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The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

• Rated 4 out of 5 stars

  Solid 12" subs that work great in pairs.

  • Incentivized
  • Verified Purchaser
  • My Best Buy® Member
  • Owned for 3 weeks

  The JBL Stage 220P is part of the Stage 2 set of speakers from JBL. This series is budget friendly, but up-market in looks, with nice veneer, magnetic detachable grilles, and premium overall feel make these a contender in many homes. Is the 220P worth the cash in the mid low-end sub market though? Both units I purchased were open box models, but BestBuy appeared to ship me new units. Neither had been removed from the box and were still factory sealed. Inside the box is pretty basic stuff, including documentation, metal pegs for carpet installation, and the unit itself and grille. My application is paring 2 of these Stage 220p subwoofers with 260F floor standing speakers and a 245c center channel for the front portion of my 7.2.4 Atmos setup. These are placed next to the 260F speakers under my projector screen. The room is an a shape with sloped vaulted ceilings that meet for about 8ft of flat ceiling in the middle. These subwoofers align in the center to help produce even bass in the room. With only one subwoofer, I found large dead spots (not a fault of the 220p, but of the room design). The Stage 220p is easy to work with in most home theater installations. It supports RCA subwoofer level input, which is pretty standard these days. There is a separate volume control, cross over adjust, power mode (On or Auto), Phase (normal or reverse), and a switch for the power supply mode (120v or 220v, which comes locked to 120v unless you remove some screws). Most modern receivers will allow you to adjust the crossover for the subwoofer channel, but it's nice that this unit has an adjustable crossover if you want to tune it w/ a sound bar, or other non-home theater receiver. Installation was a breeze. My Marantz receiver has dual subwoofer outputs, so I'm able to tune individual volumes at the receiver, however each subwoofer has its own volume control. I pushed both of these to about 80% volume on the subwoofers themselves, and my Audeseey calibration put them at -12db. This felt a bit anemic after watching a few scenes and I wonder if it was characteristics of the room that caused this calibration issue (or maybe I just like boomy bass). After calibration, and further 'tweaking' in which I moved the subwoofers to -2db, I set out with some scene watching/calibrations. These speakers may not be high end $1k units, but the dual port design and large 12" driver coupled with a powerful 250w amp make them a force to be reckoned with. I found 25hz just audible, but these subwoofers can produce non-audible frequencies that you want in a home theater. I didn't find them overly boomy, unless I cranked the volume higher. These subwoofers are a dual ported design, and thus can be a bit sloppier than a sealed design. The tradeoff is great volume, and decent frequency response. The 12" drivers are definitely capable. Again, I found them quite responsive and complementary to the rest of the Stage 2 equipment I've purchased. They sound quite nice, and I found them excellent for both music and movies (with a definite lean towards movies). I'm certainly no audiophile, but I felt like for the price these definitely filled my room with the bass I crave for a home theater. I have a dedicated room for media watching, so their size is no problem for me. The fact they match the Stage 2 260F speakers so well means ascetically they match quite well. The espresso color with black grilles matches the rest of the room's vibe quite well. I received my floor standing Stage 2 260F speakers as part of a promotion/review program, but the 245c and both 220p's I purchased out of pocket. Overall while some reviewers have panned this series, properly powered, and calibrated I've been quite happy. They offer a lot more power and volume of sound compared to my old speakers. Overall I won't say they're five stars. I feel like these compete with a lot of other budget units, and while they have some more control, and a bit higher quality than some competitors in this range, they're also quite a bit more expensive. These are mid-way to a higher end sub - which for my budget theater application are perfect. I need loud, responsive, big boom speakers, and two of these completely cover my movie listening area with ease.

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  This review is from JBL - Stage 220P 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer - Espresso

