JBL - Stage2 245C 2.5-Way Quad 4.5-inch (114mm) Center Channel Loudspeaker - Each - Espresso

The Stage 2 245C is JBL's budget friendly home theater center channel. This speaker is meant to be paired with a set of JBL Stage 2 speakers (260F or 280F) for the front three channels in a home theater arrangement. Overall I found this speaker excellent in its center channel duties. I purchased this item during the holidays to complete a the front arrangement of Stage 2 I was building. I have 2x260F floor standing speakers handling left and right duties. Due to their size, they were greatly outclassing my old center channel, and my assumption is that the 245C would pair nicely with them. I was not disappointed. Upon opening the box, you will find pretty simple contents. Paperwork, a well packaged and wrapped speaker (in thin foam to protect it, with the grille packaged separately). The speaker itself includes no real mounting hardware, but rather just the rather supple construction measuring at 8.5" deep, 6.1" tall and 29.1" wide. 4 4.5" full range drivers flank the central aluminum tweeter. These are a 2.5 way design, with a crossover that helps blend the frequency smoothly from the tweeter to the adjacent woofers, allowing them to blend the mids down with the outer-most woofers to handle the lower frequencies. This design keeps the sweet spot nice a large for this center channel. Around back are dual bass ports, and 5-way binding posts... I just used banana jacks. The espresso finished matches my 260F's well. Again my application is a home theater, and to pair with other JBL Stage 2 speakers. I was quite pleased with the 245C. Not only did it provide crisp clear audio, it provided a volume and completeness of sound I never got from my original 3 element center. Dialog doesn't get lost, but the mids and highs flow through quite nicely in movies. Calibrating these speakers is a must, and my Marantz receiver w/ Audyssey did a fantastic job of getting the most out of this speaker. I love the capabilities of this center. I feel like the 4 main speaker drivers and tweeter provide the sort of volume you need for a center. In a lot of movies, the center channel is the main speaker, and you rely on it for more than even dialog. I will say this was a great purchase for me. The JBL Stage 2 series is not cheap, but the quality from JBL seems top notch. In my fairly wide home theater setup, the 245C hauls its weight and fills the room with great dialog and effects. It blends seamlessly with the 260F floor standers and isn't overpowered by them at all. It packs a punk, and as long as its driven by a good amp, you will be happy with it.

Got rid of my soundbar and started building a better home theater system using JBL speakers. The sound is amazing. The center channel speaker slid right into the opening of my fake fireplace.

I upgraded my Vizio sound bar and this speaker hits harder and is 20x louder!! Sounds superior!!

