Customer Ratings & Reviews

What first caught my eye on choosing the JBL MA510 AV 5.2 AV Receiver was the white glass face plate. It matches perfectly in our home and has a very elegant clean design. The second feature was the simplistic controls. My earlier receiver was black and had tiny buttons that were impossible to see. Now after owning the MA510 for a couple of weeks, I really appreciate how well it integrates into my home theatre using an Apple 4K streaming device and connected to our LG G4 OLED TV. The JBL perfectly powers my 5.1 Sonance speakers with 5 in-ceiling speakers and subwoofer with clean clear sound. I had Best Buy’s Geek Squad install the entire system and a brief hands-on explanation of how to use the remote was all that was needed to operate the receiver. The on-screen menu system offers simple configuration options, such as distances to speakers for calibration. It has built-in Wifi and can also connect to the internet using an ethernet jack, which is useful for updating firmware and streaming music and internet radio. The receiver’s controls basically select the various HDMI inputs, and the output options include native signal, Dolby, stereo 2.0, stereo 2.1, and all speaker stereo. The tone can be adjusted but it’s pretty basic bass and treble options. The Apple 4K streaming device is also able to control the receiver’s power. I was really impressed with how easy it was to play Spotify through the receiver, simply by installing the Spotify app on my kitchen PC and connection was made without complicated setup. The MA510 appeared as a speaker option and even the Spotify app can control the receiver’s power. It’s really amazing how simple and clean the interface works and honestly, it’s a joy to use. Again, the sound is every bit as good as any audio receiver I have ever owned, and that alone makes it a great choice. I doubt any sound bar would ever sound as good. The MA510 sits in the middle of JBL’s less expensive MA310 and the MA710 and strikes a nice balance. If you need a 7.2 system with Atmos, then the upgrade makes sense, but for my pre-wired 5-speaker surround-sound system, the MA510 was the perfect choice.

I didn’t think just the amp could change how good my speakers sound, it’s super easy to use, looks amazing and gave me no trouble setting it up, as other amps have!

LOVE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE SYST!! very easy to get it up and running and the sound is great at this price point. looks like a much more expensive system.

I purchased the JBL MA510 AND So far Im extremely happy with this receiver. I bought the white faced model, it looks sleek and classy! The unit delivers beautiful theater sound and teams up perfectly with my PS5 and TCL 100". I would highly recommend this unit!

Super nice and clean look! Super easy to set up!and love the 5 dif modes for dif vibes! Mainly use for music!!

[Employee of bestbuy] Very modern look that meets the spouse approval factor, and performs very well. It is clear jbl as a few growing pains on the UI side of things, but once its set it works wonderfully well without a hitch. Keep in mind to get this unit fully set up you will have to have two separate apps as there is no on-board wifi setup, room calibration, streaming menus etc. very reliant on smartphone setup which some may not like.

I'm beyond impressed with the accuracy and clarity of the newer JBL line. The dialog is so clear and the JBL receiver is perfectly matched. I've always been partial to black but I'm starting to embrace the whiteness.

Great sound links to tv so you dont have to have both remotes for volume. And auto power in and off with tv

Awesome piece of equipment. This does exactly what I wanted it to do. It’s an upgrade to my former unit.