  Posted 10 months ago by aarondr

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Powerful Subwoofer

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  JBL’s Stage 220P subwoofer is great looking, includes useful controls, and packs an amazing punch. Description The Stage 220P has a 12-inch ribbed cone low frequency woofer driven by an internal power amplifier that provides 300 watts RMS, 500 watts peak. The speaker’s +/- 6dB frequency response is from 26 Hz to 150 Hz, with a variable crossover control from 50 Hz to 150 Hz. There is also a volume control, as well as phase and auto-power selections. The enclosure features bass reflex tuning via dual rear-firing flared tuned ports. The cabinet is 16.4 inches high, 15.9 inches wide, 17.5 inches deep and weighs 41.2 lbs. The grill cover is held to the front plate with magnets that do a great job properly positioning the grill cover and hold it securely in place. The subwoofer has a line-level LFE (Low Frequency Effect) input intended to be driven from an AVR (Audio/Video Receiver) subwoofer pre-amp output through a single-ended RCA subwoofer cable. It requires AC power. Impressions The subwoofer cabinet has a beautiful and expensive looking finish and grill cover, which is nice because subwoofers are generally difficult to tuck away somewhere! The Stage 220P produces an amazing home theater experience. It can absolutely shake the house, producing the kind of movie theater low-frequency experience that you feel as well as hear. The subwoofer power switch has two settings, ON and STANDBY. The auto-power STANDBY setting is great, the subwoofer stays in a low-power standby mode until it gets signal from the AVR, at which point it automatically transitions to ON. Part of my AVR setup includes speaker level balancing where a test tone is played through each speaker individually. Sound level is measured with a dB meter, and an AVR gain setting for each speaker is adjusted to obtain the same dB meter sound level from each. In the case of the subwoofer, its crossover frequency setting and volume setting also affect the measured dB level. I found that setting the subwoofer crossover frequency to 110 Hz and volume to 80% worked well. Using those settings I get balanced dB meter sound levels with the AVR subwoofer gain set to +6dB. I need to put in a good word for JBL support here. Being new to setting up a subwoofer and balancing sound levels, I was curious if there is anything unusual about my subwoofer settings with +6dB gain in the AVR. In less than 24 hours after contacting support, I got an excellent technical response via email from an experienced audio person. I learned that what I am seeing is well within normal parameters for subwoofer setup, and they also agreed that with a second subwoofer I should require less AVR gain to each. I am incredibly impressed with the speed and technical quality of the response from JBL support. This isn’t what I’ve come to expect when I contact a manufacturer with a technical question. Bravo JBL! With speaker levels balanced and AVR room EQ completed, the home theater experience is truly wonderful. Subwoofer controls made it easy to set up and adjust to my particular room, speaker and AVR requirements, and the low-frequency contribution makes an enormous difference. JBL’s Stage 220P subwoofer really delivers and is an extremely welcome addition to my home theater setup.

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  This review is from JBL - Stage 220P 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer - Espresso

  Posted 1 year ago by

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  POWERFUL & LARGE SUBWOOFER!