The JBL Stage 2 240H height speakers are a wedge-shaped home theater speakers used as either Atmos speakers that sit on top of a bed layer speaker or as a height speaker mounted to a wall or ceiling. The 240H does not ship with any mounting hardware. As such, I configured the 240H speakers as Atmos speakers. I can mount wall mount these speakers if I want. These speakers have both a keyhole and a mounting hole to accommodate both JBL and third-party wall mounts. The speakers ship with a black, sticky, jelly like anti-slip pad that is used to stick the 240H to the top of the Stage 2 tower or bookshelf speakers. The adhesive is strong enough to hold the 240H in place but not so strong that it creates a permanent bond. In my case, I have the 240H height speaker sitting on top of my JBL Stage 2 280F tower speakers. I can tell you for fact that the 240H will not fall off my towers if bumped, tilted, or moved. The pad serves a secondary purpose; to decouple the 240H from the host speaker. This prevents any cabinet resonance from either speaker from interacting with each other. The last thing you want to hear in the middle of a big action scene are your speakers rattling around. === Performance === For reference, my 240H height speakers are integrated into a 5.1.2 theater consisting of the JBL Stage 2 250B bookshelf speakers, 280F tower speakers, 245C center channel, Stage 220P 12-inch subwoofer, and the JBL MA710HP AVR. My test 4K movie for any new speakers or gear is Pacific Rim, Scene 2. This is the first fight between Gypsy Danger and a Kaiju. The scene has everything from rain, splashing ocean waves, stressed actuators, ship horns, distressed metal effects, angry animal roars, and screaming male voices. Sometimes all at once! Pacific Rim has a lot of height affects, which is partly why I use this movie to help test and calibrate my system. However, from my listening position, I did not feel like I was getting any Atmos effects. I did two things to prove this out. First, I unplugged all my speakers except the 240Hs. Second, I fast forwarded to the middle of chapter eight. This scene takes place on a balcony with heavy rain serving as a backdrop. This scene also shares the rain effects between the heights and the bed layer speakers. Essentially, I used the rain as a poor man’s pink noise to help with troubleshooting. The rain effect can be subtle depending on the speakers, speaker positions, number of speakers, and how much power is dedicated to those speakers. I could hear the rain clearly standing next to the speaker. Though, it seemed very quiet. From my seating position, seven feet away, the rain sounded like background static. I fast forwarded to some movie scenes where additional height effects were present. I admit that the 240Hs added some dimensionality to those scenes but I heard nothing that justified adding the 240H height speakers to the system. I figured that this may be a calibration issue with the AVR. Which prompted me to recalibrate the height speakers. The EZ Set EQ software, which JBL uses for their MA AVR room calibration, calibrates each speaker pair separately. Hence, I could focus just on the 240Hs and not worry about the rest of the system. I played through my demo scenes again and did get better results. The rain still did not sound like it was coming from the sky. And, in all honestly, I did not realize the impact the 240Hs had on the system until I demoed multi-channel stereo. With Multi-channel stereo, I got more of the 280F Tower speakers. For example, I tested multi-channel stereo with just the 280Fs and 240H height speakers plugged into the MA710HP. My musical selection was Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21 in C Major, K 467 II. Andante. The JBL 280F Tower speakers sounded good in simple, two-channel stereo. Engaging multi-channel stereo brough the 240Hs online. The combination of 280Fs and 240Hs really delivered the WOW factor I was so desperately missing. The 240H’s made the 280Fs sound as big as the room is tall. That’s impressive! And really gets to the heart of what Atmos speakers can bring to the table. Getting back to Pacific Rim. In the past, I played this movie in a room with dedicated on-wall speakers. The rain sounds like actual rain in this configuration. Helicopter flybys sound like helicopter flybys. And waves breaking over the top plane of my bed layer speakers (there is no other way to describe it) sound like they are breaking over the tops of my bed layer speakers. The 240Hs in Atmos configuration, in this room, simply does not provide the same level of experience as dedicated on wall speakers can. However, the 240H’s can be mounted on a wall! They are specifically designed with an angled baffle to point at the listener from a wall position. The speakers have dedicated Atmos/Height switches to tell the speaker which configuration you are using. These are going on my wall as soon as I can get the right hardware. Placing these speakers on my front wall will take a sound track with height effects to the next level. === Construction and aesthetics === The 240H height speakers are well-constructed speakers even by high value, budget friendly standards. The vinyl espresso wood wrap is very well executed and matches my entertainment center. This unifies my front stage since my 240H’s are mounted to my 280F Towers which are right next to my entertainment center. This would not be as important to me if the 240Hs were hanging on a wall or from the ceiling. But, still, the color pallet JBL chose does a great job of unifying my whole theater. The front baffle of the 240H is matt black. Unlike the Stage 2 Towers, Center, Bookshelves, and subwoofers, the 240H’s baffle does not extend past the edges of the speaker. The 1” anodized aluminum tweeter’s wave guide is much smaller than the rest of the speakers in the Stage 2 line. In all fairness, it probably does not require the extra space due to the limited use Atmos or Height speakers play with most movies and musical content. Since the baffle is much smaller, the illusion of size afforded to the other Stage 2 speakers is missing here. The front baffle edges also do not frame the speaker grills. This is not a bad thing because the oversized baffle would make the speaker look out of place while hanging out on top of another speaker in Atmos mode. The speaker grills are smartly constructed, attractive, and really help the speakers pop. The grill frame is constructed of a single piece of JBL Orange molded plastic. Gray toned textured colored acoustic fabric is stretched across the plastic frame. JBL brand is silk screened onto the front bottom of each grill. The fabric appears machine cut and glued to the back of the frame. The design and construction are very clean and give the speaker a professional look. The grills attach to the baffle with strong magnets. Simply brushing the speaker during a walk-by will not be enough to knock the grills off. Heck! Good luck knocking the 240H off of the top of a speaker while using the black pad! The back side of the speaker grills have soft felt to protect the speaker baffle from scratching due to removing and replacing the speaker grills. In my opinion, these speakers look fantastic with grills on or off. The binding posts are as no-frills and budget as they get. They will accept bar wire, spades, and banana plugs. I use banana plugs for all my equipment because I am constantly swapping out equipment and components. For the Stage 2 speakers, in general, a small plug needs to be removed from the top of each binding post before the binding post will accept a banana plug. Please note, bare wire will make the best possible connection between your AVR/receiver and your speakers. Finally, there is an Atmos/Surround switch located next to the binding posts. The switch is set to Atmos for my setup. Overall, the fit, finish, and construction of these speakers are fantastic. === Conclusion === Normally, high-value, budget friendly speakers look slapped together and cheap. The JBL Stage 2 240H Height speakers look anything but cheap. These speakers are very well thought out, purposely stylized, professionally executed, and look fantastic in my room. JBL also thought through how these speakers will connect to, and remain stable, on top of the matching Stage 2 280F Tower speakers. The overall results are handsome, stable, and unobtrusive speaker positions that are functional and sound great. Proper positioning, calibration, clean power, and a solid AVR will allow the 240Hs to put the finishing touches on your home theater or multi-channel audio system experience. It took some work to dial these speakers in properly. And was well rewarded for my efforts. For high value, budget friendly speakers, these do a great job.

