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Offered is this incredible and very rare JBL D44000 Paragon Speaker System. No other loudspeaker developed by JBL has the mystique or desirability of the D44000 Paragon. This is by far one of the most incredible speakers ever produced. Incredible vintage piece of audio history that I was told had been in the same high end estate since new. The JBL D44000 Paragon is a one-piece stereo loudspeaker created by JBL that was introduced in 1957 and discontinued in 1983; its production run was the longest of any JBL speaker. At its launch, the Paragon was the most expensive domestic loudspeaker on the market. To this day, it is arguably the most sought after vintage loudspeaker system ever made.
To the best of my knowledge, the speaker is 100% original. It is serial number 42025 and I believe it was produced in 1961. It is in incredible overall condition for being 60+ years old. Every component serial number is original and matching to the unit. It is 100% in working order and sounds as wonderful as you would expect it to!
The speaker system is as shown in the photos. It comes apart into three pieces for easier moving and transporting. I have tried to take detailed photos to show you exactly what you are getting, but please feel free to ask any questions that you may have. Be the envy of all your friends with this awesome piece of audiophile history.
Designed by Arnold Wolf from a concept elaborated by Richard Ranger, it is almost 9 feet (2.7 m) long and required approximately 112 man hours of hand-finishing by a team of dedicated craftsmen. All of them were individually made by hand. They were totally sanded by hand, followed by three coats of oil, and that alone took three working days. A special workshop at JBL was devoted strictly to building only the Paragon. Resembling less a conventional loudspeaker than an elegant sideboard, it was a landmark product for the company that was sought after by the well-heeled and by celebrities worldwide. In the Paragon’s heyday, only five units were built a week, but by the end of the era, the production rate had dropped to one a month. The last JBL Paragon speaker was built in 1983. With 25+ years in the product catalogue, it remains to this day the longest-producing JBL model. With an estimated total production of only about 1,000 units over 26 years, very few ever come to market and are able to change hands. This may be your only chance to ever own one!
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