (MM), 21dB (line)
Signal to noise ratio: 90dB (DIN)
Input sensitivity: Phono: 6mV / AUX: 300mV
Output: 3V (Pre out)
Semiconductors: 23 x transistors, 11 x diodes
- The History of JBL
- JBL was founded by James Bullough Lansing (1902–1949) who was an American audio engineer and loudspeaker designer most notable for establishing two audio companies that bear his name, Altec Lansing and JBL, the latter taken from his initials.Lansing and his business partner Ken Decker started a company in 1927, in Los...
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- Packing
- Prepare to be impressed. We have arguably the best packing process around. We use our InstaPak machine and white open cell foam to build a custom enclosure for your piece that ensures that it's stable and secure. If it is particularly fragile or heavy, we typically opt for private courier delivery. Depending on where you are in the country, that may cost a bit extra.
- Shipping
- This piece ships to the contiguous United States for a flat rate of $100, which includes our packaging and our insurance. Of course, we'll ship anywhere in the world, just drop us a line and we'll give you an estimate – even if you're just curious.
- Stock No.
- 8975153004765
Meet the JBL SG520, a preamp that looks like it crash-landed from a '70s spaceship—and somehow still sounds ahead of its time. Launched during JBL’s golden age of audio experimentation, this bad boy was their bold response to the question: “What if high fidelity could also look cool?”. First thing you’ll notice? No knobs. That’s right—JBL ditched the twisty bits and went all-in on sleek slider controls. It gives the SG520 a clean, linear look that screams retro-future in the best possible way. Pair that with a brushed aluminum faceplate, glowing sliders, and chunky walnut side panels, and you’ve got a piece of gear that turns heads even when it’s turned off.
*Includes rare top and back cover.
