JBL Duet Speakers, White Reviews

• All I can say is WOW!!!!

  
  By A3KTEUOXW4AT4T on 2005-06-20
  Let me start by saying I am REALLY REALLY REALLY picky about the quality of sound. I needed a pair of speakers for my office (I have an older pair of speakers that I hook my iPod up to that I wanted to replace.) Well, I came across these and then searched for as many reviews as I could about them...most of the reviews turned out to be very good as a matter of fact! After doing a search for them, I saw they were available at Office Depot so decided to purchase them in-store...however, when I went there I did not see them and was told by a sales associate they were only available at their online store. The (very nice) gentleman then convinced me to rather go for some Logitech x-230 speakers with a sub-woofer. Very hesitantly, I decided to take a chance. Well, after plugging them in and listening to a sample of music, I unplugged them 1/2 a minute later and returned them the next day. I then decided to go ahead an purchase these JBL Duet speakers. They have just arrived, I just plugged them in...am listening to them right this very moment after sampling a variety of music (classical, heavy rock, etc.) and I must say...***WOW***...they are EXCEPTIONAL!!!!!!!!! Super crisp high notes & midtones with all the background instruments clearly coming through...listening to classical music is simply a pleasure!! On the other end of the scale, the rich, deep, full-bodied bass & undertones effortlessly carry the heavy rock & deep classical sounds giving the sound the true depth it needs to really appreciate the music for what it is. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend these!!!
  
  

• Wow! Incredibly good sound for such small, inexpensive speakers

  
  By A21WPCJ3C2HC4G on 2006-11-28
  I'm an audio engineer, and I'm NOT easily impressed, but these little speakers are the best-sounding personal speakers I've ever heard. In fact, they're better than many larger, pricier systems.
  The bass response is the biggest surprise. It's natural-sounding and open, not stuffy or forced, yet it has a surprising amount of punch for such small speakers, without being the slightest bit "boomy". To my ears in my listening environment, they have an amazingly smooth frequency response across the entire audible range.
  In case you think I'm kidding, I usually mix on a pair of Genelec tri-amped studio monitors whose price tag was more than 100 times that of the JBL Duet speakers. On several occasions, I've opened GarageBand or Logic Pro 7 to record a musical idea and ended up doing a rough mix, forgetting that I was listening to the Duet speakers rather than the big monitors. At low levels in a near-field application (...sorry, that's audio geekspeak -- for all you normal humanoids who don't have the audiogeek mutant gene, that means the speakers are close to you...like on your desktop), these little speakers are surprisingly accurate.
  I've owned my Duets for almost one year. I loved them so much that I immediately bought extra sets for my kids to use with their iPods. For the money, I've never heard anything better. My thanks to the folks at JBL for creating such a terrific speaker at such a reasonable price.
  
  

• JBL speakers for an iPod

  
  By A2957H6MZQI9HV on 2004-12-07
  I bought a pair of these for my iPod. They work perfectly for a bedroom, office, etc. These speakers put out some great sound. I ordered two more sets as gifts.
  
  

• they make sound.

  
  By A3L1TG3OOOTRBR on 2005-11-29
  I'm not really sure what people are raving about. They work OK, but they still sound like PC speakers. That is, they do not give a full sound. They are probably better than whatever speakers came with your computer, but not by much. There is no comparison to the full sound that you get from even a modest (bookshelf) stereo system. My advice: If you just want speakers that make sound, these are fine. If you want to hear beautiful music, buy a better PC speaker system like the Harmon-Kardon Soundsticks II. Better yet, spend $10-$25 on a mini-to-RCA cable and connect your computer audio output to the auxiliary input on your stereo system. If you have your stereo in the same room as the computer, that will be your best bet for great sound (IMHO). But what do I know....
  
  

• Great sound, loud buzz

  
  By A10KCAK279LO0W on 2007-01-15
  If you have to run the power cable next to other power cables, which you likely will, you may find that you get a loud buzz when there is no music playing. I believe this is due to improper or inadequate shielding of the power cable.
  
  When the speakers are playing audio, the sound is great, but when they're not, the buzz is fairly nerve-wracking.
  
