For those serious about audio, JBL offers the most comprehensive range of studio monitor systems on the market. Whether you’re a professional audio engineer, hobbyist online content creator or even a remote worker simply looking for a sweet home sound system, JBL has the speakers to suit your needs.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, JBL was founded in 1946, and so its products are the result of decades of collective audio design expertise.
Aimed at users seeking effortless setup with uncompromising sound quality, JBL’s 104-BT compact desktop reference monitors are the perfect desktop speaker solution. Fitted with Bluetooth and priced well under £200 for a pair, these monitors are the newest models in JBL’s 1 Series line.
Perfect for recording musicians, producers, podcasters and vloggers, as well as professional audio engineers looking for portable audio referencing without sacrificing detail, the 104-BTs feature a powerful coaxial 4.5-inch low-frequency driver and a three-quarter-inch soft-dome tweeter, in addition to an integrated 60-watt Class D power amplifier (with 30 watts distributed to each speaker).
Professional engineers will find these useful alongside their main studio monitoring systems, for referencing their mix work in post-production.
Other features include a strategic acoustic design for stellar sound regardless of desktop placement, a molded ABS cabinet with a contoured low-frequency port, and three sets of inputs for connection with professional equipment, personal music players and other consumer-level devices.
“Great mixes start with honest mix references,” JBL says. “With 104-BTs, you’ll hear the content you’ve created in true clarity and detail, with none of the coloration that can compromise your mix decisions. 104-BTs are optimized for desktop placement, and their smooth off-axis response means you can reference your mixes confidently across a wide sweet spot.”
For music/audio aficionados after something a little more weighty, JBL’s 3 Series comprises a range of studio-quality monitors that provide crystal-clear and neutral sound for pristine audio playback.
The line features three models: the 5-inch 305P, 6.5-inch 306P and 8-inch 308P, as well as a 10-inch studio subwoofer, the LSR310S.
Offering stunning detail, precise imaging, a wide sweet spot and impressive dynamic range that’s unheard of in their class, 3 Series monitors are integrated with JBL’s game-changing Image Control Waveguide.
This patented technology allows audio enthusiasts to experience a much wider sweet spot, and hear an impressive level of detail, ambience and depth in their mixes than granted by most monitoring systems by precisely controlling the sound emanating from the speakers in the vertical and horizontal planes. This means that if they’re seated slightly off-axis from the audial sweet spot, crucial mix details won’t be missed.
3 Series monitors also feature next-generation transducers for further-enhanced mixing accuracy. These are paired in each model with a long-throw woofer – with JBL’s patented Slip Stream low-frequency port – and a woven-composite 1-inch neodymium tweeter for immaculately detailed highs.
Monitors in the series also boast greater low-frequency linearity and lower harmonic distortion, courtesy of an improved woofer design.
Additionally, each set features dual-integrated custom Class D power amplifiers for superior dynamic range, reduced distortion and extended frequency response.
Also present on each 3 Series monitor is a Boundary EQ dial – to attenuate the low-end boost that often occurs when speakers are placed directly on a desktop or near walls – as well as a three-position high-frequency trim switch. These mean their sound can be tailored to a multitude of different studio environments and musical tastes.
Finally, for those seeking to add a little beef to their studio sound, the 3 Series LSR310S is a formidable subwoofer. It features a 200-watt amplifier for powerful bass reproduction and an XLF extended low frequency setting, which emulates the bass tuning used in modern dance clubs.
“JBL Professional studio monitors are designed for reliable performance, even when projects push your gear to the limit,” the company says. “Before being approved for production, 3 Series monitors must first pass our strenuous JBL Power Test.
“Each model is tested and required to perform flawlessly at maximum volume for an unprecedented 100 hours – without failure. As a result, you can depend on 3 Series monitors to deliver consistently excellent sound reproduction for years to come.”
In an additional test of quality control, 3 Series monitors are designed to JBL’s Linear Spatial Reference criteria: a series of 72 individual measurements taken 360 degrees around each speaker to ensure faithful mix reproduction, regardless of environment.
For more information on the 104-BT compact Bluetooth monitors or any model in the 3 Series, head to JBL.
