LOOK GREAT BUT SOUND **** | JBL 308P MKII Studio Monitors

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Welcome back. Today I am going to teach you about a speaker that is only £200, $250-$300 each. So we are talking low end. Now a lot of people have asked me to review speakers that are more affordable. So that I can give you my two pence on whether they sound any good or not. So today we are reviewing the JBL 3 Series MkII. So you can see, it's a midfield, nearfield-y speaker. Now before I carry on, if you like these videos, I do long videos every week. Do loads of shorts too. So, make sure that you hit the like button and make sure you're subscribed. Because if most people aren't basically  watch my videos. Make sure you are. And then, it'll make you worth doing.

Anyway, this is the JBL. I got this in. It's not an ad by the way. Because I know a lot of people in the comments always say, your channels turn into an ad channel. It hasn't. I never do any ads for anything. I'm not paid for anything. There's no money in it. Basically music people don't want to pay you for ads. So I would do some if people want pay me, but they don't. So I bought these so that I could review them. So these are the JBL JBL 3 Series MkII.

Now it's quite, it's not massively heavy as you can see. I can do it. They're rear ported. So you don't want it too close to the back wall. It's got a balanced input. It also has a jack input. It has some boundary EQs as they call them these days. But essentially all that is is a low-end and a high-end trim.  So the closer you have this to the wall, you're better off probably trimming a little bit off in the EQ. So they're just like little pots does -2 + 2 and -3, -1.5. So basically the closer it is, the more boom bass you're gonna have. So you turn it down and it's got a volume knob and an input sensitivity. Good thing about this volume knob. Because, if you remember. I reviewed the Adam speaker, that's in the same category as this. Which has got an 8in Woofer on it. This is a stepped pot, which super important. Because it means that you're gonna be able to set it up a little bit easier. Than if it was just sweeping. And you don't know exactly where you are. So pretty handy.

I think they look alright. I don't what you think. But they're got this glossy front on them that very snazzy. Don't they? They use a lot of JBL stuff for the film business. They have a lot of film cinema stuff. So you don't necessarily come across them that much in recording studios and mastering studios. But, I think they're trying to make a few inroads with this one. Now, these are plastic-y. They're quite nice looking. It is what it is really. It's 250 quid each one. So you're probably talking. I dont know. I think they're about £400. I pay for them. So how do they sound is the main thing we want to know, isn't it? So I've had the Adams ones plugged in downstairs whilst I'm working in my office for a while. And they've always sounded, all right. I've been quite impressed with those. So these ones I've plugged in as well, a couple of days ago. Instead of those, just so I can get a reference point of we're at with these speakers and they sound okay.

Now, first thing I noticed was they're lacking a bit in the low end. But if you watch my stuff often enough. You know that I always think that these speakers, when you got two-way speakers should have a sub with them as well. Because then, this speaker is only dealing with the mid frequencies. This is dealing with the highs and then you throw the southern noise off into the sub. They go down to 37 Hertz. It doesn't seem like I can hear anything at 37Hz on them. If I'm totally honest with you. They seem like they're 50Hz and high, maybe 60. Which is why I think you'd probably want to get a sub with them as well. And then, I think they'd play better because then this speaker isn't like trying to do loads of work. At first, first impression was bit low. But also, they didn't go low. But my other first impression was the stereo image was super tight and really good.

So they had really good imaging for the size of the speaker. So that was a real plus point. I thought the top end was okay. Not as detailed as the Adams that I had, but detailed enough. But then the more I listened to them. I actually found them quite flat and a bit boring. I couldn't hear much. I couldn't hear a lot of detail. I could hear detail, but it's not something I'd want to work on. I don't think. So I wasn't massively over impressed with them. They didn't get me excited. They didn't want me to play my music through them. I wasn't thinking. What's this track gonna sound like. What's that one going to do? It just was a little bit. It's a speaker. And for me that wasn't that exciting. I'd rather, I want to hear more detail in the mids and the tops.

I know that they're cheap. And I know that they are cheap. And I know that they're not key speakers. But I still think I've listened to enough speakers of this size. And they just were a bit boring and a little bit not enough detail for me in the midst and stuff. Like I say, maybe if you threw off a lot of the bass weight into a sub. And let them play a bit more, maybe this might bring you a bit more detail out  stereo image. Superb. They're okay for the money. They're okay. They look the part. So if you're looking for a budget speaker 250 quid each, have a listen. Speakers are very much dependent on the room. So these could sound great in your room. And some other ones could sound rubbish. But as I say, try and get the sub. If you've got two way speaker. Always try and get the sub or by yourself. A set of like three ways, which are a similar size, but you're gonna be paying a bit more for that. But it might work out the same two speakers in a sub or a three way.

Three ways are always better in a smaller room, I think. Anyway, that's it. That is the JBL 3 Series MkII. Make sure you like this video. And tell me if there's any speakers you want me to listen to. Or if you've heard these, stick that in the comments. Let me know what you are thinking. I'll see you on the next one. Bye.