  • Tech Insider Network Member
  • Top 25 Contributor

  JBL and Harman have been iconic names in professional and consumer audio for decades. Both names date back to the audio products of the 1940’s and 1950’s. By the late 1960’s and early 1970’s JBL speakers were the premier speakers in Fender guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets as well as many stage monitors. In the mid 1970’s the Grateful Dead toured with their famous “Wall of Sound” which contained a reported 586 JBL speakers (5”, 12” and 15”). James B. Lansing was associated with a lot of great music. By the 1970’s Harman Kardon stereo receivers were a favorite among audiophiles. JBL and Harman Kardon were responsible for some of the most respected and popular professional audio equipment as well as consumer products. Through the decades the companies experienced ownership and management changes wherein fast-forward to the present day, Harman International is a subsidiary of Samsung, and includes JBL and a collective of some of the most renowned and respected audio products companies. JBL Harman just released the new product line comprised of MA (Modern Audio) series AV receivers and JBL Stage 2 series speakers. Among the factors that attracted me to these new components is that the MA AV receivers and Stage 2 speakers are matched components. From my perspective, there are several compelling advantages to using matched components, particularly as compared to cobbling together a home theater system from components from various manufacturers or even various products from a single manufacturer. First, all of the speakers share the same physical appearance characteristics, including their modern, minimalist design style, and their availability in either an Espresso (dark) or Latte (light) woodgrain speaker enclosure finish, with complimentary colored black or gray, magnetically attached removable grilles. The MA receivers are available with either a black or white face on a black cabinet. More importantly, they are matched technically. All of the speaker enclosures share the same construction and sound shaping characteristics with similar tuned rear ports, transducer design, construction and electrical characteristics, similar crossover networks and matched impedance. These speakers are also technically matched to the new MA model AV receivers, including matched power handling, with the intention of producing outstanding sound reproduction. In fact, towards those end-goals, the new MA AV receivers and the Stage 2 speakers were all designed and engineered at the JBL Harman Acoustic Engineering Center of Excellence in Northridge, California. The speakers and receivers will perform optimally together, because they are purposefully designed for perfect integration and compatibility. Another important attribute of the MA series receivers and Stage 2 series speakers is that JBL designed and engineered them for simplicity of setup/installation and simplicity of operation. People who are neither devoted audiophiles, engineers or industry professionals are able to rely on these components being the perfect accompaniments for each other. There are enough selections available to get just what you want and need, but there is no overwhelming complexity to create a difficult or intimidating experience when selecting, setting up or using these terrific components. I am extremely impressed with the performance of my JBL Harman components, all of which sound terrific. My outstanding JBL Harman home theater system is comprised of: MA7100HP – 7.2 Channel AV Receiver Stage 280F – Floorstanding (Tower) Speakers – Front Channels Stage 240H – Atmos Height Modules (Atmos Caps) – Mounted on 280F Speakers Stage 245C – Center Channel Speaker Stage 250B – Bookshelf Speakers – Rear Channels Stage 220P – 12” 250 Watt RMS Powered Subwoofer This assemblage of perfectly matched JBL Harman components is a stellar home theater system which sounds absolutely amazing! I am incredibly impressed and completely satisfied with the Stage 220P Subwoofer Speaker. The 220P Subwoofer is the larger of the two powered subwoofer speaker models available in the JBL Stage 2 series. SPECIFICATIONS – STAGE 220P (From JBL Documentation): Type: Powered Subwoofer Low Frequency Driver: 12-inch (300mm) Polycellulose Ribbed High Excursion Amplifier Power: 250W RMS (500W Dynamic) Frequency Response ± 6dB: 26Hz-150Hz (Conflicts with other JBL Documentation stating: 29Hz-150Hz) Crossover Frequencies: 50Hz-150Hz (variable) 24dB/octave Controls: 35Hz-150Hz (Conflicts with other JBL Documentation stating: 50Hz-150Hz) Controls: Auto Power, Crossover, Level, Phase Inputs: One (1) Line-Level LFE Input Enclosure Tuning: Bass-Reflex via Dual Rear-Firing Tuned Ports Power Requirements: 120V, 60Hz (US) 220-230V, 50/60Hz (EU) Power Consumption: <0.5W (standby) / 205W/1.6A (max – 230V) / 205W/3.15A (max – 120V) Finish: Espresso or Latte Dimensions (HxWxD): 16.4in x 15.9in x 17.5in (416mm x 405mm x 444mm) Product Weight: 41.2 lbs. (18.7 kg) Shipping Weight: 51.4 lbs. (23.3kg) The large and fairly heavy Stage 220P active, powered subwoofer is equipped with a front firing 12” polycellulose transducer which very effectively moves a lot of air and produces energetic, palpable bass notes. The 250 watt RMS powered amplifier coupled to the large speaker delivers very deep, room filling bass even in a large room. Proper subwoofer placement and crossover frequency selection optimize production of deep, accurate and smooth bass. Since low frequencies are not directional like higher frequencies, placement near a room corner is frequently the preferred location for optimizing bass response by capitalizing on low frequencies being reflected by hard surfaces like walls, and minimizing absorption by soft furnishings. The magnetically attached grille with its orange frame exposed at the sides matches the other Stage 2 series speakers. The rear panel includes the jack for the detachable power cord and a protected voltage selection switch which also allows use of the 220P on 220-240V mains. The rear panel also has the RCA connector for the subwoofer input cable, a rotary knob for the 50Hz – 150Hz crossover network, a volume control knob, a phase reversal slide switch, a similar switch to select “auto-power”, and a power LED. There are a pair of stacked ports on the rear of the subwoofer enclosure which JBL describes as “ Bass-Reflex Design with Dual Rear-Firing Flared Ports. The Bass-Reflex design of the 220P use dual rear-firing flared ports. This new flared design reduces the velocity of the air when exiting the speaker cabinet, eliminating any chuffing or coloration of output”. I adhere to the generally accepted “standard” of setting the low-pass crossover of my receiver at 80 db and directing the low frequencies to the powered subwoofer. Adjustment of subwoofer gain is subjective, but I like to set up my subwoofer to deliver strong, palpable yet smooth bass presence, holding short of overdriven thumping distorted bass. The JBL Stage 220P is an absolutely outstanding Low Frequency Effects (LFE) speaker that is ideally matched with the rest of my JBL home theater components. It has more than sufficient power to compliment the substantial and impressive audio being delivered by the large Stage 2 speakers which are driven by the powerful MA 7100HP receiver. The bass in music as well as the low frequency effects in movies is powerful, accurate and realistic. Low frequencies are felt by the body as much as they are heard by the ear, and the Stage 220P really delivers! The matched design and engineering of the Stage 2 series speakers and the MA series AV receivers makes it extremely simple and easy to specify and select a complete home theater system comprised of excellent, premium level components from an outstanding audio component manufacturer, with a very long and rich company heritage. Our listening and viewing experience has improved significantly with the Harman JBL home theater components. Whether playing streamed movies or music, or using my Blu-Ray player, CD changer, or turntable, we are now enjoying the experience more than we did previously. The Stage 2 speakers and MA7100HP AVR provide extraordinary, room filling, high resolution audio with incredible fidelity across the full sound spectrum. As soon as I had connected and configured the system, running Top Gun Maverick, with its powerful soundtrack including plentiful height effects and powerful low frequency effects, was really incredible and satisfying! A few movies and concert videos later I was beyond impressed with how outstanding the Harman JBL components are! This is really how high-performance component audio should sound. The home theater experience with these components is truly a theater experience! I am confident that the Stage 220P powered subwoofer is the best choice for low frequency effect speaker in this great home theater system. I am extremely impressed with it, and I am enjoying its powerful performance.

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  This review is from JBL - Stage 220P 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer - Espresso

  Posted 1 year ago by Curmudgeon1