The MA510 is the middle tier of JBL’s native 5 channel decoding receivers. At this level, you get an 8k capable receiver (a step up from the 4K MA310 and a little hedge on future proofing your setup). You also get more power, with 75w RMS (@ 8Ω (20Hz – 20kHz, 2 channels driven, 0.5% THD max), 15 watts more than the MA310. The 510 provides four 8K HDMI inputs (HDMI 2.1, HDCP 2.3 up to 8K/60Hz, 4K/120Hz) and one HDMI output connector. HDMI 2.1 supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), QFT (Quick Frame Transport), and HFR (High Frame Rate) which should improve gaming with compatible systems and displays. The receiver itself presents a sleek appearance with a simple set of controls on the front and the ability to control all the settings either with the small included remote or the mobile app. There’s a small hint of JBL orange around the edge of the front panel but it’s really only visible when viewed from the side. It’s a detail that matches the Stage2 speakers. The setup went fairly smooth, took a little bit longer than I expected to connect initially via the app but then I realized it was running an update while I was trying to do the setup. I should have waited until it was done. After that, the Bluetooth and wifi connections went easier. I will say that the GUI of the onscreen menus appears to have been ripped from 8 bit Arcade with purple, blue, and bright yellow screens. Don’t get me wrong, they are fully functional but they just don’t seem to live up to the high standard of appearance the receiver sets. Once you’re set up, you really just see the volume display when it pops up so it’s not a big deal. Speaking of displays, the display on the front panel has the ability to be dimmed or turned off with the remote or you can set a time delay in the onscreen menu so it automatically goes dark. Neat feature so it’s not distracting during the show. Only the power button remains illuminated. Hook up was easy except for one issue I had. The binding posts are sized to take 12ga speaker wire which I already had in my system, except I used square crimped ferrules on the bare wires. The square ferrules were impossible to insert in the binding posts so I had to recrimp with a hex crimper to get them to fit. Might have went easier with either spade terminals or banana plugs but I was using my existing wires. I connected this receiver to a pair of JBL Stage2 250B bookshelf speakers, my existing in wall rear speakers, and a monster Stage2 220P 12” subwoofer. I had no problem configuring the receiver for the size and locations of the speakers in the room. The receiver is capable of running a center channel speaker and a second subwoofer also but mine are currently in storage while we’re remodeling the room so I couldn’t test that just yet. If you’re not running a center channel be sure to set the center channel to off in settings or you won’t hear any dialogue. The sound quality is typical JBL awesome as you would expect. In the JBL Premium Audio app, if your mobile device is connected just via wifi you can select radio stations or podcasts but you need the remote to control volume. If you’re connected via Bluetooth, then you can control the volume with the mobile device as well as play music stored on your phone, use apps, etc. Only downside is that the volume goes up or down by 5-6 numbers at a time for each button press where the remote can do one number at a time. One button press on my phone takes it from a little too quiet to a little too loud so I keep the remote handy.

Works perfecly and looks amazing. You cannot go wrong with a JBL.