  So, if your speakers can be wired away from other computer cables, these are good speakers. But if you need to run the power cable near the other cables, you may get a buzzing sound.
  
  
• nice, if you can stand the buzz
  By AL24ONNWZUQH4 on 2006-08-18
  For the size and power level, these speakers sound quite nice. But it seems as though they are not properly shielded. They produce a constant soft 60 Hz buzz that is rather annoying in a quiet environment. When my new speakers arrived I thought they were defective and exchanged them for another pair. But alas, the defect seems to be in design rather than manufacture since the replacement pair buzzes as well. If I were in an environment with some ambient noise, like an office, I might not be bothered. But in my quiet home study the buzz is quite irritating.
  
  
• Awesome Product
  By A1XUTVIP1J892A on 2005-09-14
  Just received my two JBL duet's...All I have to say is Awesome!!!!
  
  Here's the Good:
  1. The speakers are about the size of a beer. Great and not too overpowering on a small desk.
  2. Great addition to a Mac...Especially the iBook or iMac! I've also got my iPod attached to the setup.
  3. Awesome price for the awesome sound! These speakers are worth more than the $39 I paid here on Amazon.
  
  Bad
  1.Ugly green connector for the stereo output
  2.Huge AC wall adapter
  
  Overall I would suggest the speakers to anyone that wants GREAT sound at even better price!! I ordered these on Sunday night and got them on Wednesday with Amazon's free shipping.
  
  
• Impressed
  By A1RL2PQ9L5U41Q on 2005-10-10
  Great little speakers for the price. Didn't expect much, but was impressed with what I got. Great for occcasional listening of music or monitoring of an audio source. Impressive frequency range for the price. I'm pleased.
  
  
• Ralph Nader would labeled these "unsafe at any speed".
  By A1UA9KMYGA0NCI on 2006-09-14
  Do not buy these speakers at any price. Don't even bother accepting them as a gift. You will be disappointed. OK they sound alright until you turn up the volume, then they feedback regardless of how they are positioned. It must be an internal design flaw because I have seen two sets of these now and they both do the same thing regardless of weather they are connected to a laptop or not. Also, the volume control is tapered and too smooth to get a hold of so you will be frustrated when you try to turn it just to find your fingers slipping around a stationary control knob. I almost threw them across the room. Other than that they are great.
  
  
• Great sound, but poorly designed and made
  By A2MXEFWWPQURZ8 on 2006-11-20
  These small speakers offer excellent sound considering their size and price tag, but I found them extremely frustrating to use because they are so light that you can't turn them on with one hand. If you are thinking about using them with a computer on a cramped desktop, you'll find them very frustrating. You'll need enough room around the switched speaker to get a hand in to hold it down while turning the rather stiff knob with your other hand. These either need substantial weights in the bases to hold them in place (remember the nice old AT&T telephones that weighed a ton? You could actually move around the room holding the receiver without having the base fly off its stand; like most cheap modern telephones, these speakers need more weight for stability) or the knob needs to be made much easier to turn. Also, and more important, mine broke after a few months of extremely light use. Broke? Yes. Cheap Chinese circuitry is the most likely culprit. One speaker just stopped working. I'm so sick of products that spontaneously morph into trash a few months after purchase. Will the manufacturer stand behind them? No. Will the retailer? No. (For the record, I did not purchase mine from Amazon).
  
  
• Not bad, Not Bad
  By ABF90206JHRTN on 2007-07-12
  I bought these speakers for my portable dvd player, and they are great. I found some on sale for $22 AUD, so for that money they are fantastic. But I wouldnt pay full price for them. a few minor flaws, LED lights on the front are quite bright, no bass/trebble control. If I had of paid full price for these, I would have been a little disapointed, but as a cheap pair of multimedia speakers, they are tops.
  
  Update: I hooked these speakers up to the computer and there is a lot of buzz. The buzz isnt present when using them with my portable DVD player. I wouldnt use these as computer speakers.
  
  
• Serious flaws, I threw them out
  By A1UA9KMYGA0NCI on 2008-06-25
  I bought these speakers because they looked cool. I figured all small PC speakers would sound pretty much the same anyway, so they won me over in the cool department. And they did sound pretty nice until I turned up the volume to 3/4.
  
