Customer Ratings & Reviews

This subwoofer adds lovely, rich, low tones to the audio. This is a powered subwoofer and knows when to go into standby mode. A phase adjustment switch ensures that the subwoofer is in phase with the main speakers. There is a dial to control the crossover point. The crossover is the highest frequency that the subwoofer produces sound. It is an excellent capability that allows you to adjust depending on the location of the subwoofer. Finally, there is volume control. The subwoofer uses LFE input from the receiver. The LFE cable is not included with the speaker, so make sure to buy one when you buy the speaker. The subwoofer looks excellent. There is a magnetically attachable front fabric cover for the speaker. This allows you to expose the bare speaker or to dress it up. The subwoofer looks excellent. There is a magnetically attachable front fabric cover for the speaker. This allows you to expose the bare speaker or to dress it up. Speaker wire is not included, so make sure you buy some when you buy the speaker so that you have everything that you need.

The JBL Stage 2 240B bookshelf speakers have truly impressed me with their performance. Despite their small size, the sound quality is exceptional. However, I did learn that they are quite particular about placement when looking for that perfect sound stage. For the best sound, they need to be about 6 to 8 feet apart and angled directly at your ears while you sit at least 6-8 feet away. Sound Quality The bass is tight and has an OK thump, but the mids are where they start to openup beautifully, and the highs sounded amazing, Listing to the Jayhawks I was able to clearly identify each instrument, and Louis’s falsetto never sounded so sweet. Without a subwoofer, the Stage 2 240B speakers still perform well, especially if you use a quality amp and don’t push them too hard. Just don’t expect a lot of low-frequency response on their own. Optimal Setup The real magic happens when you pair the Stage 2 240B speakers with a subwoofer, like the JBL Stage 2 200P that I’m using. Together, they create an impressive and immersive listening experience with an almost imperceivable crossover. You’d swear that you’re sitting in front of a couple of massive speakers but then you open your eyes and see a set of small bookshelf’s. Despite the size, these speakers can run loud and clear, enough to potentially annoy apartment neighbors. In a house or studio, they can get loud enough to make it hard to hold a conversation but clear enough that you can do just that when listening at lower volumes. Final Thoughts With a decent amp, these speakers, and a subwoofer, you can create an audiophile system for a reasonable price. The JBL Stage 2 240B bookshelf speakers deliver beyond expectations, making them a fantastic choice for anyone looking to enhance their audio setup.

I have to start this review by stating this is the first higher end speaker set I have owned. Previous to this I used a soundbar with a subwoofer for my living room audio setup, and a 2.1 Logitech setup for my computer. Those setups were good enough but not anything I would consider great. With that said, I can't speak to how well this does against other high end speakers but instead as a general consumer that isn't an audiophile. Installing these speakers are pretty straight forward requiring only a speaker wire connected to the two ports on the backside. No additional power is required, which is surprising to me (not being an expert at such things) given their power rating. Included in the box is a wall mounting bracket and screws so these can be mounted. I haven't had the chance to do so yet as I am about to begin moving to a new house, but the bracket seemed sturdy enough and required the screws need to attach to the speaker itself, though not the screws needed to attach the bracket to the wall. The speaker itself has a tweeter and a more mid range speaker (exact sizes I don't know). It comes with a speaker guard with a very light foam cover that attaches with magnets. The only complaint I have about those is the odd choice of orange on the inner side of the guard which you can see depending on the angle. Given the color of the speakers it just seems really odd to me to have a hot orange outline. Its not too distracting but I would have preferred black. Once hooked up and configured properly (make sure to set them as small speakers in your receiver if asked), the sound on these is incredible. The range blew me away with how clear these are even when turned all the way up. I am used to speakers losing clarity at higher volumes, but these did not. I can't attest to the volume being maxed on my receiver as these simply got too loud for me to use comfortably within my living room at anything about 70%. But at those volumes I heard tones in music I haven't ever noticed before and that is not an exaggeration. These speakers really do sound very very good for both music and movies. The build quality on these is also very good. I do not know what material the enclosure is for the speaker, but they are very sturdy and heavy. I would not be surprised if these were solid wood and not particle board. The finish is done so well I couldn't tell barring doing a scratch test. Overall these are very very good speakers and I can't wait to add more to my collection.