This is my first AVR, an upgrade from an older model Sony surround receiver. Its simple design and modern feature set are a nice addition to my home theater setup. It works really well, but I do have some notes/quirks about my experience with it so far. sound quality: 5/5 look/feel: 4/5 JBL app: 2/5 EZ Set EQ: 4/5 SOUND QUALITY Fantastic. No detectable noise, and everything is crispy. LOOK/FEEL The clear acrylic face is very stylish, and the interface is clear of clutter. This AVR has just a few buttons and knobs, even on the remote control. There’s a subtle bright orange stripe behind the front panel and the knobs which hints at JBL’s fun and loud history, and it also visually ties into the design of JBL’s new Stage 2 loudspeakers. The two knobs are really big, and the volume knob has markings on it that sort of detract from the design. It looks like it should light up but it doesn’t, it’s just got some weird dial markings on it and faint text claiming that it goes beyond eleven (evidently this is supposed to be a fun reference, iykyk). The on-screen menu display (osd) makes setup and changing the settings a breeze. SETUP Be sure you go through all the settings before you start. I connected some speakers and turned it on just to try it out, and it sounded like crap because the default speaker settings were not what I connected. This isn’t JBL’s fault, but every setup is different and the settings matter. The unit comes with a thick and nicely printed quick setup guide, but this didn’t help much. I had to search the Internet and download the full user guide in order to understand what settings where what. Maybe if you’re an AVR expert you might already know what every setting and every surround mode does, but I had to read a lot to learn how to do what I wanted to do. There’s an app that is supposed to make setup easier. Some things you need to set up with the app (like wifi), other things you set up from the front panel/osd. I think the confusing part about setup is figuring out what you do with the app and what you do with the unit. It feels kind of random. An excellent app would let me use the nice display on my phone/tablet to navigate *all* the settings, instead of using the remote and osd. That would be nice, but no. At least the osd is pretty straightforward though. This weirdness in the JBL app continues to everyday use as well. There are some features that I would consider bonuses, but they are so wonky that they may not be that useful. For example it’s got a built-in Internet radio. This is very cool, and when I tried it the sound quality was top notch. But the frustrating part is that you can only control the radio from the app. You can set favorite channels from the app, but you can’t even choose your favorite presets from the AVR, only by opening the app. No big deal, you say, just use the app. Well, you can’t adjust the volume from the app! So if you want to use the Internet radio, you have to handle your phone and the remote both at the same time. To make it even more annoying, the app is designed with at least twice as many taps as you’d expect to do anything. Like to play my favorite radio station takes 4 taps, and that’s after I’ve opened the app and turned on and connected to the AVR. Searching for a station that’s not in my favorites is confusingly complicated too: 4 taps for that too (and hopefully you can figure out where to tap), plus typing in your search term. It can connect some other services too, including Spotify and Roon. I haven’t tried that either, but since you have to do all this from the JBL app, it hardly seems any easier than just using Bluetooth or AirPlay from another device you already use. Finally, you can connect a USB storage device or network storage. Very cool, but it looks like it only supports audio file formats. Definitely a missed opportunity, since it’s an AVR. It could have some cool network video features, not just network audio. There’s one thing I loved about the setup: the EZ Set EQ App. This app (not the same JBL app for some reason) has a much better design. It just does one thing, though. It listens to your speakers after you’ve set everything up in the room, and it equalizes them to get the best sound quality for your setup. It took about 60 seconds for each speaker configuration, and it did a fantastic job. I have speakers from a few different manufacturers, and after running this EQ program everything aurally fits together beautifully. I took off one point because there’s no way to manually adjust this EQ, neither with the app or from the unit directly. The AVR has separate settings to adjust bass and treble on the inputs, but no way to adjust EQ settings on the speakers. That said, this app does such a good job that there’s really no reason to adjust it manually. NOTES/QUIRKS I mentioned a few quirks already, but here are a few more. These are not really deal breakers, but things that might be nice to have or things that maybe could work better. Other than the HDMI inputs, there’s not a lot of other inputs. Of course, you can pay more money and get more inputs/outputs. But this definitely leans toward HDMI, so it might not be a drop-in replacement for you if you have older analog audio sources that you still want to use. No Dolby Atmos support? The MA710 and higher support Atmos. The MA510 doesn’t have outputs for height channels, but I am surprised that it doesn’t still decode Atmos recordings. I’m not sure if it actually makes a difference in practice, since the Atmos protocol has built-in backwards support, but it was just surprising to see it missing from the spec list. Best Buy has the MA510 described as 5.2ch. This is misleading and/or wrong. The amp itself only has 5 channels (no sub amp). It additionally has 2 line level outputs for subwoofers, but they are logically identical. So there’s really only 1 subwoofer channel, they just let you connect it to 2 subs. HDMI CEC weirdness: CEC works great for most stuff. power and volume control work seamlessly between my tv and my input (tested with an Apple TV 4k) to control all system power and the volume on the receiver. This is probably perfect for 90% of setups. But I wanted to be fancy and route audio to my TV as well to be able to optionally use a soundbar I have that gives me Dolby Atmos support. Well, the AVR has an option to send audio to the TV, but for some reason I can only turn that on if CEC is off (?!?). Very weirdly, I can then turn CEC back on once I select the TV audio option, but CEC won’t control the volume level on the TV at that point. I know this is an edge case, and HDMI is always finicky, especially between manufacturers. But this didn’t seem like that unusual of a setup to me. Maybe they consider it a feature, letting you control the volume levels separately? I don’t know. I’ll end on a positive note: I really like that there are audio settings *per input* instead of just overall. Specifically, I can adjust the level or bass or treble, even surround mode, to have a preset for each input. For example, I can adjust the bass for my turntable, and lower the level of my streaming device, so that when I switch between them I don’t have to change other settings. Nice touch.