  These speakers fail in the most basic areas.
  
  1. When the volume is turned up they squeal, regardless of the orientation of the speakers. This must be an internal flaw with the circuitry.
  
  2. You cannot adjust the volume with one hand. The knob is too smooth and too tight to grip so you have to hold the speaker with one hand to get a good grip on the knob to turn it.
  
  OK, so I told myself I must have gotten a dud, it happens. These speakers could never have passed JBL quality control and actually been mass produced this way, could they? Then one day I came across a co-worker who had a set of these at her workstation. I asked how she liked them and she told me the same things I just told you.
  
  As I am reading all these glowing reviews I am thinking "OMG people are going to buy these speakers" so I felt compelled to share my experiences to warn potential buyers as I wish I had been warned. My speakers did not make it back from vacation, they are somewhere in a Mexico landfill.
  
  
• Good buy for money
  By A3UO3DCYV422SF on 2005-09-29
  I bought these for my office at work. I've been very surprised with the overall quality of the sound these speakers produce for the price, with plenty of volume for my intended use. I listen to everything from jazz to blues and heavy metal. My boss has the Bose system for his i-pod, the Bose is much louder but IMHO these put the $$$ Bose to shame when you consider price. Not a home system as your never going to rattle the windows, but great bang for the buck.
  
  
• Better than 3 piece computer speaker systems
  By A2BO6FYK37QKRY on 2006-03-05
  I've owned the JBL Creature system which was very good with the exception of a "touch" volume control which was ridiculous, and a BIG HONKING SUBWOOFER that I tried to find space for.
  
  If you live in an apartment, this is the best sound you can get.
  
  Even if you don't live in an apartment, I think 3 piece computer speakers are lousy anyway. The MUDWOOFER typically muddies the sound with a big thomping bass which makes the music undistinguishable - who wants to listen this way while seated at their computer?
  
  Buy the JBL Duet Speakers, you won't be sorry. Great price.
  
  
• From an avid amateur audiophile and student
  By A2L9N5V5UEN45N on 2007-10-15
  Let me preface by saying I consider myself an audiophile but not an annoying music snob or superior techie geek. I am into technology just enough to get the sound quality I want and I'm willing to pay handsomely for it. I previously had Klipsch 2.1 for my computer until my speakers blew out and have Grado SR80s and Sennheiser SR100s for listening to music in my room and a pair of closed Sennheisers for travel.
  
  Having said all that, now that I'm a student and spend most of my time in front of a laptop or else studying, my main criteria for speakers became PORTABILITY, portability, and more portability.
  
  I wanted something light, easy to set up, easy to throw in a bag and travel with, and not nearly as expensive as my Klipsch 2.1's but with a comparable sound value for the price.
  
  I was going to go with 'the other' pair of portable speakers that is popular on Amazon but picked the JBL's for their bass and the fact they were specifically designed to reproduce a 'bigger' sound for their size.
  
  I am REALLY IMPRESSED and VERY HAPPY with my purchase!
  
  Cons:
  These aren't as sleek or portable as 'the other' pair. These will NOT fit comfortably into most laptop bags and while they are small and light, with their shape they will fit awkwardly in an overnight bag.
  
  Also these are NOT usb powered so require more cords, which I hate. However, this means you don't need a computer to listesn to your MP3 player and makes these speakers truly portable speakers for any source with the typical mini plug. And they are portable sized.
  
  Pros:
  But the sound? The sound is GREAT! I listen to a lot of bass heavy electronica and these are PERFECT. The bass is NOT muddy and the sound quality overall is clean and rich for small speakers and they differentiate tones very well.
  
  Comparing apples to apples, these are an awesome pair of small speakers and good value for the price. These will not shake your walls, but if you want that, don't be a cheapo and invest in a pair of real speakers.
  
  I just listened to a track I had heard many times before on my laptop speakers. On the JBLs with the volume up I was able to hear a lot of new details -- I didn't like the details and erased the track. Thanks JBL for helping me clean up my music library!
  
  Perfect for you AND your housemates:
  Also, I have 2 roommates who are light sleepers and this is PERFECT. The sound is just right for me sitting at my desk but the sound does not travel through the walls or door. I don't know what the technical term for this is, but someone else mentioned these are not 'loud' enough for group purposes.
  
