Compact size, and clear sound. What else is good in the JBL One Series 104 columns

Consumer speakers for home games and listening to MP3 is usually not suitable for the installation of video information tracks or podcasts due to the bias of sound. Such speakers can produce too much bass or be non-obvious sag in the most unpredictable frequency intervals.

Sound good monitor should be fair and balanced in the entire active range of frequencies, so that after the composition information legibly and sounded nice and headphones and laptop speakers. Professional monitors that meet these requirements, there are tens of thousands of rubles apiece and take up much space.

This year, JBL introduced the One Series 104 - Column category "prosumer", who are between the amateur and professional products. They stand and look like home, but at the same time meet the high requirements for the purity of the sound. We tested them in the wording to figure out how they sound, and it is useful.

Specifications

Equipment

Includes speakers, twisted pair cable for their connection, power cords with the Euro and American plug, RCA-minijack cable and instruction manual.

This is all that is needed to connect the speakers to the player, laptop or smartphone.

Design

Speakers weigh a little less than four kilograms, take up little space on the desktop and placed in the backpack. This means that you can take them with you to the visiting session or a long vacation.

The main body is made of impact-resistant plastic matt black. At the front of the speaker are metal grids, for which clear speaker cone and logo JBL size of a postage stamp. Nothing extra.

JBL One Series 104 look like a stylish and expensive, but the home column. Due to the modest size and streamlined shape, they fit perfectly into the interior of the usual room with books and house plants.

Ports and management

The right column home - all interfaces are concentrated on it.

This is what is located on the rear of the case:

• RCA-inputs for connecting unbalanced devices. Popular interface, in common parlance - "tulip". As a sound source used with this interface, is usually the consumer appliances: laptops, smartphones, iPods, TVs. Cord with a minijack-plug at the other end comes in the kit.
• TRS-connectors for balanced connection. In theory, if such a connection reduces the amount of interference from the power supply, but in practice, at home parasitic noise and it will not. TRS-cable interface is not supplied. Buy it makes sense if you listen to audio with professional devices.
• Clamps for twisted pair cable that connects between a column (the same is on the left column).
• Power button.
• Input for the power cable.

The front is 20-way volume control with a pleasant impact and nice lighting. Beneath it is AUX-in and headphone jack. It is not optional - when you use it the sound from the speaker is turned off.

No equalizer - to adjust the frequency, it is necessary to take advantage of the audio source settings.

Sound

JBL One Series 104 should not be compared with a full-fledged studio monitors, but something from professional equipment, they still have - for example, the purity and objectivity of sound.

Objectivity is expressed in a fairly flat frequency response chart on all the involved interval. This means that the music in them sounds more or less honest - without distortions in the upper or lower frequencies, which for "vkusnoty" sound often turn up at the home technology. Therefore JBL One Series 104 are suitable for music creation, audio editing for video blogs and podcasts information.

The purity of the sound can be described as improved intelligibility: when working on the sound is very important to the dynamics of quickly worked out the audio, allowing to hear all the sounds independently and distinguish over some fragments still needed Job.

Each column is set coaxial loudspeaker, comprising 4.5-inch low and midrange with paper cone and dome tweeter cloth with a diameter of 0.75 inches. System power - 60 watts to 30 watts for each of the speakers. The stock volume for home acoustics sufficient peak sound pressure - 104 dB. At maximum volume (on which you are unlikely to listen to music while sitting at a computer) distortions we have not noticed.

4.5-inch speakers physically can not provide a complete balance of the sound without sagging in the lower frequencies, so for bass enhancement in JBL One Series 104 meet holes behind fazinvertorov speakers. And here it is important to build up the scene:

• JBL One Series 104 should be the same distance, and be sent to the user - the sound potential is revealed when the column "look" per person at the table.
• Speakers should be placed at ear level. This is because the - the direction of the sound, the more fulfilling.
• The speakers should face the wall. Lack of frequencies up to 100 Hz offset from the speakers of the sound waves from the scattering holes phase inverters. To the sound I do not go nowhere, behind JBL One Series 104 should be the surface from which the sound is reflected and returned to the room.

JBL One Series 104 demanding deployment in space, but if you do everything right, you'll get an objective and powerful sound. From the columns that are less than traditional monitors in 1.5-2 times.

test Layfhakera

To finally make in the above listing, we listened to a few tracks in various genres. As an audio device used Macbook Pro 2011 release, as a player - strimingovy service Spotify music to OGG Vorbis format and bit rate of 320 kbit / s.

Air and dynamics: Florence + The Machine - Delilah

This is a complete track, not oversaturated tools and additional parties. In it there is the ease, lightness, precision and minimalism, but develops gradually composition. If the first seconds of the vocal chords complemented by keyboard, by the middle of the track has a dance rhythm support drums, tambourine, bass and subtle synths.

JBL One Series 104 retained air and space composition conceived sound engineer, and equally well have proven to in the introduction, and in the development of the track. Nothing to complain about.

Study of the stage and the sound in stereo: Pink Floyd - Money

This track is playing with a panorama as he pleases: Instruments and samples find their place not only in the left or right channel but at different distances from the listener.

There was a quick test: with JBL One Series 104 tricks Pink Floyd work. I hear keyboards and hi-hat sound next to me, and crash - somewhere far away. I can estimate the distance in meters to the cash machines, the sounds that are heard from left and right.

Attack and decay: Chemical Brothers - Das Spiegel

Track acceding unexpectedly and surprisingly also ending sounds tools sharp small drum and cable lines.

Das Spiegel sounds just as abruptly as it should, without losing any dynamics or in the definition.

Simultaneous sounding the bass and treble: Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum

German Christmas hymn, or rather its jazz version, adapted by Vince Guaraldi for the cartoon "Charlie Brown Christmas." Sound here minimalist drums, keyboards and then go to the upper registers, plays bass so low as to play bass.

Low walking bass notes sound clear and readable. At the same time does not strain and high notes staccato keyboards in the middle of the composition. Confirmed the thesis of the universality of the speakers provided the music correctly is reduced initially.

Extreme bass: Tyler, The Creator - Who Dat Boy

Hip Hop track with the sounds of bass drum Roland TR-808. The legendary drum machine will soon be forty, but it seems to be more swinging bass sounds have not yet been invented.

Everything here is in place, but that this track would not prevent an additional subwoofer. Because of their size column may not "swing" the right amount of air that we felt the lowest frequencies in full, even though all the sounds clearly recognized. If you listen only Trap and hip-hop, and love to basilo to columns is better to purchase woofer.

Balance at different frequencies and sound in stereo: The Mars Volta - Cicatriz ESP

This 12.5-minute track is leaving almost complete silence, it involves dozens of instrumental tracks - sometimes noisy and dissonant. Such music simply can not listen to anything horrible.

There were no cereal and cacophony. At moments, where it plays all at once, I just did not have enough frequencies in the lower mid-range, but I justify this nuanced information.

To suit JBL One Series 104

JBL One Series 104 does not play in the same field with large studio monitors. They take different: compact, lightweight and unpretentiousness to the sources, while maintaining a balanced and detailed sound. Sound engineer with a large studio and professional equipment needed something more serious. But who these speakers may suit:

• musicians to record "demos" and as monitors for the studio "on the road";
• bloggers and podcast leading to processing voice and mix tracks;
• anyone for games, watching movies and listening to music on the computer.

To learn more