This JBL MA 510 system is a substantial upgrade to traditional 'bar' type audio systems because it is more of a classic, 5.1 Chanel AVR system with multiple sources including, Networked Wired and Wireless Internet connections, 3 HDMI inputs, Game inputs, Bluetooth, Analog inputs for Turntables, DVD/Blue-ray, CD and Tape systems for inputting content. It syncs with multiple cloud sources like Amazon Prime Music and Spotify for music and podcasts as well as OTA radio and the recommended ROON audio sources. The system looks great (I have the Espresso version), and its modern look would fit in well with traditional furnishings. The sound quality is amazing, especially with the Sub-Woofer properly configured and the Equalizer set for your room environment. What I liked most about the system is that it's flexible enough to be either permanently installed in a home theater environment, or as a classic bookshelf style AV system. JBL offers multiple options for the MA 510 system including a center speaker, a pair of front speakers and a pair of surround speakers and a subwoofer. Notably, you can add a second sub-woofer if you choose. This means you provide your own wiring for components, including TVs, speakers and sub woofers as well as network wiring if necessary. So, on that basis if you want to get started quickly and easily, you can start with a simple Stereo installation and gradually add the well matched JBL speaker components as your space or budget allows. The MA 510 receiver can be controlled via dedicated remote, your JBL phone app or via the front pandemic on the AVR. You will need to download the JBL application to set up your system and connect to the Wireless network and to Bluetooth. I found that for everyday usage, the remote to be most useful as the App seems a little 'buggy' due to the fact that I had to keep rebooting it. The system is easy to set up once you gather sources for content and the necessary wiring for speakers taking twenty to thirty minutes for a 2.1 channel, stand-alone system without permanent installation such as with hidden cables. I did not connect a gaming system to this system, but it would certainly beef up your gaming audio if you chose to do so. Otherwise, if you are planning to install the system permanently, it obviously takes a lot more planning than I have committed to. However, in this case, I would highly recommend opting for the Center and Surround Speakers to bring the system up to 5.1 channels. Because I am not game oriented, a 7.1 system just seems superfluous to have the extra two channels. This receiver pairs well with the matching JBL Stage 2-250B speakers making an awesome combination offering terrific sound quality. The is modern look in the Espresso color also goes well in a traditional environment. The MA 510 also pairs nicely with the matching JBL Stage 220P Sub-Woofer. It is easy to set up and provides a great bass boost to the overall audio system. Once the system is set up, powered on and connected to the internet, the Receiver will search for software and hardware updates and manage the process itself. This takes about ten minutes and appears to be virtually seamless. The AVR is easy to sync it with your Amazon Prime(R) or Spotify (R) accounts via the wireless network connection. I also tried it with Bluetooth, but I like my Wireless Network connection better. I haven't tried a wired network connection, but it is a viable capability. In summary, I really like this system due to its Quality, Good Looks and Connectivity! Additionally, it is a nice upgrade from a simple sound bar as a home theater starter system that you can add to over time if you choose. It would have been great if JBL could have included some wiring to simplify set up for a classic bookshelf system. On the other hand, because of the quality of the system, it will likely be set up in a more sophisticated manner where hidden cabling is involved.

I was hesitant to try this receiver because normally I’m a Denon guy however I was pleasantly surprised at what does JBL can do. Set up is fairly straightforward; take it out of the box, get it all plugged in, download the updates (took about 10 minutes), plug in your cables and go. One of my favorite things is the extra large information screen upfront, it’s clear and easy to read!! This receiver is being used in my game room at it powers two JBL bookshelf speakers and a JBL 10 inch subwoofer. I do plan to add surround sound speakers at some point but for now this is a very simple 2.1 set up. it effortlessly Switches from my PlayStation 5 PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Switch and it instantly synced with my TV remote so when you turn the TV off, it will also power the receiver off…which I think is a nice touch. Sound quality is excellent for what I needed to do. You can hear all the nuances and has more than enough power so if you feel the need to crank it up, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the sound it can produce!!