  For a home office, dorm room, and solo use, these are a perfect pair of portable speakers with a small footprint.
  
  
• Speakers Hold Their Own and JBL Gets My Respect
  By A3CB8JH302FSSL on 2006-01-18
  Let me start by saying I am a music major and am quite finicky about sound quality. Furthermore, I listen to anything from Def Leppard to Beethoven. I also am a bargain shopper. These speakers -for their price- absolutely ROCK! They handle ALL kinds of music and give you the wonderful high and low overtones that can sometimes be lost in classical genres. I tried to push the limits of these speakers (within reason) by cranking up the volume or turning them way down to see if I still could pick up bass lines; in all regards these passed with flying colors. I am not saying that these out perform a 300 dollar bose stereo or that there aren't higher quality options out there... but man, for the buck, these bad boys are the best. I use mine with my ipod nano as a small unit stereo and I am just thrilled with them.
  
  
• Totally Exceeded my Expectations!
  By A2AKZCZQ9Z0N6L on 2006-03-07
  I like high quality sound for my music, so I couldn't stand to listen to iTunes on my iBook, except with earphones. I wanted to be able to enjoy the flexibility of iTunes in full sound though, so I went on a search for good speakers at the lowest price possible. It didn't take much looking through reviews to see that the JBL Duet Speakers stood out. It seemed way too good to be true that such inexpensive speakers could be as good as everyone was saying, but I bought them, figuring that anything would be better than my iBook's tiny speakers. I was expecting that the sound would probably be only as good as a small CD player. Well, when my speakers arrived and I plugged them in and played one of my favorite rocking songs, I had to grin at the sound that burst from these two small speakers! It was unbelievably high quality--great bass, great highs, very clear, and capable of going way louder than I'd ever want to listen to. It was far better than a small CD player!
  
  So if you're tired of your laptop's small sound, get these! Easily portable, cool design, powerful sound, all for an unbelievably low price--what more could you ask for?!
  
  
• Nice Office Speakers
  By A2PZJYHC2342W on 2006-07-31
  Amazon has a nice price on the JBL Duet Speakers (July 2006 - 36.95) dealmac is a site I used and returned to amazon.
  
  I purchased these for my office desk where I wanted a crisp sound for low volume daily listening. Anything from Ambient, to Rock and Jazz. They produce sounds nicely, nice tight crisp. If these came with a woofer unit these would be ideal speakers, as the 2-pieces alone do not produce any significant bass at all. Just the "hints" of bass in the music but no thud, if that's what you are hoping for. I did turn these up loud to listen to their full sound and they do sound good. These are perfect for offices and just daily music, sound is superb. Not for audiophiles or for people who are expecting to shake everything on their desks.
  
  Build quality is "ok". I got the white speakers and they are the nice "Mac" white plastic. The JBL logo on the speaker itself is awfully big. And the silver volume knob is made of that cheap silver flake paint over plastic which is abit tacky. One of the soft rubber pads on the bottom of these (meant to not scratch your desk) did fall off during opening but they are glued on so no big deal in placing it back on.
  
  The design is very modern and cool tho. They look nice on my desk.
  
  You will need to keep these on for abit to let the speakers fully... break in. They sound awful right out of the box and after maybe one hour of keeping these on they will sound better.
  
  On the low end of speakers out right now, these will probably sound the best and are most modern design, compared to the black boxes out there.
  
  
• GREAT SPEAKERS TO MATCH iBook G4
  By A1W0XFEBMGRGJA on 2005-08-13
  These speakers are really nice. Not only do they sound great but they look great. I use the speakers with my Apple iBook G4. The white speakers match the laptop like no other. I use iTunes alomst everyday and its finally nice to listen to my music on really good speakers, not the little ones built in on the laptop. This is a great deal, great buy and im very satisfied. I reccomend them to everyone who wants good sounds and stylish speakers.
  
  
• The sound is OK for such speakers with this price
  By A1QS5TQML5CMUG on 2005-10-08
  If you just need some cheap and good sound speakers. This maybe the choice. In my apparment, I cannot tune the voulume too loud. And the performance of the speakers is quite good for such a price. But don't expect too much for them, if you are a hi-fi fan.
  
