Barzilay Mid-Century Custom Audio Console with JBL LE 12C-1, Kenwood, Akai, Sony & PE Components

A monumental custom audio console by Barzilay, the Los Angeles cabinetmaker that built reference-grade enclosures for the West Coast hi-fi trade from the 1950s through the 1970s. The oak case stretches more than six and a half feet wide, fronted by four Gothic-arcade panels of carved arched tracery over gold speaker cloth — an ecclesiastical motif concealing a serious component stack. Lift-top hinged lids open to reveal the working bay: a PE 3012 automatic turntable, a Sony TC-260 stereophonic reel-to-reel deck, a Kenwood KR-2300 AM-FM stereo receiver, an Akai GXC-40D cassette deck with GX glass and crystal ferrite head, and a Sony NR-115 noise reduction adaptor with Dolby System. Roman numeral source labels (I–IV) mark the component chain. Speaker grilles conceal JBL LE 12C-1 12-inch drivers behind the arcade fronts. The brass Barzilay nameplate is mounted to the working surface beneath the components.

Barzilay consoles were custom-built one at a time for clients who specified their own component stacks — the cabinet was the constant, the electronics were tailored to the owner. This example captures the early-to-mid 1970s moment when reel-to-reel, cassette, and vinyl coexisted as primary formats in a single integrated system. The carved oak case, dentil moldings on the cornice and plinth, and Gothic-arcade speaker fronts position this as furniture first, equipment second — built for the living room rather than the dedicated listening room.

Barzilay Woodcraft operated in Los Angeles and built custom hi-fi furniture for the Southern California trade through the 1950s, 1960s, and into the 1970s. The company produced cabinet shells in a range of period styles — Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial, and the Gothic-Revival idiom seen here — which dealers and custom installers fitted with the buyer's chosen electronics. Barzilay's clients were not buying a packaged stereo system; they were commissioning furniture-grade enclosures sized and styled to their rooms, then populating them with the best available components. The engraved brass nameplate inside the lift-top bay is the standard Barzilay signature. Surviving consoles with their original component stacks intact are now increasingly difficult to find. The specific component combination here — Kenwood KR-2300 receiver (introduced 1974), Akai GXC-40D cassette deck, Sony TC-260 reel-to-reel, PE 3012 automatic turntable, and JBL LE 12C-1 drivers — places the build confidently in the early-to-mid 1970s.

The Kenwood KR-2300 was a mid-tier integrated receiver producing approximately 15–20 watts per channel, aimed at the quality home-stereo market. The Akai GXC-40D was part of Akai's GX series, distinguished by the glass and crystal ferrite (GX) record/playback head, a technology Akai developed for extended head life and improved high-frequency response. The Sony TC-260 is a solid-state stereophonic reel-to-reel transport operating at 3¾ and 7½ ips. The PE 3012 is a West German-made automatic changer by Perpetuum-Ebner, a respected Baden-Baden manufacturer whose mechanisms were widely used in European and American console builds of the period; the 3012 runs at 33, 45, and 78 rpm. The Sony NR-115 is a standalone Dolby noise reduction adaptor, used here to integrate Dolby B processing across the tape sources. The JBL LE 12C-1 is a 12-inch woofer from JBL's LE (Low Energy) series — a long-excursion, high-compliance driver designed for extended low-frequency reproduction in console and bookshelf enclosures. The drivers carry the early label identifying the company as James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. — the pre-Harman corporate name, consistent with the early-to-mid 1970s build date.

• Barzilay oak console cabinet with carved Gothic arcade speaker grilles and brass nameplate
• JBL LE 12C-1 12" speaker drivers — James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., Los Angeles
• Kenwood KR-2300 AM-FM stereo receiver
• Akai GXC-40D cassette deck (GX Focused Field glass and crystal ferrite head)
• Sony NR-115 Noise Reduction Adaptor (Dolby System)
• Sony TC-260 stereophonic solid-state reel-to-reel tape deck
• PE 3012 automatic turntable (33 / 45 / 78 rpm)
• BASF and Memorex reels (as shown)

CONDITION

Good overall with age-appropriate cosmetic wear throughout. Cabinet shows scratches, finish wear and loss, veneer lifting on the edge of two lift-top lids, and a previous repair to the lower right. Components power on; tested with no sound output at the time of staff inspection. Buyers should anticipate service work to return the full electronics chain to playback.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 25.5" H × 80.5" W × 19.75" D
• Cabinet Maker: Barzilay (Los Angeles, CA)
• Construction: Oak solids and veneers
• Receiver: Kenwood KR-2300 AM-FM Stereo
• Cassette Deck: Akai GXC-40D (GX Glass & Crystal Ferrite Head)
• Noise Reduction: Sony NR-115 (Dolby System)
• Reel-to-Reel: Sony TC-260 Stereophonic Solid State (3¾ / 7½ ips)
• Turntable: PE 3012 Automatic (33 / 45 / 78 rpm)
• Speakers: JBL LE 12C-1 — 12" Woofer, James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., Los Angeles