JBL’s MA510 AV receiver combines superb audio performance with easy configurability and use. The Owner’s Manual is clearly written and easy to follow, guiding you through initial setup, configuration and operation. Description The MA510 is a 5.2-channel AV receiver with a wide range of input sources, and handles a variety of digital audio formats and system configurations involving smart TVs, streaming, gaming consoles and more. Input sources include two analog channels, coax in, optical in, four 8k HDMI inputs, and an eARC/HDMI output. It also has a wired Ethernet port, WiFi support, Bluetooth support and a USB port that can be used as a media source. The MA510 has five speaker output channels, each with its own amplifier, and has pre-amp outputs to drive two powered subwoofers. Binding posts for speaker output channels allow speaker wire connection with bare wires, spade terminals or banana plugs. It is highly configurable, capable of adapting to the presence or absence of speakers as well as their specific low-frequency limits. It can also compensate for sound level variations from each speaker channel including subwoofers, and can compensate for room frequency response. I’m initially using the MA510 with a pair of front speakers and a powered subwoofer, connected to a smart TV through the eARC/HDMI port. The smart TV supports ARC but not eARC. Initial Setup Front speakers are connected with 14 gauge speaker wire, an HDMI cable connects the smart TV ARC port to the MA510 eARC port, the subwoofer is connected with a shielded RCA subwoofer cable, and the Ethernet port is wired to a gigabit Ethernet switch. I used the JBL Premium Audio Setup app to enable WiFi operation before connecting the Ethernet cable, and the MA510 immediately performed a firmware update. Very nice! The Owner’s Manual contains an Essential Setup section. It walks you through the process of telling the MA510 which speakers are present, what type of speaker is present, the speaker lower roll-off frequency, the distance to each speaker from a listening position, and how to adjust and balance speaker levels using the MA510 test tone. Speaker level adjustment is an important step. JBL recommends doing this with a meter which is great advice. I used an Android sound meter app along with the calibrated microphone used later for room EQ. While this may not provide an accurate dB sound level measurement, it should be ballpark-ish, and most importantly it provides a fairly precise way to balance speaker sound levels. My subwoofer has volume and crossover frequency controls which also affect its sound level. Once the speaker levels are balanced, it sounds like a home theater system! Room EQ The Owner’s Manual also contains instructions for Room Correction using their EZ Set EQ app. I used the recommended Dayton Audio iMM-6C USB-C microphone with my Android phone. The instructions are detailed and easy to follow, producing one or more filters used by the MA510 to compensate for the natural frequency response of the room. Impressions It really is impressive that a home theater novice can go through these configuration and calibration steps in a few hours. JBL has done an admirable job of making this technology accessible. Even more impressive are the results. I have a 5.2 capable AV receiver operating in a reduced 2.1 configuration, and the audio quality is just amazing. Everything is crisp, clear and detailed, and the subwoofer produces great low-frequency effects that can be felt as well as heard. With a smart TV connected through the MA510 eARC port, the only remote typically needed is the TV remote. When the smart TV is powered on and off, the MA510 also powers on and off. Volume level changes made with the TV remote are displayed identically by the MA510. If someone doesn’t want to use AV receiver audio for some reason, they can power off the MA510 and the smart TV automatically switches to TV speakers. Input sources that aren’t being used can be removed from the list of selectable input source options displayed by the MA510. When changing the input source, you then only have to go through the two or three sources you’re using instead of the ten or so available. The Bluetooth interface is a great feature. Besides using it to stream audio, my old vinyl and CD collection is digitized on an SD card in a tablet paired with the MA510. Classical, jazz, rock, blues and other kinds of music all sound fantastic. Everything is clear, present and deep, and acoustic instruments sound exactly like they should. Conclusion I am beyond thrilled with this home theater system built around the JBL MA510. It is versatile, highly configurable, easy to use, and provides amazing audio performance whether watching a movie or just listening to music. I’m enjoying this system so much that I’ve already ordered a center channel and a pair of surround speakers for a 5.1 configuration!