  
• Can't wait to get my own!
  By A2ABM0N2X5CRTT on 2005-11-30
  I just purchased these as a Christmas gift for my husband. Before I wrapped it I checked to see how they sounded. All I can say is WOWZA! The sound quality is awesome. The only problem is that I have to wait until after my husband get these for Christmas so I can get my own!
  
  
• Shocked at the quality
  By A2T92TA2O1TI2Z on 2005-12-30
  I purchased these for my wife's Nano and fortunately she didn't have enough room them with a small space. I have them in my home office and find the sound quality incredible. For the price I paid, what a deal.
  
  
• Great Speakers for My Kindergarten Classroom
  By A2GFI8P3O18XOZ on 2006-03-04
  My parent's bought an IPOD Nano for me to use in my classroom and I searched quite a bit for reasonably priced speakers that would work in a classroom setting. The reviews I read about these were glowing! I have to agree. My kindergartners are so impressed and the speakers have a beautiful sound to them. They are also more than loud enough for all of the singing we do throughout the day. I have also used them at home and my husband was very impressed with the quality of sound and the price. I like the streamlined look of them, too, and would highly recommend them.
  
  
• Duet 2PC Speaker System
  By A1MZ8GGBYOIQ66 on 2006-03-23
  I am very happy with the speakers which I have attached to my Mac Mini.
  They are perfect for this application. Amazon.com continues to provide excellent service.
  
  
• Great Sound
  By A29U1BAOR7KT4C on 2008-03-18
  As a professional composer, I have to admit I was surprised at the clarity of these speakers. For the price, this is a great buy.
  
  
• Good speakers for the price
  By AFG95VY5IX217 on 2008-09-13
  I've owned many many speakers over the years. Small speakers like the Duets can easily be hit or miss. Obviously with a name like JBL, you would expect that they are more "hit" than "miss", and this is true. These speakers are crisp and provide a reasonable amount of lower-end response considering their size.
  
  My two biggest complaints: Lack of a headphone jack on the front (which isn't a problem for me with a laptop, but on a desktop machine it could be an annoyance). The speakers aren't labeled right and left (and even the instructions aren't labeled). The ONLY way to figure verify that you have the correct setup is to plug them in and use the attached device to test (it happens that they follow the "standard" of volume control on the right speaker). Neither are deal breakers, but certainly would have made these speakers worth "5 stars".
  
  
• Terrible GSM Buzz
  By A9Y73FVAAZM6B on 2008-09-24
  These speakers are stylish and sound great--until you use them in the same room as a GSM phone (i.e. AT&T or T-Mobile). The amplifier and cables are completely unshielded, and they make the loudest, most obnoxious buzzing around a cell phone that I have ever heard out of a pair of speakers. My phone makes most speakers chirp a little, but these things belch out the interference at heretofore unheard volumes. Completely unusable if you plan to charge your iPhone next to your iMac.
  
  
• JBL Speakers
  By A1FP9XE4ALW26J on 2005-09-14
  I was going to buy direct from Apple for $50 but just for the heck of it I checked Amazon and they were $39 with free shipping. Along with that they are excellent speakers. Hard to believe a little Ipod can put out such great sound. I highly recommend.
  
  
• OK I was wrong!
  By A2QMZT90AB1HX0 on 2006-02-21
  First, I read the reviews of these speakers on the Apple.com website. Almost universally great! So I went and ordered from Amazon to save bucks. Then "buyer's remorse" hit me. I mean, how could inexpensive speakers sound so great? "I've just blown some cash," I thought. They arrived today, I hooked 'em up, and turned up the volume. WOW! Great treble, great bass, great speakers! OK, I was wrong to doubt the reviews. They really ARE that great! My Imac speakers were surprisingly good but these
  JBL's take Itunes to another dimension. BUY 'EM!
  
  
• JBL Duet Speakers, white
  By A35D3G8HDMLJ6K on 2006-03-16
  Great little speakers! Bought them for my iMac G5 computer, and they do an excellent job! Got them at Amazon.com for half what Apple wanted for them.
  
  

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