JBL and Harman have been iconic names in professional and consumer audio for decades. Both names date 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. 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 245C Center Channel Speaker. SPECIFICATIONS – STAGE 245C (From JBL Documentation): Type: Center Channel Loudspeaker System Low Frequency Driver: Quad 4.5-inch (114 mm) Polycellulose Ribbed Cone High Frequency Driver: 1-inch (25 mm) Anodized Aluminum Waveguide: Next Generation HDI™ Recommended Amplifier Power: 20-150 W RMS power: 75 W Frequency Response -6 dB: 55 Hz-25 kHz Frequency Response -3 dB: 82 Hz-25 kHz Sensitivity @ 1 M, 2.83 V: 91 dB Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohms Crossover Frequencies: 1.3 Khz/2.0 kHz Enclosure Tuning: Bass Reflex via Dual Rear-Firing Tuned Ports Finish: Espresso or Latte Dimensions (H x W x D): 6.1 in x 29.1 in x 8.5 in (156 mm x 740 mm x 217 mm) Product Weight: 26.4 lbs. (12.0 kg) Shipping Weight: 32.2 lbs. (14.7 kg) Regarding the 1-inch tweeter and horn shaped waveguide in the 245C, JBL explains that “through intense research of previous waveguide designs, JBL has developed a new complex geometry that improves directivity, reduced diffraction, and an overall neutral frequency response both on and off axis. The Stage 2 HDI Horn is coupled to an anodized aluminum dome tweeter to enhance efficiency and dynamics”. This claim is validated when listening to the 245C. The reproduction of high frequencies is excellent. The highs are bright and crisp, clear and undistorted. The distinct timbre of all high-frequency instrumental notes is well defined and accurate. Voices are extremely clear and distinct and do not become “lost” in the mix. There is no sibilance either. JBL also furnishes some additional details regarding the crossover network of the 245C, explaining that the two and one-half way (2.5) crossover network is designed to cross over the top (inboard) 4.5” woofers just below the 1” tweeter’s output, while the bottom (outboard) 4.5” woofers crosses over at a different, lower frequency. JBL states that, “this creates a dynamic mid-range but both woofers still extend as deep as they can go for powerful bass. This produces cohesive balanced output with a robust low end that can be both heard and felt.” Obviously, I cannot technically validate the JBL description of the crossover network, however listening to the 245C speaker is a genuine pleasure. When listening to a variety of source materials, including different genres of music sources, I find that the full range of audio frequencies sound pure and realistic. The highs are beautifully represented, and the mid-range frequencies sound clear and accurate. The low, bass frequencies are deep and resonant. JBL also claims that “the flared design of the dual rear ports reduces the velocity of the air when exiting the speaker cabinet, eliminating any chuffing or coloration of output.” The Stage 245C center channel speaker is not a small center channel speaker with just one or two transducers. The 245C is a large center channel speaker with four premium 4.5” woofers in addition to the horn augmented 1” tweeter. In fact, the size and weight of the 245C is a consideration for placement of the speaker which should, of course, be directly below the screen. There are no wall mount brackets supplied for the substantial 26.4 lb. 245C, and the 6” height and 29” width may be an issue if the paired television rests on a TV credenza, as mine does. JBL does not offer a matching center channel speaker stand. The Stage 245C speaker is provided with six anti-slip pads which can be used beneath the speaker to reduce vibration. The speaker cable binding posts are recessed and configured at a 45° angle making connecting bare wire challenging, especially if 12 gauge wire is used. The Stage 245C speaker looks great, but more importantly it sounds fantastic with every type of source material that I have used and each music genre that I have played. It has excellent power handling capabilities, and remains clear and undistorted even at extremely high volume levels. The four large, 4.5” transducers and waveguide equipped aluminum tweeter project sound beautifully even in the large room where I am using this system. Since most dialog is typically directed to the center channel speaker, voice clarity is frequently an issue with center channel speakers. Many users resultantly need to set the center channel level a few db higher to improve voice clarity. The Stage 245C does not need a db boost to produce incredibly clear dialog. It is a very powerful and competent speaker. The Stage 245C speaker is mated to the JBL MA7100HP AVR which is a reasonably powerful receiver rated at 125 W RMS Rated Power @ 8Ω (20Hz – 20kHz, 2 channels driven, 0.5% THD max) and 175W RMS Rated Power @ 4Ω (20Hz – 20kHz, 2 channels driven, 0.5% THD max). 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 and height 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 245C speaker is the perfect center channel speaker in this great home theater system. I am extremely impressed with it, and I am enjoying its performance a great deal.