Living with the JBL MA510 has been pretty straightforward. The design is clean especially in white and it fits right in with my place. It’s way less “look at me” compared to the usual black plastic gear, so it doesn’t really stand out, which I like. Setting it up was easy overall, though the speaker terminals at the back feel cramped if you’re using bare wires instead of plugs. I ended up using plugs for that reason. I’ve connected it to my Klipsch Reference 5.1 speakers and mainly use it for movies and music, whether streaming or from my Blu-ray player. The sound is solid, but of course, a lot depends on your speakers. There’s plenty of clarity and enough bass to make action scenes and music come alive without going overboard. I’m not chasing audiophile-level tweaking, so the basic room calibration options work fine for me, and the EZ Set EQ app is OK when I want to adjust something. The menus aren’t flashy or complicated, it’s simple to pick inputs, though it is more basic compared to some receivers I’ve used before, especially with user interfaces and calibration apps like Audyssey. This AVR isn’t loaded with extras I don’t need. JBL seems to have nailed the features and quality for a simple system. It’s nothing jaw-dropping but way more satisfying than older gear I’ve owned. It feels like it’s made for regular folks like me. My only hope is that this newer minimalist design also means they built it to be really reliable.

I was excited to get my hands on this JBL MA510 receiver as I'm in the process of revamping my home entertainment system. I don't have a lot of electronics to hook up to this yet but this receiver was a good first piece in getting things setup on my end. I have just a Blu-ray player at the moment as well as an AppleTV so consolidating, at least, those two units was a good start for me. As this is a 5 channel receiver, hoping to get a few other units to hook up to this in the future. For now though, hook up was easy and getting both my devices setup with the receiver was no problem. This receiver has more than enough inputs for me to use without sacrificing on quality. A big bonus for me was the built-in bluetooth/wifi which enables me to connect my Spotify as well as stream from my other portable devices like my iPad/iPhone. Also plays hi[res audio however I don't have a substantial collection of those but having this feature is good for future proofing from my end. I have a couple speakers hooked up to this as well and power/sound are really nice. I was a bit worried about needing a separate amp or something to power those but this receiver powers them just nicely. On top of this, the receiver has plenty of other input options which is really nice if I start adding additional devices. So far, this has been a really nice receiver for my home theater. Which the speakers hooked up and everything flowing nicely, this has been a really nice upgrade for my system

My 1st JBL AVR...Tried it for the looks and ease of use. Set up a small media room in one of our bedrooms. I paired it with Polk book shelf speakers and a Klipsch subwoofer. Love the white finish and the over all look of the unit. It's definitely smaller than my Onkyo and Denon AVR's which is a plus for my 11 x 12 media room. So far no problems, sound is good. It's definitely more basic as far as menus go compared to my other AVR's. It has everything I need and could want I don't feel as though it's lacking. I got it at a great priced, it was on sale for the holiday season. Should have the room finished in the next couple of days and will try to remember to post and update with pictures. In my opinion seems like a decent AVR for the money. Also seems to run a lot cooler than my other AVR's.

I’ll try and keep this as short and simple as I can, given the type of buyer this unit is intended for. I haven’t purchased a new AVR since 2006; a JVC unit I’ve been in love with ($800). Recently it had some issues and it will take a while to fix, so after some quick considerations I found this newly released JBL and decided that it was something I’d like to try out in the meantime. I have 6 separate systems in my house. I’m really picky about my components and I’ve chosen to buy used equipment entirely since 2005. I typically do not care about features whatsoever, only 2.1 and 3.1 sound quality. Even though there’s not a single review anywhere in the internet, I decided to give this a shot given I could try it out for up to 60 days risk free. It’s the slimmest unit available anywhere for the price. This was my top priority. It’s less than 1/2” taller than the JVC. Secondary to this, is my concern for sound quality. Beyond that, the ability to AirPlay and stream through this unit is a welcome feature. I also love the minimalist design, and operation is easy and straightforward. Hands down, the JVC is still superior but only in a few areas. Playing music is still a wonderful experience with the JBL. I chose the 510 over the 310 due to the overall power available being closer to the JVC. The JVC had more headroom at volume and less distortion, but it’s absolutely no issue given that this is a bedroom setup. The biggest downfall for me… the center channel is lacking the movie theater character of the JVC. Adjustments have improved it, but it’s still not the same. However I do believe I can deal with this. I’ve only had the JBL for two days. I’ll update this review if I can after more time has past.

This receiver blew me away — super easy to set up, and the sound quality is incredible for the price. Streaming music over Bluetooth and WiFi works flawlessly, and it handles 4K and 8K video without breaking a sweat. Perfect centerpiece for any home theater setup!