JBL - Stage2 240B 2-Way 4.5-inch (114mm) Bookshelf Loudspeaker - Pair - Latte

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.

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 stage 2 240B Bookshelf speaker is just what I needed to go with my new JBL MA310. These are very nice looking and built very well, the front mesh protectors snaps to the front of the speaker via magnets. There are a few air relief channels in the back of the speaker. The speaker will mount to your wall with the included mount brackets or they can just as easily sit on a Shelf or TV stand. I am using mine as a smaller surround sound setup up sans the rear speakers in my living room. I used quality 18 gauge wires with banana connectors that plug into the back of the speakers. The connectors give you a few options on connections which is nice. I found the high treble was very good, the mid tones spot on and the bass surprising loud for such a small footprint. These pair well with the JBL subwoofer line that packs quite a punch. The 240 has anodized aluminum dome tweeters and a Polycellulose ribbed cone woofer and a top quality wood grain enclosure. The front mesh cover is attached by magnets. I highly recommend these to family and friends.